The Best Kids’ Movies of 2026, According to a Parenting Editor

Release Date: February 13, 2026

In a true underdog—or make that under-goat—story, this movie follows a goat who dreams of playing roarball, a sports dominated by the fiercest animals around. Stranger Things‘s Caleb McLaughlin is the voice of the goat in question, though eagle-eared sports fans might also recognize the voice of one of the film’s producers, Stephen Curry, as one of the other players. It’s from Sony Pictures Animation, the same studio that did KPop Demon Hunters and Across the Spiderverse, and it’s done in the same kind of animation style. MPAA Rating: PG

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Release date: March 6, 2026

Think of it like Avatar but fuzzier and cuter: In Pixar’s newest, an animal lover named Mabel uses a new technology to “hop” into a robotic beaver body, which gives her the ability to communicate with animals. But can she get the animals to band together to fight a human threat? The voice cast is full of comedians, including Bobby Moynihan, Aparna Nancherla, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, and Vanessa Bayer, so expect some big laughs. MPAA Rating: PG

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Release Date: March 20, 2026

Parents might have already heard of the Pout-Pout Fish—and the “dreary-wearies” he spreads all over the place—if their kids are fans of his eponymous picture-book series. Now he’s going on his first big-screen adventure. In this film, the Pout-Pout Fish (Nick Offerman) teams up with an opposite-in-vibes sea dragon (Nina Oyama) to see if they can track down a legendary fish that can grant wishes. (But will he “blub blub blub” like in the books?) MPAA Rating: PG

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Release Date: April 3, 2026

A sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie—and put out on the heels of the re-release of the Super Mario Galaxy collection for the Switch 2—this movie is sure to be huge among gamers. But kids who’ve never played Nintendo might still be taken in by the adventure, which features our heroes traveling into outer space to face off against the son of Bowser. Benny Safdie provides the voice of the Bowser, Jr., and Brie Larson is the voice of another video-game fave, Rosalina. MPAA Rating: PG

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Release Date: May 1, 2026

We’ve all been assigned George Orwell’s novella in school, and some may have even seen the old animated adaptation from 1954. But now Andy Serkis, famous for his stop-motion performances of characters like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, is spearheading a new adaptation. Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, and Kieran Culkin provide the voice of the a trio of pigs who spearhead the movement to take over the farm for themselves. MPAA Rating: PG

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Release Date: May 8, 2026

In this film, Hugh Jackman plays a shepherd who entertains himself by reading mystery books out loud to his sheep every night. What he doesn’t know is that the sheep actually understand what he’s saying, and when the shepherd is tragically murdered, the flock decides to solve the case themselves using what they’ve learned from his books. Talk about a cozy mystery! MPAA Rating: PG

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Release Date: June 19, 2026

The toys from Toy Story have faced obsessed collectors. They’ve dealt with being accidentally thrown into the trash. They’ve endured daycare kids, and being passed to new owners. But can they handle the newest threat to playtime—a tablet? Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the gang return to see if toys can triumph over technology. Not yet rated

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Release Date: July 1, 2026

It seems the only constants in life are death, taxes, and more Miions movies. This one takes place after The Rise of Gru but before Despicable Me, so consider it a mid-quel, and there’s just no telling what shenanigans the little yellow guys are going to get up to this time. Not yet rated

Release Date: July 10, 2026

Disney’s live-action remake train continues to head down its track, and after last year’s Lilo & Stitch, we have another island-and-ocean adventure: Moana. (Hey, maybe 2016 really is making a comeback.) Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui, with Catherine Laga’aia as his Moana. It’s directed by Thomas Kail, who’s best known for directing a different project full of songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda songs—the Hamilton musical on Broadway! Not yet rated

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Release Date: August 14, 2026

The PAW Patrol and dinosaurs: a match made in preschooler heaven. This is a follow-up to 2023’s PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, only instead of becoming super heroes, this adventure has a pre-historic spin. Not yet rated

Release Date: August 28, 2026

This is the Looney Tunes movie we almost didn’t get to see: Warner Bros. Discovery initially shelved the film as a tax write-off, but after public outcry it was saved by an independent distributor. In it, Wile E. Coyote decides to team up with a cheap billboard lawyer (Will Forte) to sue the Acme corporation for having all its products backfire on him. John Cena plays the lawyer for Acme. Not yet rated

Release Date: November 6, 2026

Unlike the 2003 adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, this one is fully animated, so there’s no worries about scary makeup. This time, Bill Hader provides the voice of the mischievous feline. Not yet rated

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Release Date: November 26, 2026

Greta Gerwig, a director who has taken on adapt-for-big-screen projects as varied as Barbie and Little Women, is taking on the world behind the wardrobe. The film is most likely an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew, which has never been turned into a major film before, and it’s set to be released in IMAX theaters before going to Netflix.

Release Date: December 23, 2026

Another blast from the past, this third installment in the Angry Bird franchise follows up the film from 2019. (Feels like a lifetime ago!) Jason Sudeikis returns as Red, with reports saying that YouTubers MrBeast and Salish Matter are also somewhere among the cast. Not yet rated

Release Date: TBD (most likely summer)

Jonas Brothers fans old and new can gather together and re-visit the Camp Rock franchise together.. Along with the Jonases, Maria Canals-Barrera is reprising her role in Camp Rock 3, with Demi Lovato signed on as executive producer. It will be released both on the Disney Channel and on Disney+. Not yet rated

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Release Date: TBD (most likely late 2026)

From Laika—the studio behind movies like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings—comes a new stop-motion fantasy epic. It’s based on the book of the same name by Colin Meloy, the lead singer of the band The Decemberists, and it tells the tale of two kids who are lured into a magical forest in order to save a child who was kidnapped by crows. Not yet rated

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Release Date: 2026 TBD

This Netflix film is for those who like to see a fairytale from the point of view of the supposed “villain.” In this case, it’s Cinderella’s stepsisters who get the spotlight for a change. When one of them, Lilith (Ali Wong), accidentally turns the other, Margot (Stephanie Hsu), into a frog, she has to team up with Cinderella to set things right again. Not yet rated

Release Date: 2026 TBD

A body-switching comedy, but make it cute: This Netflix film stars Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple as the voices of a furry woodland creature and a majestic bird. But when they accidentally swap bodies, they have to experience the ecosystem through another animal’s eyes. It’s from director Nathan Greno, who also directed Tangled. Not yet rated