50+ of the best movie ideas for family movie night

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Last year, one of the ideas my eldest son added to our summer bucket list was watching 16 movies together during the summer months. We have a weekly family movie night, and we also like to go to the cinema from time to time, so I was excited to enjoy new movies with him!

The only issue that always appeared before our family movie night was agreeing on what movie to watch. Usually, we watched several trailers before finding something that we all liked!

To make things easier, I decided to create a family movie bucket list to keep at hand anytime we need some inspiration. We started the list with movies recommended by friends, and it was so helpful that I decided to create a list of great movies we discovered over the years so you can enjoy them with your kids as well!

If you are looking for movies to watch with your kids, I’m pretty sure you’ll find some great inspiration on this list!

For most of the movies, I’ve included an Amazon link where you can quickly access the trailer and rent or buy the movie if you like it.

We rent most of the movies from Prime Video because it’s quick and easy, but we watch movies on Netflix and Disney+ as well.

Sometimes we go to the movie theater or the drive-in cinema for a special movie night, but usually, we prefer to enjoy movie nights at home, with a big bowl of popcorn and some tasty snacks.

Please note that the recommended ages are just suggestions and should be used as a general guideline. Every child is different, and it’s essential to consider your child’s individual maturity and sensitivity when selecting a movie.

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Awesome animated movie ideas for family movie night

Here is our list of movies to inspire you when planning your next family movie night (in alphabetical order).

Our favorite movies are marked with 💛 and the movies recently added to the list are marked with 📌.

• A Boy Called Christmas – Netflix | 2021 | 7+ years

An imaginative young boy named Nikolas sets out on an epic journey to find his father, who is seeking the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Along the way, Nikolas discovers his destiny to be Father Christmas, proving that nothing is impossible.

• Abominable – DreamWorks Animation | 2019 | 6+ years

After discovering a Yeti named Everest on her apartment roof, young Yi and her mischievous friends embark on a quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. Throughout their journey, they must avoid a wealthy financier and a zoologist who desire to capture the Yeti for their own interests.

• 💛 Big Hero 6 – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2014 | 7+ years

In the futuristic city of San Fransokyo, a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada teams up with an inflatable robot named Baymax to uncover a criminal plot. Together with a diverse group of friends, they form the superhero team “Big Hero 6” to combat the mysterious villain.

• Bolt – Walt Disney Company | 2008 | 6+ years

Bolt is a celebrity dog who believes he has real superpowers, thanks to the fictional world of TV. However, when he’s mistakenly separated from his owner and ends up in the real world, he embarks on a cross-country journey to reunite with her, discovering his true self along the way.

• Brave – Walt Disney Pictures | 2012 | 7+ years

Set in the Scottish Highlands, this tale follows the headstrong princess Merida. Seeking to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in her kingdom.

• Cars – Pixar Animation Studios | 2006 | 5+ years

Lightning McQueen, a race car on the verge of stardom, unexpectedly ends up in a forgotten town named Radiator Springs. As he forms bonds with the town’s quirky car residents, McQueen learns valuable life lessons about friendship, love, and the true meaning of winning.

• Charlotte’s Web – 2006 | 5+ years

Based on the beloved children’s novel, this story revolves around a young pig named Wilbur who is destined for slaughter. With the help of a wise and caring spider named Charlotte, they hatch a plan to save him, showcasing the power of friendship and sacrifice.

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Sony Pictures Animation | 2009 | 6+ years

In a world where food shortages are an issue, an aspiring scientist named Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes it rain food. However, things take a chaotic turn when the invention goes haywire, leading to food storms and oversized edibles.

• 💛 Coco – Pixar | 2017 | 7+ years

Young Miguel dreams of becoming a musician, even if it means defying his family’s ancestral ban on music. Venturing into the colorful Land of the Dead, he seeks his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer, to discover the real story behind his family’s history.

• Despicable Me – NBC Universal | 2010 | 6+ years

Gru, a notorious supervillain, plans the biggest heist ever: stealing the moon. However, his plans take an unexpected turn when three orphaned girls see him as their potential father, leading to heartwarming and hilarious antics.

• Dolittle – Universal Pictures | 2020 | 8+ years

Dr. John Dolittle, a famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, has the unique ability to communicate with animals. When the young queen falls gravely ill, Dolittle sets off on an adventure to a mythical island, accompanied by his animal friends, in search of a cure.

• Dora and the Lost City of Gold – Paramount Pictures | 2019 | 7+ years

Dora, a lifelong explorer, embarks on a daring adventure to save her parents while trying to solve the mystery behind the lost city of gold. Alongside a ragtag group of teens and her monkey Boots, she faces the jungle’s challenges and a cunning treasure hunter.

• 📌 Encanto – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2021 | 6+ years

In a magical house in the mountains of Colombia, every child of the Madrigal family is granted a unique power. However, Mirabel is the only family member without a special gift. When she discovers that the magic surrounding the house is in danger, she believes she might be her family’s last hope.

• 💛 Ferdinand – 2016 | 6+ years

Ferdinand is a giant bull with a gentle heart. Mistaken for a dangerous beast, he’s captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the adventure of a lifetime to clear his name. Through his journey, he teaches that you can’t judge a bull by its cover.

• Finding Dory – Pixar | 2016 | 6+ years

The friendly but forgetful blue tang fish, Dory, embarks on a quest to reunite with her long-lost family. Along the way, she’s captured and taken to a California public aquarium. With help from her friends, Marlin and Nemo, Dory navigates the vast ocean and the challenges of her amnesia to find her family.

• 💛 Finding Nemo – Pixar Animation Studios | 2003 | 5+ years

After his young son, Nemo, is captured by divers and placed in a fish tank in a dentist’s office, Marlin, an overprotective clownfish, sets out on a dangerous journey across the ocean to rescue him. Along the way, he forms an unlikely friendship with a forgetful fish named Dory.

• Frozen – Walt Disney Pictures | 2013 | 5+ years

In the kingdom of Arendelle, Princess Elsa has the power to create and control ice and snow. But when she inadvertently traps the kingdom in an eternal winter, she flees to the mountains. Her fearless sister, Anna, teams up with a rugged mountain man and his loyal reindeer to find Elsa and break the icy spell.

• Frozen 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2019 | 6+ years

• Home – Dreamworks Animation | 2015 | 6+ years

When Earth is taken over by the Boov, an alien race looking for a new place to call home, all humans are relocated. But Tip, a brave young girl, manages to hide and soon meets Oh, a banished Boov.

Together, they form an unlikely friendship and set out on a comic adventure to find Tip’s mother while evading the Boov.

• 💛 How to Train Your Dragon series – Dreamworks Animation | 8+ years

On the island of Berk, young Viking Hiccup feels out of place among his dragon-slaying peers. However, his life changes when he encounters and befriends a wounded dragon he names Toothless.

Across the series, Hiccup and Toothless face various challenges, uncover hidden secrets, and work to build a world where Vikings and dragons can coexist peacefully.

• Ice Age: Collision Course – Blue Sky Studios | 2016 | 6+ years

The herd embarks on a quest full of thrills and spills, as they explore exotic new lands and encounter a host of colorful new characters in an effort to avoid a global Scrat-tastrophe caused by Scrat and his elusive acorn.

• Ice Age: Continental Drift – Fox | 2012 | 6+ years

When their continent is set adrift, Manny, Diego, and Sid encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world and try to return home.

• 💛 Inside Out – Walt Disney Pictures | 2015 | 6+ years

Young Riley’s emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger—navigate life in her mind’s Control Center as she adjusts to a new city, school, and the challenges of growing up.

• 📌 Klaus – Netflix | 2019 | 7+ years

An unlikely friendship forms between a postman and a reclusive toymaker. Together, they transform a snowy northern town, giving rise to the legend of Santa Claus.

• Leap! – Lionsgate | 2017 | 7+ years

In 19th-century France, a young orphan named Félicie dreams of becoming a ballerina. With her friend Victor, she escapes her orphanage and enters the world of the Paris Opera Ballet.

• Lilo & Stitch – Walt Disney Pictures | 2002 | 6+ years

Lilo, a lonely Hawaiian girl, adopts a small pet who turns out to be a dangerous alien fugitive. As she teaches Stitch about ‘ohana (family), they embark on adventures while evading alien hunters.

• 📌 Luca – Pixar Animation Studios | 2021 | 7+ years

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the story centers on Luca and his newfound friend Alberto, sea monsters disguised as humans, as they experience an unforgettable summer.

• Madagascar – DreamWorks Animation | 2005 | 6+ years

Four animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo, accustomed to the pampered life, find themselves marooned on the island of Madagascar where they get a taste of the wild.

• Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa – DreamWorks Animation | 2008 | 6+ years

After crash-landing in Africa, the New York zoo escapees encounter species of their kind and discover the challenges and joys of the wild.

• Meet the Robinsons – Walt Disney Pictures | 2007 | 6+ years

Young inventor Lewis embarks on a time-traveling journey where he meets a quirky family that helps him learn the true meaning of family and where he truly belongs.

• Minions – Universal Pictures | 2015 | 6+ years

The Minions search for a new evil boss through history after accidentally destroying all their previous ones. They land in 1960s New York and find Scarlet Overkill, who plots to rule the world.

• 💛 Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2016 | 6+ years

Moana, a spirited Polynesian girl, sets out on a daring journey to save her people, guided by the demigod Maui, and discovers her destiny as a wayfinder.

• Monsters, Inc. – Disney/Pixar | 2001 | 5+ years

In a world powered by children’s screams, top scare-team Sulley and Mike find their world disrupted when a little girl named Boo enters their realm.

• Mulan – Walt Disney Pictures | 1998 | 7+ years

To save her ailing father from serving in the army, brave Mulan disguises herself as a man and goes to war, proving that courage and determination can defy gender norms.

Related: The ultimate list of the best family night ideas

• 📌 Onward – Pixar Animation Studios | 2020 | 7+ years

Two elf brothers embark on a magical quest to spend one more day with their late father, discovering the depths of brotherhood and the magic in the everyday.

• 📌 Over the Moon – Netflix | 2020 | 6+ years

• Paddington – The Weinstein Company | 2015 | 6+ years

The charming adventures of a young bear from Peru who travels to London, where he is adopted by the Brown family, navigating city life and a treasure hunt.

• Penguins of Madagascar – DreamWorks Animation | 2014 | 6+ years

The mischievous penguins from the Madagascar films embark on a global spy adventure to save the world from a diabolical villain.

• Puss in Boots – DreamWorks Animation | 2011 | 6+ years

• 📌 Ralph Breaks the Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2018 | 7+ years

Video game villain Wreck-It Ralph and best friend Vanellope explore the vast world of the internet to save her game, encountering new challenges and digital realms.

• Ratatouille – Disney/Pixar | 2007 | 7+ years

Remy, a rat with gourmet tastes, forms an unlikely alliance with a young kitchen worker in a famous Parisian restaurant, proving anyone can cook.

• 📌 Raya and the Last Dragon – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2021 | 7+ years

In a fractured world, warrior Raya embarks on a quest to find the last dragon and restore harmony to her kingdom, facing ancient evils and newfound challenges.

• Rio – Blue Sky Studios | 2011 | 6+ years

Blu, a domesticated macaw, travels from Minnesota to Rio de Janeiro and embarks on an adventure to find his counterpart, all the while evading bird smugglers.

• 📌 Rise of the Guardians – 2012 | 7+ years

Mythical beings like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy team up to protect the beliefs and imaginations of children from the dark spirit, Pitch.

• Robots – Blue Sky Studios | 2005 | 6+ years

In a world populated by robots, a young inventor travels to the big city to join his idol’s company, only to find out it’s not as benevolent as it seems.

• 📌 Ron’s Gone Wrong – Locksmith Animation | 2021 | 7+ years

In a world where walking, talking robots are kids’ best friends, one boy discovers his robot buddy doesn’t function quite right, leading to a comedic adventure.

• Shrek series – DreamWorks Animation | 7+ years

An ogre named Shrek embarks on numerous fairy-tale-parodying adventures alongside his talkative donkey friend, eventually finding love, family, and friendship.

• 📌 Soul – Pixar Animation Studios | 2020 | 8+ years

A middle school music teacher gets the chance of a lifetime but unexpectedly finds himself in the afterlife, exploring the realms of existence and the true meaning of life.

• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – DreamWorks Animation | 2002 | 6+ years

This animated tale follows a wild stallion named Spirit as he journeys through the Old West, encountering humans, forging friendships, and seeking freedom.

• Tangled – Walt Disney Pictures | 2010 | 6+ years

A spirited and determined young woman named Rapunzel, with 70 feet of magical hair, sets out on an adventure with a runaway thief, discovering the world outside her tower and her true destiny.

• 📌 The Croods: A New Age – DreamWorks Animation | 2020 | 7+ years

The prehistoric Crood family faces their biggest threat yet: another family called the Bettermans, leading to new friendships, challenges, and understanding the true meaning of family.

• The Grinch – Illumination Entertainment | 2018 | 6+ years

A grumpy, green creature named the Grinch plans to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. However, a young girl’s generous holiday spirit might just change his heart.

• The Incredibles – Pixar Animation Studios | 2004 | 7+ years

A family of undercover superheroes faces a new challenge when they must save the world from a nefarious villain while juggling domestic life.

• The Lego Movie – Warner Bros | 2014 | 7+ years

An ordinary LEGO construction worker, mistakenly believed to be the ‘Special’, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe together.

• The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – Warner Bros. Pictures | 2019 | 7+ years

• The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Sony Pictures Animation | 2021 | 8+ years

A quirky family’s road trip turns into a mission to save humanity when electronic devices plan to take over the world.

• The Sea Beast – Netflix | 2022 | 8+ years

• 💛 The Secret Life of Pets – Universal Pictures | 2016 | 6+ years

• The Secret Life of Pets 2 – Illumination Entertainment | 2019 | 6+ years

• Toy Story series – Disney/Pixar | 5+ years

The beloved tales of toys that come to life when humans aren’t around, focusing on Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and their friends navigating the joys and challenges of being toys.

• Trolls – Dreamworks Animation | 2016 | 6+ years

Colorful, musical creatures called Trolls embark on a journey to save their village from the gloomy Bergens, finding the true power of happiness along the way.

• Up – Disney/Pixar | 2009 | 6+ years

A grieving widower fulfills his dream adventure by flying his house to South America with balloons, unexpectedly bringing along a young stowaway.

• Wish Dragon – 2021 | 6+ years

A college student discovers a magical teapot housing a wish-granting dragon. Together, they embark on an adventure through modern-day Shanghai to reconnect with a childhood friend.

• 💛 Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2016 | 6+ years

A bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must team up to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to disturb the peace of their city.

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Awesome feature movie ideas for family movie night

If you want to try something different than animated movies, here is a list of feature movies that are great for family movie night:

• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Walt Disney Pictures | 2014 | 6+ years

• Back to the Future – Universal Pictures | 1985 | 10+ years

Marty McFly travels back in time with the help of a quirky scientist’s invention, only to accidentally alter the course of his family’s history.

• Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable – 2019 | 10+ years

A documentary that follows the journey of Bethany Hamilton, the surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack but triumphantly returned to the sport.

• Dolphin Tale – Warner Bros | 2011 | 7+ years

Based on true events, a young boy befriends an injured dolphin, inspiring a community to rally together to save her.

• 💛 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Warner Bros | 2001 | 7+ years

• Hugo – Paramount Pictures | 2011 | 9+ years

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan named Hugo solves mysteries related to his late father, the automaton, and a pioneering filmmaker.

• Jumanji – Sony | 1995 | 10+ years

When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a world of adventure and danger, and must finish the game to make things right.

• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Pictures | 2018 | 6+ years

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe – Walt Disney Pictures | 2005 | 8+ years

Four siblings enter a magical world through a wardrobe, where they confront an evil witch and befriend a majestic lion.

• We Bought a Zoo – Fox | 2011 | 9+ years

A widowed father buys a dilapidated zoo in hopes of making a fresh start. With the help of his children and staff, he works to reopen it to the public.

• 💛 Wonder – Lionsgate | 2017 | 8+ years

A heartwarming tale of Auggie Pullman, a boy with facial differences, as he navigates the challenges of mainstream school for the first time.

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I hope that you found some good inspiration on this list! If you have any other recommendations I would love to hear them and discover new ideas for our next family movie nights!

More ideas for family fun

• 17 awesome family staycation ideas that will make kids happy
• 9 lovely birthday traditions that will make celebrations more special

>> Want to remember this? Save these ideas to your favorite Pinterest board!

photos from depositphotos.com

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