The best Christmas movies for kids are the ones that fit their age: short, gentle specials for toddlers, magical adventures for early elementary kids, and slapstick classics for tweens.
A holiday movie night is one of the easiest December traditions to start. The hard part is choosing. What delights a ten year old can frighten a three year old, and a few famous “family” titles are not really for kids at all.
This guide lists more than 65 Christmas movies for kids, sorted by age, with the year, rating, and a quick note on what to expect. You will also find the titles to save for later and tips for planning a movie night that still ends with a calm bedtime.
Key Takeaways
- Match the movie to your child’s age: short specials for ages 2 to 5, G and gentle PG features for ages 5 to 7, and PG comedies for ages 8 to 12.
- The AAP advises avoiding screens (other than video chat) under 18 months and about 1 hour a day of quality programming for ages 2 to 5.
- Ratings are a guide, not a guarantee. Preview or watch together the first time.
- Some movies question whether Santa is real, so preview if your child still believes.
- End the movie 30 to 60 minutes before bed and keep the usual bedtime routine.
Table of Contents
How to Pick a Christmas Movie for Your Child’s Age
A good kids Christmas movie matches three things: your child’s attention span, what scares them, and what they still believe about Santa. A few quick rules make choosing easier:
- Under 2: skip the movie. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises avoiding screen media other than video chatting for children younger than 18 months. Music, lights, and books are plenty.
- Ages 2 to 5: choose short specials of 20 to 45 minutes. The AAP suggests limiting screen use to about 1 hour a day of high-quality programming at this age, watched together when you can.
- Ages 5 to 7: most G and gentle PG features work. Watch the first time with them, since villains and “Santa in danger” plots can upset sensitive kids.
- Ages 8 to 12: PG comedies with slapstick, mild language, and bigger themes become fun to talk about.
Ratings are a starting point, not a guarantee. The Motion Picture Association describes PG as “parental guidance suggested,” meaning some material may not suit young children. TV specials and many streaming titles carry TV ratings or none at all. When in doubt, preview the first ten minutes or read a parent review.
One more thing to consider: Santa spoilers. Several movies for older kids poke at whether Santa is real. If your child still believes and you want to keep it that way, preview first. Our guide to the “is Santa real?” conversation can help when the question comes up.
Best Christmas Movies for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Ages 2 to 5)
These picks are short, gentle, and easy to follow. Most are specials or short films, which makes them a good fit for little ones before bath and bed.
| Movie | Year | Rating | Why kids like it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Charlie Brown Christmas | 1965 | TV special | Short, gentle, and funny, with a simple message about what the season means. |
| Frosty the Snowman | 1969 | TV special | A magic hat, a talking snowman, and a tune kids hum for days. |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 1964 | TV special | The stop-motion classic. The Abominable Snow Monster can scare very young viewers. |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | 1966 | TV special | The original animated Dr. Seuss story, short enough for small attention spans. |
| Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town | 1970 | TV special | An origin story for Santa in the same stop-motion style as Rudolph. |
| The Snowman | 1982 | Short film | Wordless, beautiful, and calm. The ending is bittersweet. |
| Mickey’s Christmas Carol | 1983 | Short film | A gentle first version of the Scrooge story. |
| Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas | 1999 | G | Three short stories with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. |
| Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year | 2002 | G | Soft, slow, and sweet for the youngest viewers. |
| Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas | 2009 | TV movie | George and the Man with the Yellow Hat try to guess each other’s wish. |
| Prep & Landing | 2009 | TV special | Elite elves get the house ready for Santa. Quick and clever. |
| Olaf’s Frozen Adventure | 2017 | Short film | Olaf searches for holiday traditions. A hit with Frozen fans. |
| Stick Man | 2015 | Short film | From the makers of The Gruffalo. A stick tries to get home in time for Christmas. |
| The Snowy Day | 2016 | Streaming special | Based on the Ezra Jack Keats picture book. Warm and quiet. |
| If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie | 2016 | Streaming special | Familiar picture book characters put on a holiday show. |
| Robin Robin | 2021 | Short film | A stop-motion musical about a robin raised by mice. |
| Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas | 2021 | Short film | No dialogue, lots of slapstick. Easy for toddlers to follow. |
| Angela’s Christmas | 2017 | Short film | A little girl in 1910s Ireland wants to keep the baby Jesus statue warm. |
Bonus for Bluey fans: the episodes “Verandah Santa” and “Christmas Swim” are seven minutes each and make a perfect mini movie night for a 2 or 3 year old.
Big days go better with a good night of sleep.
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Best Christmas Movies for Kids Ages 5 to 7
This is the sweet spot for kids Christmas movies. Children this age can follow a full story, still feel the magic, and laugh at the same jokes you do.
| Movie | Year | Rating | Why kids like it |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Polar Express | 2004 | G | A magical train ride to the North Pole. A few tense moments on the tracks. |
| Elf | 2003 | PG | Buddy the elf goes to New York. Silly, warm, and endlessly quotable. |
| The Grinch | 2018 | PG | A softer, funnier Grinch with a loyal dog named Max. |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol | 1992 | G | The best introduction to Dickens. The ghosts are mild but can spook sensitive kids. |
| Arthur Christmas | 2011 | PG | Santa’s clumsy son races to deliver one missed present. |
| Klaus | 2019 | PG | A hand-drawn origin story about a postman and a toymaker. |
| The Santa Clause | 1994 | PG | A dad accidentally becomes Santa. Some mild rude humor. |
| Noelle | 2019 | G | Santa’s daughter steps up when her brother gets cold feet. |
| The Star | 2017 | PG | The Nativity story told by a brave little donkey. |
| That Christmas | 2024 | PG | Three linked stories in a snowed-in seaside town. |
| Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | 2020 | PG | A musical about a toymaker and his inventive granddaughter. |
| A Boy Called Christmas | 2021 | PG | A boy travels north to find a village of elves. Includes the loss of a parent. |
| Rise of the Guardians | 2012 | PG | Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and Jack Frost team up. The villain can be scary. |
| Miracle on 34th Street | 1994 | PG | A department store Santa says he is the real one. |
| The Search for Santa Paws | 2010 | G | Talking puppies help Santa find his way. |
| Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas | 2004 | G | Five short computer-animated stories. |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus | 1974 | TV special | Home of the Heat Miser and Snow Miser songs. |
| Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas | 2014 | TV special | A stop-motion, sing-along retelling of Elf. |
| Shrek the Halls | 2007 | TV special | Shrek tries to host his first Christmas. |
| Toy Story That Time Forgot | 2014 | TV special | A post-Christmas playdate adventure with Woody and Buzz. |
| Trolls Holiday | 2017 | TV special | Poppy tries to give the Bergens a holiday. |
| Kung Fu Panda Holiday | 2010 | TV special | Po must choose between a formal feast and his dad’s noodle shop. |
| Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas | 2011 | TV special | Sid lands on the naughty list. |
| The Christmas Chronicles | 2018 | Netflix family film | Two siblings help Santa save Christmas after a sleigh crash. |
Best Christmas Movies for Kids Ages 8 to 12
Older kids are ready for slapstick, sarcasm, and stories with more at stake. Many of these are the movies parents grew up with, which makes them great for sharing.
| Movie | Year | Rating | Why kids like it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Alone | 1990 | PG | The slapstick classic. Cartoon-style violence and some language. |
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | 1992 | PG | More traps, bigger city. |
| A Christmas Story | 1983 | PG | Ralphie and the BB gun. Some mild language and dated moments worth talking about. |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | PG | Spooky and musical. Works for Halloween and Christmas. |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas | 2000 | PG | The live-action version. Louder and a bit cruder than the cartoon. |
| Jingle All the Way | 1996 | PG | A dad battles holiday crowds for the must-have toy. |
| The Santa Clause 2 | 2002 | G | Santa needs to find a Mrs. Claus. |
| The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | 2006 | G | Jack Frost tries to take over the North Pole. |
| Fred Claus | 2007 | PG | Santa’s older brother comes to visit. |
| Disney’s A Christmas Carol | 2009 | PG | Faithful to Dickens, and the ghosts are intense. |
| Jack Frost | 1998 | PG | A dad returns as a snowman. Deals directly with a parent’s death. |
| The Christmas Chronicles 2 | 2020 | PG | A return trip to the North Pole with Mrs. Claus. |
| 8-Bit Christmas | 2021 | PG | A 1980s kid’s quest for a video game console. |
| Unaccompanied Minors | 2006 | PG | Kids snowed in at an airport on Christmas Eve. |
| Ernest Saves Christmas | 1988 | PG | Goofy slapstick with a big heart. |
| I’ll Be Home for Christmas | 1998 | PG | A college student races home in a Santa suit. |
| Prancer | 1989 | G | A girl nurses an injured reindeer back to health. |
| The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | 2024 | PG | The town’s wildest kids take over the church pageant. |
| Dashing Through the Snow | 2023 | PG | A dad who dislikes Christmas meets a man who says he is Santa. |
| Christmas with the Kranks | 2004 | PG | A couple tries to skip Christmas and the neighbors revolt. |
| The Man Who Invented Christmas | 2017 | PG | How Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. |
| It’s a Wonderful Life | 1946 | PG | A classic for older kids. Slow by modern standards, with heavy themes. |
| Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 | Not rated | The black-and-white original. Charming for patient viewers. |
| White Christmas | 1954 | Not rated | Song, dance, and Technicolor for musical fans. |
Christmas Movies to Save for Later
Some popular holiday titles are often mistaken for family movies. These are better for teens or adults:
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13): crude humor and language.
- Gremlins (PG): rated PG in 1984, but the creature violence is scarier than the rating suggests.
- Spirited (PG-13) and Red One (PG-13): language, innuendo, and action violence.
- Scrooged (PG-13): dark humor and frightening ghosts.
- Love Actually and The Holdovers (R): adult themes throughout.
For tweens who want something with more edge, our list of movies for 9 to 12 year olds has options beyond the holiday shelf.
How to Plan a Christmas Movie Night
A little planning turns a movie into a tradition your kids will ask for every December:
- Pick the date together: put it on the calendar, or tuck movie tickets into an advent calendar pocket.
- Start early: begin right after dinner so the credits roll before bedtime, not an hour after.
- Choose safe snacks: popcorn is a choking hazard for children under 4. Offer soft snacks for little ones, such as banana slices, cheese cubes cut small, or yogurt.
- Make it cozy: matching pajamas, a blanket fort, and warm cocoa that has cooled to a safe temperature.
- Dim, don’t darken: keep a lamp on so younger kids feel safe during tense scenes.
- Talk afterward: ask about their favorite part and what they would do in the hero’s place.
- Keep the routine: finish with the usual bath, book, and bed so the night still ends calmly.
Screens close to bedtime can make it harder for some children to fall asleep, so try to end the movie at least 30 to 60 minutes before lights out. For more ideas, see our family movie night ideas and our year-round list of the best family movies for kids.
More Ways to Make December Fun
Movies are one piece of the season. Round out the month with a few screen-free traditions:
- Play a round of Christmas games after dinner.
- Let your child call Santa and leave a message.
- Fill stockings with ideas from our stocking stuffers for kids list.
- Read a holiday story from our bedtime stories for kids before bed.
- Sing together with our favorite kids songs.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Halloween movies for kids
- Best family movies for kids
- Family movie night ideas
- Christmas games
- How to call Santa
- Is Santa real?
When a Movie Upsets Your Child
Even gentle films can frighten young children. If your child seems scared, pause the movie, name the feeling (“That part was loud and surprising”), and remind them the story is pretend. It is fine to stop and choose something else. Nightmares after a scary scene are common and usually pass within a night or two.
Talk to your pediatrician if screen time is causing ongoing sleep problems, or if your child has frequent nightmares or fears that get in the way of daily life. Our guide to nightmares in young children explains what is typical at each age.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Christmas movies for kids?
Family favorites include The Polar Express, Elf, The Grinch, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Arthur Christmas, Klaus, Home Alone, and classic specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
What is a good Christmas movie for a 3 year old?
Choose a short, gentle special such as Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Stick Man, Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, or Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. Keep it under 45 minutes and watch together.
Is Home Alone okay for kids?
Home Alone is rated PG and is usually best for ages 8 and up. It has cartoon-style violence, some language, and a child left home without adults, so it helps to watch together and talk about what is pretend.
Is Elf appropriate for a 5 year old?
Most 5 year olds enjoy Elf. It is rated PG for some mild rude humor and language. One plot point involves people doubting Santa, although the movie confirms he is real.
What Christmas movies are rated G?
G-rated Christmas movies include The Polar Express, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Noelle, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3, Prancer, and The Search for Santa Paws.
How much screen time is okay during the holidays?
The AAP suggests about 1 hour a day of high-quality programming for ages 2 to 5 and consistent family limits for older kids. One special movie night is fine. Try to finish 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
Gentle changes, peaceful nights.
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Related Betteroo Guides
5 Sources
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American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Family Media Plan.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx -
Motion Picture Association. Film ratings.
https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/ -
Classification and Rating Administration. FilmRatings.com.
https://www.filmratings.com/ -
Common Sense Media. Movie reviews for parents.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ -
American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Choking Prevention.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx
