The Best Movies for Kids

Kids can be picky about the movies they watch. They have to like the characters, be able to follow the plot, and stay entertained throughout the entire thing, which can be no small feat. Whether you’re looking to distract your kids for a few hours while you get stuff done, or just want some reliable choices for a family movie night, we’ve pulled together 5 fantastic kids movies to keep your children entertained.

While there are hundreds of great kids movies, we looked at popularity, different genres, and entertainment value to pick 5 excellent options for your kids to watch. Here are our top 5 best kids movies that can all be purchased online at Amazon.

Best Kids Sing-Along Movie
Frozen
This incredibly popular Disney movie has a soundtrack that kids love to sing.

Sorry parents, you may be sick of Frozen but there’s a reason why it’s on our list. Lovable characters, a catchy soundtrack, beautiful visual effects, and a mix of adventure, comedy, and love have kids everywhere obsessed with this movie.

The 5 Top-Rated Movies for Kids

Editor's PicksBrandRating
Best Kids Sing-Along MovieFrozen4.7
Best Kids Action MovieThe LEGO Movie4.6
Best Kids Comedy MovieDespicable Me4.7
Best Kids Fantasy MovieHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone4.8
Best Classic Kids MovieThe Princess Bride4.8

*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change.

Best Kids Sing-Along Movie: Frozen

Best Kids Sing-Along Movie
Frozen
This incredibly popular Disney movie has a soundtrack that kids love to sing.

In Disney’s Frozen, princesses and sisters Anna and Elsa are best friends until Elsa’s ice powers accidentally injure Anna. Scared to hurt anyone else, Elsa locks herself away in hopes to control her powers. But when Elsa accidentally traps the kingdom in a perpetual winter and flees, Anna must go on a daring adventure to find her and save the kingdom. Along the way Anna teams up with Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and the silly talking snowman, Olaf. This movie is a heartwarming story about overcoming obstacles, the love of a family, and accepting yourself.

Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell voice the sisters and do a wonderful job on the soundtrack. It’s full of songs that your kids won’t be able to stop singing. And with Frozen II newly released, your kids can continue watching their favorite characters on new adventures with new songs. Frozen is rated PG, but reviewers say that kids as young as two and three love this movie. They also like that children of different ages can enjoy it together, but warn that you may need earplugs after your kids decide to watch it 50+ times in a row.

Frozen Key Features:

  • Catchy songs keep kids occupied
  • Rated PG
  • Depending on format, may include sing-along edition and bonus features

Best Kids Action Movie: The LEGO Movie

Best Kids Action Movie
The Lego Movie
The hilariously clever LEGO Movie is full of action and fun for the whole family.

The LEGO Movie tells the story of Emmet, a regular LEGO construction worker who follows the rules. But through a case of mistaken identity, he’s drawn into a mission to save the LEGO universe from an evil tyrant who wants to freeze the world in place. Along the way he meets the characters of Wyldstyle, the wizard Vitruvius, LEGO Batman, and a whole host of character cameos as they team up to defeat the plans of villainous President Business.

You wouldn’t think a movie about children’s building block toys would be a hit, but The LEGO Movie is funny, self-aware, creative, and manages to keep both kids and adults highly entertained. Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt, Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, and Morgan Freeman are just some of the fantastic actors that give their voices to the characters in this movie. It’s since become a franchise and includes a sequel and several spin off movies, as well as a whole bunch of actual LEGO toy sets based on the movie, so there’s plenty of additional LEGO content for your kids to consume. Many reviewers comment on how much they enjoy the movie, even though they bought if for their kids.

The LEGO Movie Key Features:

  • 2-disc special edition DVD has bloopers and behind the scenes special features
  • Rated PG
  • Enjoyable for the whole family

Best Kids Comedy Movie: Despicable Me

Best Kids Comedy Movie
Despicable Me (Minion Madness DVD Double Pack)
Despicable Me is hilarious, heartwarming, and full of Minion silliness. And this Minion Madness DVD Double Pack comes with 3 new mini movies.

In Despicable Me an aging suburban super villain named Gru plots to steal the moon in an attempt to regain his place as the top villain. With his army of hilarious yellow Minions and an arsenal of weapons, he plans to stop anyone who stands in his way. But when he adopts three young orphan girls to use in his plot, they charm his evil heart and change his attitude, leaving him to decide if he wants to be a super villain or a good parent as he grows to love the girls.

If you haven’t seen Despicable Me, you may wonder about the fact that the main character is an evil villain, but this movie is heartwarming, entertaining, wholesome, and incredibly silly. The charming and hysterical Minions steal the show and have launched an entire line of products and spin off movies of their own. While this movie has plenty of slapstick comedy for the kids, adults will enjoy it as well. Reviewers like how the plot is easy for children to follow, and that even though the movie is corny and ridiculous, they find themselves enjoying it with their kids again and again. It’s a great movie to watch when you want to sit down and laugh for a bit.

Despicable Me (Minion Madness DVD Double Pack) Key Features:

  • Rated PG
  • Minion Madness DVD Double Pack features 3 all new mini movies featuring the Minions
  • Bonus features include behind the scenes features and commentary

Best Kids Fantasy Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Best Kids Fantasy Movie
Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection
The complete set of Harry Potter movies let’s you follow Harry and his friends during their magical adventures in the wizarding world.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s children’s book series (and worldwide phenomenon) about a boy who discovers he’s a wizard. The first film introduces viewers to this magical world and sets the stage for the next seven movies in this fantasy saga. This boxed set contains the entire series and offers hours of entertainment in this magical world.

Orphaned Harry Potter lives with his uncle, aunt, and cousin who all treat him terribly. But everything changes when he learns he’s a wizard and will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once at school he learns how to do magic, makes friends and enemies, and tries to stop a plot to return the evil Lord Voldemort to power. Through the rest of the films, viewers follow Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione through their years at Hogwarts learning magic, fighting Voldemort, and navigating friendship, love, and family.

While the first three movies are rated PG and can be watched by a younger audience, starting at the fourth movie the ratings switch to PG-13 and may be too scary for younger children. Younger kids will enjoy the bright colors and simpler story lines of the first several movies, while older kids and teenagers may prefer the more serious themes of the later ones.

Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection Key Features:

  • 8 movie box set includes all the Harry Potter movies
  • Different formats have different special features, which may include deleted scenes, behind the scene features, and extra content
  • Movies 1-3 and 6 are rated PG, while movies 4-5, 7-8 are rated PG-13

Best Classic Kids Movie: The Princess Bride

Best Classic Kids Movie
The Princess Bride
This classic tale of true love and daring adventure is a movie the entire family can enjoy.

When a young boy is sick in bed, his grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride that is full of adventure and true love. The story tells the tale of Buttercup, a beautiful country girl who is held against her will to marry Prince Humperdinck, and her childhood love Westley, who went away to sea and is now the Dread Pirate Roberts. When Buttercup is kidnapped, Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts pursues her and along the way encounters an expert swordsman searching for revenge, an impressively strong giant who likes to rhyme, dangerous fire swamps, rodents of unusual size, and other silly, serious, and notable situations and characters.

Packed with action, adventure, romance, and comedy this movie has something for everyone. And while some might say it’s a cheesy 80s film, it’s a classic that still brings plenty of entertainment to kids and adults today. From the many quotable lines to the well-paced plot, this movie is great for both kids and adults and is a great choice for family movie night. Older reviewers love watching this movie with their kids and grandkids, and some point out that while the kids might be a little hesitant to watch it at first (since it’s an older movie) they’re quickly absorbed in the story and it becomes a favorite go-to choice.

The Princess Bride Key Features:

  • Available on Prime Video, Blue-ray, and DVD
  • 30th Anniversary Edition includes commentaries and extra featurettes
  • Rated PG

There are tons of great kids movies out there, and this list doesn’t even scratch the surface of fun movie options your kids would enjoy. But these are a great start, and many of these movies have sequels or spinoffs that your kids can also watch. And if you’re looking to get your kids away from screens for a while, check out our list of The Best Craft Ideas For Kids.