• Explore SchoolMyKids in English

Best Christmas Movies for Kids

By Ritwik Shah|9 - 10 mins read| April 03, 2024

It’s holiday season again, and it is that time of the year to watch our favorite movies. What can put you in a holly, jolly mood quite like watching your favorite holiday film on a cold winter night and spending quality time with your family? Watching Christmas movies is good for creating a cozy and merry atmosphere during the end-of-year period and for preserving an unforgettable celebration life with folks. Either you prefer watching a classic or the latest one, animated or live-action, comedy or drama, people love spending sofa time cozying up with a hot drink and a stack of Christmas movies aired online and broadcast. Here are some of the best Christmas movies for kids of all ages, divided into three categories: Christmas classics, animated adventures, action, and funny movies about holidays for everyone.

Christmas Classics: Spreading Holiday Cheer

This is what characterizes these movies that the families have adopted as a tradition and that have always taken place at the core of their Christmas celebration. Whether it’s nostalgia, charm, or compassion, they’re all about the spirit of Christmas, and they help us live this season with ideas that are more than decorative.

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) This is a timeless classic stop-motion that focuses on the popular Peanuts gang as they go through the holiday season. Poor old Charlie Brown, with his hopelessness and cynicism of Christmas materialism, makes a hopeful decision to get a fresh little scrawny tree to be displayed in the school play. All along the way, he has learned the actual importance of Christmas from his friends as well as from Linus, who narrates the biblical story of Jesus’ birth.
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966): This is a fanciful fairy tale based on learning the story of Dr. Seuss and narrated by the terrific actor Boris Karloff. This is the narrative of the Grinch, a well-dressed fur and green creature who hates Christmas and resolves to spoil Christmas for the merry and jovial inhabitants of Whoville. He pretends to be Santa Claus and replaces all presents, decorations, and food with golf clubs, the dancing bear, and roasted turkey bones. Though he knows it quite well, he still didn’t realize that Christmas is not about presents but about love and happiness. Then, that very day, his heart grew three scores bigger than it was.
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948): This is a heartwarming story based on the popular song, featuring a cast of adorable and memorable characters, such as Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snowman. It follows the journey of Rudolph, a young reindeer who is mocked and rejected by his peers because of his shiny red nose. He runs away from home and meets other misfits who share his dream of finding a place where they belong. He eventually returns to the North Pole and helps Santa guide his sleigh through a foggy night, proving that his difference is his strength.
  • Miracle on 34th Street (1947): This is a heartwarming tale that reminds us to believe in the magic of Christmas. It centers on Kris Kringle, a kind and jolly old man who claims to be the real Santa Claus. He plays the role of Santa at the local department store and strikes up a friendship with a certain little girl named Susan, who is certain that Santa Inc. is actually Santa in disguise. Not only does he face a lawsuit from the competitor, but they also become mistrustful of Krazyhair’s mental health, which leads them to commit him to the asylum as well. Through his lawyer and aided by the public, Clarence Clempfier provides evidence that he is, in fact, Santa Claus and sustains the faith of Susan and many others.
  • The Santa Clause (1994): The movie is a humorous and adventurous comedy that does not stick to the common legend of Santa. It has Tim Allen as the lead, who is called Scott Calvin, a single and beyond-rated man whose cynicism lands him into an accidental situation that causes Santa, who was on Scott’s roof, to fall off. Thereafter, he puts on the Santa coat and delivers the last orders, which then come to his consciousness that he has just agreed to become the Next Santa Claus. He gradually transforms into Santa, both physically and mentally, and has to deal with the challenges of his new role as well as his relationship with his son and ex-wife.

Animated Adventures: Bringing Christmas to Life


These are, in fact, the films that employ computerized graphics to create imaginations and locations that we cannot see in real life. These are stories that are always full of magical moments, full of wow, laughter, and new perspectives on Christmas tales.

  • The Polar Express (2004) is a story that is a fantasy of a little boy in accordance with the book by Chris Van Allsburg, directed by Robert Zemeckis, and fully voiced by Tom Hanks. It follows a boy who, one Christmas Eve, boarded the train with mystery, which traveled to the North Pole in the company of other children. There, he meets Santa Claus and receives a special gift: a bell that rings for those who still have hope and faith in the spirit of jolly old Santa Claus.
  • Elf (2003): The script of this epic story is called “Elf” and was directed by Jon Favreau, with Will Ferrell playing the role of Buddy, an orphan grown up by elves in the land of the North Pole. The human being has to face this great lesson. First, he understands that he is not an elf, but his father is not found in the elfland. He is a frustrated yet workaholic businessman working in New York. However, his original objective breaks down, and he finds his father and a new purpose in the world, leaving a trail of Christmas joy and confusion behind. In addition, he happens to fall in love with a pessimistic, disillusioned shop girl by the name of Jovie, played by Zooey Deschanel. The latter works part-time at a department store.
  • A Boy Called Christmas (2021): This is the dear, fabulous story from the novel by Matt Haig and directed by Gil Kenan, which has an all-star cast including Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, and Kristen Wiig. It tells the story of Nikolas, a young boy who lives in a poor and miserable village in Finland. He sets out on a quest to find his father, who has gone missing, while looking for the fabled village of the elves. Along the way, he encounters a reindeer, a mouse, a troll, and a truth pixie, and discovers the secret of Santa Claus.
  • Klaus (2019): This animation is a lovely, well-designed, and heart-touching story. It is directed by Sergio Pablos and features the voices of marvels like Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, and Joan Cusack. It is a reinterpretation of a Santa Fe story about a dark and lonely island named Smeerensburg. Jesper, a very self-absorbed and privileged postman, is the narrator of the story, but his life is disrupted by meeting a recluse named Klaus, who has been living alone and making toys in the woods. They are thus the founders of a tradition that entails giving presents to the children on the island, the fun being of bringing joy and hope to the community to which they belong.
  • Robin Robin (2021): This is a charming stop-motion tale directed by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please and featuring the voices of Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Adeel Akhtar, and Bronte Carmichael. . Its story is centered on a robin named Robin, who was raised by a family of mice. He not so well ovises with other birds, who ridicule him for having no wings and feathers there. In his attempt to prove his worth, he ends up fleeing a human house but manages to realize a miracle crucial to his life.

Holiday Fun for All Ages

These are movies that cut across demographic barriers—the ones that children and adults alike enjoy. They have all the facets that make a great movie, including comedy, action, drama, and fantasy. They are humorous, thrilling, and touching, and they embody different aspects of Christmas: the fun side, the scary side, and the best of them all, the miraculous side.

  • Home Alone (1990): The film Home Alone, which is fantastic, tells the story of a little boy, Kevin, who has been left behind by his parents when they are on a Christmas vacation. The movie is made up of these topics of independence, resourcefulness, and family, as the boy takes care of his house when two bungling robbers happen to steal it. Home Alone is a film that will make people around the globe laugh hard and realize the truth about home and family.
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Selick directs this strange and dark classic written by Tim Burton. It comes in the voice of Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington, the head of Halloween Town, who wants something new. Being a routine person, he gets bored. He comes across Christmas Town with much wonder and joy; the colorful and decorated atmosphere is so amazing. Then, he is bent on the idea to seize Christmas and abduct Santa Claus, who is played by Edward Ivory, but things continue to go in a different direction, and he finally realizes that he has to face the consequences of his mistakes. 
  • The Christmas Chronicles (2018): The latest movie project is a fun, exciting, and up-to-date family fantasy directed by Clay Kaytis and produced by Chris Columbus. It is a movie that actually revolves around Kurt Russell, who played Santa Claus, and how he experienced the hard landing of his sleigh after witnessing two siblings, Darby Camp and Judah Lewis, respectively. Besides all that, the man is helping them make the holidays a success again, and at that, the police are chasing him, and a gang of crooks is dogging him as well. He also reveals some secrets and surprises about his identity and his operation.

Conclusion

Among the many movies for children, a few of them make it among the best Christmas movies for kids. What matters is to think through the gravity of the maturity levels as well as the different tastes and preferences of your children and, therefore, watch movies together as a family. Watching Christmas movies is a marvelous means of reincarnating familiar annual bonding traditions and inducing joy during the holidays. Then, cozy up with a nice hug and popcorn to watch these heartwarming films!

 
 

SchoolMyKids provides Parenting Tips & Advice to parents, Information about Schools near you and Schools Reviews

About The Author:

Ritwik Shah

Last Updated: Wed Apr 03 2024

This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the above blog/article text are the personal views of the author, and not necessarily reflect the views of SchoolMyKids. Any omission or errors are the author's and we do not assume any liability or responsibility for them.