As we face into the summer holidays, inevitably there will be some rainy days or indeed some days when you’ll need some indoor time if it’s too hot (here’s hoping!). A family movie is a fun thing to do with your child, so here’s our pick for 20 fun family movies on Netflix to enjoy this summer:
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It’s a long summer holiday here in Ireland (8+ weeks…) and, let’s face it, rainy days are more the norm than not usually. So finding things to do to amuse the kids can be a bit of a chore after the first week of down time.
So one solution is to pop some popcorn, grab a drink, and settle down on the sofa for a movie with the kids.
We’ve checked out what family movies are available on Netflix, and there are some classic family films on the list as well as newer ones to enjoy together.
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Family Movies on Netflix
#1. Beethoven
When the Newton children decide to adopt a cute St. Bernard puppy, dad George is less than impressed.
Before long, the oversized and adorable Beethoven creates plenty of hilarious drama (and more than a few disasters!). Although the rest of the family adores Beethoven, it takes George a little longer but he is soon smitten with the newest family member.
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#2. Enola Homes
Stream Enola Holmes on Netflix
When Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s teen sister, discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her. Using her own super-sleuth skills, she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord.
#3. Yes Day
A mom and dad who usually say no decide to say yes to their kids’ wildest requests with a few ground rules on a whirlwind day of fun and adventure.
#4. Charlotte’s Web
Stream Charlotte’s Web on Netflix
Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen.
#5. Pachamama
Pachamama is an award-winning animated film that tells the tale of a 10-year-old boy who dreams of coming his village’s shaman.
When a sacred statue is taken from his Andean village, the boy along with his best friend and her smart-talking llama go on a mission to get it back.
#6. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Stream Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle on Netflix
Another remake of Disney classic The Jungle Book. In this real life version, human child Mowgli is raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own, but the fearsome tiger Shere Khan doesn’t take a liking to him. But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.
#7. Gnome Alone
In Gnome Alone, a teenage girl moves into a new house in a new town and discovers her house is under attack by underground beasts. After making the discovery, she finds that she and the house gnomes are the only ones who can offer protection to the town.
#8. The Little Prince
Stream The Little Prince on Netflix
The Little Prince is an animated version of the classic children’s book. The Aviator introduces a girl to a world where she rediscovers her childhood and learns that it’s human connections that matter most, and that it is only with heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
#9. The Lorax
Another film adaptation of a Dr Seuss book, The Lorax, tells the story of twelve-year-old Ted who lives in a place virtually devoid of nature; no flowers or trees grow in the town of Thneedville.
Ted would very much like to win the heart of Audrey, the girl of his dreams, but to do this, he must find that which she most desires: a Truffula tree. To get it, Ted delves into the story of the Lorax, once the gruff guardian of the forest, and the Once-ler, who let greed overtake his respect for nature.
#10. Wonder
Based on The New York Times bestseller, Wonder tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
#11. Ballerina
In Ballerina, best friends Félicie and Victor hatch a plan to escape from their rural orphanage in 19th-century France. Félicie dreams of becoming a ballerina, while Victor wants to use his brainpower to invent things.
After busting out, Félicie makes her way to the Paris Opera where she joins a class of highly trained dancers who are auditioning for the lead in a production of “The Nutcracker.”
#12. My Neighbour Totoro
Stream My Neighbour Totoro on Netflix
My Neighbor Totoro tells the story of two girls, Satsuki and Mei, who have moved with their father to a new house in the countryside, while their mother recovers from illness in a nearby hospital.
They discover they share their home with some unusual creatures and even stranger neighbours including a rather large forest guardian that the girls call Totoro. When trouble occurs, their new friends will help them rediscover hope.
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#13. Matilda
The film adaptation of Matilda by Roald Dahl tells the story of Matilda Wormwood, a gifted girl forced to put up with a crude, distant father and mother. Worse, Agatha Trunchbull, the evil principal at Matilda’s school, is a terrifyingly strict bully. However, when Matilda realizes she has the power of telekinesis, she begins to defend her friends from Trunchbull’s wrath and fight back against her unkind parents.
#14. The Peanuts Movie
Stream The Peanuts Movie on Netflix
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big-screen debut.
Charlie Brown embarks on an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable Snoopy, takes to the sky to pursue his archnemesis, the Red Baron.
#15. The Bee Movie
Stream The Bee Movie on Netflix
In The Bee Movie, fresh out of college, Barry the Bee finds the prospect of working with honey uninspiring. He flies outside the hive for the first time and talks to a human, breaking a cardinal rule of his species. Barry learns that humans have been stealing and eating honey for centuries, and he realizes that his true calling is to obtain justice for his kind by suing humanity for theft.
#16. The BFG
In a modern adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG, a little orphan meets up with a kind giant who’s supposed to eat her but instead protects her from some truly horrible giants who terrorize them both.
#17. Annie
An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes that her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While Annie gets accustomed to living in Warbucks’ mansion, she still longs to meet her parents. So Warbucks announces a search for them and a reward, which brings out many frauds.
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#18. Free Willy
Ordered to clean up the graffiti he painted at a marine theme park, a troubled young boy unexpectedly bonds with a killer whale on exhibit.
#19. Hook
When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
#20. Minions
Minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a supervillain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
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About the Author: Jill Holtz
