The great thing about the age of our kids right now is that they’re old enough to start enjoying some things I’ve been waiting share with them for years–for example we’ve been really into the Beach Boys lately, PSP and I are at book 5 in the Harry Potter series and I finally get to share movies with them that I loved as a kid. While we don’t do it every week, movie night around here is a favorite. Of course your kids don’t have to be older to enjoy movie night, but usually when they are younger (I’m thinking under 5) you are relegated to the animated Disney and Pixar choices–which are great and I love those movies!–but week after week, it starts to get a little stale. It’s really fun to have kids that can enjoy non-animated movies, which is great because it means that I get to enjoy FMN a little more as well. I can still remember a couple of years ago wanting to watch the Parent Trap with PSP but wondering if she was old enough to get into a movie that wasn’t animated. Turns out she was (yay!) and she loved it (double yay!). I love having kids at the “old enough, but not too old” stage. You know old enough to enjoy things you’re into as well, but not too old that they don’t want to hang out with you (that will never happen right?) Of course Zuzu is still 2, but just having the older kids around seems to help–she just goes with the flow… if her sisters are watching it, she will too!
It can be hard to find new movies that the adults and the kids will enjoy week after week, so I thought I’d put together a list of the movies we’ve watched with our kids the past couple of years that have been hits with (most of) the whole family! Also, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard them groan and complain about a movie choice of ours, only to TOTALLY love the movie later. I’m leaving off the classic Disney, Pixar set any mainly going for older movies here, although some of these are newer too, but perhaps they aren’t on your radar. Also, I believe you can stream all of these from Amazon (unless otherwise noted).
Family Night Movies:
The Parent Trap
Goonies (a little iffy, they say the s-word a lot)
Matilda (can only buy, not rent)
The Princess Bride
The Sound of Music
The Wizzard of Oz
The Chimpunk Adventure (You can stream this now! So great! One of my FAVORITES and the girls too)
The Never Ending Story (tease your kids for days that you can’t start this movie because it NEVER ENDS…they’ll love it. Just like I did as a kid. Eye-roll.)
That Darn Cat (Can’t stream, but full movie was on youtube-ha! I don’t see it anymore.)
Harry Potter Movies (Can be a little scary and I’m sure this goes without saying, but read the books first!)
The Gnome Mobile
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (also a little more boring that I remember)
Home Alone
Babe (a family hit!)
Swiss Family Robinson
Paddington (A new one! It’s surprisingly good!)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. (Also new, but cute)
Movies we haven’t yet watched:
The Dark Crystal–is this too…um, dark?
The Great Muppet Caper (my favorite muppet movie…I think it was the baseball diamond!)
Labrynth (I have never seen this! How did this happen?)
Pollyanna (Never seen this either!)
Are you a movie night family too? If so, what am I missing? What are your family’s favorite movie night movies? Are there movies you loved as a kid that are a little different than what you remembered now? Do you kids generally love the older movies or are they strictly into new movies only?
Love movie night too! The re-make of the old The Love Bug is a good one and here are a couple more that we've enjoyed — College Road Trip (hilarious) and Freaky Friday-might be a little old for your kids, but thought I'd throw it out there. New reader of your blog from Design Mom. Have a good day!
Good suggestions! I hadn't even thought of the new (or old) Love Bug movie. Thanks!
I would save The Dark Crystal and Labrynth until all of them are a bit older…those are both wonderful, but a little too dark for the 10 and under crowd. Home Alone 1, 2 and 3 are very good…4 really was awful. My kids wanted to watch the NEW Annie movie…it was ok…then I made them watch the original…and they LOVE it. 🙂 The Neverending Story 2 is also a good one. We also watched the new Goosebumps movie at my son's 10th request (son is 10, daughter is 4) we started it at night, but had to quit 1/2 way through…finished it during the next day and they were fine…but couldn't watch it in the dark. My son liked it because he had read 5-6 of the books at school. Was able to recognize the characters he'd read about.
I forgot some really creative ones we've found lately…The Book of Kells, The Last Unicorn (and old one, but still good) and Song of the Sea…all animated, but very nontraditional** stories, **=no princesses.
Oi, I dislike the new Annie as well…for the same reason I dislike a lot of new remakes for kids–they dumb them down too much. They assume our kids won't like a song if it's not pepped up with a funky beat and then it seems like the story lines also get way more complicated than they need to be. I love funky beats as much as anyone, but I also think modern kids enjoy a variety of music and we don't have to spoon feed them pop, top-40's hip-hop to think they'll enjoy it. And thanks for the recommendation on waiting a little with the DC and Lab.
My daughter is 10 now and we have loved watching movies by Studio Ghibli over the years. Many of their movies have very strong female lead roles. You may want to start with 'Ponyo' and 'Kiki's Delivery' but some of our all time favourites are 'Spirited Away' and 'Howl's Moving Castle'. All of them are available in English. They are great for the kids and definitely not boring for the adults either. Please check them out.
Wow! Great suggestions I don't think I've heard before…maybe Spirited away, but that's it!
Mary Poppins, The LEGO Movie (new), the Johnny Depp version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, National Treasure movies (your kids may be a little young for those, but good for future), Anne of Green Gables (megan follows), Elf, Fly Away Home, Nancy Drew (emma roberts movie), Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron, Lion Witch & Wardrobe, Susan Sarandon in Little Women, Enchanted, Annie (both the old and new ones are awesome), Kit Kittredge (most of Am Girl ones are good), Swiss Family Robinson, Davy Crockett, Old Yeller / Savage Sam (most of the old disney ones are worth a watch too)…just off the top of my head. 🙂
Also, my kids have loved old 1960s and 70s tv series (our library has dvds) of Little House on the Prairie, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew, Brady Bunch, etc. Fun times. 🙂
Yes to so many of these! I had not considered or even knew that there were Nancy Drew movies. And yes we love American Girl movies around here too. But you've got me thinking about classic TV shows as well. thanks!
I hated Pollyanna as a kid. I remember falling asleep. Matilda and James and the Giant Peach were 2 of my FAVORITE movies as kids.
Indian in the Cupboard, An American Tale, A little Princess, Shrek, Shirley Temple movies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Homeward Bound, The Mighty Ducks, Holes, The Iron Giant.
Shirley Temple! I'm going to see if my girls dig these…great suggestions!
Arthur and the Invisibles is a little known movie but we all thought it was great. Nim's Island was a hit. A lot of my other ideas have already been said. My kids are older now so I'm trying to remember some that we watched back when they first started watching "real" movies. It was such a fun time for us… and still is as they get older and we can branch out a little more to a bit deeper movies. We've seen a lot of the inspirational sports movies lately, Hoosiers, The Blind Side, The Natural, Cool Runnings, Remember the Titans, Rudy. They've been loving them!
Author and Nim's Island…didn't know about these. Thanks!
Anne of Green Gables, School of Rock and Ms. Doubtfire were big around here at those ages.
Mrs DoubtFire and School of Rock–brilliant suggestions!
Some great suggestions! My kids love the Herbie movies (on Amazon too). They are good, clean fun.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks was my all time favorite movie as a kid! But…it is boring. If my brother wouldn't fall asleep, babysitters were instructed to sit him in front of B&B. Did the trick every time! 🙂
haha! Right? So boring!
Milo and Otis, the Eloise at the Plaza movies (can you tell I have a pug obsession!?), Lemony Snickets, Big, Hairspray 2007, Nanny McPhee, My Girl, Holes, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, We Bought a Zoo. I love your blog! Especially the spotlights 🙂
My girl…I love that movie. We bought a Zoo…I remember hearing that one was good. So many great suggestions everyone! And thanks for loving my blog. 🙂
Some old but good movies that my kids love (ages 8 and 10) – Night Crossing, Space Camp (on youtube), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (kind of long), Snowball Express.
I can't get enough of Kicking and Screaming with Will Ferrell. So funny, for parents and kids. Good for boys and girls. A light, funny look at the world of kids' soccer and how crazy parents get, especially when fueled by coffee. 😉 I highly recommend it! Love your blog. I have enjoyed soaking up your posts since finding you via Design Mom. You have a lovely family. I hope my kids will still want to keep watching movies with Mom and Dad for a long time. My youngest is 11 and we have enjoyed watching Gilmore Girls together.
Jo
http://www.womaninreallife.com/
OK–we might have to watch that one. I know some people don't dig Will Farrell, but I love him. Good to know it's OK for kids. And SO glad to hear the Gilmore Girls suggestion…I've been wondering when I can start that with my girls…we have a few years left but I can't wait.
I second all the Studio Ghibli (Totoro and Kiki forever!) and American Girl movies. Princess Diaries is really fun and good for adults, too. Ella Enchanted and Ever After are also worthwhile. My kids are 12 and 9 now, and I have to tell you, it keeps getting even better as they can enjoy things with you!
OK–I'm going to have to check out Studio Ghibli!
Ramona and Beezus
Yes! We love that one too!
I thought I commented here a long time ago, but then it somehow didn't post, but I have to come back and type them all again because I have the best movies to recommend.
Across the Great Divide– so good! In the same vein as Old Yeller kind of.
Courage Mountain–why don't more people know of this movie?! Inspired all of our pretend play as kids.
Journey of Natty Gann
War of the Buttons
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
What's Up, Doc? (HILARIOUS –probably adults are going to like it more than the kids, but the kids like it too)
The Story of Robin Hood (this version: http://www.amazon.com/Story-Robin-Hood-Peter-Finch/dp/B001TPGNBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461421671&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+robin+hood )
Also, I believe you can stream all of these from Amazon (unless otherwise noted).https://123moviestube.io/