Best Family Movies For Cold Winter Nights

Looking for the best family movies to snuggle up with on a cold winter night? We have you covered! Picture this: It’s cold and snowy.  The kids have been in and out all day, and the weekend is just starting after a busy week of work and school.  It is easy to get lost in adult responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.)  So pop some corn, grab a couple blankets, turn the lights off and press play on one of these family friendly movies.

Best Family Movies for Cold Winter Nights

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Non-Animated

Click: Think modern day ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’.  In Click, Adam Sandler plays a hard working dad of two small kids who spends too many hours on work and not enough with his family.  Through the power of the man in the backroom at a Bed, Bath and Beyond, he sees what his life would be like if he continues living the way he does.

The Wizard of Oz: One of the most classic family movies of all time!   I’m sure you have seen this one before, but pull it out again for the kids.  With a lion who lacks courage, a tin man without a heart and a scarecrow who needs a brain, not to mention a cute little dog and some sparkly red shoes, this classic starts out in black and white and then transforms into technicolor.  The kids will enjoy following Dorothy on her way to Oz. Make your Oz experience even more special with our Legends of Oz movie party cake and Wizard of Oz movie party activities!

Big: When you are young, you can’t wait to grow up.  We all felt this way at one time or another.  Tom Hanks gets his wish through a machine at the local fair in the classic hit, Big.  Little did he know what he had wished for!

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (1971): The original movie and still the best in my opinion.  The owner of the local chocolate factory hides golden tickets inside just a few chocolate bars.  This ticket allows you a never-before-seen tour inside the factory.  The golden tickets send the town into a frenzy, with kids eating as much candy as they can, and parents buying up all the candy sold by Willy Wonka in hopes of finding a golden ticket!

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005): It is the modern-day version of the original, as told from Charlie’s point of view.  Starring Johnny Depp as Charlie, the owner of the chocolate factory, we get a peek inside what his life was like as owner of the chocolate factory.  A little on the dark side (as some Johnny Depp movies can be) it’s still a great one for the entire family!

Animated

Frozen: If you haven’t seen or at least heard of this movie by Disney, I might have to think you are living under a rock.  The story follows two royal sisters and their tumultuous relationship after a terrible accident.  I won’t spoil it, you just have to to see it. We have loads of fun Frozen games and activities over at My Kids Guide to enhance your movie night fun. One of my favorites: our Frozen Olaf Mug Craft. It’s perfect for making before the movie and enjoying your hot cocoa in while watching the adventures of Anna & Elsa!

Toy Story (any of them): We have all wondered what our toys did when we weren’t around.  They come to life of course!  This one has sequels, I recommend starting with the first. Grab the boxed set and watch all of these great family movies!

Up: A great one for the entire family, it will make you laugh and cry.  Starring a fun dog who can talk, an innocent boy scout and a grumpy old man, Disney’s Up will leave you with a good feeling of love and family.

Shrek: A giant green ogre might seem a bit scary to the little ones, but press play, he really is a gentle giant.  The comedic donkey voiced by Eddy Murphy will soften the giant ogre as well.  Don’t judge a book (or movie) by its cover is the lesson here, Shrek really is a nice ogre. Get the boxed set of these family movies to save on the individual DVDs.

Brave: Another Disney classic.  They went a different direction in this movie, with the main character and heroin being a little red head, who doesn’t need any help from a boy.  The happy ending doesn’t include a kiss from her true love, but acceptance from her family.  Pop it in, press play, and watch what Merida can get herself into.
We can sometimes forget how great family movies on a cold winter’s night can be.  Life can be so busy, it can be hard to just slow down and enjoy those around you.  These days with everything easily found online and many ways to watch movies, you should have no trouble finding the movies above.  

What are your favorite family movies for cold winter nights? Share them in the comments!