The Christmas season is almost here, and now is the right time to prepare for the merriest movie night with the family. To help you with this, we have curated a list of the 10 best Christmas movies, ranging from charming classics to eye-pleasing animated movies! So, keep reading to discover the greatest Christmas movies that will take your kids to an enchanting world.
10. A Christmas Story (1983)
- IMDB: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%/89%
- Director: Bob Clark
- Cast: Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, Bob Clark, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes
A Christmas Story sees a young child who tries to persuade his parents, his teacher, and even Santa that a Red Ryder air rifle (BB gun) is the ideal present for him this holiday season. This nostalgic comedy movie has been a kids’ favorite for a very long time and is still to this day. It is a completely entertaining ride from start to end with fun jokes and heartwarming drama.
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966-2000-2018)
- IMDB: 8.3/6.3/6.4
- Directors: Chuck Jones, Ron Howard, Yarrow Cheney
- Cast: Boris Karloff, Jim Carrey, Benedict Cumberbatch
- Runtime: 26 minutes, 1 hour 44 minutes, 1 hour 25 minutes
The Grinch has been one of the most recurring figures during Christmas. It all started with the first special short titled How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 1966, which is still one of the best Christmas movies.
Following that, a live-action with Jim Carrey was produced which offered a mixed feelings ride. Then came another animated feature featuring Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), which got the same reaction as the live-action.
The thing is no matter what the critics said people always fell in love with this set of movies as they grew up watching it during the holiday. So I can say that you can pick up anything from the Grinch franchise that suits your taste and the kids will enjoy every minute of it.
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
- IMDB: 8.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%/93%
- Director: Bill Melendez
- Cast: Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Sally Dryer, etc
- Runtime: 25 minutes
A Charlie Brown Christmas is a holiday special short that has captured the hearts of fans right from the 60s. It is a wonderful short that is so powerful and heartwarming at the same time. The story is about a saddened Charlie Brown who seeks a greater meaning in Christmas.
And just like Charlie, the kids who are trying to find the significance of the holiday can learn a lot of life lessons from this movie. It has a runtime of a mere 25 minutes and is worth watching with your family.
7. Rise of the Guardians (2012)
- IMDB: 7.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 74%/80%
- Director: Peter Ramsey
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Dreamworks Studios is known for its renowned animated movies, just like Pixar. And this time, they presented a game-changer movie about superheroes with a holiday theme. This movie is about how the Immortal Guardians unite to safeguard the children around the world from the demon lord who strikes Earth.
Superheroes always sit well with kids and needless to say that this movie falling under holiday special makes it an instant watch on Christmas. It has great animation, a neat plot, and plenty of fun which the kids are going to love.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- IMDB: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%/92%
- Director: Henry Selick
- Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 15 minutes
There is no such thing as a spooky Christmas isn’t it, but The Nightmare Before Christmas is like a bridge acting between both Halloween and Christmas, which can be watched during both holidays.
Tim Burton’s iconic stop-motion is a special movie that the kids won’t stop loving. No one can say no to Christmas, right? It even applies to the King of Halloween who wants to introduce Christmas to his homeplace after he discovers a lively town nearby.
As mentioned earlier, this is a unique movie that kids will surely find fascinating. Add this to your watchlist and Tim Burton will ensure that we will have a dark magical experience throughout the movie.
5. Home Alone (1990)
- IMDB: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 63%/80%
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
For ages, Home Alone has been the one-stop destination to have a perfect humorous Christmas night watch party with our family. On Christmas Eve, a young kid who was unintentionally left in his house by his parents finds himself trapped in a disadvantageous situation. He now has to protect his home as two robbers barge into their place.
Home Alone has been worldwide popular ever since it came out over 30 years ago and was dubbed into many regional languages so more people could enjoy it during the holiday season. That is how I stumbled upon this movie when I was a kid, and it became so special I keep it close to my heart to this day.
I still wonder how the makers were able to craft such a hilarious yet genius-level entertaining movie that won’t be forgotten any time soon. Although the sequels are no match to the original, this movie deserves to be seen by the kids who will have a great time with it.
4. Klaus (2019)
- IMDB: 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%/96%
- Director: Sergio Pablos Carlos & Martínez López
- Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes
In recent years, Klaus is inarguably one of the greatest Christmas movies tailor-made for kids. It is about Klaus, a toymaker who befriends Jesper, a postman, and how together they restore the long-lost happiness of their town.
Klaus wonderfully resurrects the magic of Christmas through gorgeous hand-drawn animations, a solid feel-good story filled with witty jokes and heartwarming moments. It retells the origin of the Christmas holiday from a different perspective that will be rejoiced by kids.
3. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
- IMDB: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%/86%
- Director: Brian Henson
- Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes
The Muppet Christmas Carol is the adaptation of the popular 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. We are well aware of how famous the muppet show is and a Christmas adaptation for kids turned the movie into an all-time favorite.
In this movie, the muppets bring the beloved Christmas tale by Dickens to life in their unique and heartwarming way. This was more than enough to captivate not just the hearts of kids, but almost everyone! It is regarded as one of the best versions of the Christmas Carol ever made.
So, you must understand how this movie falls into the must-see category during every Christmas to make it a complete experience of joy.
2. Elf (2003)
- IMDB: 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes:85%/79%
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, etc
- Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Jon Favreau’s Elf is a timeless classic suited for all types of audiences. Christmas isn’t complete without watching this movie once on the telly for many. That’s how much Will Ferrell fans love it, and even today’s kids will love it too.
This film is about a man who was brought up by elves and sets out to meet his biological father, who is in dire need of Christmas spirit. Just like in the movie, the mission to restore the Christmas joy and spirit in kids always gets done while watching this movie. It will never get old to watch this movie! And I think it will quickly turn into a tradition to watch this joyous movie with your family during the Christmas season.
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- IMDB: 8.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%/95%
- Director: Frank Capra
- Cast: James Steward, Donna Reed, etc
- Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Many kids may disregard this movie as a black-and-white oldie, but once they give it a shot, this will be an unforgettable experience. It tells the story of a man who plans to commit suicide on Christmas Eve but is saved by an angel from heaven, who shows him what his loved ones’ lives would look like if he had never existed in the first place and also shows him the true value of his existence.
Without a doubt, this is Frank Capra’s masterpiece. Therefore, it is the best Christmas movie that kids should not miss out on at any cost. Capra’s eternal and traditional film will give the kids the ultimate hope in life and bring the true Christmas spirit home.
And that’s all folks for our long list of Christmas movies to watch for kids. We hope our handpicked collection of movies was a great help to you and brought joy to your kids, making it an unforgettable holiday season. That said, which movie is your favorite on this list? Do let us know in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
