35 Best Kids' Movies on Netflix in 2024 to Stream Right Now
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35 Best Movies for Kids on Netflix to Stream Right Now

From toddlers to tweens, there's something for everybody.

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scenes from three great kids movies on netflix the willoughbys, paddington and the boxtrolls

If you spend time with children, Netflix can be both a blessing and a hindrance. On the one hand, when it comes time to watch a movie, there's so much available on the service, including some of the best kids' movies of all-time. And when it comes to screen time, you want to make sure every minute counts. On the other hand, with so much available every second of every day, it can be hard to figure out which movies to choose.

To get your to-watch started, here are the best kids' movies on Netflix right now. (Another caveat: Like all streaming services, Netflix is constantly rotating movies on and off the service, so it pays to double-check that these are still available before you promise a kid that they can watch one.) Many of them are new favorites, since Netflix tends to specialize in the new and now, though there are some old classics to be found. There are gentle adventures for the littlest ones, and more pulse-pounding action and fantasy for the older ones. (But we tried to keep it PG, so this isn't really a list of teen movies on Netflix.) Consult this before your next family movie night, and you're bound to find something you can all agree on.

Looking for more great movies to watch with kids? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:

Best Kids' Movies of 2023 | The Best Animated Movies for Kids | The Best Movies for Toddlers

Nimona (2023)

a knight and nimona look serious in a scene from nimona, a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies 2023
Netflix

Kids who love fantasy and D&D-esque worlds will be taken in by Nimona, a story of a shape-shifting teen who decides to protect a knight framed for a terrible crime. But is the knight more villainous than he seems? This is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson, who created the excellent She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series, which is also on Netflix.

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The Karate Kid (1984)

mr miyagi shows daniel some moves in a scene from the karate kid
Columbia Pictures

It's the best...around! This is a true underdog-sports story about a bullied high schooler who learns karate for self-defense, then takes on his rivals from the fancier dojo. After they watch the original, kids can continue with The Karate Kid II, The Karate Kid III, the remake and the Cobra Kai series, which are all on Netflix.

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Despicable Me (2010)

gru bends over to berate some minions in a scene from despicable me
Universal

Whether you have any GentleMinions at home or not, everybody gets a kick out of wannabe supervillain Gru and his goofy yellow sidekicks. If that's true in your house, they can also go on to watch Despicable Me 2 and Minions: Rise of Gru.

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Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie (2023)

cat noir and miraculous ladybug strike a battle pose in a scene from miraculous ladybug and cat noir the movie, a good housekeeping pick for best kids' movies 2023
Netflix

If the kids think Miraculous is simply the best, they'll enjoy this feature-length movie, which re-tells the origin story of Ladybug and Cat Noir — in musical form!

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Jumanji (1995)

a family looks surprised in a scene from jumanji
Sony Pictures

If you want the Jumaji series that stars Jack Black and the Rock, you'll have to head to Hulu. But if you want the '90s version, with an entertaining Robin Williams performance, Netflix has you covered. Both series are about what happens when a game causes havoc in the real world, though the 1995 version hews closer to the book by The Polar Express's Chris Van Allsburg.

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Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)

lyle performs on a roof in a scene from lyle lyle crocodile
Sony Pictures

Based on the children's books by Bernard Waber, this film follows a family who moves into a house in the New York City, only to find that it already has a resident — a singing crocodile! Shawn Mendes provides the voice of Lyle, and songs are by Dear Evan Hansen's Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

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Hook (1991)

captain hook menaces an adult peter pan in a scene from hook
Tristar Pictures

Director Steven Spielberg heads to Neverland, telling a story about what happens when Peter Pan (Robin Williams again) grows up and forgets about his swashbuckling adventures. Dustin Hoffman plays a perfect Captain Hook, a foil for Pan's antics.

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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

puss flies through the air with his sword brandished in a scene from puss in boots the last wish
DreamWorks Animation

Poor Puss in Boots. He only has nine lives, and he's already used up eight of them. Fearing his mortality, he teams up with an unlikely band to catch a wishing star and wish for more lives. This is the sequel to the 2011 Puss in Boots (which itself is a spin-off of Shrek), but the original is sadly not on Netflix.

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Paddington (2014)

paddington bear rides up a tube escalator with a suitcase and dog in a scene from paddington the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
StudioCanal

Based on the beloved children's book series by Michael Bond, Paddington follows the adventure of a bear who grew up in the jungles of Peru but finds himself settling into city life in London. While there's some peril, this is an extremely gentle movie even the youngest film fans can enjoy. And while it's not on Netflix, some like Paddington 2 (not on Netflix) even more.

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The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

the mitchell family looks scared as its car goes off the road in a scene from the mitchells vs the machines the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
Netflix

Katie Mitchell, a budding filmmaker, is headed off to school, and her family decides to drive her for one last road trip family vacation. The only problem? A robot apocalypse breaks out on the way, and the Mitchells are the only ones who can stop it. This movie comes from some of the same creative team as The Lego Movie, and has a similar zany energy.

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A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)

shaun hides in a wheat field with an alien in a scene from shaun the sheep farmageddon the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
Netflix

An alien (that looks more like a puppy than anything you'd see on The X-Files) gets separated from her parents, and it's up to Shaun and the rest of his farm friends to reunite them. From the makers of Wallace and Gromit, every Shaun the Sheep adventure is pretty gentle and appropriate for younger film fans.

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Roald Dahl' Matilda: The Musical (2022)

mr and mrs wormwood sit watching the telly in a scene from matilda the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies 2022
DAN SMITH/NETFLIX

If the kids didn't get a chance to see Matilda on Broadway, now's the chance. The music comes courtesy of Tim Minchin, who also adapted Groundhog Day for the stage, and it stars Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough and Emma Thompson, among others. (Looking for the 1996 non-musical version of Matilda with Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman? Netflix has that one, too.)

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Wendell and Wild (2022)

kat elliott in a scene from wendell and wild, a good housekeeping pick for best movies 2022
Netflix

Two cinema giants come together for this stop-motion spectacular: It's directed by Henry Selick, who made The Nightmare before Christmas, and co-written by Jordan Peele, master of horror movies like Get Out and Nope. (Peele also does a voice.) It's about a girl who blames herself for past tragedy, and considers teaming up with two demons to help set things right. But are they trustworthy?

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The Sea Beast (2022)

zaris angel hator as maisie brumble, jared harris as captain crow, karl urban as jacob holland and marianne jean baptiste as sarah sharpe in a scene from the sea beast the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix cr netflix 2022
Netflix

This Netflix adventure takes to the high seas in a time when the oceans were ruled by monsters. The film follows two heroes: a young girl named Maisie Brumble who longs for adventure and stows away on a ship, and the famed monster-hunter Jacob Holland who begrudgingly becomes her partner.

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The Willoughbys (2020)

the willoughby children stand in front of their house with an adult guardian in a scene from the willoughbys the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
Netflix

When the Willoughby children feel neglected by their parents, they hatch a plan to get rid of them. (And you thought your kids' opinion of you was low.) But independence doesn't turn out the way they imagined. This animated movie is based on a book by author Lowis Lowry.

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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

a father and son embrace happily in a scene from boy who harnessed the wind the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
Netflix

Based on a true story, this follows a boy living in Africa who teaches himself engineering. When his village suffers a drought, he has big plans to create a turbine that can power a water pump.

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My Father's Dragon (2022)

a boy looks at a dragon in a scene from my father's dragon, a good housekeeping pick for best kids' movies 2022
Netflix

When a young boy leaves his home city, he journeys to a mysterious island full of fantastic creatures, including a striped dragon. The story is based on a Newbury honor-winning book, and the animation comes courtesy of the esteemed Cartoon Saloon, the studio behind acclaimed animated movies like Wolfwalkers and The Secret of Kells (which are sadly not on Netflix).

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A Whisker Away (2020)

miyo and hinode talk while on a wall in a japanese village in a scene from a whisker away the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
Netflix

Another one for anime fans, this Japanese film follows a young girl named Miyo who pines after a boy named Hinode. One day, she buys a cat mask from a mysterious seller, and it transforms her into a cat named Tarō — and Tarō can get closer to Hinode than Miyo can. And while Miyo gets caught up in magical antics, there is a message in there about the way adolescents process difficult emotions.

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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

a scene from guillermo del toro's pinocchio, a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies 2022
Netflix

Surprisingly, two different Pinocchio remakes came out in 2022. Netflix's was made by Guillermo del Toro, acclaimed director of The Shape of Water, and it goes in unexpected directions. (Watch out for themes of fascism, since they might require some explanations for younger kids.) Ewan McGregor is the voice of the cricket narrator.

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Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)

mr peabody and sherman run down a hallway with hieroglyphics in a scene from mr peabody and sherman the movie is a good housekeeping pick for best kids movies on netflix
DreamWorks

In this movie, Mr. Peabody, the dog, and Sherman, the 7-year-old boy, skip around through different adventures in time — while Mr. Peabody comes to terms with Mr. Sherman's growing up in the present. If your kids enjoy it, you can show them old Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes to they can see where the characters came from.

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