Good Christmas movies for kids?

[pinky]

My girls and 4 and 7 and really loving the holiday season this year. Any suggestions for Christmas-themed movies/videos they would enjoy? I only have my memory to rely on, and it's not so good...we rented A Charlie Brown Christmas a couple of years ago and found it snarky and not so appropriate for my dd. I'm thinking about getting the Grinch, but I think I'll preview it first (though my memory is that it's pretty true to the book).

Any suggestions of gentle and appropriate movies would be appreciated!

[kewb]

I like all the classics although I cringe when I watch Rudolph now. Santa has some serious prejudice going on.

I use them as opportunities to discuss the times when the movies were made and how people change as they learn.

[philomom]

The Snowman


http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7273891

Not to be missed. Magical and wondrous but not overly christmas-sy or preachy in any way.

[pinky]

Originally Posted by philomom

The Snowman


http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7273891

Not to be missed. Magical and wondrous but not overly christmas-sy or preachy in any way.

thanks! I actually just put that on hold at the library yesterday!

[Thalia the Muse]

Wow, I have managed never to see the Snowman, and it DOES look wonderful! That's going in the Netflix queue ... edited: Gaah, they don't have it!

At our house, How the Grinch Stole Christmas MUST be seen every year. It's a beautiful movie (obviously, the animated, not that live-action travesty).

The Santa Clause is pretty gentle and more enjoyable than you might expect.

I strongly recommend the Muppets' Christmas Carol.

The original Miracle on 34th Street.

It's not a movie, exactly, but there's a very charming Charlie and Lola episode called Snow Is My Favorite and My Best.

[TEAK's Mom]

Some of the popular ones around here are "Eloise at Christmas" and "White Christmas."

[Arduinna]

The Santa Clause for sure.

[MadameXCupcake]

We watched Laurel and Hardys March of the Wooden Soldiers on Thanksgiving! That was my favorite christmas movie growing up, we watched it every year. Of course DH wasn't able to get into it one bit.

Also the animated Grinch is always good along with the old frosty and rudolph.

[laurencita]

Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas A Jim henson movie.:

[SAHDS]

The classics - Rudolph, Frosty.

The Grinch (both)

ELF (

The Christmas Story (although I'm not sure how strict your tastes are)

Nightmare Before Christmas (it may be too scary for the 4 y/o)

The Santa Clause was pretty cute from what I remember

[Storm Bride]

We do a mix of older classic ones (Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, etc.) and comedies. My kids are also into Eloise, so the current favourites are:

Eloise at Christmastime (she's annoyingly manipulative, but it is fun)
Annabelle's Wish
Elf
The Santa Clause

Most of the older ones leave them a little cold, although dd (5) likes Miracle on 34th Street okay.

They also liked Christmas with the Kranks, because of the mad snowman. They thought it was funny.

[laylasmommy]

There's an older movie that I LOVED as a child called One magic Christmas. It has Mary Steenburgen in it and it's about a little girl who with the help of a christmas angel gets her moms christmas spirit back.I love it.They play it on the Hallmark channel a lot.

[Tangled Hill]

My little one is ten, so a bit older than your kiddos. We love:

• Miracle on 34th Street (original)
• It's a Wonderful Life
• A Christmas Story
• The Bishop's Wife (original with Cary Grant)
• The Nightmare Before Xmas (more Halloween-y, but still fun for xmas-time)
• Emmett Otter's Jug Band Xmas (a Muppet movie)
• Santa Clause the Movie
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon version)
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• The Snowman
• A Wish for Wings that Work (Yay Bloom County!)

[Vancouver Mommy]

Thanks for posting this. We've been having the same issue in our house. The movies are either too mature or too dated for our 3yo. Social values have certainly changed since the sixties. A couple that we've enjoyed are Olive the Other Reindeer and the Franklin Christmas Movie. I'm pretty sure the Grinch would make dd cry.

[Viola]

My daughter really liked Prancer last year, and then we went to rent it and it was gone, so we rented Blizzard, another reindeer who helps a child kind of movie, but with ice skating and elves.

[Jessy1019]

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer cracks us all up!

We also like all the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen, Fred Claus with Vince Vaughn, and the animated (NOT Jim Carrey) Grinch.

[Arduinna]

Oh yeah the original Miracle on 34th St is great and I forgot about Home Alone.

[flowers]

Originally Posted by kewb

I like all the classics although I cringe when I watch Rudolph now. Santa has some serious prejudice going on.

Oh my gosh! We got all cozy to watch the good ole' classics and found Rudolph appalling! Santa and rudolph's dad are angry mean guys. So weird!

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

[OakBerry]

Originally Posted by laurencita

Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas A Jim henson movie.:

We like this too. The Riverbottom Nightmare Band cracks me up!

[bnhmama]

Originally Posted by OakBerry

We like this too. The Riverbottom Nightmare Band cracks me up!

Me three. My all time favorite.

I also love the Garfield Christmas special and any Muppet Christmas movie.