Walt Disney Pictures
The holidays! They are stressful! Even moments that should be relaxing, like lounging in front of the television while the rest of your merry band of relatives putter around you, demanding ham or presents or whatever it is that your family likes best (I like ham and presents best, personally), can be fraught with issues, especially when someone asks that a family-friendly offering hit the tube. “Family-friendly”? What does that even mean? The last film that made a big splash when it hit Netflix was Wolf of Wall Street and, surely, that can’t be good for the lil cousins! Right?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered, with a massive list of truly family-friendly titles that are currently available to stream on Netflix right now. This is your bible, people. Love it. And happy holidays!
1. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas
It’s Mickey. It’s classic holiday tales. Nothing in this world is guaranteed, but this guy is pretty guaranteed. Even better? The film is made up of three shorts, perfect for appealing to little ones with shorter attention spans.
Similarly perfect, The Muppet Christmas Carol offers up known and beloved characters (said Muppets) and tosses them into a classic holiday story (A Christmas Carol). While other versions of the classic tale are, frankly, kind of scary (Dickens! what a guy!), the Muppets keep this version kid-friendly, while also tapping into universal themes about kindness and the true meaning of wealth.
3. Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
Sensing a pattern yet? Take one (or more) beloved characters, mix them up with some holiday hijinks, call it a day.
4. The Legend of Frosty the Snowman
Are you getting sick of these animated joints? Don’t be, because while this spin on the Frosty mythos is definitely kid-friendly, it boasts something big for the adults: the dulcet tones of Burt Reynolds. Really.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Surprisingly rated PG, this animated gem is a good way to introduce the older kids to the charms of Henry Selick and Tim Burton without scarring them for life.
6. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2
Although this sequel isn’t as good as the original – but who can reasonably expect to follow up a Phil Lord and Chris Miller joint? – it’s still backed with inattentive foodbeasts and a ton of hilarious puns, the kind that appeal to all ages. It’s also the perfect thing to watch before a big holiday dinner, because you’re going to be starving after watching all those cute food friends bouncing around on screen. Sorry, Barry the, uh, strawberry.
7. Mulan
Need to wean the kids off of Frozen? Tempt them with another Disney Princess tale, one that (thankfully) doesn’t include any more yelling about letting things go.
Immensely rewatchable, the modernized, Lindsay Lohan-starring version of the classic switcheroo tale is far better than it needs to be, capped off with zany jokes and solid performances all around. Years later, it’s still genuinely funny and sweet, with a heartwarming ending that everyone can feel fuzzy about.
9. Labyrinth
Although we’d balk at recommending this one for the entire family, Netlix actually places the PG-rated classic in a “watch with family” section, which we can totally roll with. Yes, you’re going to want to watch it closely with the little ones, but if your kid brain could take it, theirs can do. Bonus: new David Bowie fans!
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
Go on, show the kids a real classic. If nothing else, it might just help them forget that other TMNT movie from earlier this year.
11. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
This one is for the #teens.
12. School of Rock
Yes, it’s got a PG-13 rating, but School of Rock is a movie about kids that kids can enjoy, with the kind of humor and situations that adults can get into, too. Even better? This could inspire the kind of post-watching song-and-dance break that can melt away the holiday calories (or just make everyone sleepy enough to zonk out, which is even better).