Hello Listen/Watch/Read

:: The Bumper List Of Movies To Watch With Kids

September 26, 2014

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Okay. It’s the school holidays here, end of Week One. All is going v well. My kids are pretty self-sufficient in the holiday stakes. They know how to keep themselves entertained (mostly because they are practically all grown ups now!)

At my place the holidays usually involve a) eating b) eating c) band practice d) having friends over or e) gaming. Sometimes all of the above. There is a lot of eating, obviously. I don’t know where they get that from…

Perhaps your kids are less grown up and less self-serve than mine? I remember when the holidays were like that. Sometimes you get into a total groove and relax into it together. Other times are like a battleground and you grit your teeth as your roll out of bed, hoping for the best.

And thus, I made this list. I’m not advocating parking your kids in front of the telly… but sometimes it’s kind of nice to slow down and park your kids in front of the telly. Okay. I AM advocating it! The thing is it can be a nice opportunity for you to read book and drink coffee (or get some work done) while they are immersing themselves in the wonders of moving pictures OR it can be a great chance to slow down together, eat popcorn, snuggle under blankets and coast along quietly. Nice.

So here’s that big list of films I promised you. Please do check them out on IMBD first to gauge if they are age-appropriate? Good one!

Hope your holidays are going nicely (if you are on them!) Hope your holidays are coming soon (if you are not!)

Little-women-1994

Pip’s Bumper List of Kids’ Movies!
(Or movies for people who like kids’ movies!)

Born Free
Bridge To Terabithia
Danny The Champion Of The World
ET the Extra Terrestrial
Fantastic Mr Fox
Harry Potter Series
Heidi
Home Alone
James and the Giant Peach
Labyrinth
Little Women
Mary Poppins
National Velvet
Oliver
Pippi Longstocking
The Adventures of Milo and Otis
The Dark Crystal 
The Muppets
The Neverending Story
The Princess Bride
The Sound of Music
The Wizard of Oz
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
Witches
A Bug’s Life
Aladdin
Alice In Wonderland
Bambi
Beauty & The Beast
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Brave
Brother Bear
Cars
Cinderella
Dumbo
Freaky Friday
Lady & The Tramp
Lilo And Stitch
Monsters Inc
Monsters’ University
Mulan
One Hundred and One Dalmations
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
Pocahontas
Pollyanna
Ratatouille
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Swiss Family Robinson
Tangled
Tarzan
The Aristocats
The Incredibles
The Jungle Book
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid
The Parent Trap
The Rescuers
Toy Story 1, 2 & 3
Up!
Wall-E
The Secret World of Arietty
A Little Princess
Babe
Despicable Me
Drop Dead Fred
Cheaper By The Dozen
Charlotte’s Web
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Elf
Enchanted
Five Children and It
Holes
Howl’s Moving Castle
How To Train Your Dragon
Hugo
Ice Age
Jumanji
Kung Fu Panda
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
My Family And Other Animals
My Neighbour Totoro
Nanny McPhee
Ponyo
Rango
Shrek
Spirited Away
Swallows and Amazons
The Borrowers
The Fox and the Child
The Iron Giant
The Karate Kid
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Railway Children
The Secret Garden
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie

Which are you faves? What would  you add? I am thinking a bit of Shirley Temple wouldn’t go astray!

x pip

swallows and amazons

NB: I didn’t really go into teen movies (which are some of my faves) – but a couple may have snuck in. Rest assured anything by John Hughes is a fave of mine, but my list is kind of in the 12 and under realm (of course it’s SUPER GOOD for people over 12 too!)

Labyrinth

22 Comments

  • Reply modflowers October 4, 2017 at 7:12 PM

    Coraline – perfect story by Neil Gaiman, brought perfectly to animated life in the film version.
    Also, Five Children and It, with It voiced by the wonderful Eddie Izzard.
    For older kids, 9 is also a great movie about robots and what it means to be human.

  • Reply Meg October 4, 2017 at 10:37 AM

    The Sandlot Kids and Harry and the Hendersons were two of ou favourites.

  • Reply GoodThingsSmall October 24, 2014 at 6:40 PM

    Love this! Would also love a list for teens if you have any ideas!

  • Reply chrissy jensen October 6, 2014 at 12:08 AM

    Just want to vote for the 1961 Hayley Mills/Maureen O’Hara (ugh! so gorgeous!)/Brian Keith “Parent Trap” – easily one of my most fave movies ever. Hayley Mills singing “Let’s Get Together” as both Susan and Sharon makes me so happy. A true gem. As a side note, I was trying to find out if the house Mitch (the father) owns exists and it lead me to the creepy/cool website for Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch – an off-site movie set complex where parts of Parent Trap were filmed: http://www.goldenoakranch.com/

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes October 6, 2014 at 6:27 AM

      Oh you are so right! I love that movie!! Hayley Mills is fabulous!

  • Reply Amelia September 29, 2014 at 5:11 PM

    In addition to these we love….
    Zookeeper SUPER funny with a Big sprinkling of RESPECT added.
    Hotel Transylvania real good family fun film animation.
    Monster in Paris animation SWEET watch set in VINTAGE Paris, great ideas and theme to this.
    Megamind, a modern/ futuristic super hero type animation. A different look at good and bad form their point of view and the way we can change.
    Lorax Dr Seuss film. We were happy to find a pack of free sunflower seeds with our DVD purchase. Wow what amazing flowers. Multiple heads ! Really great sing along film with a message to look after plants and trees.
    Rango LOVE THIS funny family animation
    Open season animation there are two of these films. Fun fun fun.
    Rise of the guardians animation. Action adventure from the perspective of owls. The moon blink part is a little bit scary but a real great adventure and battle of good and evil.
    We’ll not say much more as we can leave some as a surprise if you pop round for a movie and pop corn x
    Amelia

  • Reply Alyson Hill September 29, 2014 at 8:40 AM

    oh my! ‘Danny the Champion of the World’ was one of my favourite books ever – I had NO IDEA it was also a movie! Yay yay yay!! That’s me sorted with toast and tea 🙂

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 29, 2014 at 8:45 AM

      Oh my gosh, Al! It’s the BEST KIND OF MOVIE! You will LOVE IT!!!

  • Reply Sarah from Creating Contentment September 27, 2014 at 7:30 PM

    I (and my children) love Epic. It’s a fairy movie so my boys were very sceptical, but there are warrior fairies! It is a lovely film and Beyoncé is the voice of the queen!

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:19 PM

      Oh that’s a great tip! I will chase that one up! Thanks Sarah. x

  • Reply Cara Achterberg September 27, 2014 at 3:40 AM

    Uncle Buck and Princess Bride are two movies my kids still want to watch again and again (now ages 12, 15, 18). Whenever someone puts one of those on we all sit down and can almost recite the entire thing. One of my favorite things to do with my kids! (We also love Monty Python and the Holy Grail – but that’s probably best for the over 10 age.)

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:20 PM

      How GREAT is Uncle Buck? So ace, I reckon. A definite family fave at my house too!

  • Reply jackie September 27, 2014 at 2:56 AM

    If you’ve never seen it “The war of the Buttons” (Irish version) is a great kids movie!

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:20 PM

      Oh that’s new to me! I will do some research. Thanks Jackie!

  • Reply Peter McCarthy September 26, 2014 at 7:27 PM

    I see Mulan is in there. Probably the best ever art in a kids movie. I hardly remember the story because I was captivated by the art work.

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:20 PM

      It’s a great story too! Good call, PMc!

  • Reply Lisa September 26, 2014 at 3:56 PM

    Thanks do much Pip for sharing. In WA, today is the last day of school so I have been busy thinking of activities, movie afternoons sound perfect.

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:22 PM

      So glad to be helpful! Sometimes it’s nice to have a cheat sheet, isn’t it?!

  • Reply Carlyn September 26, 2014 at 2:49 PM

    I think you have made a nice selection of old and kinda new movies. I think it’s great to have a bit of family time and watch a movie. I especially like introducing kids to movies that I enjoyed when I was younger. I also agree that putting on a movie keeps kids occupied when you need to do some work or need down time. I’m a teacher and I like putting on a movie at the end of school term.

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes September 28, 2014 at 6:23 PM

      Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. I think I put in QUITE a few of my favourites (as well as the kids’ faves!) I agree re resurrecting old faves – it’s a nice tradition, isn’t it?!

  • Reply Reannon @shewhorambles September 26, 2014 at 12:11 PM

    Lots of great ones in there Pip. I’m really looking forward to rewatching my big kids favourites when my littles are up to that stage.

    I’m going to do a movie day or two with the 11 year old ( the teenager is into going to the movies with his mates now, not sitting down watching movies with his mum). Drop Dead Fred, The Goonies, Karate Kid & Labrynith will be the selection 🙂

  • Reply Michelle September 26, 2014 at 10:44 AM

    Yay! Perfect timing Pip! I see many movie nights in our future.

    Have you seen this great website? https://www.commonsensemedia.org

    It reviews pretty much every movie (all media actually) and details any irky bits for parents to watch out for, and also includes parent review for further opinions. Well designed, easy to navigate, a really helpful site!

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