A couple times a month (usually on a Friday after a long week) we like to plan a family movie night. We frequently make homemade pizza or pop popcorn, then we set up a kids’ table in the family room and put in a movie. It’s a lot of fun! (And yes, I know eating in front of the TV is a bad idea, but if you only do it once in a while it’s a great treat.) The only tough thing about family movie night is picking the movie. My husband and I insist on an actual, full length movie- not a series of episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine or something like that. My daughter likes Barbie movies, my son likes Bob the Builder. My daughter enjoys involved plots but thinks characters like Jafar from Aladdin and Ursula from Little Mermaid are too scary. My son falls asleep if there isn’t enough action. So how do we find common ground? Through recommendations from friends and memories from our own childhoods, we’ve come up with several that make everybody happy. Here is a list of our favorites in no particular order.

1. Nim’s Island: A newer adventure movie about a girl who is left alone on an island and has to save it and herself. It’s a really fun adventure, but there are some scary moments (mainly a couple big storms) that we discussed ahead of time. The main character is a very adventurous, smart girl which my daughter loved! We had a group of neighbor kids over to watch this once and had an island party with old luau decorations- lots of fun!
2. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: A classic with lots of adventure and fun songs. Who wouldn’t love a really cool car that flies? And my kids love when the kids help catch the bad guys!
3. Mary Poppins: Another classic, full of fun! We especially like the rooftop dance by the chimney sweeps.
4. Herbie Movies: The newer one (Herbie Fully Loaded) with Lindsay Lohan is alright, but my kids prefer the classics, especially the Love Bug. The car is funny and full of antics. But you may find yourself explaining some things: the characters get the car drunk, and there is a scene with hippies (which didn’t make sense to my kids.)
5. Pixar Movies: (Our favorites are Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles and Toy Story) They can be a bit scary for little ones (Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles come to mind) but they are also fun to watch for children AND adults.
6. In Search of the Castaways: When I was a kid, I loved anything with Haley Mills in it (Parent Trap, Pollyanna, etc.) This movie may be hard to find, but the adventure is fun. After we watched it, we found ourselves in an interesting conversation with our 6 year old about stereotyping and how different cultures were portrayed in old movies.
7. Curious George: If you’re looking for something for young kids that won’t get them too worked up before bed time, this is it. Curious George is short and sweet with some really funny moments and great music.
8. Space Chimps: I came across this one on Netflix and didn’t know what to expect. It’s about chimps who go to space (duh) and end up saving a planet from a horrible leader. We were pleasantly surprised when the kids loved it and my husband and I laughed through the whole thing! It’s goofy and lots of fun, and we’re going to get it again.

I made this list for two reasons: First, when I talk to other parents about movies, they often say “Oh, I forgot about that one- but I loved it!” so I thought I might jog some memories. Second, I’m running out of ideas! What movies do you and your kids enjoy? Leave a comment with your favorite(s) and maybe we’ll all have a family movie night this week. Popcorn, anyone?