As far as festive traditions go, watching Christmas films with your family all snuggled up on the sofa is pretty hard to beat. Picture the scene - the whole family curled 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, which kids movies are you watching this holiday season? Do you like a classic Christmas movie or something a bit more new? The good news is, there's plenty of festive movies for everyone but if you need a little help, we've pulled together our favourites to send you on your merry way.
Best kids Christmas movies to watch this season
The Polar Express (2004)
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 (2016)
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) (2011)
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 2013
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 (1990)
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 (1994)
A feel-good film starring Tim Allen, tell the story 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 (1982)
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 (1996)
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, who goes to endless lengths to make his son's Christmas wishes come true. Watch here.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
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 full of festive cheer and puppet mayhem. Watch here.
Elf (2003)
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 father and his true place in the world with hilarious results all round. Watch here.
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Nikolas is an ordinary young boy who sets out on an extraordinary adventure to find his father who is on a quest to discover Elfhelm, a village of the elves. He takes with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and his pet mouse. Soon Nikolas meets his destiny in this enchanting story that proves nothing is impossible. Watch here.
Nativity! (2009)
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 (2018)
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? The Grunch gets fed up with the festive cheer that surrounds the village of Whoville. So, he teams up with his dog Max, to ruin the festive spirit by stealing Christmas. This colourful and heartwarming film is a favourite with my kids and we love the soundtrack too. Watch here.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
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.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
While your little ones might not appreciate the star studded cast, we think this one provides some festive fun for the whole family. It's a firm favourite in our household and stars 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! Like it? Then you'll love The Christmas Chronicles 2. Watch now.
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
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 (2018)
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.
That Christmas (2024)
This cracking new festive animation is based on the popular children’s book series by Richard Curtis. The story follows a series of tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! Sounds fun right? A stellar voice cast including Bill Nighy, Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Lolly Adefope, Rhys Darby, Jodie Whittaker and Guz Khan plus new music from Ed Sheeran. Watch here.
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
Sheepy shenanigans over at Mossy Bottom Farm. Shaun's seasonal excitement turns to chaos when a trip to get festive stockings leads to little Timmy going missing. What should have been a simple rescue mission turns to a madcap mission to get him back before he becomes someone else’s Christmas present. Little ones will love this one. Watch here.
Candy Cane Lane (2023)
Chris (Eddie Murphy) wants to win the neighbourhood contest for the best Christmas decorations. to ensure a win, he makes a deal with a wicked Christmas elf who ends up casting a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, and with it, unexpected chaos to the town. Watch here.