One of the best family pastimes and bonding moments is watching a fun family movie. Below are some of the best and all-time favorite kid-friendly movies you can choose from for your next movie night at home. Don’t forget your popcorn, and make sure to light up the fireplace!
Our Favorite Movies to Watch for Family Night:
1. Home Alone
Home Alone is one of the family movie gems of the nineties. This stars Macaulay Culkin where he plays an 8-year old kid, Kevin, who tries to protect his family’s house from burglars after his family accidentally left him all alone during the Christmas break! Sadly, his family flies to Paris and leaves him behind, but this is where the fun ensues. Kevin sets up some home-made booby traps to capture the burglars. This is a very funny and heart-warming movie which will surely be loved by families with kids of all ages.
2. The Goonies
This classic kids-based adventure-comedy movie by director Richard Donner is about a group of pre-teens from the neighborhood, “Goon Docks”. The kids attempt to protect their houses from being demolished. In the process, they uncover an old map which takes them on the adventure of their lives. They try to unearth the long-lost fortune of a 17th-century pirate, One-Eyed Willy. While they search for this precious ancient treasure, a family of greedy crooks chases them to get the fortune for themselves instead. Scary at times, but definitely fun for any kid over 10 years old.
3. ET
Some say this is the greatest kids and family movie of all time. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial tells the story of a troubled lonely boy named Elliot who becomes a friend of the friendly extraterrestrial named ET who is stranded on Earth. Elliot, together with his siblings, help ET return to his home planet while they try to protect him from the government. This 1982 fantasy science fiction movie was directed by the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and stars the then-popular child actors Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore. Both entertaining and moving, this is a fun family movie for the ages.
4. Princess Bride
Based on the novel of the same title, the movie Princess Bride is considered historically and culturally significant. This is a story about a farm worker named Westley who must save his one true love Princess Buttercup from the hands of the terrible Prince Humperdinck. In the film, the story is read by a grandfather to his sick grandson. There is definitely somthign appealing from a family-perspective, as per the unique narrative style of the novel. The film is a mixture of romance, fantasy, adventure, and comedy. Kids will definitely watch this fun family movie with mouths agape and eyes wide open.
5. Mary Poppins
The movie Mary Poppins is considered one of the all-time family movie classics. This is loosely based on the book series “Marry Poppins” by P.L. Travers and was produced by Walt Disney himself in 1964. This is about a magical nanny, Mary Poppins, who helps improve the relationship between the two children she is taking care of and their father. Mary Poppins uses magical adventures and songs to bring their kids closer to their father. Mary Poppins stars Julie Andrews, and it even won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1964.
6. Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a story about an overprotective clownfish father named Marlin and his search for his son Nemo. Nemo gets abducted in the Great Barrier Reef and is taken to Sydney. During his search, he meets the regal blue tang fish Dory, voiced by none other than Ellen DeGeneres, who suffers from short-term memory loss. Together, they go on an adventure as they find ways to bring Nemo home. This Disney Pixar computer-animated film combines comedy, adventure, and drama – perfect for any fun family evening movie night!
7. Frozen
This Disney 3D computer-animated fantasy musical film tells a story of true love between two sisters. Queen Elsa is just crowned as the new queen when she accidentally turns things to ice with her power. This causes a never-ending winter in the enchanted kingdom of Arendelle. The Queen hides in an ice castle on top of a mountain. Her sister, Princess Anna, goes through a journey with a mountain man and a magical snowman to find her sister and change the weather condition. If you want your kids to experience an eye opening wonderland fantasy of a movie, then this is it! Your kids will definitely enjoy this adventurous fun movie that your whole family can watch together.
8. Minions
Minions is a spinoff or prequel to the movie Despicable Me. The story revolves around the minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob who are recruited by the super-villain Scarlet Overkill. Scarlet, together with her husband Herb who is an inventor, conspires and plots to steal the Queen of England’s Imperial State Crown and to rule the world. The smart minions help stop their evil plan with their funny antics and some luck. This 3D computer-animated fun familymovie is something that your kids will thoroughly enjoy!
9. Toy Story
This movie is the first ever feature-length computer-animated film, making Toy Story ground-breaking when it was first released. The plot focuses on the rivals Woody, a cowboy pull string doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger toy, as they try to compete for their owner Andy’s affection. Both Woody and Buzz Lightyear, together with all of Andy’s other cool toys, come alive when there are no humans around, and they pretend to be lifeless as soon as a human arrives. Talk about capturing a kid’s imagination – this fun family movie will keep your kid glued to the edge of his seat.
10. Karate Kid
Karate Kid is a drama martial arts kids movie which tells the story of a martial arts master, Mr. Miyagi, who trains a bullied teenager named Daniel to become a karate fighter. Daniel’s initial training starts with tough boring chores which he thinks only make him the old man’s servant. It turns out that these chores made him gain muscle memory which then helps him learn his defensive blocks. This is an underdog story which is truly heartwarming and inspiring for any young kid to see. This movie spawned three more sequels.
11. Jungle Book
The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli, a feral child who was raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. His friends, Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, try to persuade him to leave the forest before the evil tiger Shere Khan arrives. Mowgli’s wild adventure and journey might be a bit hard for your average kid to relate to, but it is certainly fun to watch and probably teaches important aspects such as courage and such. This film was first seen as an animated comedy musical film in 1967 and was then remade in 2016 with real actors and amazing computer effects.
12. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
This science fiction adventure family movie is about an inventor who shrinks his kids and his neighbor’s kids by accident. Through his electromagnetic shrinking device, the kids are shrunk to less than an inch! The kids are thrown with the trash into the backyard where they encounter several obstacles like insects and animals. The kids work together as they try to work their way out of the dangerous backyard and get back to the house to get noticed by the inventor. This movie is great for the family, though there are a few scenes which might scare the younger kids watching.
13. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire stars since-deceased comedian Robin Williams. He plays a divorced actor, Daniel, who pretends to be an old woman housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire so he can still interact and look after his kids. Daniel learns a lot of things in the household as Mrs. Doubtfire. His kids become fond and close to him as Mrs. Doubtfire. Eventually, they find out about his secret and agree to keep it. This is a very touching story about the love of a family, and this is definitely a heartwarming movie for any family to watch.
14. Monsters Inc.
In the cartoon-animated comedy movie Monsters Inc., the monsters in the city of Monstropolis use the children’s screams to power the entire city. Thus, they have to scare children to get more screams. However, they believe that the children are deadly and toxic to the monsters. When a little child, Boo, accidentally gets through to their world, two monsters, Mike and Sulley, must take her back to the human world.
15. Parent Trap
The adventure comedy drama movie Parent Trap is about identical twins who were separated at birth. Each is being raised by one of their biological parents who divorced soon after their marriage. They found each other for the first time through a summer camp they both attended. Together, they plan a way to get their parents get back together. Parent Trap was first seen in 1961 and was remade in 1998, incredibly with Lindsay Lohan playing BOTH of the twins, Annie and Hallie. This is a fun movie for the family to watch for a pleasant evening movie night.
1. Home Alone
Home Alone is one of the family movie gems of the nineties. This stars Macaulay Culkin where he plays an 8-year old kid, Kevin, who tries to protect his family’s house from burglars after his family accidentally left him all alone during the Christmas break! Sadly, his family flies to Paris and leaves him behind, but this is where the fun ensues. Kevin sets up some home-made booby traps to capture the burglars. This is a very funny and heart-warming movie which will surely be loved by families with kids of all ages.
2. The Goonies
This classic kids-based adventure-comedy movie by director Richard Donner is about a group of pre-teens from the neighborhood, “Goon Docks”. The kids attempt to protect their houses from being demolished. In the process, they uncover an old map which takes them on the adventure of their lives. They try to unearth the long-lost fortune of a 17th-century pirate, One-Eyed Willy. While they search for this precious ancient treasure, a family of greedy crooks chases them to get the fortune for themselves instead. Scary at times, but definitely fun for any kid over 10 years old.
3. ET
Some say this is the greatest kids and family movie of all time. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial tells the story of a troubled lonely boy named Elliot who becomes a friend of the friendly extraterrestrial named ET who is stranded on Earth. Elliot, together with his siblings, help ET return to his home planet while they try to protect him from the government. This 1982 fantasy science fiction movie was directed by the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and stars the then-popular child actors Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore. Both entertaining and moving, this is a fun family movie for the ages.
4. Princess Bride
Based on the novel of the same title, the movie Princess Bride is considered historically and culturally significant. This is a story about a farm worker named Westley who must save his one true love Princess Buttercup from the hands of the terrible Prince Humperdinck. In the film, the story is read by a grandfather to his sick grandson. There is definitely somthign appealing from a family-perspective, as per the unique narrative style of the novel. The film is a mixture of romance, fantasy, adventure, and comedy. Kids will definitely watch this fun family movie with mouths agape and eyes wide open.
5. Mary Poppins
The movie Mary Poppins is considered one of the all-time family movie classics. This is loosely based on the book series “Marry Poppins” by P.L. Travers and was produced by Walt Disney himself in 1964. This is about a magical nanny, Mary Poppins, who helps improve the relationship between the two children she is taking care of and their father. Mary Poppins uses magical adventures and songs to bring their kids closer to their father. Mary Poppins stars Julie Andrews, and it even won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1964.
6. Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a story about an overprotective clownfish father named Marlin and his search for his son Nemo. Nemo gets abducted in the Great Barrier Reef and is taken to Sydney. During his search, he meets the regal blue tang fish Dory, voiced by none other than Ellen DeGeneres, who suffers from short-term memory loss. Together, they go on an adventure as they find ways to bring Nemo home. This Disney Pixar computer-animated film combines comedy, adventure, and drama – perfect for any fun family evening movie night!
7. Frozen
This Disney 3D computer-animated fantasy musical film tells a story of true love between two sisters. Queen Elsa is just crowned as the new queen when she accidentally turns things to ice with her power. This causes a never-ending winter in the enchanted kingdom of Arendelle. The Queen hides in an ice castle on top of a mountain. Her sister, Princess Anna, goes through a journey with a mountain man and a magical snowman to find her sister and change the weather condition. If you want your kids to experience an eye opening wonderland fantasy of a movie, then this is it! Your kids will definitely enjoy this adventurous fun movie that your whole family can watch together.
8. Minions
Minions is a spinoff or prequel to the movie Despicable Me. The story revolves around the minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob who are recruited by the super-villain Scarlet Overkill. Scarlet, together with her husband Herb who is an inventor, conspires and plots to steal the Queen of England’s Imperial State Crown and to rule the world. The smart minions help stop their evil plan with their funny antics and some luck. This 3D computer-animated fun familymovie is something that your kids will thoroughly enjoy!
9. Toy Story
This movie is the first ever feature-length computer-animated film, making Toy Story ground-breaking when it was first released. The plot focuses on the rivals Woody, a cowboy pull string doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger toy, as they try to compete for their owner Andy’s affection. Both Woody and Buzz Lightyear, together with all of Andy’s other cool toys, come alive when there are no humans around, and they pretend to be lifeless as soon as a human arrives. Talk about capturing a kid’s imagination – this fun family movie will keep your kid glued to the edge of his seat.
10. Karate Kid
Karate Kid is a drama martial arts kids movie which tells the story of a martial arts master, Mr. Miyagi, who trains a bullied teenager named Daniel to become a karate fighter. Daniel’s initial training starts with tough boring chores which he thinks only make him the old man’s servant. It turns out that these chores made him gain muscle memory which then helps him learn his defensive blocks. This is an underdog story which is truly heartwarming and inspiring for any young kid to see. This movie spawned three more sequels.
11. Jungle Book
The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli, a feral child who was raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. His friends, Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, try to persuade him to leave the forest before the evil tiger Shere Khan arrives. Mowgli’s wild adventure and journey might be a bit hard for your average kid to relate to, but it is certainly fun to watch and probably teaches important aspects such as courage and such. This film was first seen as an animated comedy musical film in 1967 and was then remade in 2016 with real actors and amazing computer effects.
12. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
This science fiction adventure family movie is about an inventor who shrinks his kids and his neighbor’s kids by accident. Through his electromagnetic shrinking device, the kids are shrunk to less than an inch! The kids are thrown with the trash into the backyard where they encounter several obstacles like insects and animals. The kids work together as they try to work their way out of the dangerous backyard and get back to the house to get noticed by the inventor. This movie is great for the family, though there are a few scenes which might scare the younger kids watching.
13. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire stars since-deceased comedian Robin Williams. He plays a divorced actor, Daniel, who pretends to be an old woman housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire so he can still interact and look after his kids. Daniel learns a lot of things in the household as Mrs. Doubtfire. His kids become fond and close to him as Mrs. Doubtfire. Eventually, they find out about his secret and agree to keep it. This is a very touching story about the love of a family, and this is definitely a heartwarming movie for any family to watch.
14. Monsters Inc.
In the cartoon-animated comedy movie Monsters Inc., the monsters in the city of Monstropolis use the children’s screams to power the entire city. Thus, they have to scare children to get more screams. However, they believe that the children are deadly and toxic to the monsters. When a little child, Boo, accidentally gets through to their world, two monsters, Mike and Sulley, must take her back to the human world.
15. Parent Trap
The adventure comedy drama movie Parent Trap is about identical twins who were separated at birth. Each is being raised by one of their biological parents who divorced soon after their marriage. They found each other for the first time through a summer camp they both attended. Together, they plan a way to get their parents get back together. Parent Trap was first seen in 1961 and was remade in 1998, incredibly with Lindsay Lohan playing BOTH of the twins, Annie and Hallie. This is a fun movie for the family to watch for a pleasant evening movie night.
