Kids can be incredibly cute and unruly at the same time, especially if we have a job at hand, and we simply can’t attend to the attention they need. While it is best to supervise kids as they grow old, there will come a time when parents need to accomplish things for the whole family and the kids.
There are many activities that kids can do while parents do their job at home, especially now that there’s a pandemic and we should stay at home. Arts will be a better idea –a task for them to create and imagine, but if you have tried all the crafts you could think, and all the educational tools you thought might have worked. Still, the kids are seemingly restless; we could have the option of giving them exciting movies to watch and impart morals that movies might teach the children. You just need to set a snack and a Netflix, and all are nicely set.
However, kid’s movies vary depending on age. An Adolescent kid might not enjoy a film for Preschoolers, or school-aged kids might not fully grasp the story for adolescent kids. So here are the movies you could try for kids depending on their age bracket:
Note: Always be sure to check relevant guides for suitability on age for a movie before showing it to your child.
Movies for Preschoolers
Preschoolers (two to five years old) commonly enjoy colorful things. It seems that every bright moving object is fascinating for their eyes. So, a brightly colored film or cartoons will be a great eye-catcher. Also, if that includes a tremendous rhythmic song where they could dance to, their attention could stick to it for a couple of hours.
Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon
This stop-animation, silent film, was released on October 18, 2019, and directed by Will Becher and Richard Phelan. It was about the heroic extraterrestrial adventure of a little sheep named Shaun, who encountered a cute, bluish-purple alien named Lu-La from the planet To-Pa, as they saved the farm from the M.A.D leader, Agent Red.
Turbo
Produced by DreamWorks Animation, Turbo is a 2013 comedy, an animated film based on the idea of David Sorem. It is about a garden snail that aspires to be the greatest snail racer in the world.
Secret Life of Pets 2
Private Life of Pets 2 was released back in 2019, is the second film related to The Secret Life of Pets produced in 2016. It tells the story of the quirky pets and their goofy antics while their owners are out at work and school. Kids with pets will relate to this and probably be more attached to their pets than ever.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
This film was released in November 2008 and produced by DreamWorks Animation. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa is yet another animated film about animals that kids can surely enjoy. Following the story of Marty, Alex, Melman, and Gloria finding their way to Africa, in this sequel to the 2005 film –Madagascar will leave kids in awe.
Chicken Little
If you think that sky is falling, you probably have watched this 2005 animated sci-fi film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. This film depicts the importance of taking responsibility for things you have done. Chicken Little, the protagonist of this story, thought that the sky was falling after an acorn fell on his head. He then tells his friends about this alleged piece of the sky falling, causing a major catastrophe and panic. With this, you’ll let your kids take the responsibility of always saying the verified truth and that we should always be aware of gossip, even at a young age.
Movies for School-Aged Kids
School-Aged Children are usually the ages between Preschoolers and Adolescents, ranging from six to twelve years old. Kids at this age are much more coordinated and have focused longer than Preschoolers. So, films with moral as well as good graphics will surely hook your children’s attention. Let’s take a look at these moralistic yet extraordinary movies:
Klaus
Sergio Pablos directed this 2019 animated film about Christmas. It was a heart-warming story about our childhood belief in Santa Claus and the beauty of Christmas. It will teach children and adults the importance of being hard-working, establishing a connection and not barriers, and the value of performing a simple act of kindness that can spark into more chains of service and good wills.
The Incredibles 2
Kids will surely enjoy this family-oriented film. It tackles what family can do if they stick together –especially if that family is The Incredible Family. The Incredibles 2 –A 2018 American animated film is written and directed by Brad Bird and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
Matilda
Matilda is based on a book written by Roald Dahl. It is a 1996 American Fantasy film about a girl named Matilda who loves to read books and has discovered that she has telekinetic power. She used her ability to help her friends against the tyrannical Principal –Ms. Trenchbull. This film is about standing for the people you love, and of course, reading books is as important.
The Peanuts Movie
Of all the things that school-going children can relate to is how a newcomer steals all the attention and everyone follows them. In this epic movie about Charlie Brown and Christmas, every scene captures the attention, and kids can watch it for hours. It is the best adventure movie for kids that is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.
If your kids love following Snoopy’s stories, there is a side story about Snoopy preparing to take against his arch-rival, Red Baron, during World War I.
Paddington
There is nothing better than putting a movie on for your kids about which you are sure that there is no objectionable content. Paddington is a movie based on a life story of a bear named Paddington. The film takes your kids on an adventure-filled life of the bear who lives with the most affectionate family ever. His motto is to be kind and polite.
This movie also has part 2, which is as adventurous as the first one. So, do not skip an opportunity to show your kids the life of a cute bear who spreads joy in people’s lives.
Movies for Adolescents
Adolescent kids are not much of a pain, for they typically have their own world at this age. However, being an adolescent is a challenging age for most kids. They face emotional changes and experience things they sometimes don’t want to share with their parents. But, being a parent involves being with kids through ups and downs and guiding them on the right track of life. With these films, parents could silently teach them how to handle things and that asking an adult is not a bad thing at all.
The Iron Giant
Adolescence is a tender age where your kids learn to widen their social circle and identify with a favorite person or image. Establishing good moral values and a sense of true friendships is vital during this age. If you have not shown your kids this movie yet, it is high time you show it to them while you are busing working.
This movie is all about a young boy befriending an iron giant and defending it against a massive army. The movie teaches the true meaning of friendship and beautifully narrates how you become protective of your friends and unfolds the adventures in the most gripping ways.
Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)
The Little Prince is a stop motion movie adaptation from the book of the same title. It is a 3D animated film that will touch many hearts through its family, drama, and adventure genre. It tackles about responsibilities and how love is found through relationships. This film will be perfect for teenagers growing up, teaching them the responsibilities that they will soon face as they traverse from childhood to adulthood.
Dumplin’
Dumplin’ is a 2018 film based on the same novel written by Julie Murphy. This young adult film, written by Ann Fletcher and Directed, portrays self-love and not being sorry for being who you are. Also, It teaches the viewer to love the friends that stick to them no matter what and don’t take them for granted. This film, set in the High School scene, will relate to the adolescent viewers.
The Breadwinner
This cartoon film will teach the importance of determination, perseverance, and family love. It tells the story of a girl who was forced to disguise as a boy to defend her family against the oppressors. This 2D film will teach the youngsters that in life, as we go forward, we need to persevere and stand up for our loved ones, especially our families.
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a drama film that tackles the life of young adults at the age of seventeen who struggles with the pressure of conforming to their parents and following their heart’s passion for Arts. This film will teach viewers that they should talk things through and, at the same time, follow their passion.
My Life as a Zucchini (My Life as a Courgette)
My Life as a Zucchini is an Oscar Nominee that pierces the soul with its bitter-sweet story of a child that accidentally killed his alcoholic mother. Directed by Claude Barras and released as a stop-motion film in 2016. This film tackles the characteristic of being strong-willed in facing life, as well as enjoying childhood.
Keeping Children Busy
It is not easy to juggle work from home and demand absolute time and attention when your kids are home. Unfortunately, today, this has become a reality in most homes. Mothers have to come up with various activities to keep the kids busy while they have some moments of peace to tend to their office work at home.
Life becomes highly stressful in this manner, and the best thing is to deal with it prudently. Technology is not bad unless you let it control every aspect of your kids’ life. Scheduling movie time for kids during office work is ideal for most working mothers. You can watch one of the movies we mentioned above that your kids will surely love and you will have time to focus when working from home.