Christmas movies the whole family can watch, even with preschoolers, include The Grinch (2018), Arthur Christmas, The Polar Express and The Santa Clause: all four are rated U in the UK. For kids 8 and up, try Home Alone, Elf and Klaus. Among the newest picks are the animated That Christmas (2024) and The Guardians of Christmas (2025), a Ukrainian comedy rated 0+.
This list covers 17 Christmas and New Year’s movies from 1946 to 2025. For each one you’ll find the year, country, runtime, age ratings from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and anything that might give parents pause. At the end there’s a quick-pick table and a list of holiday movies that are too grown-up for kids.
How we picked
- The holiday is part of the story. The film takes place at Christmas or New Year’s, or it has become a holiday tradition, like Three Wishes for Cinderella, which airs on TV every Christmas season in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Norway.
- A kid-friendly rating. Rated U or PG by the BBFC; for the Ukrainian films, which the BBFC hasn’t rated, a Ukrainian 0+ rating or billing as a children’s film. Popular movies rated 12A, 15 or R are in a separate list.
- Checked facts. Ratings and the reasons behind them come from the BBFC and MPA databases as of September 22, 2026; for the Ukrainian films, from cinemas and distributors.
- Different generations. Classics from the 1940s, hits from the 1990s and 2000s, Netflix films and new releases from 2024–2025, including two from Ukraine.
Films rated U come first — the BBFC considers them suitable for all ages — followed by those rated PG. Within each group, newer films come first. The BBFC hasn’t rated the two Ukrainian films, so they’re at the end. A rating is a guide, not a guarantee: even a U film can frighten a sensitive child, as the BBFC itself points out.
1. The Grinch
All ages
- Animated
- Year 2018
- Country US
- Runtime 86 min
- BBFC U
- MPA PG
- Original title The Grinch
An animated take on the Dr. Seuss story: the grumpy Grinch and his dog Max set out to steal every gift and decoration in town. A U rating and an 86-minute runtime make it a good first holiday movie for little kids.
- One of the shortest films on the list
- BBFC: mild slapstick, very mild bad language
Illumination made the film from Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch in the original. For older kids there’s the 2000 live-action version, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey. It runs 105 minutes and won an Oscar for makeup, and the BBFC rated it PG for mild scary scenes, rude humor and language.
2. Arthur Christmas
All ages
- Animated
- Year 2011
- Country UK, US
- Runtime 97 min
- BBFC U
- MPA PG
- Original title Arthur Christmas
Santa’s younger son Arthur learns that a girl in England has been left without a present and sets out to deliver her bicycle before Christmas morning. The only threats in the story are comic ones, so it works for little kids too.
- Made by Aardman, the studio behind Wallace & Gromit
- BBFC: very mild language, mild comic threat
The film was made by the British studio Aardman with Sony Pictures Animation and directed by Sarah Smith. The original voice cast includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Jim Broadbent.
3. The Polar Express
All ages
- Animated
- Year 2004
- Country US
- Runtime 100 min
- BBFC U
- MPA G
- Original title The Polar Express
On Christmas Eve, a boy who is starting to doubt that Santa exists boards a magical train to the North Pole. It’s the only film on the list with the mildest rating in both systems: G and U.
- Tom Hanks plays several roles
- BBFC: scenes of mild threat
Robert Zemeckis directed the film, based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 children’s book. The characters were played by live actors whose movements were transferred into computer animation, a technique known as motion capture.
4. The Santa Clause
All ages
- Comedy
- Year 1994
- Country US
- Runtime 97 min
- BBFC U
- MPA PG
- Original title The Santa Clause
On Christmas Eve, a divorced dad accidentally causes Santa to fall off his roof, and once he puts on the suit, the terms of the “contract” turn him into the new Santa. A family comedy starring Tim Allen in which the BBFC found no material likely to offend or harm.
- Both sequels are rated G in the US
- MPA: a few crude moments
The title is a pun on clause, as in a clause in a contract. Tim Allen plays the hero, marketing executive Scott Calvin. Sequels followed in 2002 and 2006, and a follow-up series arrived on Disney+ in 2022.
5. Miracle on 34th Street
All ages
- Comedy-drama
- Year 1947
- Country US
- Runtime 96 min
- BBFC U
- Picture black and white
- Original title Miracle on 34th Street
A New York department store Santa insists he’s the real thing, and the matter ends up in court. The film won three Oscars, including one for Edmund Gwenn as Santa.
- A colorized version exists
The story takes place in New York between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a young Natalie Wood plays a girl who doesn’t believe in Santa. If black-and-white movies don’t hold your kids’ attention yet, there’s the 1994 color remake with Richard Attenborough: it’s rated U in the UK and PG in the US for some mild language, and it runs 114 minutes.
6. It’s a Wonderful Life
A classic for all ages
- Drama
- Year 1946
- Country US
- Runtime 131 min
- BBFC U
- MPA PG
- Picture black and white
- Original title It’s a Wonderful Life
On Christmas Eve, a despairing George Bailey is ready to end his life, and his guardian angel shows him what the world would be like if he had never been born. The BBFC rating says it suits everyone, but given its theme and 131-minute runtime, it works better with school-age kids.
- Five Oscar nominations
- MPA: thematic elements, smoking, some violence
Frank Capra directed the film, with James Stewart in the lead. The American Film Institute ranked it No. 1 on its list of the most inspiring American films. In the BBFC’s 2025 survey it came third among Britons’ favorite Christmas films, chosen by 8% of respondents.
7. That Christmas
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Animated
- Year 2024
- Country UK, US
- Runtime 92 min
- BBFC PG
- Original title That Christmas
A seaside town gets ready for Christmas, but a snowstorm throws every plan off course: several children’s stories intertwine, and Santa works out who has been good. A Netflix film based on stories by Richard Curtis, the writer-director of Love Actually.
- Written by Richard Curtis
- BBFC: mild threat, rude humor
The film was made by the British studio Locksmith Animation and directed by Simon Otto, with Brian Cox voicing Santa. It premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 19, 2024, and arrived on Netflix on December 4. One storyline follows a boy coping with his parents’ divorce, which is worth knowing if your family is going through something similar.
8. A Boy Called Christmas
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Fantasy
- Year 2021
- Country UK, US
- Runtime 106 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title A Boy Called Christmas
A boy and the mouse he has taught to talk travel to the land of the elves and come to their aid when the king’s men take one of them. The story is told to a group of children by an elderly relative.
- Based on Matt Haig’s novel
- BBFC: scary and upsetting scenes, injury detail
Gil Kenan adapted Matt Haig’s 2015 book, and the cast includes Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins, Kristen Wiig, Toby Jones and Jim Broadbent. Sky released the film in the UK, and Netflix in many other countries. Because of the upsetting scenes, it’s best watched together with your child.
9. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Musical
- Year 2020
- Country US
- Runtime 122 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
A musical fairy tale about toymaker Jangle, whose apprentice steals his book of inventions. Years later, his granddaughter, who loves inventing too, helps the old master believe in himself again.
- 10 NAACP Image Award nominations
- BBFC: threat
- At 122 minutes, one of the longest on the list
David E. Talbert wrote and directed the film, which stars Forest Whitaker alongside Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville and Ricky Martin. It’s a Netflix original that premiered on the service on November 13, 2020.
10. Klaus
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Hand-drawn animation
- Year 2019
- Country Spain
- Runtime 97 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title Klaus
A fresh take on how Santa came to be: a postman is sent to work in an island town far to the north, where he befriends Klaus, a reclusive toymaker. The film won a BAFTA and was nominated for an Oscar.
- BAFTA for Best Animated Film
- BBFC: mild threat, violence
Director Sergio Pablos is one of the creators of the Despicable Me franchise, and he made Klaus with classic hand-drawn animation. It was the first Netflix animated film to earn an Oscar nomination, and it won seven Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.
11. The Christmas Chronicles
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Comedy
- Year 2018
- Country US
- Runtime 103 min
- BBFC PG
- Original title The Christmas Chronicles
A brother and sister spot Santa in their house, climb into his sleigh and accidentally crash it: the presents are lost, and they have until morning to save Christmas. Kurt Russell plays Santa.
- Produced by Chris Columbus, director of Home Alone
- BBFC: mild violence, threat, language
It’s a Netflix original that premiered on November 22, 2018. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two followed in 2020, this time directed by Columbus himself. The sequel is rated PG in the US for mild action and violence and brief language.
12. Elf
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Comedy
- Year 2003
- Country US
- Runtime 97 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title Elf
Buddy grew up among Santa’s elves, but when he learns he’s human, he heads to New York to find the father who doesn’t know he exists. Critics especially praised Will Ferrell in the lead.
- 7% of Britons named it their favorite Christmas film
- BBFC: mild bad language, sex references
Director Jon Favreau shaped the film so it would get a family-friendly PG rating; by his estimate, the original script would have been rated PG-13. James Caan plays Buddy’s father. The 7% figure comes from the BBFC’s 2025 survey, where Elf placed fourth.
13. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Stop-motion animation
- Year 1993
- Country US
- Runtime 76 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, stumbles into Christmas Town and decides to put on the holiday himself. A stop-motion musical for kids who aren’t scared of skeletons and ghosts.
- The shortest film on the list at 76 minutes
- MPA: some scary images
Henry Selick directed the film from a poem by Tim Burton, and Danny Elfman wrote the score and songs. Disney first released it under its Touchstone label because it considered the film too dark and scary for kids. It was the first animated film nominated for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
14. Home Alone
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Comedy
- Year 1990
- Country US
- Runtime 103 min
- BBFC PG
- MPA PG
- Original title Home Alone
The family flies to Paris for Christmas and leaves 8-year-old Kevin behind, and he has to defend the house from two burglars. In the BBFC’s 2025 survey it was Britons’ favorite Christmas film, picked by 20% of respondents.
- No. 1 in the BBFC’s 2025 survey
- BBFC: moderate slapstick violence, occasional bad language
Chris Columbus directed, John Hughes wrote and produced, and Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin. The traps for the burglars are funny, but the BBFC calls the violence moderate, so it’s better to watch it together with younger kids. The sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), is also rated PG and runs 120 minutes.
15. Three Wishes for Cinderella
Ages 8+, younger kids with a parent
- Fairy-tale film
- Year 1973
- Country Czechoslovakia, East Germany
- Runtime 83 min
- BBFC PG
- Original title Tři oříšky pro Popelku
A wintry Cinderella without a fairy godmother: three magic hazelnuts give the heroine a hunting outfit, a ball gown and a wedding dress. When she first meets the prince, she throws a snowball to stop him from shooting a doe.
- Airs on TV every Christmas in four European countries
- BBFC: hunting scenes
Václav Vorlíček directed the fairy tale, based on Božena Němcová’s version of Cinderella, with Libuše Šafránková in the lead. It was a co-production between Czechoslovakia’s Barrandov Studios and East Germany’s DEFA. In Norway it has long been a Christmas tradition, and the film was restored with Norwegian grant money.
16. The Guardians of Christmas
All ages
- Comedy
- Year 2025
- Country Ukraine
- Runtime 99 min
- Rating in Ukraine 0+
- Language Ukrainian
Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus and the ancient Spirit of Winter argue over who is in charge of the winter holidays in Ukraine and grant a wish to a girl named Vira, who asks for Christmas to disappear. The holiday vanishes, and the three wizards have to join forces.
- No. 1 among Ukrainian films on its opening weekend
Oleksandr Kiriienko directed the film, with Stanislav Boklan, Mykhailo Kukuiuk and Ivan Blindar as the three wizards. The idea came in 2023, when the filmmakers celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time. It opened on November 13, 2025, and drew 39,283 viewers over its first weekend. Its original Ukrainian title is Vartovi Rizdva.
17. Infernal Khorugv or Cossack Christmas
No official rating
- Fairy-tale film
- Year 2019
- Country Ukraine
- Runtime 102 min
- Language Ukrainian
The Devil bets the Apostle Peter that he can catch the bravest Cossack, Semyon, and hold him until Christmas. A fairy tale written by Ukrainian storyteller Sashko Lirnyk, in which devils, little devils and a house spirit share the screen with Cossacks.
- Audience Award at the 2021 Golden Dzyga
- A Detector Media critic likened it to a TV play
Mykhailo Kostrov directed the film (original title: Pekelna Khoruhva, abo Rizdvo Kozatske), based on a tale by Lirnyk himself. It premiered at the Molodist festival in May 2019 and opened nationwide on January 1, 2020. Ukraine’s State Film Agency presented it as a children’s Cossack fairy tale, and reviewer Yulii Shvets noted that it has almost no gory battle scenes.
Christmas movies for the whole family: comparison
| Movie | Best for | Runtime, min | BBFC / MPA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grinch (2018) | All ages, preschoolers included | 86 | U / PG |
| Arthur Christmas (2011) | All ages, preschoolers included | 97 | U / PG |
| The Polar Express (2004) | All ages, preschoolers included | 100 | U / G |
| The Santa Clause (1994) | All ages, preschoolers included | 97 | U / PG |
| Miracle on 34th Street (1947) | All ages, preschoolers included | 96 | U / — |
| It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) | School-age kids and adults | 131 | U / PG |
| That Christmas (2024) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 92 | PG / — |
| A Boy Called Christmas (2021) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 106 | PG / PG |
| Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 122 | PG / PG |
| Klaus (2019) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 97 | PG / PG |
| The Christmas Chronicles (2018) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 103 | PG / — |
| Elf (2003) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 97 | PG / PG |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 76 | PG / PG |
| Home Alone (1990) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 103 | PG / PG |
| Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973) | Ages 8+ or with a parent | 83 | PG / — |
| The Guardians of Christmas (2025) | All ages (0+ in Ukraine) | 99 | — |
| Infernal Khorugv or Cossack Christmas (2019) | Kids’ fairy tale, no rating | 102 | — |
Holiday movies that are too grown-up for kids
These movies often turn up on Christmas lists, but their ratings put them in teen and adult territory. Save them for the evening after the kids are in bed.
| Movie | MPA / BBFC rating | Why it got that rating |
|---|---|---|
| National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) | PG-13 / 12A | Infrequent strong language, sex references |
| Red One (2024) | PG-13 / 12A | Action, violence, language |
| Batman Returns (1992) | PG-13 / 12A | Brooding, dark violence |
| The Holiday (2006) | PG-13 / — | Sexual content, strong language |
| Love Actually (2003) | R / 15 | Sexuality, nudity, language |
| Die Hard (1988) | R / 15 | Violence, language, nudity, drug use |
| Bad Santa (2003) | R / 15 | Language, sex, discrimination |
Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is also set at Christmas, in Gotham City. We cover where it fits among the Batman film universes in our guide to the Batman movies in order.
How to choose a Christmas movie for the whole family
Check the rating
- U (BBFC) — suitable for all ages: a U film is generally unlikely to unsettle even a four-year-old.
- PG (BBFC) — general viewing: it shouldn’t unsettle a child of around eight, though some scenes may not suit more sensitive children.
- 12A (BBFC) — generally not suitable for children under 12, who can only see it in a cinema with an adult.
- G (MPA) — nothing in the film that would offend parents.
- PG (MPA) — parents are urged to give guidance: the film may contain material they might not like for their young children.
- PG-13 (MPA) — some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Read the reasons, not just the letter
Since 1990, the MPA has explained the reasons behind every rating of PG and above, and the BBFC’s website has content advice for every film. The same PG means mild bad language for Elf, scary images for The Nightmare Before Christmas and moderate slapstick violence for Home Alone.
Consider the runtime
If you’re watching with little ones, start with the shorter films: The Nightmare Before Christmas runs 76 minutes, Three Wishes for Cinderella 83 and The Grinch 86. The longest on the list are It’s a Wonderful Life (131 minutes) and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (122), so plan a break.
Set up restrictions if kids pick for themselves
On Netflix, you can set a maturity rating for your child’s profile, and that profile will only show titles rated at or below that level. On iPhone and iPad, the restrictions are in Settings: Family → your child’s name → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Content Restrictions.
We covered Apple’s latest child safety changes in our news story on Screen Time and Family Sharing.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 22 September 2026
- BBFC — age ratings and content advice bbfc.co.uk
- MPA — film ratings database filmratings.com
- MPA — what the ratings mean motionpictures.org
- BBFC — favorite Christmas film survey, 2025 bbfc.co.uk
- Planeta Kino — The Guardians of Christmas (Vartovi Rizdva), in Ukrainian planetakino.ua
FAQ
What Christmas movie should I watch with a young child?
Look for films rated U: according to the BBFC, they generally don’t frighten even four-year-olds. From this list, that means The Grinch (2018), Arthur Christmas, The Polar Express and The Santa Clause; the shortest is The Grinch at 86 minutes.
What age is Home Alone appropriate for?
It’s rated PG in both the US and the UK. Under BBFC guidelines, a PG film shouldn’t unsettle a child of around eight; younger kids are better off watching with a parent, since the BBFC notes moderate slapstick violence and occasional bad language.
Which family Christmas movies did Netflix make?
From this list: Klaus, The Christmas Chronicles and its sequel, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey and That Christmas; Netflix also released A Boy Called Christmas in many countries. The Netflix catalog varies by country, so check the app to see what’s available where you are.
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
The 1988 action film takes place at an office party on Christmas Eve, but the debate goes on: in the BBFC’s 2025 survey, 44% of Britons said it isn’t a Christmas film and 38% said it is. Either way, it isn’t for kids: it’s rated R in the US and 15 in the UK.
What does a PG rating mean?
In the MPA’s US system, it means parents are urged to give guidance: the film may contain material they might not like for their young children. The British BBFC adds that a PG film shouldn’t unsettle a child of around eight, though some scenes may not suit more sensitive children.
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