17 Of The Best Movies For Kids On Netflix Right Now

Netflix isn’t just for grown-ups, you know. We’ve all plopped our kids down in front of the TV with the Firestick remote and a bevy of snacks, hoping to buy ourselves just a moment of peace and quiet. Sometimes you just need a movie (or two or three, we don’t judge) to keep them occupied and out of your hair. But who has time for the constant scrolling through endless choices? We’ve narrowed down the 17 best kids movies on Netflix right now, so you can just queue them up and let it roll. And maybe, just maybe, drink your coffee while it’s still actually hot.

The great thing about kids movies on Netflix is that there are seemingly endless possibilities. Of course, I don’t suggest letting your kids pick. Because they are indecisive, and you will have wasted all your free time just scrolling through the choices. So you have to do some legwork before you can sneak off to enjoy your coffee and social media scrolling. But once you’ve narrowed it down to one of these amazing movies, you can sit back, relax, and pretend you don’t hear them fighting over the remote.

The best kids movies on Netflix will work for a wide-array of ages, from toddlers to tweens. But some will work for everyone. I mean honestly, who doesn’t love Moana?

Moana is seriously the best Disney movie to come out in … ever? My kids will sit and watch it over and over again, which is obviously the mark of a good kids’ movie. Your biggest struggle will be not dropping whatever you’re doing to belt out the songs when they come on. And no matter how many times I’ve seen it, that scene at the end when Moana restores the heart to Te Fiti and she walks through the water and they nuzzle noses? TEARS, EVERY TIME. Disney has a unique way of making movies that we never get sick of watching, so whenever one queues up on Netflix, we are all over it. 

A Wrinkle in Time

Ava DuVernay took on Madeleine L’Engle’s classic book, and turned it into a feast of the eyes and hearts. The adaptation doesn’t stick super close to the books, so if your kids haven’t read them yet, they won’t be completely lost when they see the film. And while some purists weren’t big fans of the movie, I happened to love it. It’s a gorgeous film with a beautiful message. Plus, there’s something for everyone! Action, suspense, fantasy, and drama. I definitely think every kid should read “A Wrinkle in Time”, but the movie is a great starter.

{Also read: 20 of the Best Halloween Movies for Kids}

Coraline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haW0vKj99tk

If your kids are big fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, they’ll probably love Coraline! It’s one of those weird, creepy movies that you either love or hate (I love it, so do my kids). It’s a bit on the scary side in some spots, like when Other Mother tries to sew buttons on Coraline’s eyes. But if you want to teach your kids a lesson about being grateful for what they have, this is the movie to do it. There’s a lot to love about this movie, but the hilarious neighbors who used to be circus performers are stand-outs. 

The Little Prince

You’ve probably read the original novel of the same name (if you haven’t, you should). This animated movie sort of picks up where the book left off, but now The Aviator is elderly, and he shares his story of meeting The Little Prince with a young girl. It’s an absolutely gorgeous movie with a beautiful message. The animation is something kids will dig, because it’s not your typical super-CG movie. It’s very family-friendly, so the whole family can enjoy it together. But get the tissues ready, because this movie tugs at the heart strings in a major way, and there will definitely be tears (probably yours).

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

The books are hugely popular, and the movie totally lives up to their reputation. What kid wouldn’t love a movie about tricking their principal? There is so much to dig about this movie, and I have to say: I went into it thinking I would hate it. My kid LOVES the books, but I always found them sort of annoying. The movie definitely has the potential to be annoying, but it’s just so damn funny you can overlook a lot of it. This is one of those movies that will have your kids rolling in laughter, and probably conspiring to come up with some tricks of their own.

An American Tail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_4kU9cwgXM

Just because it’s a kids movie doesn’t mean it can’t be incredibly topical and reflect what’s going on in the world today. It’s actually kind of crazy how much An American Tail mimics what’s happening in the country today. Fievel, an adorable mouse from Russia, comes to America with his family. They face hardships and peril and spend a significant amount of time running and hiding from cats. But the message behind the movie is lovely and one all kids should learn. Plus, the song “Somewhere Out There” will go down as one of the best movie songs ever, period.

The Iron Giant

This animated science fiction movie is something pretty special. Nine year old Hogarth Hughes finds a giant space robot in the woods near his house, and then obviously befriends him. When the military gets winds of the giant’s existence, they set out to find and capture him. The movie has some tense and slightly scary moments, and the ending will rip your heart right out of your chest. But this story of friendship between a young boy and his space giant is so sweet and will teach your kids the value of accepting people (and robots) for who they are.

Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday

A good one for the tweens and teens! It’s Pee-Wee, so it’s pretty harmless, aside from a few juvenile jokes and innuendos. But it’s funny, and once they’ve watched it, they can move onto the classics like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-Wee. I was obsessed with Pee-Wee when I was a kid (I even had a Chairy in my room!), so this one brought back a lot of find memories for me. If you were a fan back in the day, you’ll appreciate this movie. Some things never change, and they shouldn’t! You do you, Pee-Wee. You do you.

Harry and the Hendersons

I had COMPLETELY forgotten about this movie until I saw it on Netflix, and then I immediately made both my kids sit down and watch it with me. Keep in mind, it’s from the 80’s, so some of the humor and language is … questionable. But goddamn if it wasn’t as good as I remembered. And yes, I still cried at the end, and I kind of want to cry just thinking about it right now. My mom used to tell me she was glad Bigfoots didn’t actually exist, because I would 100% find one and try to make it my pet. Watching this movie as an adult, I realized just how strong the message about loving the earth and all its creatures is, and it’s a great message for kids.

{Also read: 20 Times We Totally Understood Where Movie Villains Were Coming From}

Benji

Is there anything better than movies about dogs? No. No, there is not. We all grew up on Benji, and he still holds a very special place in our hearts. But trying to get our kids to watch “old-time” movies is like pulling teeth. They want action and special effects and stuff! Now, there’s not much of any of that in the latest remake of the classic buddy-dog movie, but there is plenty of heart. Benji is everyone’s favorite hero, and he saves a boy and his sister in more ways than one. Again, gonna need the tissues, because apparently all kids movies need to be sad.

Kung Fu Panda

The Dragon Warrior has to LITERALLY save China in a battle against Tai Lung. But somehow, the Dragon Warrior ended up being a pudgy panda who likes dumplings and isn’t so good at the martial arts. It’s hilarious. Kids movies that combine some of our favorite things are the best. In this case, we’re talking about a movie that combines funny, out-of-shape talking animals with a love for dim sum and dumplings. You can’t help but relate to Po the Panda and his reluctant heroism. Your kids will laugh at his shenanigans throughout the entire movie. It’s a good one, for sure.

Coco

Oh look! Another Disney film that you will be sobbing through from beginning to end! Coco is one of those movies you don’t want to watch again because you know you will cry, but you want to watch over and over again because it’s just that good. The animation, the story, the music, the scenery – it’s all perfect. Your kids might not understand why you start crying every time Miguel visits Mama Coco and sings “Remember Me” to her. But I can’t even hear the first few notes of that song without the tears starting to well up. What an amazing movie.

The Guardian Brothers

We haven’t watched this one yet (saving it for holiday break when I need my kids to stay out of my hair), but it sounds fantastic. The Guardian Brothers on Netflix is the English language version of a Chinese film called Xiao men shen. A Chinese family’s soup shop is being targeted by a competitor, so two spirit guardians from the spirit world come out of retirement to protect them and keep their shop open. I love kids movies that blend old world with new world, and in this case, shop owner Luli doesn’t believe in the spirits the same way her grandmother did – until they come to her rescue. 

Hercules

LISTEN. Hercules does not get enough love when it comes to favorite Disney movies. How else are our kids supposed to learn about Greek mythology?! OK, so maybe relying on a 21 year old Disney movie to teach our kids about Ancient Greece isn’t the best idea. But it’s still a damn good movie. Hercules finds out he’s actual a god and he needs to try to reclaim his status by becoming a hero. He reunites with Pegasus (hello, adorable!) and hooks up with Meg, who has some secrets that put Hercules in grave danger. It all works out in the end in ways that only a Disney film can pull off. 

The Princess Diaries

Before Anne Hathaway was an Oscar-nominated “serious” actress, she was Mia Thermopolis, a shy, awkward teenager from San Francisco who learns that she’s actually a real-life princess. And thus begins her transformation from “ugly” duckling to graceful swan. Of course, many lessons are learned along the way, by Mia and the adults who are charged with turning her into royalty (spoiler alert: she was awesome the way she was!). It also stars Julie Andrews, who I would watch pick her own toenails for an hour. It’s silly fun, with a great message. Sort of like Pretty Woman without the prostitution stuff.

The Little Rascals

This is one of those movies that you have to show your kids, just so they can understand what we had to work with when we were kids. We all watched the TV show, even if was in reruns. The whole premise of the show and movie don’t hold up super well with what’s going on in the country today (an anti-girls club, what the actual hell). But it’s cute, it’s funny, and the child actors are adorable. Your kids aren’t going to gain much from watching this one, but it will definitely keep them entertained, and they will probably have a ton of questions afterward.

Born in China

Pandas and monkeys and snow leopards, oh my! This documentary-style film will be a home run with kids of all ages. Who doesn’t love baby animals?! The film focuses on a giant panda named Ya Ya and her daughter Mei Mei, snow leopard Dawa and her adorable cubs, a mischievous golden snub-nosed monkey named Tao Tao, and a herd of wild chiru. It’s a great nature documentary for young kids, and even older kids will fall in love with the subjects of the movie. It’s always nice to come across kids movies that aren’t fantasy or animated or (let’s be honest) kind of stupid. This one is none of those things.

There are tons of movies to choose from, but these are the best kids movies on Netflix that I’ve seen, and my own kids enjoy. Happy streaming!

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