The Best Summer Movies for Kids

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Looking for movies to watch with the kids when the heat keeps you indoors? Here’s a list of the best summer movies for kids!

Summertime means fun in the sun for kids and parents and months of fun events and activities. Summertime is also the time for rest and relaxation, and what better way to have downtime than by watching some of the best summer movies for kids?

After a day exploring outside or swimming at your neighborhood pool, your kids will love coming home and watching a movie. You can even make it a learning experience by keeping a log of the movies you watch during the summer and using a rating system to allow your kids to work on their writing skills and opinion writing. We have compiled a list of 50 of the best movies for your kids to enjoy during the summer. 

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Where to Stream Summer Movies for Kids

Before we get to the list – are you wondering where to find the best summer movies for kids? Here’s a quick look at a few streaming services that have many of the top ones from our list.

Disney Plus

Disney Plus is arguably one of the most popular streaming services for children’s movies. With options to watch every Disney movie you can think of and then some, it is one of our top picks for where-to-stream summer movies for kids. 

Hulu

Using Hulu as a streaming service for kids’ movies means you gain access to some of the classic movies as well as the more popular present options. 

Amazon Prime Video 

One of the perks of streaming movies using Amazon Prime is that it often gives you the option to purchase the movie. This means that instead of renting it and only having access for a few days if you are buying the movie you have unlimited access to watch it whenever you want. 

Max

Max (formerly known as HBO Max) used to be geared more for adult movies but over the years they have added an extensive collection of many favorite children’s movies. In fact, HBO Max has many superhero and cartoon kid’s movies that are perfect for a summer movie night. 

Netflix

Netflix provides a plethora of options for summer kids’ movies including some of their very own movies made by Netflix. Netflix not only provides movies for kids, it also has the most popular shows for kids to stream also. 

Top 50 Best Summer Movies for Kids

1. Luca (Disney +)

With a setting in Italy, this kids’ movie topped the charts with its relatable characters and their developing friendships. Luca is a creature of the sea that wants to experience being human. With a mix of worlds and different character adventures, Luca has become a favorite movie for many kids. 

2. The Sandlot (Amazon Prime)

One of the most famous children’s movies of all time, The Sandlot is a classic story about baseball and friendship. 

3. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Netflix)

Despicable Me became one of the most popular kids’ movies of all time thanks to some of its adorable characters: the minions. The Minions: Rise of Gru shows some of the backstory of these main characters from Despicable Me and is filled with action-packed events and different hilarious moments throughout the movie to keep kids laughing the entire time. 

4. Sing (Amazon Prime) 

If your child enjoys music, then they will love the movie Sing. This movie is filled with singing characters that just happen to be different animals. With an underdog story as well as multiple sing-and-dance numbers, kids will be cheering for the character’s success by the end of the movie. Not to mention, there was also a sequel made in 2021, Sing 2. 

5. Shrek (Hulu)

A kid’s classic, Shrek has talking donkeys and hilarious ogres that go on adventures together. With humor and a great soundtrack, Shrek ranks at the top of our list of best summer movies for kids. 

6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Disney +)

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series is one of the most popular graphic novel series ever for kids. It is no wonder that the movie has become just as popular. Packed with humor and relatable kids’ issues like sibling rivalry and moving from elementary to middle school, this movie is popular with kids of all ages. 

7. Surfs Up (HBO Max)

If your kids enjoy Happy Feet, they will love Surfs Up. While the characters may be penguins, the main character Cody makes kids feel connected to him as he struggles to fit in and works to achieve his goal of surfing throughout the movie. 

8. Secret Life of Pets (Amazon Prime) 

Packed with humor and adorable dog characters, Secret Life of Pets is the story of two unlikely dog friends and their adventures trying to become free from the pound. 

9. Inside Out (Disney Plus)

Teachers and parents love the movie Inside Out for the life lessons it gives on talking about emotions, while kids love the movie for the funny adventures the different characters experience. Kids also enjoy the movie as many can relate to the main character Riley and how she has had to learn to adjust to a lot of changes in her life. 

10. Harry Potter (HBO Max)

Although Harry Potter is geared towards the upper elementary age group for kids, it continues to stay a popular choice for many kids with its fascinating world at Hogwarts and the relationships between Harry and his friends. It is also popular thanks to the book series and many kids read the books first before watching the movie. 

11. Free Willy (Amazon Prime)

A story about a boy and his unlikely friendship with an orca whale, Free Willy is a great movie selection for any animal-loving kid. 

12. Up (Disney Plus) 

Up is a movie that both kids and adults adore. With numerous life lessons about living in the moment and following your dreams, Up provides a world of adventure for kids to enjoy. 

13. Homeward Bound (Disney Plus)

Homeward Bound is a story of the connection between pets and their human families and the lengths pets will go to return home to where they belong. 

14. Charlotte’s Web (Hulu)

Charlotte’s Web is a true children’s classic for both movie and book choices. We recommend reading the iconic children’s book first so that you will be that much more attached to Fern and Wilbur and their story of friendship and perseverance. 

15. Coco (Disney Plus) 

Learning about his family while also chasing his dream of being a musician, Michael goes on a musical and family history journey in the movie Coco. 

16. Frozen (Disney Plus)

One of the most popular kids’ movies of all time, Frozen topped the charts with its feel-good soundtrack and hilarious characters like Olaf and Sven. 

17. Moana (Disney Plus)

Having never left the island of her people, Moana is a movie about a girl not only trying to help her community but also discovering who she is along the way. 

18. How to Tame Your Dragon (Netflix) 

How to Tame Your Dragon shows the story of a Viking boy who instead of hunting the dragon befriends him to form a lasting bond. 

19. The Goonies (Hulu)

The Goonies will be a movie parents will want to sit and watch with their kids thanks to the nostalgia of the movie from their own childhood. A story about friendship and treasure hunting, there is a lot to love in this classic kids’ movie. 

20. The Little Mermaid (Disney Plus)

A classic movie for kids of all ages, the original Little Mermaid is a favorite thanks to its love story mixed in with a beautiful soundtrack and a funny crab named Sebastian. The new version of Little Mermaid is also becoming increasingly popular, making both the cartoon and live-action options great choices for kids to watch during the summer. 

21. Aladdin (Disney Plus)

Filled with fun sing-along songs throughout the movie as well as one of the funniest Disney characters of all time, the genie, Aladdin is always a fan favorite for a summer movie for kids. 

22. A Bug’s Life (Disney Plus)

Everyone loves an underdog story, and Flik’s story of trying to help his family and community through a food crisis is just that. This movie is filled with laugh-out-loud moments as well as many life lessons about grit, friendship, and believing in yourself. 

23. Matilda (Netflix)

If you like fantasy and humor combined, Matilda is a great choice for a kid’s summer movie. Matilda discovers that she can move things by thinking about them and from there chaos ensues. Kids love her hilarious antics and clever ideas throughout the movie. 

24. Wall-E (Disney Plus)

Wall-E is the last robot on Earth and the movie shows his relationship with another robot from a different planet and their adventures exploring the galaxy. 

25. Luck (Hulu)

Luck is the story of a girl who is the unluckiest person in the world. But then she encounters a lucky penny and some leprechauns and everything changes. 

26. Horton Hears A Who (Disney Plus)

The original Dr. Seuss’ book turned into an engaging movie about Horton trying to save an entire world that lives on a speck of dust. 

27. Toy Story (Disney Plus)

When a movie is made into numerous different sequels, you know it’s a hit. With characters like Woody and Buzz, kids fall in love with their adventures and the relationships they form along the way.  

28. The Lego Movie (HBO Max) 

Superheroes turned into Lego characters make for a funny and engaging movie about an average Lego character that is tasked with saving the world from an evil character. 

29. Encanto (Disney Plus) 

Kids love movies filled with adventure and fantasy and Encanto has both. 

30. The Wizard of Oz (Amazon Prime) 

Kids love watching  Dorothy and all her friends as they travel to Oz. With sparkly shoes and flying monkeys, there’s a lot to love about watching The Wizard of Oz. 

31. The Incredibles (Disney Plus)

Imagine being a normal family that suddenly learns they have superpowers. The Incredibles is every kid’s dream of becoming a superhero family. 

32. Beauty and the Beast (Disney Plus)

When a classic cartoon movie gets made into a live-action version, you get the chance to enjoy the same movie twice. Both the original and the live-action are packed with adorable characters and a classic love story. 

33. The Jungle Book (Disney Plus)

Mowgli and Baloo is one of the greatest friendship stories of all time. Raised by wolves in the jungle, Mowgli goes on all kinds of adventures navigating the jungle and all the animals inside. 

34. The Karate Kid (Amazon Prime)

Moving to a new place can be scary, but for the karate kid, he finds friendship and life lessons by learning from his karate master neighbor. Kids will love the action and character development in the movie The Karate Kid. 

35. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Amazon Prime)

Some of the best kids’ movies started out as books first. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is just as good as the book if not better thanks to its creative cinematography and amazing actors. 

36. Finding Nemo (Disney Plus)

Finding Nemo has continuously topped the charts thanks to Nemo’s brave adventure to find his dad. With funny characters like Dory to make the movie even more entertaining, your kids may ask to watch this one over and over again. 

37. The Parent Trap (Disney Plus)

Twins that were separated and then found each other again is the plot line for The Parent Trap. More than that, it is a story about a family sticking together and enjoying summer camp together too. 

38. Rio (Disney Plus)

Rio is a movie about a quirky macaw bird going on adventures all around Brazil that will not only keep your kids entertained but also teach them a few facts about South American culture. 

39. Lilo and Stitch (Disney Plus)

Lilo and Stitch is a movie about a friendship forming between a girl and an unusual pet. Stitch gets into all kinds of mischief through the movie making for a funny and heartwarming tale. 

40. Space Jam: A New Legacy (HBO Max)

What kid doesn’t love cartoons mixed with iconic sports players? In the new Space Jam, LeBron James goes on adventures with some of the classic looney tunes characters making this an entertaining movie kids will love. 

41. Mulan (Disney Plus)

Mulan breaks rules and stereotypes in this historical cartoon movie about Chinese culture in ancient China. 

42. The Muppets (Disney Plus)

The Muppets is a movie with everyone’s favorite muppet characters and life lessons about how to work together to solve a problem. 

43. The Lorax (Netflix)

A story about the importance of taking care of the Earth, The Lorax is based on the Dr. Seuss children’s book. 

44. Bee Movie (HBO Max)

Bee movie is a comedy about a bee learning that humans use bees for honey and the bees are trying to stop them. With humor as well as sustainability lessons throughout the movie, it’s a great summer choice for kids. 

45. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Netflix)

Kids love unusual stories and events and there is nothing more unusual than watching colossal food items falling from the sky in the movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. 

46. Ice Age (Disney Plus)

With hysterical characters including a wooly mammoth and a funny plot, Ice Age is a great choice for a kid’s summer movie night when they want to laugh and relax. 

47. The Mighty Ducks (Disney Plus)

A favorite movie in the early 1990s, The Mighty Ducks is still a popular movie choice for kids wanting to watch a kid’s hockey team defy the odds. 

48. Little Giants (Amazon Prime) 

If a kid loves football and an underdog, Little Giants will become one of their new favorite movies. 

49. Stuart Little (Amazon Prime)

Based on the original kid’s book, Stuart Little is a movie about a mouse finding his way in the world with a human family. 

50. Beethoven (Hulu)

Beethoven is a movie about a family dog and the mischief he causes along the way. It is a family favorite for kids of all ages. 

Recap of Best Summer Movies for Kids 

Summer movie-watching is a time to make memories as well as rest and recharge. Kids love movie nights and you can make them even more special by adding in fun snacks or even setting up a project outside. Use this list as a starting point to choose your favorite movies to watch and then make your own list of all the movies watched throughout the summer for your kids to look back on over the years with fond memories.

Don’t miss our recent guide on Best Science Movies for Kids!