12 Top Animated Movies for Kids That My Daughter Loves

With this global pandemic situation, we all have been forced to stay indoors. We do need to go out for our jobs, however, for many, it’s a work-from-home scenario. We miss our old days where we could go out to work, play, movies, shopping, eating and do many other things. This pandemic has thrown everybody’s life haywire be it young or old. We grown up’s somehow get along with this monotonous situation as we have a  lot of homely chores to do. But the worst affected are the kids and the children. Children are like a free birds..they need to fly. However, now they feel as if their wings have been clipped and they are in cages. It is very difficult for kids to spend their whole time at home and this leads to a lot of problems for the parents to handle. You may find some respite on the television. So here are our recommendations for top animated movies for kids which I am sure your kids will love.

To movie or not to movie?

I am a mother and my kid demand my constant attention and I have to come up with ideas to keep her engaged. But because I have things to do at home, I do not have the energy nor the patience to keep her engaged 24×7. So I have given her the liberty to watch television. I know many mothers’ would complain that television is bad and rightly so. But I feel that everything is good in moderation. Plus if we keep a tab on what your kids are watching then there is no harm. I am a movie buff myself and I love to watch animation movies myself. So I made my daughter watch some of the animation movies (age-appropriate) from my collection. So, here are some top animation movies I allow my kid to watch and she loves them!.

Top Animated Movies for Kids

This list of top animated movies for kids contains some PG-rated movies. This means those are to be watched under parental guidance. Anyway, it is always a good idea that you watch a movie together with your child when you introduce it for the first time. These are great animated movies and  I assure you, you won’t get bored either! Also, just be mindful of the fact that some of the movies have some cartoon violence and most have off-screen consumerism by linking movie merchandise.

If you are wondering if a movie is right for your kid or not, here is our full guide… How to decide if a movie is good for your kid?

 

1. Frozen 1 and 2 (2013 &2019)

MPAA Rating: PG

Common Sense Media rating:  5/5 Star   Age 5+

My kid grew up singing “let it go” every time she saw the movie. She was hooked on to the first part (Frozen 1) and would watch it in the replay.

When the second part came, we decided to take her to the theatre to watch it. It was her first time in the cinema hall. So we were not sure how she would take it. But to our surprise, she really enjoyed the movie and then she wanted to watch the movie over and over again. She would make me enact the character of Anna while she would play the role of queen, Elsa. Watch how the two princesses along with their snowman friend Olaf go about their adventure.

MPAA Rating: PG

Common Sense Media rating: 4/5 Star   Age 6 +

Both the movies are beautiful in all aspects, be it the music or the picturesque setting.

For those who have not watched the movie, I am not going to tell you the story as it would spoil the whole movie-watching experience.

 

2.Tangled (2010)

MPAA Rating: PG

common sense media rating: 5/5 Star   Age 5 +

Another kid-friendly movie that we all grew up watching is Rapunzel. All of us parents are familiar with Rapunzel and her long, golden locks. Though this new movie has a slightly different storyline, yet your kid will love watching it.

 

3. Brave (2012)

MPAA Rating: PG

Common Sense Media rating: 4/5 Star;  Age 8+

I have watched this movie countless times when I was alone and now I am watching it again countless times along with my kid. What I love about the movie is the love and bond between a mother, who is the epitome of grace, and her daughter. Who loves nothing more than being the free bird rather than being a mirror image of her mother.  Apart from that, this movie also shows the protagonist as someone fearless and strong not needing a prince to come and save her. There may be some scenes that can be frightening, but nonetheless, this Pixar movie is funny, witty, and above all it makes you believe that your destiny is what you make of it.

 

4. The Little Mermaid (1989)

MPAA Rating: G

Common Sense Media rating:  5/5 Star   Age 5+

I think everybody in their 80’s has grown watching this Disney movie and now it’s again in vogue with my daughter. What is a little scary is the fact that this movie presents Ariel as a rebellious young girl who falls in love with a human. She goes against her father and makes a deal with the conniving sea witch Ursula to live her life on the land. What is a little problematic here, is the fact that children may take being rebellious as a fad and this might make things a little complicated for the parents. Otherwise, for small kids, this movie is a good viewing experience.

 

5. Kung Fu Panda

MPAA Rating: PG

common sense media rating:  3/5 Star   Age 6+

Just when you thought that martial arts were confined to humans, here come the affable panda who learns the tricks of the trade into becoming the legendary dragon warrior. But yes, things just didn’t fall into his lap, he had to struggle to learn kung fu while the world made him believe that he was not meant for it. The bottom line of the movie can be summed up into the following words “to make something special, you just need to believe it’s special. “

6. The Princess and the Frog

MPAA Rating: G

Common Sense Media rating:  3/5 Star;  Age 6+

Another movie from the Disney Family is The Princess and the Frog. Though I am not a huge fan of a princess being rescued by the price through true love’s kiss. Yet, the movie does show a strong female character who is resourceful and hardworking not needing help from her male counterpart to do anything. When a movie shows female characters which can help create a level of confidence among the kids who are facing life’s trials and tribulations, I think this imparts a good lesson, that not everything in life can be achieved through wishful thinking. You have to work hard to make sure you get what you want.

 

7. The Lion King (1994) 

MPAA Rating: G

Common Sense Media rating:  4/5 Star;   Age 6+

Another movie from the Disney Franchise, the Lion King is a very old movie. However, I recently watched the non-animation one and I feel the old animated version was far too good. The visually captivating scenes, the bond between a father and his son and the friendship between unlikely characters and the cunning means to attain power and leadership will leave you with awe in this beautiful story.

 

8. How to train your Dragon (2010)

MPAA Rating: PG

common sense media rating:  4/5 Star;   Age 7+

I have heard people say that this movie has a lot of violence. So it’s not recommended for very young kids. My kid is four and she enjoyed the movie a lot. The story is about dragons and Vikings and how one Viking chooses to turn the age-old tradition of killing dragons into one training them.

If you have any doubts about having your little ones watch the movie, you as parents watch it before and then decide whether it is suitable for your kid or not.

 

9. Madagascar (2012)

MPAA Rating: PG

common sense media rating:  3/5 Star;   Age 7+

I am not going to talk about the first two installments of this movie because my kid watched the third one extensively. Madagascar 3 is a lot more family-oriented than the other two movies. This movie has four main characters and their everlasting friendship along with the penguins and the lemurs. However, what’s new in the third movie is the introduction of some new and entertaining characters like Stefano, Gia, and Vitaly. Watch how these characters come together, (some surpassing their fears) and land on to become good friends. However, parents’ discretion is a must as some scenes can be a little frightening for smaller kids concerning the villain of the movie.

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10. CoCo (2017)

MPAA Rating: G

Common Sense Media rating: 4/5 Star   Age 7+

Another beautiful movie from the Disney Pixar fraternity is the Oscar-winning movie CoCo. This movie beautifully and vibrantly explores the traditions of the Mexican ‘Day of the Dead‘ along with a child’s desire to become a musician which is strongly opposed by his family members. You will see a lot of dead people in this movie, but rest assured that it is not a scary ghost movie. Rather you kids will enjoy the culturally effervescent traditions along with a dash of unconditional love showered upon you by your family members.

 

11. Shrek Forever After (2010)

 

MPAA Rating: PG

Common Sense Media rating: 3/5 Star   Age 6+

My kid was introduced to Shrek ..Forever After even before she saw the first Shrek movie. But she enjoyed it and would watch it again and again. Shrek Forever After deals with the mundane everyday life of Shrek, his wife Fiona his triplets along with Donkey and Puss. The tension arises when Shrek feels that his everyday dreary life has become too comfortable and he misses being the frightening ogre, the villagers would run away from. So he makes a deal, by signing a contract with the devious Rumpelstiltskin, where he gets to lead a day of his life being the most feared ogre and doing the things he missed. But things take a different and ugly turn as Shrek has to give a day back to Rumpelstiltskin, but he ends up giving the day he was born.

Shrek is a family movie, with not too intense violence along with subtle humor. Young minds may not quite understand the language but I guess parents can interpret it in a way that they seem fit.

 

12. Megamind (2010)

MPAA Rating: PG

Common Sense Media rating: 3/5 Star   Age 6+

Another animated superhero movie that my kid is hooked on is Megamind. This movie is not a regular superhero movie but rather its main protagonist is a villain, Megamind. Megamind’s constant rivalry with the movie’s superhero Metroman is what you might think the movie is all about. No! a little spoiler alert…Megamind destroys Metroman and that is where the actual story begins.

The movie is enjoyable for the whole family and the use of language is quite toned down. The violence doesn’t seem frightening nor is there too much mushy kind of stuff. The central message of the movie is that no good can exist without evil and vice versa can be a little top of the head for younger kids. But it is nonetheless a very good concept for older kids to remember.

A little disclaimer: There is a mention in the movie that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy do not exist.

 

Some of the other worth mentioning animated movies for kids or parents alike are the following:

Up (2009), Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014), Inside Out (2015), Happy Feet (2006), Ratatouille (2007), Zootopia (2016), Monsters, Inc (2001).

P.S: If you have any doubt as to the content of the movie, please watch it before so that you can judge where it is fit for your kid or not. In my personal opinion, I did not face any problems with any of the above-mentioned movies, but every child is different. So you decide.