18 Best Christmas Movies for Toddler And You To Watch Together
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I have to admit one thing – I love Christmas movies. I’ve watched almost every single one Netflix offers and I never have enough. Choosing a Christmas movies for toddler can be difficult though.
Remember that every child is different, and some movies might be too long or too boring for them. If you’re unsure of whether a movie you’ve never seen before is appropriate for your toddler to watch, check Common Sense Media, where you can find guidance and film reviews.
In this article, you can find 18 best Christmas movies that are perfect to watch together with a toddler. Many of them are short or animated but you can also find some classics like Home Alone, A Christmas Carol or The Santa Clause. Happy reading!
Top 5 Movies I Can’t Imagine Christmas Without
A Christmas Carol (1999)
Running time: 95 minutes
Everyone probably has heard about Ebenezer Scrooge, mean and unkind businessman, who thought that he could live comfortably by making lots of money. The more he made, the more greedy and cruel he became.
One Christmas Eve, the ghost of his dead business partner visits him to prepare him for a visit of three spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Each of them attempts to show Scrooge the error of his ways.
A Christmas Carol is a film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.
PIN FOR LATER!
Elf (2003)
Running time: 97 minutes
Papa Elf adopts a baby that was accidentally taken from an orphanage to the North Pole. After years of being raised and treated like an oversized-elf, Buddy learns that he, in fact, is a human.
One Christmas Eve, he travels with Santa Claus’ to NYC to meet his biological father, who doesn’t know about his existence and desperately needs Christmas spirit.
The film was an inspiration for 2010 Broadway musical Elf: The Musical and NBC’s 2014 stop motion animated television special Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas. It’s known as one of the greatest Christmas films of all times.
Home Alone (1990)
Running time: 103 minutes
Can you imagine going away for a holiday and forgetting about your child?
Kevin’s family accidentally leave him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris. While he’s alone, he has to defend his family home before burglars, using very creative ways to do so.
Movie is considered one of the best Christmas films and is perfect to watch for everyone, regardless of age.
You might also want to check Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Home Alone 3 (1997), and Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002).
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Running time: 103 minutes
Probably everyone dreamed about catching Santa Claus when he sneaks into the house. Kate and Teddy Pierce create a plan to catch him on camera, which unexpectedly leads to crashing Santa’s sleigh.
As Christmas morning approached, children’s help is a key to save Christmas and deliver all the presents on time.
If you enjoyed watching the movie, check The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020). Personally, I loved both of them!
The Santa Clause (1994)
Running time: 97 minutes
When Scott reads The Night Before Christmas for his 6-year-old son, he suddenly receives an unexpected visitor on his roof.
He startles Santa’s impersonator, who immediately falls down and disappears, leaving 8-reindeer sleigh and a suit with instructions to put it on if he’s involved in an accident.
Scott follows the instructions and automatically becomes the next Santa Claus. How is he going to keep it a secret now, when his hair became white, beard is impossible to shave and he unexpectedly gained a lot of weight?
Even though I haven’t watched this movie with my toddler, I loved it when I was a child. It’s one of a very few movies that stayed I remembered for years.
More Christmas Movies For Toddler And You To Watch Together
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Running time: 97 minutes
If your toddler keeps pestering you with questions about Santa and how does he deliver all those presents in one night, then it’s the perfect Christmas movie for you to watch tonight.
You’ll see how this very high-tech operation looks like at the North Pole and what happens when Santa forgets to deliver a present for a child. Don’t be surprised when you see that Santa also has kids!
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009)
Running time: 58 minutes
Figuring what to give your friends and family for Christmas can be a challenge. George and The Man In The Yellow also have the same problem – they can’t decide what they should give each other.
Let’s watch and see if they find the answers before Christmas.
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Running time: 25 minutes
Imagine that you can build a snowman and bring it to life just by putting a hat on his head. To escape getting melted because of rising temperatures, he goes to the North Pole.
He melts during the trip just to be saved by Santa and taken to his destination.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Running time: 26 minutes
Mickey’s Christmas Carol is an animated adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Characters that stars in this movie comes mainly from the Micky Mouse universe, although you might also see Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio (1940), characters from Robin Hood (1973) and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) throughout.
This version might be easier to watch for your toddler than a classic movie.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Running time: 114 minutes
6-years-old Susan doesn’t believe in Santa. Together with her mother’s boyfriend, she needs to prove that not only Santa exists, but the man claiming to be the real Santa Claus is really him.
Quite a task, isn’t it?
At the end, not only they succeed, but Susan receives all the presents she wished for.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017)
Running time: 21 minutes
It’s the first holiday season since the gates reopened and Anna and Elsa host a celebration for all of Arendelle. After guests unexpectedly leave early to celebrate on their own, the sisters realize they don’t have any family traditions.
While girls go through some forgotten items in their attic, Olaf and Sven try to find traditions they can borrow or adapt.
Prep and Landing (2009)
Running time: 22 minutes
An elite organization called “Prep & Landing” prepares homes round the world for Santa’s visit. When Wayne, a Christmas elf, doesn’t get the promotion he really counted on, he slacks off during a mission.
This leads to Timmy’s home being not ready for Santa’s visit. Will he fix his mistake or allow Timmy to miss out on Santa Claus’ visit?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998)
Running time: 92 minutes
Rudolph has been mocked by almost everyone around him, except for his parents and teachers. One day, he overhears his father and misunderstood his words, thinking that he’s ashamed of his son.
He runs away from home and gets captured and imprisoned by Stormella, who unleashes a massive blizzard on the North Pole. Although she tries to stop it later on, she doesn’t succeed and Rudolph has to lead Santa’s reindeers.
Without his glowing nose, Santa wouldn’t be able to carry out his flight this year.
PIN FOR LATER!
The Grinch (2018)
Running time: 85 minutes
The Grinch is a computer-animated film based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas! book written by Dr. Seuss. It’s the third adaptation of the story, following the 1966 television special and 2000 live-action feature-length film. I believe this version is the best one to watch together with children.
It tells a story about a grumpy Grinch, who plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville after learning that they plan celebrations three times bigger than usual.
Follow him when he disguises Santa Claus, steals presents and decorations just to learn that he doesn’t really despise Christmas, but being alone and neglected. He owns his change of heart to a 6-year-old girl that invites him for a dinner so that he finally didn’t have to spend Christmas alone.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Running time: 86 minutes
The Muppet Christmas Carol is another film adaptation of 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
This time the Muppets perform the classic holiday tile, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, a low-paid clerk with a large family and Scrooge’s employee.
Other Muppets like Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, and Sam the Eagle also appear on the screen from time to time.
Otherwise, The Muppet Christmas Carol closely follows the original story.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Running time: 76 minutes
Jack Skellington, a Pumpkin King from the Halloween Town, gets tired of organizing the annual Halloween celebrations and craves something new.
One day he discovers Christmas Town and is in awe of the holiday he’s never heard of. He doesn’t understand the idea of Christmas so when he tells his friends about his finding; they compare everything to their ideas of Halloween.
Next year, they attempt to organize Christmas instead of annual Halloween and abduct Santa, which leads to a lot of problems.
The Polar Express (2004)
Running time: 100 minutes
Imagine waking up on Christmas Eve just to find a magical train outside your window. That happened to Hero Boy, who decides to reluctantly climbs aboard where he meets a spirited girl and a smart know-it-all boy.
During this ride, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. At the North Pole, he receives magic bell that only truly believe in Santa can hear.
The Snowman (1982)
Running time: 26 minutes
This short movie film is wordless, except for one song. The entire story is told through pictures, action, and music. We can see a boy building a large snowman that comes to life some time later.
They play at home for just to take a flight to Norway and join a party of snowmen later on. Just before going back home, they meet Father Christmas.
Would you add any TV specials or Christmas movies for toddler to this list? Let me know in the comments down below!
M.
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