Best Thanksgiving Movies for Kids and How to Watch

The original and still-reigning champion of family holiday programming, Charles Schultz’s beloved 1973 cartoon special is available for your nostalgic viewing pleasure exclusively on Apple TV. If you haven’t pulled the trigger on that streaming service, there’s no better excuse to finally do so than being able to relive the magic of the season through Charlie, Snoopy and the gang. (Okay, actually, there is a better reason, and it’s Ted Lasso. That’s not what we’re here to talk about today, but it’s true.)

The third Peanuts holiday special, which originally aired after A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), follows the foibles of the forlorn featured fellow as he attempts to hold two Thanksgiving dinners in one day, and even jaded modern children will find themselves giggling away as his friend Snoopy helps by preparing buttered toast, popcorn and jellybeans for the feast. It’s a can’t miss for all ages.

Stream A Charlie brown thanksgiving on apple tv

There are few family feature films that are as explicitly Thanksgiving-centric as this 2013 computer-animated romp, which centers on the antics of two time-traveling turkeys attempting to save the future of turkey-kind by altering the first Thanksgiving and removing them from their featured place on the menu. Owen Wilson stars as Reggie, a turkey whose presidential pardon has earned him a life of relative ease, while Woody Harrelson’s militant wild turkey recruits him for their mission.

It’s a wild, adventurous and utterly silly plot, and though it might set a complicated tone for the dinner ahead, there’s always mashed potatoes. (Kids are picky eaters anyways.)

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Before his untimely death in 1990, Jim Henson left behind a treasure trove of wildly creative content, from the Muppets and various Sesame Street characters to the dark and twisted worlds of Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. He also left behind a number of unfinished projects and unrealized ideas, one of which was this Thanksgiving-themed movie that finally came to fruition in 2015.

The story follows a family visiting relatives in the fictional town of Turkey Hollow, a place free of technology but full of legends, including that of the “Howling Hoodoo”, a mysterious monster. The family’s children set out on a quest to learn more about the legend, one that will introduce them to a whole cast of strange supporting creatures right in line with what you’d expect from the Jim Henson Workshop.

Stream jim henson’s turkey hollow on prime video

Sure, when you think of the Addams Family, your first holiday association is probably Halloween, not Thanksgiving. But this 1993 sequel—a follow-up to the box-office smash 1991 feature film—has a significant Turkey Day subplot that earns it a place on your holiday docket.

Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) is shuttled off to summer camp by a conniving, murderous nanny, and is forced to betray her macabre nature by participating in an upbeat Thanksgiving pageant. She briefly plays along, but quickly reverts to form—something that any kid who’s ever wished they didn’t have to play nice at a family holiday can probably relate to.

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Director Wes Anderson’s critically-beloved 2009 stop-motion animated feature might not be explicitly a Thanksgiving movie, but it’s so thematically perfect for the season that it’s hard to hold that little technicality against it. The film, based on a 1970 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, is a beautiful celebration of the colors, sights, sounds and flavors of the bounty of fall. Poultry-centric feasts feature prominently in the film, which stars George Clooney as the titular Mr. Fox, a bird thief turned family man who finds himself in a dangerous battle with three ruthless poultry farmers.

It’s got stunning visuals and a massively talented cast including Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe and more, and if you can trick the kids into thinking it’s a Thanksgiving movie, you can’t do any better.

Stream fantastic mr. fox on disney+

Thanksgiving, above all else, is about family, and what’s more feel-good, classic, and family-focused then Little Women? Whether you’re looking to watch Greta Gerwig‘s 2019 version, the Winona Ryder and Christian Bale-led 1994 version, or even the 1949 first color version of the film, the source material from Louisa May Alcott’s 19th seminal classic novel of the same name is an absolute must-watch for viewers of all ages.

Little Women is a coming-of-age period drama that follows the growth, aspirations, and relationships of the March sisters in 19th century America. Gerwig’s recent adaptation in particular highlights the highs and lows of responsible Meg (Emma Watson), spirited Jo (Saoirse Ronan), gentle Beth (Eliza Scanlen), and artistic Amy (Florence Pugh) March as they transition from young girls to, well, little women in the years following the Civil War. It’s natural to squabble with loved ones, but movies like Little Women will remind you to be grateful to have them in your life, through the good times and bad.

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Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November, but the holiday has become more or less inseparable from what happens the day after. Black Friday commerce is a behemoth, even in these uncertain times, and for many Americans, the holiday isn’t complete without a trip to the local shopping mall. So why not appreciate this slapstick adventure, featuring meme king Kevin James as a bumbling mall security officer?

Unfit for his dream job as a state policeman, James’s Blart is a hapless mall denizen until he’s thrust into the center of a Black Friday heist and is forced to become a hero. It might be too much for the little ones, but older children will find plenty to howl at in James’s physical comedy.

Stream paul blart: mall cop on tubi

Now, I know what you might be thinking. John Hughes’ 1987 road-trip classic might not be a kids’ movie. In fact, it’s rated “R”, which might lead you to rule it out entirely for younger viewers. But—and I say this as someone who was five years old when the movie first came out and definitely came to enjoy it well before the MPAA’s appropriate age—it’s actually a perfect family movie.

Steve Martin and John Candy form an unlikely traveling party as they fight against weather, flight cancellations and various mishaps in a vain attempt to get back home to Chicago in time for their Thanksgiving dinners. Sure, there’s a memorable scene at a rental-car counter which pretty much single-handedly earned the ‘R’ rating for language. But if you mute that scene, it’s a timeless, hilarious film starring two-all time greats that centers on a simple theme: sometimes, you’ll do anything to be home for the holidays, and you can learn a lot about your own humanity in the process.

(And if you don’t mute that rental-car counter scene, the kids can learn the remarkable versatility of a certain four-letter word.)

Stream planes, trains, and automobiles on paramount+

Of course, for many kids, Thanksgiving is most important as a milestone in the year: it’s the last big thing on the calendar before we move full-bore into the Christmas season. No film bridges that transition better than the beloved holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, which starts its story at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

There’s two major versions of this story— both the 1947 original and 1994 remake are available to rent on multiple services—but the basic plot is the same. A Santa Claus performer wins over adoring crowds holding court at Macy’s flagship New York department store, only to cause consternation when he insists that he is, in fact, the real Santa Claus. The man’s sanity is called into question, and the story culminates in a memorable courtroom scene where the question of Santa Claus’s existence becomes a matter of legal debate.

After you’ve gorged on turkey and stuffing and a half-dozen other Thanksgiving movies, there’s no better way to finish Thanksgiving with the kids than to launch yourself toward Christmas with this classic.

Stream miracle on 34th street on disney+