60 of the Best Christmas Movies for Kids
Updated: Dec. 06, 2023
Here comes Santa Claus (and friends) with awesome kids Christmas movies that are just right for a variety of ages
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’Tis the season for the best kids Christmas movies
Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, and children everywhere are amping up for Christmas—and the kids Christmas movies that come with the season! Plan one or more holiday-themed movie nights to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. Snuggle up on the couch with the kiddos, serve some hot cocoa (extra marshmallows, please!) and make screening the classics the sweetest Christmas tradition.
Kids of all ages will love binge-watching these holiday flicks. Some are classified as the best Christmas movies of all time, from Home Alone and Elf to The Polar Express and A Charlie Brown Christmas, while others are more recent family Christmas movies. They’re fun, heartwarming and great to rewatch year after year. So choose one of the kids Christmas movies below, or have a marathon with all of them—we won’t judge!
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The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
Released: 2023
Rated: PG
These talking animals planned to pull off a holiday heist, but their scheme is thwarted once Christmas is canceled. Follow the Bad Guys on a gift-giving adventure to reignite everyone’s holiday spirit.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
Family Switch
Released: 2023
Rated: PG
Expect a night full of laughs while watching Family Switch. Featuring Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms, the family-friendly comedy focuses on the Walkers, who chaotically switch bodies days before Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 10 and up
Angela’s Christmas
Released: 2017
Rated: G
This 30-minute holiday film revolves around a young girl, Angela, who makes a questionable decision (with good intentions) during her family’s visit to a local church in Ireland. The child’s innocence and good nature will restore your hope for the holidays.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
Angela’s Christmas 2
Released: 2020
Rated: G
The young Angela returns in this sequel to the 2017 short. With her father away working in Australia, she is determined to make Christmas the best one yet. Angela’s goal: to reunite her family for the holidays.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus
Released: 2022
Rated: PG
The Boss Baby is back, but this time, he’s stranded at the North Pole after being mistaken for an elf! Grab your holiday treats, snuggle up together as a family on the couch and get ready to watch this hilarious cartoon.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer
Released: 2018
Rated: PG
In this children’s cartoon, a miniature horse travels to the North Pole with his best goat friend to attend the reindeer tryouts. Can a horse really be one of Santa’s reindeer? Watch this feel-good film to find out.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Trolls Holiday
Released: 2017
Rated: PG
What would you do if your friends aren’t celebrating Christmas? In Trolls Holiday, Queen Poppy decides to teach her other troll buddies about the beauty and fun that comes with the winter season.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
A StoryBots Christmas
Released: 2017
Rated: G
Cheerful Storybot Bo feels that her gifts aren’t good enough for her friends. So she takes a journey to the North Pole to see if Santa can teach her how to make presents. The holiday special is based on the Storybots educational franchise for kids, so we’re sure your little ones will learn more about gift-giving and the true meaning of Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 3 and up
The Powerpuff Girls: ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas
Released: 2003
Rated: PG
In this kids Christmas movie, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup go up against Princess Morbucks, who tries to trick Santa into granting her wish—an act that could ruin Christmas celebrations around the world!
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
An Elf’s Story: The Elf on the Shelf
Released: 2011
Rated: G
One of Santa’s little helpers decides to restore a young boy’s belief in Christmas. It’s an adorable movie that can introduce your kiddo to the modern Christmas tradition that is Elf on the Shelf.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Released: 1966
Rated: G
A true joy for all ages, A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the most enduring kids Christmas movies, and it features a wonderful soundtrack, a heartwarming story, the whole Peanuts gang and the cutest little Christmas tree ever.
Best for: Kids age 3 and up (there could hardly be a more appropriate choice for any kid, but toddlers might nod off)
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Released: 1992
Rated: G
The classic Dickens Christmas story gets a joyous Muppet-powered update that makes it one of the best kids Christmas movies. In this holiday classic on Amazon Prime, you’ll see Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, along with the other iconic muppets, from Miss Piggy and Gonzo to Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Released: 1966
Rated: G
Nearly 60 years old, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is still one of the top festive cartoons and kids Christmas movies because of its unique animation and musical score. Don’t be surprised if your kids are singing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” until New Year’s Day.
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
The Polar Express
Released: 2004
Rated: G
Based on the classic Christmas book for kids by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express easily makes our list of the best kids Christmas movies with its magical journey to the North Pole.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Elf
Released: 2003
Rated: PG
Will Ferrell plays Buddy the Elf in this hysterical kids Christmas movie about a human raised at the North Pole by elves. It’s a classic holiday film full of funny Christmas quotes and a heartfelt message about family, love and the joys of Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Released: 1993
Rated: PG
There’s been lively debate over whether The Nightmare Before Christmas should be considered a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie. Why can’t it be both? Christmas aesthetics merge with Tim Burton’s gothic whimsy in this delightful, ever-watchable animated yarn about a Pumpkin King determined to take over for Santa.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Miracle on 34th Street
Released: 1947
Rated: G
This award-winning, heartwarming classic movie original is where true Christmas spirit lives. Miracle on 34th Street is one of the perfect Christmas movies for kids and the whole family: A child meets the real-life Santa and ends up inspiring the adults around her with her belief.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Home Alone
Released: 1990
Rated: PG
This slapstick Christmas blockbuster is one of the best movies of all time. Strap in for a ton of fun as a youngster forgotten by his family fends off holiday burglars.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
White Christmas
Released: 1954
Rated: G
Wow the kiddos with this technicolor Hollywood spectacle featuring over-the-top costumes, dance numbers and classic Christmas songs. In fact, “White Christmas” tops the list of the best Christmas songs ever!
Best for: Kids age 10 and up
A Christmas Story
Released: 1983
Rated: PG
A Christmas Story always comes up in Christmas movie trivia, so pay attention for a chance to win the next round. Put on your pink rabbit onesie and snuggle up with the kids for one of the best family Christmas movies to watch again and again.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Rise of the Guardians
Released: 2012
Rated: PG
A rare treat, this Christmas movie is best for kids who’d rather imagine Santa battling dark forces alongside the Easter Bunny than nibbling cookies and milk.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Released: 1999
Rated: G
This animated Christmas special features a determined pup as fresh as the season’s mistletoe. Follow this Christmas dog‘s journey to the North Pole in an effort to be one of Santa’s reindeer.
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
DreamWorks Holiday Classics
Released: 2011
Rated: PG
Kids can spend the holidays with their favorite DreamWorks animated characters, including Shrek, Toothless the dragon and the wacky animals from Madagascar. They’re all part of this roundup of four holiday specials.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Christmas with the Joker
Released: 1992
Rated: PG
Here’s an animated Christmas short for the tiny superhero in your life, starring Batman himself. Episode 2 of Batman: The Animated Series focuses on Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Little Women
Released: 1994
Rated: PG
This endearing period piece, based on the young adult novel by Louisa May Alcott, features inspiring acts of generosity at Christmas that will challenge kids to think beyond holiday gifts to acts of Christmas charity.
Best for: Kids age 10 and up
Jingle All the Way
Released: 1996
Rated: PG
There’s an undeniable appeal to seeing the Terminator hoisted into the manic Christmas Eve shopping season. Anyone who’s ever scrambled through the aisles at Walmart after Thanksgiving should be able to relate to this tale of a last-minute toy hunt that’s also one of the best family Christmas movies.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Alone for Christmas
Released: 2013
Rated: PG
This cute adventure plays off the Home Alone premise, but this time it’s a pooch that’s left alone to battle present-stealing burglars. It’s a funny Christmas movie, not only for the kids, but for your furry friends too!
Best for: Kids age 5 and up
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
Released: 2022
Rated: PG
In this family film, a widowed father of five inherits a farm in the British countryside just in time for Christmas. He quickly decides rural life isn’t for him, but his feisty kids think differently and hatch a plan to stay on Mistletoe Farm forever. Prepare for a ton of adorable animals (miniature horses, anyone?) and cute kids that will make you want to move to a farm yourself.
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
Christmas Oranges
Released: 2013
Rated: G
Set in the early 1900s, this heartfelt story follows a young girl who loses everyone she knows and finds herself in a harsh orphanage run by a grumpy man who despises Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
A Magic Christmas
Released: 2014
Rated: G
A family embarks on a holiday vacation to a wilderness cabin in A Magic Christmas. The dad’s childhood friend shows up, and they find a treasure map to a magical Christmas tree from years before.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
Released: 2009
Rated: G
Your favorite adorable monkey, the beloved book character, is here with the Man in the Yellow Hat for Christmas adventures in A Very Monkey Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 3 and up
Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle
Released: 2009
Rated: G
Two youngsters keep scaring away nannies, but then Mrs. Miracle arrives right at Christmas and offers unexpected help to their widowed dad. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, you’re going to want to add this one to your yearly rewatch.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
The Princess Switch
Released: 2018
Rated: PG
In The Princess Switch, Vanessa Hudgens plays two women who look exactly alike—except one’s a princess-to-be, and the other’s a visiting American. It’s a romantic Christmas movie where they switch places over the holidays.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Holiday Rush
Released: 2019
Rated: PG
This Netflix Christmas movie is about a widower who loses his job over the holidays. He has to convince his kids that a move back into his childhood home is the best thing. It’s a heartfelt Christmas comedy filled with lessons about what really matters.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
48 Christmas Wishes
Released: 2017
Rated: G
Elves try to pass as real human kids in order to save Christmas in this adorable feel-good comedy. Santa’s helpers go on an epic adventure to bring back the missing Christmas wishes, while helping a family come together again.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish
Released: 2019
Rated: PG
If your kid (soon-to-be teen) loves feel-good, heartfelt Lifetime movies, then you’ll enjoy this teenage love story together. Teens at work at a Christmas theme park find themselves falling for each other in this heartwarming rom-com that’s perfect for every Christmas mood.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
Released: 1999
Rated: G
This classic animated special brings some of your favorite Disney characters together—Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the gang—to celebrate the magic of the season.
Best for: Kids age 3 and up
Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
Released: 2004
Rated: G
This sequel to the early classic cartoon reunites the Disney pals for more Christmas fun. We also recommend the 1952 short cartoon Pluto’s Christmas Tree for extra holiday delight.
Best for: Kids age 3 and up
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas
Released: 2011
Rated: G
Fans of the Ice Age crew love this sweet and funny Christmas special that finds Sid and his buddies traveling to the North Pole to see Santa.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Released: 1997
Rated: G
Christmas is a tale as old as time in this touching return to the classic Belle and Beast story, with the voice actors from the original film.
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
The Santa Clause
Released: 1994
Rated: PG
In this classic comedy (with two sequels and a TV miniseries), Tim Allen plays a dad who finds himself transforming into the jolly old man. If your kiddos like this one, both follow-ups are on Disney+.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
Released: 1976
Rated: G
If your Christmas party includes binge-watching the holiday classics, then you have to add Frosty’s Winter Wonderland to the list! Indulge in nostalgia when you watch this sweet Christmas special from 1976 in which Frosty gets a mate, but Jack Frost gets in the way.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Prancer
Released: 1989
Rated: PG
Sam Elliott plays a single dad whose daughter believes she’s found one of Santa’s reindeer in this sweetly classic dramedy that’s effortlessly sentimental. Awww.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July
Released: 1979
Rated: G
Yes, you can finally stream the classic stop-motion animation TV Christmas specials from the 1960s and 1970s. This film pits the evil Winterbolt against a magic queen who enlists Rudolph and pals for help.
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
Santa Buddies
Released: 2009
Rated: G
Kids love the Buddies movie series with talking golden retrievers. The adorable puppies are dressed up in festive cheer and ready to save Christmas in this romp that mesmerizes little ones.
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Released: 2018
Rated: PG
This gorgeous fairy tale with spectacular effects features Morgan Freeman, Keira Knightley and an all-star cast in a live-action retelling of the classic Christmas ballet.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Released: 2002
Rated: G
The Hundred Acre Wood gang has a Christmas adventure in this sweet musical. Pooh and his friends reminisce on past Christmas activities while working on their New Year’s resolutions after Rabbit threatens to move away!
Best for: Kids age 4 and up
Arthur Christmas
Released: 2011
Rated: PG
Stunning CGI animation delights in this comedy-adventure about the technological elf system that makes Christmas gifting happen—but then a glitch makes them miss one kid.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
The Christmas Chronicles
Released: 2018
Rated: PG
We had to add this holiday film to our list of the best Christmas movies for kids because of the oh-so talented Kurt Russell. He steals the show as the ultimate Santa Claus for cool kids in this dashing comedy that’ll warm everyone’s heart.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
The Christmas Chronicles 2
Released: 2020
Rated: PG
Return to the magic with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. In this holiday sequel, they’re up against naughty elves who have it out for Christmas.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Released: 2020
Rated: PG
Settle in for this magical tale about the granddaughter of a toymaker whose best invention is under threat. Stunning dance numbers and glorious costumes fill the screen with wonder.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
Klaus
Released: 2019
Rated: PG
Strikingly gorgeous animation captures a sweet story about a toymaker living on his own who wins the hearts of local children with the help of a postman. The two join forces to cheer up an unhappy Christmas town.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Noelle
Released: 2019
Rated: G
It’s time for the grown-up Kringle kids to take over Christmas, but neither one is up for the job in this sweet-natured comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader. It’s a hilarious movie worthy of a few Christmas memes and seasonal laughs.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
Released: 2021
Rated: G
This stop-motion film, based on the hilarious hit British series, follows a lost lamb who is about to become someone’s Christmas present. The farm animals band together to help save him.
Best for: Kids of all ages
Robin Robin
Released: 2021
Rated: G
This little birdie, who has been raised by a family of mice, makes a heartwarming wish on a Christmas star to be a mouse too. Robin Robin is a sweet tale the whole family will love.
Best for: Kids of all ages
A Boy Called Christmas
Released: 2021
Rated: PG
In this 2021 Christmas favorite, you’ll find young Nikolas embarking on a quest to Elfhelm, accompanied by a talking mouse, to find his father and seek hope for the kingdom. An all-star cast—Kristen Wiig, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and others—bring their acting chops to this magical fantasy filled with dazzling enchantment.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
8-Bit Christmas
Released: 2021
Rated: PG
In the nostalgia-inducing 8-Bit Christmas, Neil Patrick Harris stars as Jake, an adult who tells the story of the Christmas when he was 10 years old and all he wanted was a popular game, a Nintendo Entertainment System.
Best for: Kids age 8 and up
The Claus Family
Released: 2020
Rated: G
Young Jules hates the holidays, but when his grandfather becomes sick, he learns of his legacy—and that he is the one who has to save Christmas. If your kids like this film, good news! The two sequels are also streaming on Netflix.
Best for: Kids age 7 and up
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
Released: 2017
Rated: G
Anna and Elsa come to the realization that their family doesn’t have any holiday traditions, so Olaf sets out on a quest to bring them some in this Disney holiday film.
Best for: Kids of all ages
David and the Elves
Released: 2021
Rated: PG
This Polish family film (dubbed in English) brings Christmas delight to little ones as one of Santa’s elves befriends a kid who misses his grandparents after his mom and dad relocate to the big city. The boy and elf head off on an adventure—but they better hurry because the elf shrinks the longer he’s away from the North Pole.
Best for: Kids age 6 and up
Additional reporting by Chloë Nannestad.
