17 kids movies on Netflix for preteens and under

It’s not always easy to differentiate the more educational, enlightening, and entertaining kids movies from the disposable time-wasters. Some films are guilty of talking down to their younger audiences, or feature characters and plot elements that simply don’t engage them in a meaningful way.

Thankfully, Netflix has a slew of high-quality, kid-friendly movies that should also entertain older viewers. The streamer’s selection includes Oscar-winning animated features like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022), as well as live-action favorites like Night at the Museum (2006) and Paddington in Peru (2024).

Ahead, find our recommendations for the best kids’ movies on Netflix to use as a guide for your next family movie night.

01 of 17

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)

Feathered fighters escaped from Mrs. Tweedy’s farm in 2000’s claymation hit Chicken Run, but their carefree lives on a peaceful island sanctuary can’t last forever.

In this tasty sequel, a high-tech factory farm is built nearby, and Rocky (Zachary Levi) and Ginger’s (Thandiwe Newton) headstrong daughter, Molly (Bella Ramsey), is lured into the complex. Determined to retrieve her, the chickens and rats team up for a search-and-rescue mission in a witty spoof of Mission: Impossible and James Bond thrillers.

Fans of the original film will find much to enjoy in this fast-paced second outing. —Danny Horn

Director: Sam Fell

Cast: Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Miranda Richardson

02 of 17

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

It’s got a cricket, a woodcarver, and a little wooden puppet that comes to life, but Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated version of Pinocchio transforms the familiar tale into something entirely new.

Set in Italy during Mussolini’s fascist regime, the Oscar winner casts Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) as an inspiring spirit of civic disobedience. Ewan McGregor voices the cricket, tasked with guiding the impulsive boy through a series of adventures in the circus, the army, and the depths of the sea.

It’s a darker film than the Disney version, but it pulses with a deep appreciation for the miraculous gift of life. —D.H.

Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Christoph Waltz

03 of 17

Klaus (2019)

This Oscar-nominated Netflix original provides a fun alternate history of Santa Claus. Set in 19th-century Norway, Klaus centers on Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman), who struggles to live up to his Postmaster General father’s expectations when he’s tasked with posting 6,000 letters by year’s end.

He teams up with a toymaker, Klaus (J.K. Simmons), and inspires kids to pen letters in exchange for special presents. Thus, a new tradition is born. Boasting lively vocal performances and visually striking animation, Klaus is a Christmas favorite that can be enjoyed all year long. —Kevin Jacobsen

Director: Sergio Pablos

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Sergio Pablos

04 of 17

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

The Mitchells — Rick and Linda, with daughter Katie and young son Aaron — take an impromptu cross-country road trip to bring Katie to film school. Rick and Katie have a hard time getting along, but when a disgruntled high-tech AI assistant programs an army of home robots to capture all humans, father and daughter must work together to shut the bots down and free humanity.

A high-energy comedy adventure, The Mitchells vs. the Machines combines a well-observed portrayal of dysfunctional family dynamics with apocalyptic themes and biting satire about our tech-obsessed culture. —D.H.

Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Cast: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda

05 of 17

Night at the Museum (2006)

This playful Disney comedy combines a clever premise with a positive message about the thrill of curiosity.

Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, a hapless divorcé who takes a new job as a museum security guard, only to discover its various exhibits come to life at night because of an ancient artifact. Larry tries to contain the chaos as the wax sculptures of historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), and more become sentient. —K.J.

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney

06 of 17

Nimona (2023)

Nimona stars Chloë Grace Moretz as a rebellious young shapeshifter looking for a cause to fight for — preferably a messy, chaotic one.

Hearing about a knight (Riz Ahmed) unfairly accused of killing the queen, Nimona appoints herself his new sidekick. Her ability to turn into any kind of animal — cycling between ostrich, squirrel, wolf, and whale, among others — gives her a special kind of freedom, even if other people consider her a monster.

EW’s critic observes, “The story admiringly delves into how such monsters are in fact created by a society that refuses to accept their differences.” —D.H.

EW grade: B+

Directors: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy

07 of 17

Orion and the Dark (2024)

People say you should face your fears, but what happens when they face you? One night, Orion (Jacob Tremblay), an overly anxious 11-year-old, is confronted with his worst nightmare when the spirit of Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) appears in his bedroom, introduces himself, and says he wants to be friends.

Dark introduces him to the other night entities — Quiet, Sleep, Sweet Dreams, and Unexplained Noises — but Orion is more interested in the cocky, self-involved Light (Ike Barinholtz). Ultimately, it’s up to an adult Orion’s (Colin Hanks) young daughter, Hypatia (Mia Akemi Brown), to restore the balance of nature in this thoughtful, multi-generational fable. —D.H.

Director: Sean Charmatz

Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Colin Hanks, Ike Barinholtz, Mia Akemi Brown

08 of 17

Over the Moon (2020)

Chinese mythology meets space-age imagination in this musical fantasy, which sends 15-year-old Fei Fei to the moon in a homemade fireworks-powered rocket. Traveling with her white rabbit and an obnoxious stowaway stepbrother, Fei Fei meets the pop star moon goddess Chang’e, who demands a gift that will bring back her lost love.

Lunaria, the moon city, is a luscious riot of color and song, all neon energy and inspired visual flourishes. There’s a high-stakes rap battle ping-pong competition, a touching moon-rabbit love story, and a gentle examination of loss and grief experienced by humans, mythological figures, and fantasy creatures alike. —D.H.

Director: Glen Keane

Cast: Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, Robert G. Chiu

09 of 17

Paddington in Peru (2024)

Break out the marmalade: Paddington is back. In this third installment of the franchise, the lovable bear travels back to his birthplace in Darkest Peru, bringing his adoptive family with him to look for his missing Aunt Lucy.

As Paddington and his family venture through the country, they meet some colorful characters — deliciously played by beloved actors like Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas — and realize that some have ulterior motives for helping them. The film succeeds on the promise of the kind of delightful adventure we’ve come to expect from the Paddington films. —K.J.

Director: Dougal Wilson

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent

10 of 17

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (2022)

Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) is smart, independent, and unappreciated by her lowbrow parents who send her to Crunchem Hall, a boarding school designed to bring troublemakers into line.

This spirited adaptation of the Roald Dahl book and West End musical features Emma Thompson as the tyrannical headmistress of the Hall and Lashana Lynch as a teacher who recognizes Matilda’s special gifts. The film’s high point is the showstopping “Revolting Children” number, a rousing anthem about the powerless seizing their moment to shine. —D.H.

Director: Matthew Warchus

Cast: Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham

11 of 17

The Sea Beast (2022)

Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) is tasked with hunting down the beasts in a kingdom threatened by enormous sea monsters. But when an orphan girl named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) stows away on his voyage to kill the legendary Red Bluster, she helps Jacob discover that the creatures may be misunderstood.

The Sea Beast was Netflix’s most-watched original animated film upon its 2022 release, thanks to its exciting sea battles, the mismatched heroes’ odd-couple chemistry, and the imaginatively rendered aquatic behemoths that range from cuddly to terrifying. —D.H.

Director: Chris Williams

Cast: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris

12 of 17

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)

In this treat from Aardman Animations, a flying saucer brings a new friend to Shaun the Sheep’s tranquil farm: Lu-La, a lavender dog-alien with tentacles, levitation powers, and a ravenous sweet tooth. The creature turns out to be a child trying to find her way home, and she’s being pursued by pleasantly bumbling agents from the Ministry of Alien Detection.

The plot may be a familiar retread of E.T. and Close Encounters, but the story is presented in the charming Aardman house style, with their trademark visual ingenuity and clockwork comic timing. —D.H.

Directors: Richard Phelan, Will Becher

Cast: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Amalia Vitale, Kate Harbour

13 of 17

Sing (2016)

This delightful Illumination film is ideal for little ones with an interest in music and performing.

Sing follows a ragtag group of anthropomorphic animals who participate in a singing competition to save their local theater from shutting down. Though this leads to plenty of personal drama for the contestants that may resonate more with adults, the film is packed with wall-to-wall musical numbers from A-list stars that are entertaining for all ages.

“The eye-popping performances are meticulously animated, and a crowd-pleasing soundtrack helps keep this show on the road,” writes EW’s critic. “Sing may be a melody we’ve heard before, but it still sounds sweet.” —K.J.

EW grade: B+

Director: Garth Jennings

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton

14 of 17

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

By the time Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse swung into theaters in 2018, Spidey had already appeared in numerous incarnations on the big screen. Despite this oversaturation, Into the Spider-Verse marked its territory as a fresh, dazzlingly animated take on the franchise.

The film centers on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager who becomes the titular web slinger and must save his world (and parallel worlds) from a multiverse-jumping villain. Featuring an eye-popping blend of 2-D and 3-D animation, the blockbuster deservedly won the 2019 Oscar for Best Animated Feature. —K.J.

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Cast: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry

15 of 17

Vivo (2021)

Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the songs and voices the title character in Vivo. It’s the story of a singing kinkajou tasked with granting an older man’s final wish: to deliver a romantic song to the man’s lost love, all the way from Havana to Miami.

Along the way, Vivo befriends an impulsive oddball, 10-year-old Gabi (Ynairaly Simo), whose passion for music far exceeds her actual talent. The pair travels by bike, bus, and boat to the journey’s end, accompanied by Miranda’s tunes.

EW’s critic observes that the movie “delivers as an energetic caper, moving from one colorful locale to another.” —D.H.

EW grade: B

Directors: Kirk DeMicco, Brandon Jeffords

Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ynairaly Simo, Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Gloria Estefan

16 of 17

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)

Wallace and Gromit are back, and this time, the inventor and his trusted dog are facing off against one of cinema’s most dastardly villains: Feathers McGraw.

The criminal mastermind penguin reprograms Wallace’s latest invention, a robotic garden gnome, which he uses to bust out of prison (the zoo) and capture the elusive Blue Diamond. Naturally, Gromit is the first to take notice and tries to convince his owner of the situation before it’s too late.

Like 2005’s Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and the franchise’s various short films, the Oscar-nominated Vengeance Most Fowl has a distinctly British cheekiness and imaginative set pieces that appeal to all ages. —K.J.

Directors: Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham

Cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith

17 of 17

A Whisker Away (2020)

Lovestruck eighth-grader Miyo can’t connect with her crush, Hinode, until a mysterious mask seller gives her a Noh mask that allows her to transform into a little white cat.

While Hinode rejects her as a human, he grows to love her as a pet, and she relishes the time they spend together. Things go sour when she confesses her love in a letter, causing her to lose her human face, which the playful mask vendor offers to a cat who wants to take her place.

This sweet and suspenseful coming-of-age anime explores the challenges of expressing difficult feelings at an awkward stage of life. —D.H.

Directors: Junichi Sato, Tomotaka Shibayama

Cast: Cherami Leigh, Johnny Yong Bosch, Robert Buchholz, Keith Silverstein

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