Kids Christmas films to watch this festive season

family-Christmas-film

by Lorna White |
Updated on

We don't know about you, but we will always associate Christmas with those heartwarming festive films you curl up with your family to watch every December, it's just one of those Christmas traditions. Picture the scene - the whole family snuggling up under a cosy blanket, sharing a tub of chocolates or sipping hot chocolates, the Christmas tree twinkling in the background...sounds perfect right?

The question is, what kids film are you watching this holiday season? With so many to choose from, it can be tough making a decision so we've pulled together our favourite of the lot, to make picking one for your family a lot easier.

Kids Christmas films to watch this season

The Polar Express

A true Christmas classic. In this beautiful live-action Christmas story, on Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas. Watch here.

Deck the Halls

Take two competitive dads and a whole load of Christmas lights and you have yourself a rather hilarious Christmas classic. Starring Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick, it's a film that the whole family will be chuckling along to. Watch here.

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (short film)

The Ice Age gang are back for this short Christmas special. This time, Sid, Eddie and Crash get in trouble with Santa and have to find a way to get their names off the naughty list! It's only a short film so you don't have to worry about their attention span not lasting. Watch here.

Frozen

We're such fans of this all-singing, all-dancing Disney special. If you don't know the story, it's all about Queen Elsa, who accidentally uses her powers to turn things into ice and curses her home into infinite winter. Her sister, Anna, teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to rid the kingdom of snow and restore the sunshine! Watch here.

Home Alone

A film that needs no introduction, while your toddler may not fully be able to understand what is happening in this popular Christmas film for kids, he'll enjoy watching eight-year-old Kevin fight back when thieves try to break into his home after being left behind when his family leaves for France. Watch now.

The Santa Clause

A feel-good 1994 film starring Tim Allen, about a man who inadvertently kills Santa on Christmas Eve, and finds himself magically recruited to take his place in order to save Christmas. Watch here.

The Snowman

This beautiful silent film is a must-watch this Christmas, perfect for the littlest of tots. A little boy strikes up a friendship with a snowman and the two fly together over the village and the snow and go on adventures together. But will the snowman last without the freezing weather to keep him whole? The soundtrack is mesmerising, it'll have your little ones singing 'I'm Walking in the Air' throughout the festive period. Watch here.

Jingle All The Way

We can all relate to the premise of this film - finding the must have toy for your little one with just 24 hours to go until Christmas. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, he goes to endless lengths to make his son's Christmas wishes come true. Watch here.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Perhaps a film for older tots, who will understand the story of the Christmas Carol - told by muppets of course! The Muppet characters tell their version of the classic tale on Christmas Eve. Watch here.

Elf

One of our favourites, this film starring funnyman Will Ferrell tells the story of how the larger than life Buddy the elf heads to New York, looking to find his true place in the world with hilarious results all round. Watch here.

Nativity!

This Christmas musical comedy film is about uptight but heartbroken primary school teacher Paul's little white lie about Hollywood coming to see his class' nativity play. It grows like wildfire throughout the school and beyond, much to Paul's horror. There are also two sequels if you fancy a film day. Watch here.

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

We all know the story of The Grinch but if you're looking for something a little more child friendly than Jim Carrey's version, what about this animated version? Watch here.

Arthur Christmas

Say hello to Santa's clumsy son Arthur who sets out on a mission with Grandsanta (played wonderfully by Bill Nighy) to give out a present they misplaced to a young girl in less than two hours. Whatever your age, this is an all-round winner. Watch here.

Christmas chronicles

While your little ones might not appreciate the star studded cast, we think this one provides some festive fun for the whole family. Starring the brilliant Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Santa and Mrs Clause, this comedy follows two children who jump into Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve causing Santa to lose all the presents! Watch now.

Home Sweet Home Alone

While we'd rather avoid some of the remakes of the classic Home Alone story, this one has to be up there as one of our faves. We truly found ourselves laughing out loud at Home Sweet Home Alone with our kids thanks to the rather silly storyline and hilarious cast. Watch here.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

If you're in the need of something more magical, Disney's version of the classic tale of the Nutcracker might be just what you're looking for. With a star studded cast, this festive tale starts on Christmas Eve in Victorian London. Watch here.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.