When at home with the children and the weather is bad you can find yourself looking for things to keep them occupied with.
Luckily, there are a range of family movies on Netflix and you tube for kids of course, that are capable of making them occupied and entertained.
What makes a good rainy day movie?
A great rainy day movie should be one that is capable of creating a serious mood. It should evoke emotion no matter what the weather. It should also enhance the mood of a good storm or a lovely, gray, gloomy day.
If you’re looking for a movie to make you forget it’s raining, however, you’ll want to look for something seriously funny or action packed. Either way, there are some great choices to make a rainy day movie marathon wonderful.
If you’re settling in for a nice cozy afternoon or evening with the best movie snacks you can find, embracing the cold and the rain, you have loads of options when it comes to the mood of your movie choice. You could find something dramatic, maybe a bit sad, or you could go the other direction and find a “feel-good” movie or something that takes you to another world.
In this article we give you movies that were suggested from several pages for best movies for kids to watch on rainy days, we listed 5 movies per page although some suggested more.
First , Best Family Movies to Watch to Bring Back Childhood Memories, 5 top choices include
- Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)- The Apple Dumpling Gang is a 1975 American comedy-Western film directed by Norman Tokar. The plot is about a slick gambler, who is duped into taking care of a group of orphans who eventually strike gold. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions.
- Parent Trap (1961) – Twins Annie and Hallie are strangers until happenstance unites them. The preteen girls’ divorced parents, are living on opposite sides of the Atlantic, each with one child. After meeting at camp, American Hallie and British-raised Annie engineer an identity swap, giving both the chance to spend time with the parent they’ve missed. If the scheme works, it might just make the family whole again.
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – During the Battle of Britain, Miss Eglantine Price, a cunning witch-in-training, decides to use her supernatural powers to defeat the Nazi menace. She sets out to accomplish this task with the aid of three inventive children who have been evacuated from the London Blitz.
- Mary Poppins (1964)- When Jane and Michael, the children of the wealthy and uptight Banks family, are faced with the prospect of a new nanny, they are pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins . Embarking on a series of fantastical adventures with Mary and her Cockney performer friend, Bert, the siblings try to pass on some of their nanny’s sunny attitude to their preoccupied parents .
- Robin Hood (1973)- When a prince deputizes the sheriff to collect unreasonable taxes from the animals of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and his merry band of animals wage a battle against their foes.
These 5 movies are the top choices in their 25 family movies to watch on rainy indoor weekends.
Next, Southern Savers listed 20 Rainy Day Movies for Kids You Can Stream, their 5 top choices are:
Vivo
This is a new Netflix original about a little girl and her new friend, voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The songs and music are amazing!
Home
Aliens come to earth to conquer the humans, but an unlikely friendship emerges.
James and the Giant Peach
This is one of the best of the movies made based on books by Roald Dahl. My kids’ favorite characters in this movie are all the critters who live inside the peach!
White Fang
Another movie based on a book, this one will captivate your kids with the story of an unlikely rescue dog.
Bolt
More talking animals in this one, Bolt is a TV star dog who thinks he has real powers. He doesn’t, but that doesn’t keep him from becoming a hero! Some of the scenes are a bit suspenseful for younger kids.
Third, confessions of parenting listed movies that are best for rainy days, top choices include;
The Secret Life of Pets
This cute movie is about what your pets do every day when you’re gone to work or school. It’s such a cute and engaging movie, it’s perfect the perfect rainy day movie for all ages.
Toy Story 1-4
Toy Story is one of those cult classics, making it essential for your rainy day movies list. The good thing is if you know you are going to be inside all day long this is the perfect movie marathon for your family. This popular Disney movie collection is about toys who come to life when no one is watching!
The Parent Trap
This silly movie is sure to get your kids giggling and forgetting about the rainy weather in no time! This movie featuring a young Lindsey Lohan tells the story of identical twins who were separated at birth and never knew about each other. When they meet at summer camp they scheme together ways they can get their parents to get back together.
Madagascar 1-3
If you have kids that like to “move it- move it” then this is the movie for you! This silly Dreamworks movie is about animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. This silly and active movie is sure to keep your kids entertained and happy all rainy day long.
The Good Dinosaur
The Good Dinosaur is a newer Disney/Pixar movie that explores the unlikely relationship that strikes up between a young neanderthal boy and a young dinosaur. The sweet and fun adventure that ensues is enough to entertain your entire family.
Fourth, livewithoutcable they also listed their main picks for best rainy day movies.
- Spirited Away – Spirited Away is a strong story of learning about yourself and becoming confident in a scary, unfamiliar situation.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- The movie is amazing at transporting you to another world, and the (mostly) family-friendly adventure and peril fit into any kind of weather.
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope- Star Wars is fun for any type of weather. You’ll never need a reason to watch this movie, but a rainy day is a great one anyway
- The Princess Bride- This is another one filled with great nostalgia and fun. It’s also very impressive how well this one has aged. It just feels like a well worn, comfortable story. Since it’s set in a fairy tale medieval time, it doesn’t have to worry about staying hip, cool, or current.
- National Treasure- If you’re looking for something a little more grounded in the real world, this might be your movie. National Treasure is so much fun, and you can learn little tidbits of American history if you pay attention.
Fifth, my kidsTime have their 5 Family Films Perfect for a Rainy Day, the choices are:
Fly Away Home
The movie is about a 13-year old who has moved in with her father following her mother’s death in a car accident.
She finds some abandoned goose eggs and takes care of them. But winter is coming and the geese don’t know how to find their way south.
Because of Winn-Dixie
I n this charming film, Opal is the daughter of a preacher, whose mother left when she was young.
She comes across a stray dog, whom she names Winn-Dixie after the supermarket she finds him in, and gradually the dog changes their lives.bAs the film develops the story of her mother also begins to become clear.
Spirited Away
The most unusual story of a girl, Chihiro who has to cross over to the spirit world to try to save her mother and father who have been turned into pigs for being greedy when they end up in a mysterious town on their way to their new home.
A young boy, Haku, helps Chihiro find work in a bathhouse for the thousands of Japan’s gods and spirits and she embarks on a journey of discovery as she tries to rescue her parents.
ET
A young boy Elliot discovers and befriends a gentle alien who becomes stranded on Earth, and brings him home.
Elliott introduces E.T. to his brother and his little sister and the children decide to keep it secret.
But when E.T. falls ill, the government arrives and Elliott has to decide how to help the alien.
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a classic Disney animated film based on Rudyard Kipling’s book. Mowgli is an abandoned child raised by wolves but the return of the man-eating tiger Shere Khan threatens his existence.
Bagheera the panther agrees to help Mowgli return to the man village, however Mowgli stumbles into the carefree bear Baloo and refuses to leave the jungle.
Sixth, foodretro also has their own list of 5 Disney Movies on Netflix Perfect for a rainy day. Their choices are:
The Princess and the Frog
Tiana meets Prince Naveen, who has been turned into an amphibian by evil Dr. Facilier. Naveen thinks Tiana is a princess and plants a kiss on her — and, whoops, he turns her into a frog as well!
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
This one is a classic. The Seavers leave for a family vacation to San Francisco and drop off their pets at a friend’s ranch. The three embark together on a treacherous journey to find their way back home.
Lilo & Stitch
Stitch is the galaxy’s most wanted extraterrestrial, who winds up as a refugee on Earth after he crash lands there. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts him, thinking he’s a small ugly “dog” with some violent tendencies she can love out of him. It’s a pretty funny movie.
The Rescuers
Two New York City mice (members of the Rescue Aid Society) are like special agents who work international aid missions. The two set out, with help from other animal friends, to bring Orphan Penny back home after discovering she was abducted.
Meet the Robinsons
A young time-traveler named Wilbur Robinson and orphan boy-genius Lewis spend a day in the future with Wilbur’s crazy family. Together, they have to save the future and find Lewis’ family.
Family bonding is a great benefit of watching TV/ movie. Spending time together as a family watching a television/ movie provides a chance for everyone to connect and unwind. Bonding over a favorite TV/ movie show provides opportunity for lifelong memories.