Christmas Movies for Kids, Sorted by Age
Once school is out for winter break, the Christmas movies for kids start running on a loop. These are the 15 worth actually owning, sorted by the age they suit rather than thrown into one long list.
Each one lists who it is best for, its rating and how long it runs, which is usually the thing that decides it on a weeknight. You can find the rest of our Christmas posts here, and the links below are affiliate links.
Quick Picks by Age
- Toddlers and preschoolers: Frosty the Snowman
- Shortest attention span: A Charlie Brown Christmas, 25 minutes
- Widest age range in one room: The Muppet Christmas Carol
- A child who is starting to doubt: The Polar Express
- Older kids: Elf
All 15 Christmas Movies for Kids
Three groups: the short ones for little kids, the ones a whole family will sit through, and the ones that suit older children.
Christmas Movies for Little Kids
1
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The one to start with if your child is small or easily bored. Charlie Brown is handed the school play, buys the saddest tree on the lot, and Linus explains what the whole thing is actually about. I especially like that it runs 25 minutes, which is roughly how long a four year old will sit still.Best for: the shortest attention span
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 25 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 25 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
2
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The stop-motion one their grandparents watched. Rudolph and an elf who wants to be a dentist run away, meet an abominable snowman and end up back where they are needed. It looks old because it is from 1964, and children do not seem to care at all.Best for: a first Christmas special
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 53 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 53 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
3
Frosty the Snowman
Good value because this release has two films on it, the original Frosty and Frosty’s Winter Wonderland. A snowman comes alive in an old silk hat and the children have to get him somewhere cold. I especially like it for the three and under crowd, who mostly want to see the snowman talk.Best for: toddlers and preschoolers
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 50 minutes for both films
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 50 minutes for both films
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
4
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
This is the original 26-minute animated special, not the later live-action film, and it is the better one for young children. The Grinch steals every present in Whoville and discovers Christmas arrives regardless. Boris Karloff narrates, which is half of why it holds up.Best for: the original, not the remake
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 26 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 26 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
5
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
The gentlest way into A Christmas Carol. Scrooge McDuck gets the three ghosts with the whole Disney cast filling in around him, and it is over before anybody gets restless. I especially like it as a first version for a child too young for the darker tellings.Best for: a first Christmas Carol
Rated: G
Runtime: 58 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: G
Runtime: 58 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
Christmas Movies the Whole Family Will Sit Through
6
The Polar Express
The big one for believers. A boy who is starting to doubt gets on a train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, and the whole film is about whether he can still hear the bell. The animation puts some children off, so it is worth knowing that before you start it.Best for: a child on the edge of not believing
Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
7
The Muppet Christmas Carol
My pick for the best family version of the Dickens story. Michael Caine plays Scrooge completely straight while surrounded by Muppets, and that is exactly why it works. I especially like that it is genuinely faithful to the book while being funny enough for small children.Best for: a wide age spread
Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 26 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 26 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
8
Arthur Christmas
Underrated and worth adding if you have not seen it. It answers how Santa actually delivers to every house, treating the North Pole as a vast operation, and then one child gets missed. I especially like that the whole plot turns on nobody being willing to say one child does not matter.Best for: something they have not seen
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 37 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 37 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
9
The Santa Clause
Good for elementary-age children. A man accidentally causes Santa to fall off his roof, puts on the suit, and discovers that is legally binding. The transformation gags carry it, and it is the right amount of silly for six to ten.Best for: elementary age
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 37 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 37 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
10
Miracle on 34th Street
The quiet one, and the one most likely to surprise you. A department store Santa insists he is the real thing and it ends up in a courtroom. I especially like that it treats a child’s skepticism seriously instead of laughing at it.Best for: a thoughtful child
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hour and 36 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hour and 36 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
11
Prancer
A good pick if you have an animal-loving child. A farm girl finds an injured reindeer and becomes convinced it is one of Santa’s. It is slower and sadder than most on this list, so it suits a child who likes a real story more than jokes.Best for: animal lovers
Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: G
Runtime: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
Christmas Movies for Older Kids
12
Elf
The reliable one once they are past about seven. A human raised by elves goes to New York to find his father and behaves exactly as badly as you would expect. I especially like how much of it works on adults, which matters when you are watching it for the fourth time.Best for: seven and up
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
13
A Christmas Story
The nostalgic one, with a warning attached. Ralphie wants one specific BB gun and the film is a string of small disasters getting there. There is a fair amount of mild language and the famous leg lamp, so parents of younger children should know what is in it first.Best for: older kids and parents
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 38 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 38 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
14
Home Alone (1 and 2 Double Feature)
Two films on one disc, which is why it is on here rather than the single. A boy left behind defends the house with increasingly violent improvised traps. The slapstick is harder than people remember, so it suits older children better than small ones. Amazon lists no run time on this release.Best for: eight and up
Rated: PG
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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Rated: PG
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
15
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The one that covers both holidays. The Pumpkin King finds Christmas Town and decides to take it over, with results that frighten everyone involved. I especially like it for a child who finds most Christmas films too sweet, though it is genuinely spooky in places.Best for: a child who likes it a bit dark
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 16 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
GET IT NOW
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour and 16 minutes
Where to watch: DVD from Amazon
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How to Choose One on a School Night
Work backwards from the clock. If bedtime is in forty minutes, you want Charlie Brown, the Grinch special, Frosty or Rudolph. If you have a full evening and a spread of ages, Muppet Christmas Carol and Polar Express are the two least likely to start an argument. And if one child is much older than the rest, let them pick from the last section rather than sitting through something aimed at a four year old.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The questions I get asked most about picking a Christmas movie for children.
