The 68 best Christmas films for kids of all ages 2022

It wouldn't be Christmas without watching this hilarious Elf.

Starring Will Ferrell and set in New York, it tells the story of an adopted 'elf' who sets out to the big city from the North Pole to find his real dad.

Your kids will love the jokes – including the longest burp you've EVER heard. Apologies in advance when they start trying to recreate it.

Patch the Elf has had enough of working for Santa and heads to New York.

But when he starts working for a toy company, he's in danger of destroying Christmas forever.

A Father Christmas origin story, this one sees a normal young boy called Nikolas take his pet mouse (voiced by Stephen Merchant) on a mission to the Arctic to find his father, and the fabled village of Elfhelm.

Along the way, he discovers that his tiny pal can talk, he befriends a bolshy reindeer called Blitzen, and learns a lot about himself and the magic of the season.

With supporting roles from Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and Kristen Wiig, this funny and star-studded film is a modern classic from Netflix.

How can Santa deliver gifts to every child in the world in one evening?

Answer: with a lot of high-tech gadgets and absolute military precision, coordinated by Santa's son Steve.

But when one child is missed out, it's up to Arthur, Santa's youngest (but also very clumsy!) son to deliver the present before Christmas morning dawns.

The little ones will love this Christmas cartoon featuring a young reindeer who is scared of heights... not great for a flying reindeer!

To overcome his fear, he takes lessons from a flying squirrel before he has to head to the North pole to save Santa and his other reindeer.

Scrooged is a take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol.

Bill Murray plays a cold-hearted TV boss who's visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and future. Will we ever tire of A Christmas Carol remakes? Probably not.

Looking for a film to watch with babies and young kids?

Olive, The Other Reindeer is a lovely Christmas cartoon about a dog who is convinced she can save Christmas.

Jim Carrey's witty one-liners and the magical Christmas 'Whoville' make this Dr Seuss story a must-watch film for the festive season. Plus, it's a classic!

There's also a more recent version of the film from 2018 that's animated. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the voice of the Grinch and Get Lucky singer Pharrell Williams is the narrator.

This Christmas classic sees Clark Griswold and his family attempting to have the best family Christmas ever.

What follows – from a squirrel-infested tree to continuous bickering – will make you feel better about any Christmas disasters you have, that's for sure.

If you're looking for a Christmas musical to watch with your kids and grandparents alike, then White Christmas is perfect.

This is an all-singing, all-dancing movie starring Bing Crosby, and is an absolute festive feel-good classic from the '50s.

And you'll be singing 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas' all day long...

A charming hand-drawn animated tale featuring a rather rubbish postman who meets a reclusive toymaker called Klaus, helping to spark many of the festive traditions we know and love.

With voice acting from J.K. Simmons (perhaps best known as Spider-man's boss J. Jonah Jameson), Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones, this heart-warming and uplifting Netflix film is sure to be a new fave.

Okay, so Disney's Frozen isn't technically about Christmas BUT it's full of snow, magic and reindeers, so we're counting it.

Your kids will definitely get into the festive spirit watching the brilliant Frozen Sing-A-Long film - plus, the songs aren't too bad!

One of the most iconic Christmas films features one of the most iconic lines: 'Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal!'

Kevin, played by the young Macaulay Culkin, is accidentally left behind when his large family takes off for a holiday in France over the season. Not only does he have to fend for himself, he has to outsmart the burglars who pay a visit to what they think is an empty house.

There's no one in the family who won't enjoy this classic.

The McCallisters are heading to Florida for Christmas this time. They don't forget little Kevin like they did before, but instead, he gets lost at the airport and ends up in New York... along with the newly released burglars from the first film, now known as the Sticky Bandits.

There are two versions of Miracle on 34th Street – one from 1947 and the other from 1994.

Both tell the story of Kris Kringle, who is employed as Santa at Macy's department store in New York.

Kris believes he is the real Santa... but is he?

Shrek is desperate to make this Christmas the best one yet, especially for his babies. But as is usually the case with this jolly green ogre, nothing goes quite to plan.

A must-watch Christmas cartoon that everyone will love. You might as well make it a Shrek movie marathon while you're at it!

How can you not adore the Muppet version of A Christmas Carol?

The musical, set in the Victorian era, stars all your favourite Muppets including Kermit and Miss Piggy.

If you only watch one festive film, it HAS to be It's A Wonderful Life. Well, if you can persuade the kids to watch a black and white film.

This classic '40s hit is a beautiful tale that reminds us to recognise all the wonderful things we have in life.

The perfect Christmas message.

It does start with an attempted suicide though, so it might not be suitable for younger kids.

Tim Allen plays a dad who accidentally kills Santa on Christmas Eve. How could he?!

He's then magically transported to the North Pole, where he learns he must now take over the role of Father Christmas – much to his son's delight.

In the second film, not only does the dad find out his son is on the naughty list, but he also faces the impossible task of getting married by Christmas Eve... or he'll lose his powers.

Talk about festive stress!

A young boy takes an incredible train ride – in his pyjamas no less – to the North Pole in this animated Christmas film.

With the voice of Tom Hanks as the Polar Express conductor, snuggle up and watch this with your kids on Christmas Eve.

This gorgeous animation is guaranteed to delight little ones who are still firm believers in the magic of Christmas.

The short run-time (around 30 minutes) also makes it the perfect pre-bedtime treat.

All together now, 'we're walking in the air...'

The sequel to Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, this short animated film about the Snowman's new friend is a festive treat to watch on Christmas Eve. Super cute for little ones – and the big ones will love it just as much, even if they don't want to admit it.

There are lots of versions of A Christmas Carol, but if your kids are slightly older, try out the classic 1951 version starring Alistair Simm as Ebenezer Scrooge.

They'll love the story of the frugal and miserable old Scrooge. Will a visit from three different ghosts help him change his ways?

In true Tim Burton style, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a spooky film that follows the story of Jack Skellington and his quest to kidnap Santa Claus and take over Christmas.

It's like Halloween and Christmas combined!

When the Kranks' daughter announces she won't be home for Christmas, the couple decide to avoid the festive season altogether and go on a cruise instead.

But their plans get changed, and they're forced to plan a whole Christmas celebration last minute.

This very British Christmas comedy stars Martin Freeman as a primary school teacher in charge of organising the Nativity play.

But with his eccentric assistant Mr Poppy helping out, events start to become increasingly chaotic. Quarrelling parents and over-excited children threaten to make the show a disaster.

Sounds like the standard school nativity to us.

The pupils of St Bernadette's primary school return, and this time they've got their hearts set on competing in the national contest, 'A Song For Christmas'.

Cue a crazy journey through the Welsh countryside to make it to the competition in time. Plus, the new teacher has had to leave his pregnant wife at home.

Yep, there's more. The third Nativity film stars Martin Clunes, Catherine Tate, and Celia Imrie.

At St. Bernadette’s school, Mr Poppy and the kids sign up to do a Flashmob in a competition, where they get to go to New York if they win.

Jeremy Shepherd is the new teacher who is due to marry his fiancée Sophie in New York on Christmas Eve. However, he's hit on the forehead by Mr Poppy's pet donkey, which makes him lose his memory.

The kids and Mr Poppy do their best to help bring Mr Shepherd's memory back in time for the big day.

The latest Nativity film is Nativity Rocks!, which came out in 2018.

Doru, a child refugee from Syria, is separated from his dad as he arrives in the UK. He's moved to St Bernadette's Primary School in Coventry, where he meets new teaching assistant Jerry Poppy – brother of Mr Poppy.

He helps Doru search for his dad, all while the class are preparing for yet another Christmas musical production.

This Nativity film stars Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, Celia Imre, Meera Syal, Ruth Jones and Hugh Dennis.

The perfect Christmas film for any Disney-mad kids. Mickey's Christmas Carol is a very gentle and child-friendly version of the Ebenezer Scrooge classic, so you don't have to worry about anyone getting scared by ghosts.

This cute Christmas film sees a puppy come to the rescue when burglars try to raid his owners' home. Ideal for preschoolers who'll fall in love with Zeus, the doggy hero of the movie.

Another Christmas movie bound to impress animal-mad kids, as the name might suggest. Santa Paws must save Christmas after the real Santa loses his memory.

The whole family can settle down to enjoy this, even your dog.

Starring Vince Vaughn, this family comedy takes a look at what it's like to be Santa Claus' brother.

Unsurprisingly, Fred is fed up of living in his brother's shadow. But when Santa's operation is threatened with closure, the two brothers are reunited.

Santa decides to take a – quite frankly, well-deserved – year off in this 1974 film.

But with all those children waiting for their gifts, can he rediscover the meaning of Christmas in time to deliver all the presents?

There's a theme occurring here ... exhausted Santas! A taxi driver in Miami ends up driving a tired Santa around town, helping him find a place to retire.

But what about Christmas?!

This '80s classic has some scary scenes in it, so this is one to watch with older kids.

When a boy gets a Mogwai for a pet around Christmas time, he's warned never to feed it after midnight, or expose it to bright light or water.

When he does, total chaos ensues.

The perfect Christmas cartoon for any Snoopy fan. A Charlie Brown Christmas is ideal for even tiny tots.

To get in the holiday spirit, Charlie takes Lucy's advice and directs the Christmas play, but everyone makes fun of the short, spindly Christmas tree that Charlie Brown brings back. Soon enough, the real meaning of Christmas shines through, working its magic once again.

Charlie is devastated when his dad dies in a car crash, while on his way home on Christmas Eve. A year later at Christmas, he's amazed to see him return... as a snowman!

A real tear-jerking heart-warmer.

Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star in this comedy as a couple who have to visit four different houses on Christmas Day, thanks to their divorced families.

This makes four potentially explosive Christmases in just one day. The actual horror.

It's Christmas, and neighbours Steve (Matthew Broderick) and Danny (Danny De Vito) have fallen out.

The reason? Danny plans to cover his house with enough Christmas lights to be visible from space... though he's not to be outdone by Steve. Let battle commence!

This Richard Curtis film is the perfect Christmas rom-com.

Made up of nine intertwined stories, Love Actually has a brilliant cast, including Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson.

Not exactly suitable for young families, but a laugh for your older teens.

A must-watch for any toddlers and preschoolers who love Julia Donaldson's Stick Man book.

Can Stick Man get back to the family tree in time for Christmas?

A snowstorm means Mickey's friends can't get home for Christmas. Can he help them out? He's Mickey Mouse – of course he can!

A lovely Disney cartoon that's ideal for younger kids.

This Disney film sees the buddy puppies make a trip to the North Pole to visit Santa's workshop.

But Santa's team of busy workers are fast losing their Christmas spirit with so much still to do. Can the puppies lend a helping hand – sorry, paw – and restore the festive feeling of goodwill?

This is another film great for younger children, based on the classic children's story by Mary Engelbreit.

Can Gregory the Mouse stop the naughty fairy Implestik from standing in the way of Santa's deliveries?

A rom-com with a stellar cast of Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black.

The story centres on a house-swap at Christmas, after two women have gone through heartbreak. They're not down for long though, as their new locations lead to some unlikely romances.

This is another that the slightly older kids can enjoy.

A brilliant Christmas film to watch if you've been trying – and failing – to get this year's must-have toy for your child.

Jingle All The Way sees Arnold Schwarzenegger as a workaholic dad who's desperate to get a Turbo Man action figure for his son.

The only problem is, they're all sold out.

Barbie fans will love this version of Dickens' tale, A Christmas Carol.

When a mean boss won't let her staff have time off for Christmas, she's visited by three spirits. Let's hope she finds her Christmas cheer in time.

Rudolph tries to save the day when an evil queen conjures up a storm at Christmas.

This is the perfect Christmas cartoon to watch with your kids, no matter how young they are.

Casper the Friendly Ghost is told he has to scare at least one person before Christmas Day. Who could be afraid of the sweetest ghost there is?

Luckily he has some friends to help him get his spook on!

The film version of Michael Rosen's book might not be about Christmas, but it definitely feels festive – no surprise given it was made by the same people behind The Snowman.

It's always on at Christmas time and we ALWAYS end up watching it.

An '80s classic, Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as a businessman desperate to get home to his family in time for Thanksgiving.

A feel-good, festive comedy that will have the kids giggling through.

In this film, when Chippy the Elf is sent to stay with a family, he discovers their little boy is beginning to question whether Santa is real. He's GOT to convince him about the magic of Christmas.

Starting to think about where your elf on the shelf is going to sit? Why not get some inspo for funny places from our hilarious Elf on the Shelf ideas ?

Young Clara needs a magical key to unlock a special box. A golden thread leads her to the key, but it disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world.

There she meets a soldier named Phillip, a group of mice, and the regents who preside over three of the realms. Clara and Phillip must enter the fourth realm together to retrieve the key and restore harmony to the unstable land.

Another oldie, but definitely a timeless tale (and this one’s in colour).

Meet Me in St Louis is a musical set in 1904 starring Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien. It’s funny, romantic and a real classic!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, the film’s most popular tune, became an immediate hit in the ‘40s, and will get the whole family singing and humming along.

Peppa and George post their letters to Santa while the family busily prepares for Christmas.

Later that night, Santa comes to visit Peppa’s house. But, as he slides down the chimney, he loses his list!

Guaranteed to provide a few family giggles, this is a must-watch for all the Peppa Pig fans in the run up to Christmas.

(Bear in mind though that there's just one short Christmas episode; the rest is regular Peppa episodes.)

If you’re looking for a heart-warming musical for the whole family to enjoy, then look no further.

In this fantasy film, a joyful toymaker and his granddaughter bring a magical world to life with a special invention.

What’s more, Jingle Jangle has a really positive message. It reminds us that nothing’s impossible when you believe it can be done!

If you’re a rom-com kind of family, you’ll absolutely love The Princess Switch.

Starring High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens, this one’s mostly suitable for children eight years and over, but is bound to be a firm favourite amongst tweens and older kids.

The storyline follows a duchess who swaps lives with a regular woman from Chicago who looks just like her.

Picking up where the Trolls movie left off, this short animation (only 26 minutes long) features lots of cute and colourful characters.

It’s a lovely watch for tots and little ones. Plus, the whole family will love the catchy cover songs performed by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and Zooey Deschanel.

In this Netflix original movie, two siblings – Kate and Teddy – join a very sarcastic Santa (played by Kurt Russell) for an unexpected adventure on Christmas Eve.

Make sure you check out the sequel too, which you can also find on Netflix.

Though this story is 178 years old, it continues to be adored by children and adults all over the world.

Disney’s 2009 animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel A Christmas Carol features household names including Jim Carey playing both Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit, and Colin Firth as Fred).

It’s a true Christmas cracker.

Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington star in this ‘90s American comedy set in New York City.

The cheerful soundtrack will have you dancing around the living room – especially Whitney’s soulful and festive rendition of Joy to the World. The movie was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Music!

It's brilliantly charming and sentimental, as well as being really family-friendly, too.

In this Disney Plus Christmas comedy, Kris Kringle’s daughter Noelle wishes she could do something ‘important’ like her brother, who's about to take on the important role of Santa Claus!

Set in the frosty North Pole, this film features Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader, and a floating baby reindeer called Snowcone.

Another warm and wholesome animation that remains a Christmas classic.

With music from Dolly Parton and Randy Travis, Annabelle’s Wish takes place in a fictional town in Tennessee, where a calf named Annabelle is born on Christmas eve.

When she meets Santa, she’s captivated by his reindeer’s ability to fly. She dreams of flying and joining Santa’s squad of reindeer.

It's not really Christmas without Die Hard (and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong!). Definitely one to watch with older kids or teens.

Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a New York cop visiting his estranged wife during her office Christmas party in LA. Things start to go sideways when terrorists, led by Alan Rickman, invade the building as they try to steal millions from the owners.

It's all up to McClane to save the day, and take out the bad guys. Now I have a machine gun. HO-HO-HO!

From the makers of Wallace and Gromit, in this festive claymation adventure clever sheep Shaun botches an attempt to get some bigger stockings for his flock, and his cousin Timmy goes missing in the process.

Shaun sets off on a daring and hilarious rescue mission, and many hijinks ensue. There's lots to love for kids and parents alike, with plenty of clever details that will raise a knowing chuckle for older viewers.

One of only 4 Christmas movies ever to come out of Poland, this funny and charming film is a different breed from the same old Hollywood stories.

Disenchanted elf Albert is tired of providing joy at a remove, and heads out into the real world to love and be loved in return. But when he discovers that no one really cares about him, other than a young boy called David, he starts to lose his magic.

Available on Netflix with decent English dubbing, or with English subtitles over the original Polish.