20+ Best Winter Movies for Kids to Watch This Season

Winter break is the perfect time to curl up with your whole family and watch some good movies together. There are so many to choose from, so we have put together a detailed list of the best winter movies for kids that you will not want to miss. 

Over 20 of the Best Winter Movies for Kids to Watch this Season

Movie marathons are a great way for families to spend some quality time together, especially during the cold winter months. There are so many family friendly movies that you can watch together during the cold months of winter break.

Most of these movies are available on Amazon Prime Video for streaming or to rent. It’s time to get out the hot chocolate, popcorn and blankets. Get ready to have a special family movie night with these winter-themed movies.

Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for our FREE Movie Response Pack that your kids can fill out about the movies they watched. 

Animated Winter Movies for Kids

These animated movies are fun for the whole family, but especially young children. Many of these were nominated or won an Oscar for best animated feature. I am sure many of these have already been watched over and over in your home. If not, we think you may find some new favorites in this list.

1. Frozen (2013) Rated PG- Follow Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf as they fight against an eternal winter in Arendelle. This very popular Disney movie is full of catchy songs, and a heartwarming message of sisterly love.

2. Long Way North (2016) Rated PG – This is a beautiful French-Danish animated film about a young, Russian aristocrat girl who dreams of the Great North. She goes on a quest to search for her scientist grandfather who goes missing after an Arctic expedition. 

3. Balto (1995) Rated G – This is the animated story of Balto the dog with an adorable retelling of the story from his perspective. Find out what happens to him and how he risks his life delivering medicine for children in a remote town in Alaska.

4. Happy Feet (2006) Rated PG – This is a great winter movie that follows a young emperor penguin who lives in Antarctica. Instead of singing to attract a mate, he begins dancing which sets off a cute and amusing string of events that will delight all ages. 

5. Tinkerbell Secret of the Wings(2016) Rated G -This was a favorite movie for my girls who love the Tinkerbell movies. It is such a sweet movie that covers the themes of friendship, how sisters are important and the importance of seasons. Tinkerbell goes on a journey to find her sister and to save the beauty of winter. 

Winter Fun Family Movies

These cold weather themed live action movies are so much fun to watch with family and friends. Many of these can be watched over and over again, and they never get old!

6. Snow Buddies(2008) Rated G- An adorable movie about a talking litter of golden retriever puppies that embark on an exciting dog sled race across Alaska. This is a great choice for children who love puppies!

7. Jack Frost (1998) Rated PG – This is a Christmas comedy/drama/fantasy movie about a dad who dies in a car accident and comes back as a snowman to make things right with his son. This is a sweet and funny movie, but best suited for older kids as it may have confusing themes and can be sad.

8. Snow Day  (2000) Rated PG – When a student finds out that school is cancelled for the day, he sets out to make it the best snow day ever. This is a really funny comedy about friends and their silly antics on a day off of school. Chevy Chase is also delightful in this movie.

9. The Mighty Ducks  (1992) Rated PG – This Disney classic is a family favorite. If you are learning about winter sports, specifically hockey this is a fun one to watch. It is a heartwarming story about a tough trial lawyer who ends up teaching a pee wee hockey team for a community service project.

10. Snow Dogs (2002) Rated PG- – Cuba Gooding Jr. stars in this comedy about a dentist who inherits a team of sled dogs. This has the style of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, if your kids like silly talking dog movies. 

Winter Movies for Kids based on Books

If you are a book lover, it is so exciting to watch the books come alive in a movie format. Here are some good movies that were inspired by the book.

11. Chronicles of Narnia (2005) Rated PG – If your children have read the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, they are going to enjoy this great movie. Follow the Pevensie children as they go through the magical land of Narnia in the winter time.

12. The Snowman (1982) Rated G- This is a favorite picture book your children will be familiar with. Watch the story come alive with beautiful animation and illustrations as a boy and his snowman go on an adventure.

13. White Fang (1991) Rated PG – The book White Fang is a timeless classic. In this famous adventure story by Jack London, watch Ethan Hawk as he rescues a mistreated wolf dog in Alaska. Follow them on their journey in search of gold and the obstacles that they must overcome.

14. The Snowy Day (2016) Rated G –  Watch this sweet book by Ezra Jack Keats come to life on the screen. Children will love the beautiful animation that reminds them of the pictures in the book about the first snow of winter.

15. Little Women (2019) Rated PG – This is the newest movie remake of the classic tale by Louisa May Alcott, a coming of age story about the March sisters navigating life after the Civil War. Many people argue that it is the best remake of the book in movie format. A great movie to watch during the holiday season as it is full of cozy, winter scenes.

True Story Winter Movies for Kids

These movies are based on fascinating and inspiring true stories to delight the whole family. There are many life lessons that can be learned when watching movies that are based on something amazing that really happened.

16. Cool Runnings (1993) Rated PG – A heartwarming true story about Jamaican athletes who wanted to compete in the winter Olympics. They trained where there was no snow and became the very first Jamaican bobsled team.

17. Eight Below (2006) Rated PG – Based on a real life survival story about scientists in Anarctica who have to leave their sled dogs behind to get medical attention. This movie is a good story for older kids as it is suspenseful, but also very touching as they fight to get back in a storm and save the dogs. 

Winter Documentaries

Homeschool families love documentaries and we have added five in our best winter movies for kids list. These documentaries are not only extremely educational, they are also very entertaining. It is a great experience to be able to get a close up look of how these animals live and survive in harsh winter climates. 

18. March of the Penguins (2005) Rated G – Narrated by the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman, this movie documents the strenuous  journey that emperor penguins go on in order to mate each year. This movie put my husband to sleep in the theaters, but my children absolutely loved it!

19. Disney Nature: Ghost of the Mountains (2017) Rated G  – Follow the Disney Nature team as they search for and film the rare snow leopard found in China. This is a great film to watch when you are learning about endangered species.

20. To the Artic (2012) Rated G – This was filmed as an original IMAX film and is a true tale of survival about a polar bear and her twin cubs, narrated by Meryl Streep.

21. Knut and Friends (2008) Rated G  – Knut is considered the world’s most famous polar bear. This is the story of a polar bear that was abandoned by his mother, raised and hand fed by the Berlin zoo. This movie also follows brown bears in Belarus, and a mother Polar bear and her three cubs in Alaska.

22. Disney Nature: Penguins  (2019) Rated G – This documentary follows a penguin named Steve as he journeys across the Antarctic to find a mate, build a nest and start a family. 

Do you have a movie you think should be included in our best winter movies for kids list? Please drop us a note as we’d love to share your recommendation with others!

More great movies to watch with your family

If you’re looking for more movies to watch with your family or add to your homeschool curriculum then jump over to these posts to see more of our recommendations:

25+ of the Best Nativity Movies and Films for Christmas  – Another great list of the best Nativity movies to watch with your family around Christmas time. 

25+ Math Movies for Kids and Family Friendly Math Shows – Looking for math movies and tv shows to help your children understand more about math? This list is a great addition to your math studies in your homeschool.

Free Movie Response Template Pack

Turn your next family movie night into an educational experience when you use this Movie Response Template Pack. These resources can help your children to critically think about what they watched and how to write their own opinions of the movie.

What’s Included in the Pack:

• Movie in Detail worksheet
• Write your own Movie Review and give it stars
• Movie Illustration – draw your favorite scene or characters (perfect for young kids)
• Book and Movie Comparison Sheet- compare and contrast the book to the movie