Family movies are a great way to spend time with your loved ones and enjoy a fun and uplifting story. But did you know that family movies can also be a valuable educational tool?
Whether you’re watching a classic Disney film, a modern Pixar masterpiece, or a live-action adventure, there’s a family movie out there for everyone. So next time you’re looking for a fun and educational activity to do with your loved ones, gather them around the TV and pop in a movie. You won’t regret it.
So get some popcorn on and read on for our list of the best ever family friendly movies of ALL TIME!
Family Movie Time = Quality Family Time
Family movies are also a great way to spend quality time with your loved ones.
When you watch a movie together, you can laugh, cry, and share your thoughts and feelings with each other. This can help to strengthen your family bonds and create lasting memories.
So next time you’re looking for a fun and educational activity to do with your family, consider watching a movie together. You’ll be glad you did!
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 5 and under
The Muppet Movie (1979):
Kermit the Frog and his Muppet friends travel to Hollywood to make a movie. Along the way, they meet many interesting characters and have many adventures.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988):
Two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move to a new house in the countryside. They soon discover that the woods behind their house are home to a friendly forest spirit named Totoro.
The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989):
Milo, a kitten, and Otis, a pug, become best friends and embark on a journey to find their way home.
Babe (1995):
A pig named Babe is raised by a sheepdog and learns to herd sheep. Babe must use his skills to save the farm from foreclosure.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989):
Kiki, a young witch, leaves home to start her own delivery service. She soon learns that being independent is not always easy, but with the help of her friends and family, she is able to succeed.
A Bug’s Life (1998):
Flik, an ant, must lead his colony to safety from a group of ruthless grasshoppers.
WALL-E (2008):
WALL-E, a robot who has been cleaning up Earth for centuries, meets EVE, a robot who has been sent to search for signs of life on Earth. Together, they embark on a journey to save the planet.
Up (2009):
Carl Fredricksen, an elderly man, ties his house to thousands of balloons and flies to South America to fulfill a childhood dream. Along the way, he meets a young boy named Russell and they have many adventures together.
Frozen (2013):
Princess Anna sets out to find her sister Elsa, who has used her ice powers to create an eternal winter in their kingdom.
Coco (2017):
Miguel, a young boy who dreams of becoming a musician, travels to the Land of the Dead to seek the blessing of his great-great-grandfather.
Sing (2016):
Buster Moon, a koala who owns a theatre, hosts a singing competition to save his theatre from foreclosure.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 6+
The Lion King (1994):
A young lion cub named Simba is tricked by his treacherous uncle Scar into thinking he was responsible for his father’s death and flees into exile. Simba must eventually return to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King.
The Princess Bride (1987):
When the beautiful Princess Buttercup is kidnapped by the evil Humperdinck, her true love Westley must come to her rescue. Along the way, he teams up with a pirate, a giant, and a swordsman to battle Humperdinck’s forces and save the princess.
Toy Story (1995):
Woody, a cowboy doll who is the favorite toy of a young boy named Andy, is thrown into a panic when Andy’s new toy, Buzz Lightyear, arrives. Woody believes that Buzz will replace him as Andy’s favorite toy, so he tries to get rid of him. However, Woody and Buzz soon find themselves working together when they are accidentally lost.
Finding Nemo (2003):
Marlin, a clownfish, sets out on a perilous journey to find his son, Nemo, who has been captured by a scuba diver. Along the way, he teams up with Dory, a forgetful blue tang fish, and they face many challenges, including sharks, jellyfish, and a minefield.
The Incredibles (2004):
The Parr family is a family of superheroes who are forced to go into hiding after the government bans superheroes. However, when a new villain emerges, the Parrs must come out of retirement to save the day.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 8+
The Goonies (1985):
A group of friends find a treasure map and set out on an adventure to find One-Eyed Willy’s treasure. Along the way, they must battle the Fratellis, a family of criminals who are also after the treasure.
Home Alone (1990):
Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, is accidentally left home alone while his family goes on vacation. He must defend his house from two burglars.
Jurassic Park (1993):
A group of scientists are invited to a remote island to study dinosaurs that have been cloned from prehistoric DNA. However, the dinosaurs break free and the scientists must fight for their survival.
Jumanji (1995):
A young boy named Alan finds a magical board game called Jumanji. When he plays the game, the jungle comes to life in his house and he must race against time to finish the game before it’s too late.
Matilda (1996):
Matilda Wormwood is a young girl with magical powers. She uses her powers to get revenge on her cruel parents and teacher.
Paddington 2 (2017):
Paddington Bear is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and must clear his name. Paddington’s charm and kindness win over the hearts of the people of London, who help him to prove his innocence and find the real culprit.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021):
A dysfunctional family must work together to save the world from a robot apocalypse. The Mitchells are a quirky and lovable family who are constantly at odds with each other. But when the robots attack, they must put aside their differences and work together to save humanity.
Encanto (2021):
A Colombian family living in a magical house must work together to save their magic when it’s threatened. The Madrigals are a family with magical powers. But when their magic starts to fade, they must embark on a dangerous journey to save it.
Luca (2021):
Two young sea monsters disguise themselves as humans to explore a seaside town. Luca and Alberto are two young sea monsters who dream of exploring the human world. They disguise themselves as humans and venture to a seaside town, where they have many adventures and learn about the human world.
Turning Red (2022):
A 13-year-old girl turns into a red panda whenever she gets too excited. Meilin Lee is a 13-year-old girl who is struggling with the changes of puberty. When she gets too excited, she turns into a giant red panda. Meilin must learn to control her emotions and accept her new identity.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 10+
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982):
Elliott, a young boy, befriends an alien who is stranded on Earth. Together, they try to help E.T. get home.
Back to the Future (1985):
Marty McFly, a teenager, accidentally travels back in time to 1955. He must find a way to get back to his own time without disrupting the space-time continuum.
The Karate Kid (1984):
Daniel LaRusso, a teenager who is new to Los Angeles, is bullied by a group of karate students. He learns karate from Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese handyman, and enters a karate tournament to face his bullies.
Spirited Away (2001):
Chihiro Ogino, a ten-year-old girl, is trapped in a magical world ruled by spirits. She must work in a bathhouse for spirits in order to save her parents and return to the human world.
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004):
Sophie Hatter, a young woman who is cursed by a witch, meets a wizard named Howl and his fire demon Calcifer. Sophie and Calcifer form a pact to help each other break their curses.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 12+
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001):
A young hobbit named Frodo Baggins is entrusted with the One Ring, an evil artifact created by the Dark Lord Sauron. Frodo must travel to Mordor, Sauron’s realm, to destroy the Ring and prevent Sauron from regaining his power.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003):
Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate, teams up with Will Turner, a blacksmith, and Elizabeth Swann, the governor’s daughter, to rescue Elizabeth from the cursed Black Pearl, a pirate ship led by Captain Barbossa.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001):
An orphan boy discovers that he’s a wizard and is enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he makes friends and learns about magic.
Spider-Man (2002):
Peter Parker, a high school student, is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superhuman powers. He becomes the superhero Spider-Man and uses his powers to protect New York City from criminals.
Shrek (2001):
Shrek, an ogre, teams up with Donkey, a talking donkey, to rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon’s tower. Along the way, they must battle Lord Farquaad, an evil lord who wants to marry Fiona.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981):
Indiana Jones, an archaeologist and adventurer, is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can get their hands on it.
Star Wars (1977):
A young farm boy named Luke Skywalker joins the Rebel Alliance in their fight against the evil Galactic Empire.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 14+
The Dark Knight (2008):
Batman, the superhero of Gotham City, must face off against the Joker, a psychotic criminal mastermind.
Inception (2010):
A team of thieves use a new technology to steal information by infiltrating people’s dreams.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015):
Furiosa, a rebel warrior, teams up with Max Rockatansky, a drifter, to escape from the tyrannical warlord Immortan Joe.
The Matrix (1999):
Neo, a computer hacker, learns that the world he lives in is actually a computer simulation. He joins a group of rebels who are fighting to free humanity from the simulation.
Interstellar (2014):
A team of astronauts travels through a wormhole in search of a new home for humanity.
Best family-friendly movies – Recommended age rating: 16+
Hidden Figures (2016):
The true story of three African-American women who worked at NASA during the Space Race. They were instrumental in helping the United States put the first man on the moon.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018):
Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teenager, becomes Spider-Man after he is bitten by a radioactive spider. He teams up with Spider-People from other dimensions to stop a powerful villain.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994):
Andy Dufresne, a banker, is wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He befriends Ellis “Red” Redding, a fellow inmate, and they help each other through their time in prison.
The Godfather (1972):
The Corleone family, a powerful Mafia clan, is drawn into a bloody war with a rival crime family.
12 Angry Men (1957):
A jury of twelve men must decide the fate of a young man accused of murder.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991):
Clarice Starling, a rookie FBI agent, must seek the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant but imprisoned psychiatrist, to catch a serial killer.
Schindler’s List (1993):
Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, saves the lives of over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.
Further Benefits to Spending Quality Family Time at the Movies
In addition to the educational benefits mentioned above, family movies can also help children to:
- Develop their critical thinking skills by analyzing the characters and plot
- Learn new vocabulary and concepts
- Improve their communication skills by discussing the movie with others
- Boost their self-esteem by seeing characters who overcome challenges and achieve their goals
Family movies can also be a powerful tool for social-emotional learning. They can help children to:
- Understand and express their own emotions
- Recognize and respond to the emotions of others
- Develop empathy and compassion
- Resolve conflicts peacefully
Family Movies Can Teach Children Important Life Lessons
Family movies often deal with important life lessons such as friendship, family, courage, and perseverance. By watching these movies with your children, you can help them to learn about these important values and how to apply them to their own lives.
For example, the movie The Lion King teaches children about the importance of responsibility and family. The movie Finding Nemo teaches children about the importance of courage and determination. And the movie Frozen teaches children about the importance of love and sisterhood.
Family Movies Can Help Children to Develop Their Imagination
Family movies often feature fantastical worlds and magical creatures. This can help to spark children’s imaginations and encourage them to be creative.
For example, the movie Spirited Away takes viewers to a magical world filled with spirits and gods. The movie Howl’s Moving Castle features a flying castle and a fire demon. And the movie Paddington Bear tells the story of a talking bear who moves to London.
Family Movies Can Help Children to Learn About Different Cultures
Family movies can also be a great way to teach children about different cultures. By watching movies from different countries, children can learn about different customs, traditions, and ways of life.
For example, the movie Coco takes viewers to the Land of the Dead, where they learn about Mexican culture and traditions. The movie Encanto tells the story of a Colombian family with magical powers. And the movie Luca takes viewers to a seaside town in Italy.
So next time you’re watching a family movie together, take some time to talk to your children about what they’re learning. Ask them what they liked about the movie and what they didn’t like. Ask them what they think the characters are feeling and why. And encourage them to share their own thoughts and feelings about the movie.
Family movies are more than just entertainment. They are a valuable tool for learning, growth, and connection. So make the most of them!
