The 10 best kids’ films on Netflix right now

School’s out for the summer, and Netflix is here to help. With preventative measures against coronavirus still in place around the world, the pressure is on to keep kids occupied at home without theme parks, vacations, or summer camps. 

The streaming platform offers a robust rotating selection of kid-friendly content, so we picked our favorites for you to try out, rediscover, and probably rewatch endlessly if they’re a hit.

Here are the 10 best kids’ films currently available on Netflix.

Also known as the movie that gave us minions, Despicable Me is the story of Gru (Steve Carell), a grumpy super villain who adopts three little girls that inevitably thaw his cold, dead heart. Come for the minions, stay for the unexpectedly heartwarming arc of what could have been an irredeemable baddie.

How to watch: Despicable Me is now streaming on Netflix. 

Though undeniably loaded with dense moral lessons about greed and selfishness, Mel Stuart’s take on the beloved Roald Dahl novel is a treat for kids because of Wonka’s magical world. Gene Wilder’s chocolate mogul remains a sinister enigma in a purple top hat, but even his silent judgment can’t diminish the wonder of a chocolate river, fizzy lifting drinks, and golden geese. And yes, nothing shines like a good deed in a weary world.

How to watch: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is now streaming on Netflix.

We tried to keep this list mostly free of sequels and titles that will inevitably leave Netflix for Disney+, but Incredibles 2 gets to be the exception on both counts because quite frankly it’s just too good. Released nearly 15 years after The Incredibles and a decade into Marvel’s superhero reign, Incredibles 2 is a visual masterpiece unencumbered by pesky live-action roadblocks like realism and “actors.” It’s a strong case for animation as the superhero genre’s natural home, and pairs great with…

How to watch: Incredibles 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

Sony’s standalone Spider-Man animation bonanza was better than it had any right to be, and was quickly hailed as one of the best superhero films ever made. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) finds himself unexpectedly tasked with being Spider-Man and protecting New York City, a job more than slightly complicated by a rift in the space-time continuum that sees him visited by Spider-heroes from other worlds (including the voice talents of Jake Johnson, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, and more). 

Not only does the movie tell a tight and enjoyable story, but it does so with dazzling effects that simultaneously elevate the story, the genre(s), and cinema at large. That’s a lot to accomplish for a kid in a mask, but that’s the stuff heroes are made of. 

How to watch: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is now streaming on Netflix.

Richard “Richie” Rich Jr. might be the wealthiest kid in the world, but like any inordinately rich person finds his life empty in other, critical areas. When Richie’s parents are allegedly killed in a plane crash, it’s to the young heir to stop their company’s slimy C.F.O. from stealing the Rich family fortune — and he might just make some friends while he’s at it.

How to watch: Richie Rich is now streaming on Netflix.

It might be a Christmas movie, but Netflix’s own original about a spoiled postman-in-training Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) who happens upon an old toymaker is a lovely and rewatchable film year-round. He becomes the go between for the toymaker, Klaus (J.K. Simmons) and the local children who write him letters hoping for toys. The story spins out to become the origin of Santa Claus and a humbling journey for Jesper.

How to watch: Klaus is now streaming on Netflix.

When Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) gets cold feet about his arranged marriage, he runs into the woods and ends up on an adventure in the Land of the Dead, where Elena (Helena Bonham Carter) has anointed herself his beloved. Desperate to return to his own plane of existence and living fiancee who now seems lovely, Victor ends up lying to Elena, in poor favor with his own family and friends, and on the verge of joining the dead permanently because of his own jealous, deceit, disappointment, and confusion. It’s perfect for kids who are just old enough to spurn a G rating but not ready for some of Tim Burton’s gorier movie fare. 

How to watch: Corpse Bride is now streaming on Netflix.

The 2018 animated take on the grumpy green guy who tries to steal Christmas is hardly the first take on its story, but no other film adaptation has Benedict Cumberbatch as the growling voice behind the Grinch (no disrespect to Jim Carrey, whose live-action version is also available on the streamer). While he plots to steal Christmas from the local town of Whoville, the Grinch encounters a little girl who could thaw his cold heart for good.

How to watch: The Grinch is now streaming on Netflix.

9. Hugo (2011)

Hugo Cabret (Sex Education‘s Asa Butterfield, but your kids don’t know that!) lives alone in a Paris train station, trying to understand mysteries left behind by his late father (Jude Law), including a robot that can write with a pen. Hugo befriends Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) in a shared thirst for adventure which takes them through her godfather’s past and love for film — slowly but surely piecing together what connects them all to each other. Nothing like getting the youngins hooked on Martin Scorsese!

How to watch: Huge is now streaming on Netflix.

Mike Myers’ 2003 turn as the eponymous feline in headgear holds up surprisingly well for kids in 2020 (unfortunately for adults, there may be some triggers of 2019’s Cats). The chaotic cat visits Sally and Conrad Walden (Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin), making a massive mess in their house and eventually locking them up (the Cat is by no means a moral compass). Parents will feel seen in Myer’s winking delivery and kids won’t quickly tire of the Cat’s endless hijinx.

How to watch: The Cat in the Hat is now streaming on Netflix.

Need even more streaming recommendations? can help.