Looking for something festive to entertain the younger members of the family over the holiday season? Then take a look through this post, which serves up a list of 30 children’s Christmas movies.
Amongst the list you will find some firm family favourites, along with some more obscure titles. Some of these movies are aimed squarely at a very young audience, while others are ideal for the whole household.
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The Santa Clause (1994)
First up, and one for the whole family, Tim Allen dons the famous red suit to become Santa, after he accidentally kills the real Santa! From here, Allen has to cope with the weight gain and the onset of white hair, to become the person the world needs to fulfil ‘The Santa Clause’.
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An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998)
Next up, the dogs from the All Dogs Go to Heaven series take part in an animated retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The voice cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Dom DeLuise, and Sheena Easton.
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Babes in Toyland (1997)
Based on the 1903 operetta of the same name, Babes in Toyland is an animated musical featuring iconic fairy tale characters, including Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and the Goblin King. Lacey Chabert, Jim Belushi, and Christopher Plummer provide voices, while Toby Bluth, Charles Grosvenor, and Paul Sabella direct.
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Jingle All the Way (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger switches action for comedy in a festive treat about a man desperate to buy the No.1 toy for his son’s Christmas present. The problem? The toy is so popular, it is difficult to get hold of in this laugh-filled family movie.
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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
In this stop-motion animated musical, the King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, discovers the wonderful world of Christmas Town. Henry Selick directs, while the voice cast includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Reubens.
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Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008)
The world’s most famous doll, Barbie appears in another adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. William Lau directs.
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The Polar Express (2004)
Based on the children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy who embarks on a train trip to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie utilises computer animation to tell the story.
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Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is an animated feature, set during the events of 1991’s Beauty and the Beast. The film features all of the characters from the original movie, along with a whole new collection of Christmas-themed songs.
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Care Bears Nutcracker Suite (1998)
The loveable Care Bears appear in a reworking of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffman. Characters including Funshine Bear, Brave Heart Lion, and Lotsa Heart Elephant all appear, in a story aimed squarely at a young audience.
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Casper’s Haunted Christmas (2000)
In this direct-to-video movie, Casper the friendly ghost must scare someone before Christmas Day or there will be dire consequences. Another one for the youngest members of the family.
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Arthur Christmas (2011)
Produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation, Arthur Christmas is a 3D animated picture featuring the vocal talents of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent. The film tells the tale of Arthur, the son of Father Christmas, and his mission to save the big day!
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Elmo’s Christmas Countdown (2007)
Featuring a cast of famous faces, including Ben Stiller, Jennifer Hudson, and Jamie Foxx, Elmo’s Christmas Countdown is a story which looks at the true meaning of Christmas.
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My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas (2005)
The loveable ponies feature in an animated movie, packed with colourful characters and songs. Minty takes centre stage, but appears alongside fan-favourite characters including Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Thistle Whistle.
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Chuck Jones and Ben Washam direct the iconic animated special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas – a perennial favourite about the miserly Grinch. Boris Karloff voices the Grinch, while June Foray plays Cindy Lou Who.
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Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey takes on the role of the Grinch in this live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic children story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Ron Howard directs.
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Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
Based on the book of the same name by Vivian Walsh, Olive the Other Reindeer is an animated film about a loveable Jack Russell. Drew Barrymore, Dan Castellaneta, Joe Pantoliano, Ed Asner, and Peter MacNicol feature amongst the cast.
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Nativity! (2009)
In Nativity!, a small-scale story about a primary school teacher’s little white lie, escalates into a much larger problem. This British comedy stars Martin Freeman, Marc Wootton, and Pam Ferris.
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Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Regarded as a cult classic, Santa Claus: The Movie tells the origins of the big man himself, while also focuses on the story of Patch, one of Santa’s Elves. The cast includes Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, and Burgess Meredith.
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The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Muppets serve up another reworking of A Christmas Carol, with Kermit as Bob Crachit and Gonzo narrating the story as Charles Dickens. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge, while Brian Henson directs this beloved Christmas tale.
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It’s a very Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
Whoopi Goldberg, David Arquette, and Joan Cusack star alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal and the rest of the Muppets in another festive film, this time based on It’s A Wonderful Life.
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Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Ernest P. Worrell pops up in a festive movie where Ernest needs to… erm… save Christmas! The late Jim Varney provides both the heart, and the laughs.
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Home Alone (1990)
Macaulay Culkin takes on the role of Kevin McCallister in this hilarious family movie about a young boy left home alone. Arguably one of the best Christmas movies of all-time, the film is filled with slapstick comedy and memorable scenes.
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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Macaulay Culkin reprises his iconic role for this sequel, which this time sees Kevin lost in the Big Apple. More slapstick, more comedy, and more fun for the family.
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Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
In this animated movie, Mickey and his friends take part in some holiday-themed adventures for all the family to enjoy. The movie is divided into three different segments, with Mickey taking centre stage, and Donald Duck, and Goofy becoming the focus of the other two stories.
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Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
Mickey and the gang are back for another round of festive fun. In this movie, there are five different stories, all centring around the holiday season.
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The Swan Princess Christmas (2012)
In CG-animated fantasy film, The Swan Princess Christmas, Princess Odette and Prince Derek share their first Christmas together. Laura Bailey voices Princess Odette, while Yuri Lowenthal voices Prince Derek.
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Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002)
Combining the 1991 television special, Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, as well as the feature, Happy Pooh Year, Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year is an animated release starring the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood. The story takes place across the festive season, and features the vocal talents of Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen, Michael Gough, and Kath Soucie.
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Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999)
Another seasonal story with Winnie, Tigger, Piglet and the gang. Harry Arends, Jun Falkenstein, and Karl Geurs direct.
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Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Richard Attenborough takes on the role of a department store Santa who claims to be the real deal. Miracle on 34th Street is a must-watch Christmas movie, perfect for the whole family.
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Santa Buddies (2009)
And finally, in this spin-off from the Air Buddies film series, a pup named Paws causes mischief at Santa’s workshop and family-friendly drama ensues. Fun for the little ones in the household.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read through this list of children’s Christmas movies – I hope it has proved useful. If you wish to dive into more Christmas movies, then be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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