Best Christmas Movies for Families, by Age
For a first-time pick, the safest approach is to start with the youngest viewer in the room: the classic TV specials suit ages 3 and up (apart from the Grinch special, at 4 and up), The Muppet Christmas Carol suits 5 and up, and Elf and Home Alone are for older kids. This list is sorted that way, with each film’s release facts, the rating Common Sense Media shows for it, and the age Common Sense recommends.
The ages and ratings below come from Common Sense Media’s review pages. Release years, dates and runtimes come from Wikipedia. Streaming availability changes too often to list, so check a streaming search tool for where each title is playing this season.
How to read G and PG before movie night
The Motion Picture Association’s ratings guide describes each rating by content category. For G, it says the film generally does not contain violence, has no sexually related content, no nudity and no drug content, and that any language is limited to common everyday expressions. For PG, it says violence is generally mild, language is minimal, and any nudity is brief and never associated with sexual activity. A rating is a starting point, not a verdict on your child: the MPA publishes the reasons behind every rating at filmratings.com, and Common Sense Media’s age recommendation can run higher than the rating suggests, as Elf and Home Alone show below.
Ages 3 and up: the classic TV specials
These four carry Common Sense Media’s 3+ recommendation.
A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on CBS on December 9, 1965, runs 25 minutes and won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program in 1966. Common Sense shows it as G and recommends it for ages 3 and up.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1964 stop-motion special that first aired on NBC on December 6, 1964, and runs 52 minutes. Common Sense lists it as not rated (NR) and recommends it for ages 3 and up.
Frosty the Snowman first aired on CBS on December 7, 1969, from Rankin/Bass, and runs 25 minutes. Common Sense lists it as NR and recommends it for ages 3 and up.
The Snowman is a 26-minute British animated special that was first shown on December 26, 1982, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Common Sense shows it as G and recommends it for ages 3 and up.
Ages 4 and 5: a Seuss special and the Muppets
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the 1966 animated special, first aired on CBS on December 18, 1966, runs 24 minutes and was directed by Chuck Jones, with Boris Karloff narrating. Common Sense recommends “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for ages 4 and up and lists it as NR; Common Sense’s description calls it a TV special, so this is the animated special, not a live-action film.
The Muppet Christmas Carol was released in the US on December 11, 1992, runs 86 minutes and was directed by Brian Henson, with Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. Common Sense shows it as G and recommends it for ages 5 and up, so it is the first feature-length pick on this list.
Ages 8 and 10: when the whole family can watch
These two are rated PG and carry higher Common Sense age recommendations than the G-rated films above. That gap is worth noticing if you are choosing for a mixed-age group.
Elf was released on November 7, 2003, directed by Jon Favreau, and runs 97 minutes. Common Sense shows it as PG and recommends it for ages 8 and up.
Home Alone was released in the US on November 16, 1990, directed by Chris Columbus from a John Hughes script, and runs 103 minutes. Common Sense shows it as PG and recommends it for ages 10 and up, and its summary line calls out slapstick violence and language.
More movie-night picks
If your family wants a different kind of story, Family Movies About Love and Friendship: 12 Heartwarming Films to Watch Together is one option, and The Best Family Halloween Movies for Kids (by Age) is another. Gift shopping for the same kids? The toddler-gift hub, Best Gifts for Toddlers That Aren’t Junk (by Developmental Stage), sorts picks by stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Christmas movies for families?
Start with Common Sense Media’s age guidance, then match the film to your youngest viewer. For ages 3 and up, Common Sense lists A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Snowman; for 5 and up it lists The Muppet Christmas Carol; Elf is 8 and up and Home Alone is 10 and up.
What Christmas movies are rated G?
Common Sense Media’s review pages list A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Snowman and The Muppet Christmas Carol as G, while Elf and Home Alone are PG. The MPA’s own ratings database at filmratings.com is the place to confirm a rating, and the TV specials on this page are listed by Common Sense as not rated.
What are good family holiday films for toddlers?
Common Sense Media recommends A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Snowman for ages 3 and up, which is the youngest age it assigns to any title on this page. Younger toddlers are outside those age guides, so check each film yourself before pressing play.
