16 feel-good movies and TV shows to watch with the whole family

The holidays will feel a bit different this year, but some traditions cannot be thwarted. Though your gatherings might be smaller than usual, there are a ton of family-friendly viewing options. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite kid-friendly TV and film picks below.

“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” (2020): A toymaker who lost everything when his apprentice betrayed him is inspired by his granddaughter to return to the trade in this fantastical musical. It boasts an all-star cast — Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose, Hugh Bonneville and Phylicia Rashad — to boot. (Streams on Netflix)

“Hair Love” (2019): Matthew A Cherry’s Oscar-winning short, about a little girl who helps her dad figure out how to do her hair, clocks in at just under seven minutes but will stay with you for much longer than that — especially if you’ve ever struggled to love your own hair. (Streams on YouTube)

“Ratatouille” (2007): We wouldn’t let Remy, the rat chef at the centre of this Oscar-winning animated film, cook our Thanksgiving dinner, but we’ll gladly take his culinary tips while we wait for the musical conceived by TikTok users to materialise.

“Coco” (2017): This tender and vivid Pixar/Disney film is rooted in the Mexican tradition of Da de los Muertos, the annual time when families honour their departed loved ones, so it’s a great preamble to discussing grief with younger kids (or processing it at any age). The story revolves around a young aspiring musician who - in a quest to reverse his family’s long-standing rule against music — finds himself among his ancestors in the Land of the Dead.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008): Force-sensitive families will enjoy this animated “Star Wars” series, which takes place between Episodes II and III of the Star Wars prequel saga and lets an intriguing heroine shine.

“The NeverEnding Story” (1984): This is familiar territory for ‘80s kids, but why not let the younger generations see what movie magic looked like in the pre-CGI days?

“Paddington 2” (2017): The marmalade-loving bear has a run-in with the law in this fun sequel, which features one of Hugh Grant’s finest performances as villain Phoenix Buchanan. The first film isn’t bad either.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018): Miles Morales goes from Brooklyn teenager to superhero in this Oscar-winning animated film featuring an ensemble cast of voices (Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali among them) and, for what it’s worth, a song that toddlers seem to love.

“Home Alone” (1990): Is it even the holiday season if you don’t watch Macaulay Culkin (and Catherine O’Hara!) in this blockbuster and its 1992 sequel?

“Julie and the Phantoms” (2020): A teenager grieving the loss of her mom starts a band with three ghosts in this Netflix dramedy, which is far less morbid than it sounds — and perfect for musically inclined tweens/teens. (Streams on Netflix)

“The Baby-Sitters Club” (2020): Ann M. Martin’s treasured teen series gets a decidedly Gen Z update, featuring several charismatic new talents.

“Toy Story 4” (2019): Andy’s toys are back for another beautiful and emotional adventure in this Oscar winner.

“Hamilton” (2020): Lin-Manuel Miranda cut some coarse language out of his Tony-winning musical so even the kids could learn about the ill-fated Founding Father and his American Dream.

“Anne with an E” (2017): This Canadian series, an adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famed children’s novel, finds Anne of Green Gables at her pluckiest - and has a passionate fan base that bristled over the show’s cancellation earlier this year. (Streams on Netflix)

“Black Panther” (2018): The late Chadwick Boseman is the heart of this breathtaking and culturally significant Marvel film.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946): Every year — but especially this one — we can benefit from the life lessons in Frank Capra’s beloved Christmas classic.