The Best Family Christmas Movies for Kids to Watch

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If you are looking to plan your next family movie night for Christmas, I have a great big list of the best family Christmas movies for kids to watch!   Fill your holiday season with wonderful stories of magic, joy and fun!

A Christmas movie is a fun activity for the whole family on Christmas Eve or while on a Christmas vacation.  Snuggle up with your cozy pajamas and a mug of hot cocoa and get watching!

This list of the best Christmas movies has some great classic movies as well as some newer, more modern favorites. Most of these can be found to stream online via Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix. 

The Best Kids’ Christmas Movies:

The Muppet Christmas Carol  (1992) Rated G. This is a fun Muppet spin on the great Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol classic from 1843. This was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Michael Caine. 

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Not Rated. A sweet classic Christmas story of a department store Santa in New York City who wants to prove he’s the real Santa Claus.

Home Alone (1990) Rated PG.   Starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister.  This is a Christmas Favorite about the adventures of a young boy who get’s left home alone when his family leaves on an international vacation during the holidays. 

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) Rated PG. Kevin is once again left alone during Christmas, but this time in New York City. In this sequel he helps stop a toy store heist!

Elf (2003) Rated PG.  Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf. This is a favorite of many during the holiday season! Buddy crawls into Santa’s toy bag as a baby and is then raised as an elf. He heads to his birthplace find his real father. 

Christmas for a Dollar (2014) Rated PG. This film takes place during the Great Depression and is inspired by a true story.  It is a holiday classic about a family that finds out what truly brings joy and love at Christmas.

Holiday Inn (1942) Not Rated. Starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, this wonderful Christmas musical classic brings us the famous song White Christmas. 

Arthur Christmas (2011) Rated PG.   Santa and his elf team use stunts to deliver billions of gifts to all the world’s children in one incredible night.  Santa’s youngest son Arthur has to help to fix the mistake of one child missing his gifts! 

Christmas Oranges Rated PG. (2012) A girl has to leave her happy orphanage home and move to a different harsh orphanage, where the headmaster instantly dislikes her. She stays happy by looking forward to a traditional Christmas treat. When the holiday arrives, something unexpected happens.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) Rated PG. In Disney’s reimagining of The Nutcracker, a mysterious gift from her mother launches Clara on a journey to four secret realms–where she discovers her greatest strength could change the world.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Rated PG. This is a wonderful classic Christmas movie. In this favorite, an angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.

A Christmas Tree Miracle (2020) Not Rated. A local tree farmer helps a father and his dysfunctional family remember the true meaning of Christmas.

The Polar Express (2004) Rated G. This movie is based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. A doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Buttons: A Christmas Tale (2020) Rated PG. Includes Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury in the cast! This is the magical, musical story that shows believing can be the greatest gift of all. Follow the heartwarming journey of two orphan girls whose only wish is to find a home for Christmas.

White Christmas (1954) Not Rated. Another fabulous Christmas movie classic!  Two talented song-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business.

The Santa Clause (1994) Rated PG. Starring Tim Allen. On Christmas Eve, divorced dad Scott Calvin and his son discover Santa Claus has fallen off their roof. When Scott takes the reins of the magical sleigh, he finds he is now the new Santa, and must convince a world of disbelievers, including himself.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) The Dr. Seuss Original classic movie is such a wonderful Christmas movie for kids to watch! 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Rated PG. This live action Jim Carrey version sticks to the classic story we all love so much! 

Prancer (1989) Rated G. In this Christmas movie, nine-year-old Jessica finds a wounded reindeer in the snowy woods. Believing it is the real Prancer, she works to nurse it to health so she can ‘return it to Santa.’ Her effort brings about wonderful changes in those around her.

Klaus (2019) Rated PG. Only found on Netflix. After proving himself to be the worst student at the academy, a postman is sent to a frozen town in the North where he discovers a reclusive toymaker named Klaus.

Babes in Toyland (1961) Rated G. A Christmas musical! All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so he kidnaps Tom, setting off a series of comic chases, searches, and double-crosses!

Little Women (1994) Rated PG.  While not strictly a Christmas movie, it has lovely heartwarming Christmas scenes that fit right in with the season! It is a classic story of love and family devotion. 

The Christmas Candle (2013) Rated PG.  A Max Lucado story. Legend has it every 25 years an angel touches a single candle, and whomever lights this candle receives a miracle on Christmas Eve. But in 1890, the candlemaker must fight to preserve the legacy of the Christmas Candle.

Noelle (2019) Rated PG. Father Jonathan Keene – a cold, impatient Catholic priest arrives in a tiny fishing village the week before Christmas to do what he does best: shut down a dying parish. But things take an unexpected turn as he becomes entangled in the various lives of the village’s eccentric characters.

The Christmas Chronicles (2018) Rated PG. A fun series on Netflix that my kids really enjoyed! Siblings Kate and Teddy try to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it’s too late.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas (2012) Not Rated. ‘Twas the day before Christmas and all through the yard, the Cat in the Hat and his guests partied hard.’

A Christmas Story (1983) Rated PG. A classic Christmas comedy that takes place in the 1940s.  Ralphie tries to convince his parents to get him a Red Ryder range-model BB gun for Christmas. For many, this is one of the top favorite Christmas movies of all time. 

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) Not Rated. A Christmas musical starring Judy Garland. The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. 17-year old Esther has fallen in love with the boy next door who has just moved in, John.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) This timeless Peanuts cartoon is a must watch every Christmas! This will always be one of my favorite Christmas movies. 

Frosty the Snowman (1969) This is the original Christmas classic! Discover how everyone’s favorite happy, jolly soul came to life one day. This is one of those timeless Christmas movies that everyone must see!

The Year Without Santa Claus (1974) Santa considers skipping Christmas Eve! 

Angela’s Christmas (2017) Rated G. This Christmas movie is based on the children’s book “Angela and the Baby Jesus” by Frank McCourt. It’s about the power of family and the innocent desire of a young girl to ensure everyone is safe, warm, and loved at Christmas. 

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) Rated PG. This movie tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. As a huge Dickens fan, this is a personal favorite!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Not Rated. Have a holly jolly Christmas with the most famous reindeer of all in the original holiday special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! I remember watching this MANY times as a child! My kids have loved it, too. 

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) Celebrate the season with the story of Kris Kringle in this original holiday special!

A Christmas Carol (1951) Ebenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the errors of his ways.

A Christmas Carol by Disney (2009) Rated PG. Another version of an old favorite classic Christmas story. 

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017) An Olaf Christmas special full of warm hugs and fun songs!

Jack Frost (1998) Rated PG. A father becomes a snowman and tries to right all of his wrongs. 

Curious George: a Very Monkey Christmas (2009) Not Rated. George and The Man In The Yellow Hat are having a merry time counting down to Christmas. But neither can decide what to give each other. Will they find the answers before Christmas morning?

A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007) Dennis tries to give the Scrooge-like Mr. Wilson the Christmas spirit, but causes havoc during his attempt as he tries to deal with a bully.

Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy (2020) Rated G. A story of generosity, hope, and love, this timeless tale will warm the hearts of children everywhere!

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Rated PG. Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere!

The Star (2017) Rated PG. Bo, a brave donkey, and all his new hilarious animal friends go on the adventure of their dreams filled with lots of laughter.

Albert (2016) Albert, a little Douglas fir tree who loves Christmas more than anyone, goes on a road trip from his little nursery to the big city to make his dreams come true.

Abominable Christmas (2012) Despite repeated warnings about humans from their father, the Abominable Snowman, two Abominable Snowkids find themselves in a sleepy Colorado mountain town after being chased out of their hideaway by a scientist determined to capture them.

The Christmas Star (1986) Rated G. A counterfeiter finds the true meaning of the holidays.

A Boy Called Christmas (2021) Rated PG. A Netflix exclusive. An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) Mickey and the gang gather to tell Christmas stories.

I hope this list of Christmas Movies for Kids helps you plan your next family movie night! 

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