The Best Holiday Movies for Kids

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Nobody tells -- or sings -- a story like the gentle Burl Ives. An elf who wants to be a dentist, an abominable snowman, a prospector named Yukon Cornelius, and an island of misfit toys add up to the best reindeer games we've ever seen.
Best age: 3-plus

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas just isn't Christmas until you've watched Snoopy decorate his doghouse and heard Linus recite the true meaning of the holiday. The classic cartoon about the Peanuts gang and a forlorn little fir tree gets more relevant every year.
Best age: 3-plus

Frosty the Snowman

A discarded silk top hat magically brings a snowman to life, then becomes the focus of a struggle between good and evil --er, make that a group of school children and a greedy magician. Sure, we know how it ends, but it's still fun to watch time and again.
Best age: 3-plus

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

A discarded silk top hat magically brings a snowman to life, then becomes the focus of a struggle between good and evil --er, make that a group of school children and a greedy magician. Sure, we know how it ends, but it's still fun to watch time and again.
Best age: 3-plus

The Muppet Christmas Carol

When Gonzo narrates the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge (with an assist from Rizzo the Rat), you know you're in for a treat. Introduce your kids to the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future with the Muppets. Now, that's what we call holiday cheer.
Best age: 5-plus

Prep and Landing

Looking for a new spin on the Santa's elves story? This clever Disney flick will have kids -- and parents -- giggling, as they watch a dispirited elf get his Christmas mojo back.
Best age: 5-plus

The Santa Clause

When Santa meets with an unfortunate accident, a divorced toy company exec is forced to take on the big guy's duties -- with the help of his young son. Farfetched? Sure. Hilarious? Definitely. 
Best age: 5-plus

The Polar Express

Even the biggest Christmas cranks will feel their heart warm while watching this gorgeous film that takes a boy questioning Santa on the adventure of a lifetime. 
Best age: 6-plus

Miracle on 34th Street

Does Santa Claus really exist? Only he knows for sure, but this movie makes a pretty good case for the bearded one. Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne and scene-stealer Natalie Wood bring this magical story to life.

Best age: 6-plus

A Christmas Carol (“Scrooge”)

There are 33 versions of this tale, but the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim gets our vote as the best, since it's got everything: plum pudding, roaring fires, snow-strewn streets, and carolers to put you in the holiday spirit. We all know the story of the bitter curmudgeon who's visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve, but it gets better with each passing year.
Best age: 7-plus

Elf

It didn't take long for this 2003 movie to become a holiday classic. Will Ferrell is irresistible as Buddy, an adult human raised with elves in the North Pole who ventures to New York City in search of his real dad. Plus, it gives us one of our favorite movie lines: "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup." 
Best age: 7-plus

White Christmas

Gee, I wish I was back in the Army! Okay, maybe not, but this fine musical starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen has a great soundtrack and a feel-good ending.

Best age: 8-plus

Christmas in Connecticut

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan star in this simple, old-fashioned story about a female journalist who pretends to be a hard-working farm wife and mother—and fails miserably on all counts. No matter, it still has the requisite happy ending.

Best age: 9-plus

Holiday Inn

Fed up after being dumped by his dance partner, Bing Crosby opts for a low-key life in the country. But when Linda Mason, played by Marjorie Reynolds, enters the picture, he’s thrown into a love triangle with dancer Ted Hanover, played by Fred Astaire.

Best age: 9-plus

It’s a Wonderful Life

Think the world would get along just fine without you? Think again! Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a compassionate young man who learns that life in his small town would have been very different had he never been born.

Best age: 9-plus