The 50 Best Animated Movies of All Time - Good Housekeeping
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toddler-friendly choices
So, when you're thinking of what movies you can watch with your kids, it makes sense your first thought would be to turn to a film that's animated. We've rounded up the best animated films perfect for every family member, even if it's not a genre they would normally gravitate toward. Some are <anchor>toddler-friendly choices</anchor>, perfect for your little ones to watch without any fear. Other options have jokes that may be aimed at your tween, teen or even adults. The types of animation on our list are also different, ranging from CGI to stop-motion animation movies. No matter which one you choose, each tells a story you won't soon forget. And who knows? Maybe one of these choices will make it onto your personal list of the best kids' movies of all time.
35 Best Toddler Movies for 1-Year-Olds, 2-Year-Olds & 3-Year-Olds
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# 35 Best Toddler Movies for Your 1-Year-Olds and 2-Year-Olds

When you need a minute, these funny, sweet (and not scary) movies have your back.

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Sure, in an ideal world, toddlers wouldn't get any screen time. But we live in the real world, where dishes have to be washed, showers have to be taken and sometimes we just need a minute to catch our breath. When those moments arise, a great toddler movie can be your biggest help.

But the best movies for kids in the 1-year-old to 3-year-old range satisfy a very specific set of criteria. All movies need some kind of conflict, but if toddler movies are too scary or the characters find themselves in too much peril, it might send kids running for the door. On the flip side, if the movies are too boring, they won't keep a toddler's attention, which defeats the whole purpose. Movies that are overlong will try a kid's attention span, too.

With all that in mind, these are the best toddler movies to watch in 2023. They hit that sweet spot of not-too-frightening, not-too-listless. Most are animated movies that keep kids' attention with bright colors and cool character designs. Some feature their favorite characters from TV shows that they already feel an affection for. Most are feature-length, but there are some that are specials and hit that sweet length between a half-hour and an hour, so toddlers don't get too antsy. Throw one on the next time you're at a loss for a toddler activity, and you'll be all set.

1

## Ponyo (2008)

a magical goldfish girl swims in a scene from ponyo, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesStudio Ghibli

There's some peril in this movie, which is loosely based on The Little Mermaid. But if the kids can weather a little scariness, this is worth it for the beautiful animation from the beloved director Hayao Miyazaki and his beloved Studio Ghibli production house.

2

## A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)

shaun highfives an alien in a scene from a shaun the sheep movie farmageddon, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesNetflix

For sci-fi fans, this movie follows the classic alien-gets-separated-from-its-family plot (which you'll probably revisit with E.T. when they get older). But, as part of the Shaun the Sheep franchise, the movie is incredibly gentle — unlike E.T., this alien looks cute like a puppy — and near-wordless, so it's right on toddler level.

3

## The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

christopher robin pulls pooh out of rabbit's hole in a scene from the many adventures of winnie the pooh, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney

While lots of other Disney movies have scary witches, dragons or monsters, this bear of very little brain only gets into the mildest of scrapes. And yet the gentle antics of everyone's favorite Pooh bear are still entertaining for young ones. Follow it up with 2011's Winnie the Pooh for more honey-filled adventures.

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4

## Blue's Big-City Adventure (2022)

josh kneels down and talks to blue in a scene from blue's big city adventure, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesParamount+

A movie spin-off of Blue's Clues and You, this movie finds Josh and Blue auditioning for a Broadway show. When Josh loses his Handy -Dandy Notebook, though, he gets lost and needs to follow the "clues" to find where he's going again. The other Blue's Clues stars make an appearance, so it hits a nostalgia button for parents, too.

5

## Octonauts and the Ring of Fire (2021)

the octonauts crew race to the rescue in a scene from octonauts and the ring of fire, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesNetflix

If you're unfamiliar with the Octonauts series (and, if you have a creature-loving toddler, that's unlikely), they're a crew of animal-loving adventurers who head to the rescue whenever there's danger, learning facts about the natural world along the way. For their movie-sized journey, they're faced with stopping a chain reaction that starts when volcanoes erupt on the ocean floor.

6

## The Peanuts Movie (2015)

lucy pulls the football away from charlie brown in a scene from the peanuts movie, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler movies20th Century Studios

All the Peanuts movies great because they don't condescend to kids, and they're often about how being a kid can be a real struggle at times. While that message might be lost on toddlers until later, they'll still enjoy Snoopy and Woodstock, and get a kick out of the Peanuts children dancing. If you want to start with the classic feature films instead of the 2015 flick, A Boy Named Charlie Brown is first, followed by Snoopy Come Home. And the specials — which are all on Apple TV+ — work, too, and they're even a little shorter, which is helpful for those small attention spans.

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7

## Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021)

the pups assemble in a scene from paw patrol the movie, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesParamount Pictures

Your kids probably already know all about Ryder and his team of pups, so watching the movie would be just like getting to watch an extra-long episode — aka their favorite thing ever. This time, the pups travel to Adventure City, where Mayor Humdinger is causing chaos, and try to set things right with a new friend named Liberty.

8

## Chicken Run (2000)

a hen works on her escape in a scene from chicken run, a good housekeeping pick for best movies for kids and toddlersGetty Images

This stop-motion animated movie is about a group of chickens who want to fly the coop and find freedom. That may seem like a complicated goal, but a bunch of claymation chickens running around is sure to get a giggle out of any toddler. A sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, is due out on Netflix later this year.

9

## My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

a girl follows two wood trolls in a scene from my neighbor totoro, a good housekeeping pick for best movies for kids and toddlersStudio Ghibli

Another family-friendly film from Studio Ghibli's Miyazaki, this movie follows two sisters as they move into a new house, where they meet strange and wonderful creatures (a couple of which may seem menacing at first, but they go away with little conflict). There are allusions to the fact that their mother is in the hospital, but nothing too sad happens. Instead, kids can delight as Totoro does things like listen to rain fall on an umbrella for the first time, or rides a cat-shaped bus.

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10

## The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

the muppets gather around a newspaper in a scene from the muppets take manhattan, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesTri-Star Pictures

It's The Muppets, so there's sure to be plenty of jokes aimed at adults that go over toddlers' heads (if you're lucky). But they'll be so enamored with the antics of Kermit and the gang they won't care. While all Muppet movies are great, this one, about bringing a Muppet musical to Broadway, has classic put-on-a-show energy.

11

## Fun and Fancy Free (1947)

mickey, goofy and donald are off on an adventure in a scene from fun and fancy free, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney

The best part about Fun and Fancy Free — which still holds up, even though it was made back in the '40s — is that it's an anthology of two Disney shorts with some connecting material, so you don't have to watch it from beginning to end every time. You can pick and choose the bits your toddler likes best. (We always skipped straight to "Mickey and the Beanstalk.")

12

## The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999)

a close up of elmo in the adventures of elmo in grouchland, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesSesame Workshop

In this movie, Elmo's lovey accidentally gets thrown away, and when he goes to retrieve it, he gets transported to Grouchland. But really, you had them at "Elmo."

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13

## Tinker Bell (2008)

a close up of tink in a scene from tinker bell, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney

To an adult, the Tinker Bell franchise will never hold a candle to the Disney classics. But to a toddler who's into fairies, mermaids and all things mystical, these movies have just the right balance of magic and friendship, with just a teeny splash of danger.

14

## Curious George (2006)

the man in the yellow hat tries to get his hat back from curious george in a scene from curious george, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesUniversal Pictures

This adorable primate gets into a lot of mischief, but it's always with a good heart. And parents will be relieved that the Man in the Yellow Hat is voiced by Will Ferrell, so there's something in it for them.

15

## Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

kiki and jiji fly high above town on a broom in a scene from kiki's delivery service, a good housekeeping pick for best halloween movies for kidsStudio Ghibli

You'll be hard-pressed to find a movie about a witch that's as delightful and not-scary as this one. This Studio Ghibli production is about a witch who uses her gift of flight to deliver packages. Jiji, her adorable cat, is also a perennial kid-fave — you might be inspired to get the plush.

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16

## Ratatouille (2007)

remy tries to steal some cheese  in a scene from ratatouille, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney/Pixar

As far as Pixars go, most of the danger here comes in the form of a food critic (though there are a few people who try to catch Remy the rat in the kitchen), so it shouldn't be too frightening for little ones. And they'll enjoy the story of a rat who goes off to pursue his dream — or at least they'll get a kick out of the visual of a rat scurrying around the kitchen and cooking.

17

## Shaun the Sheep: The Movie (2015)

animals run to escape a shelter in a scene from shaun the sheep, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesLionsgate Home Entertainment

Before Farmageddon, Shaun the Sheep was involved in this hilarious tale of a farmer and his flock of sheep who lose each other in the Big City. The sheep, who are mostly the stars of the movie, don't talk, so there isn't a lot of dialogue that can go over a toddler's head, making it easy for the littlest viewers to understand.

18

## Cinderella (1950)

cinderella shows off her ball gown to birds in a scene from cinderella, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney

If it absolutely has to be princesses — and, with toddlers, sometimes it has to be princesses — then Cinderella is a best bet, because her foes, while mean, are the least terrifying of the princess villains. (Sorry, Lady Tremaine.)

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19

## Little Bear: The Movie (2001)

bears gather in a scene from the little bear movie, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesParamount Home Entertainment

This movie is based on the TV series Little Bear, which was inspired by a book series illustrated by Where the Wild Things Are's Maurice Sendak. In it, Little Bear goes on a trip and meets Cub. When Little Bear learns that Cub is separated from his parents, Little Bear and his friends vow to help.

20

## Cars (2006)

lightning mcqueen races in a scene from cars, a good housekeeping pick for best toddler moviesDisney/Pixar

Little kids who are obsessed with vehicles will love seeing the race cars zoom around the track — and they might like it even more when the movie slows down and settles into a story about small-town life along Route 66. If the scenes extolling the benefits of the simple life are lost on the kids, the antics of some of the town locals — like the lovable Mater, the tow truck — will keep them interested.

Headshot of Marisa LaScala

Senior Parenting & Relationships Editor

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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