The best movies for 9 to 12 year olds have real stories, real stakes, and humor that works for tweens and parents alike, mostly rated G or PG.
Finding a movie for a 10 year old can feel impossible: too old for preschool cartoons, too young for much of what is in theaters. These picks hit the sweet spot, with adventure, laughs, and heart, plus notes on anything that might be too intense.
Below are more than 40 good movies for 9 to 12 year olds, grouped into animated favorites, adventure classics, inspiring true stories, comedies, and first PG-13 movies for 12 and up, with a quick guide to choosing what is right for your child.
Key Takeaways
Most great movies for 9 to 12 year olds are rated G or PG.
PG covers a wide range, so check a detailed parent guide for specific scenes.
Many families add select PG-13 films around 12 or 13.
Watching together lets you talk through big themes like loss, prejudice, and courage.
Save intense or scary movies for daytime so they do not affect sleep.
Table of Contents
What Makes a Good Movie for 9 to 12 Year Olds?
The 9 to 12 years are a tricky middle ground for movie night. Preschool cartoons feel babyish, but many PG-13 blockbusters include more violence, language, or mature themes than parents want. The sweet spot is a film with a real story, some suspense, humor that is not just for little kids, and characters close to their age who face big choices.
This list sticks mostly to G and PG films, with a short section of PG-13 picks many families save for 12 and up. Every child is different, so use the MPA rating as a starting point, and check a detailed parent guide, such as Common Sense Media, for anything you are unsure about.
Animated Movies Tweens Actually Love
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, PG): Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man in a stunning, comic-book style adventure about identity and family.
Spirited Away (2001, PG): Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning fantasy about a girl working in a spirit bathhouse to save her parents. Some creepy imagery.
The Iron Giant (1999, PG): A boy befriends a giant robot during the Cold War. Funny, moving, and a classic for a reason.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021, PG): A chaotic family road trip collides with a robot uprising. Hilarious and heartfelt, and a Netflix original.
Coco (2017, PG): Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead in a colorful story about music and family. Themes of death, handled gently.
Inside Out (2015, PG): The emotions inside an 11 year old’s head. A great conversation starter about feelings at this exact age.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010, PG): A Viking teen befriends a dragon. Thrilling flying scenes and a strong father-son story.
Klaus (2019, PG): A beautifully animated, funny origin story for Santa Claus. A Netflix original and a great holiday pick.
The Wild Robot (2024, PG): A stranded robot learns to care for an orphaned gosling. Emotional and gorgeous.
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016, PG): A stop-motion samurai fantasy with some intense moments; best for 10 and up.
Nimona (2023, PG): A shape-shifting teen and a disgraced knight team up in a funny, action-packed story about acceptance. A Netflix original.
Adventure and Fantasy Classics
The Princess Bride (1987, PG): Sword fights, giants, true love, and endlessly quotable lines. Works for kids and grown-ups at once.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, PG): A boy hides a stranded alien. Some mild language and a few scary scenes for sensitive kids.
Back to the Future (1985, PG): Marty McFly time-travels to 1955. Some language and mature humor; many families save it for 11 or 12.
The Goonies (1985, PG): A gang of kids hunts for pirate treasure. Some language and peril; best for 10 and up.
Jumanji (1995, PG): A magical board game unleashes the jungle. Some scary animal scenes.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001, PG): The start of the series; later films get darker and are better paced over several years.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010, PG): Greek myths in the modern day. A great bridge to the books.
Night at the Museum (2006, PG): Museum exhibits come to life. Silly, fast, and sneaks in some history.
Hugo (2011, PG): An orphan in a Paris train station uncovers a film-history mystery. Slower paced, beautiful.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, PG): Indiana Jones’ first adventure. Some intense violence and a famously scary ending; best for 11 or 12 and up.
Star Wars (1977, PG): The original space adventure that started it all.
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Wonder (2017, PG): A boy with a facial difference starts middle school. A must-watch about kindness at exactly this age.
Hidden Figures (2016, PG): The true story of Black women mathematicians at NASA. Inspiring and a great history link.
Remember the Titans (2000, PG): A newly integrated high school football team in 1971 Virginia. Themes of racism, handled for a family audience.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006, PG): An 11 year old from Los Angeles aims for the national spelling bee. Some language.
Holes (2003, PG): Stanley is sent to a desert camp where kids dig holes all day, and a century-old mystery unfolds.
Paddington 2 (2017, PG): The bear with impeccable manners is framed for a crime. Pure joy for all ages.
The Sandlot (1993, PG): A summer of baseball and friendship. Some language and a famous chewing-tobacco scene.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007, PG): Two friends create an imaginary kingdom. Beautiful but deals with a sudden death; watch together.
Matilda (1996, PG): A brilliant girl with telekinetic powers takes on a terrifying principal.
Funny Movies for 9 to 12 Year Olds
Home Alone (1990, PG): Kevin defends his house against burglars. Slapstick violence and some language.
The Parent Trap (1998, PG): Twins separated at birth plot to reunite their parents.
Freaky Friday (2003, PG): A mom and teen daughter swap bodies. Great for mother-daughter movie nights.
The LEGO Movie (2014, PG): Fast, clever, and funnier than it has any right to be.
Big Hero 6 (2014, PG): A teen genius and his inflatable robot Baymax. Funny with some real emotion.
PG-13 Movies for 12 and Up
Many families start adding select PG-13 films around 12 or 13. These are common first picks, but each has action violence or language worth checking first:
Jurassic Park (1993, PG-13): Dinosaur peril and some very scary scenes. A rite of passage for many kids.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017, PG-13): A high school Peter Parker balances superhero life and homework.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017, PG-13): Teens get sucked into a video game. Some crude humor and language.
School of Rock (2003, PG-13): A fake substitute teacher turns a class into a rock band. Some language and drug references.
Enola Holmes (2020, PG-13): Sherlock’s teen sister solves her own mystery. A Netflix original.
Best Movies for 9 to 12 Year Olds by Mood
If your tween wants…
Try
Laughs
The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Paddington 2, Home Alone, The LEGO Movie
Adventure
The Goonies, Jumanji, Percy Jackson, How to Train Your Dragon
Fantasy
Spirited Away, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, The Wild Robot
School-age kids 6 to 12 need about 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and screens are one of the most common reasons they fall short. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests families create a media plan with consistent limits, keep screens out of bedrooms, and turn devices off at least an hour before bed. A shared family movie on a weekend afternoon is one of the best kinds of screen time there is: it is social, it sparks conversation, and it ends with everyone still getting a good night of sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good movies for 9 to 12 year olds?
Great picks include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Princess Bride, The Iron Giant, Coco, Inside Out, How to Train Your Dragon, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Wonder, Hidden Figures, Holes, Paddington 2, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Most are rated PG.
What movies can 11 year olds watch?
Most G and PG movies work well for 11 year olds, including adventure classics like The Goonies, Jumanji, and Back to the Future, and inspiring films like Wonder and Remember the Titans. Some families start adding select PG-13 movies around 12. Check a detailed parent guide for specific content.
What are the top movies for 12 year olds?
Popular movies for 12 year olds include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hidden Figures, and first PG-13 picks like Jurassic Park, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Enola Holmes.
What is a good movie for a 9 year old on Netflix?
Netflix originals that work well for 9 year olds include The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Klaus, and Nimona. Streaming libraries change often, so check what is currently available in your region.
Is PG-13 okay for a 10 year old?
It depends on the movie and the child. PG-13 films can include more intense violence, language, and mature themes. Many parents wait until 12 or 13, or preview the film or read a detailed parent guide first and watch together.
Gentle changes, peaceful nights.
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Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27250809/
