50 Best Animated Films for Kids of All Time
From KPop Demon Hunters to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, there's something for every kind of cinephile.
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My family is always in the movie theater—hello, AMC Stubs A-List power user here—and we've been taking my daughter to the multiplex regularly since she was 3. When it comes to ranking the best kids' movies ever made, so many of our choices are animated. It makes sense: Animation offers a creative freedom that lets storytellers immerse audiences in new worlds, unbound from the laws of physics or the limitations of special effects.
So, when it comes to plan the next family movie night, pop the popcorn, consult this list, and fire up one of the best animated movies for kids of all-time (listed from newest to oldest). Some are classics that adults probably remember watching when they were younger, while others are newer favorites. They're mostly rated G or PG, but there are a couple of PG-13 titles in there for the teens and older tweens. There are sci-fi adventures, high fantasies, super hero stories, and even a few musicals (and a certain amount of K-Pop songs), so there's an option no matter what mood the family is in.
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
You know the songs. Maybe you know the dances too? (At least the "Soda Pop" shoulder shimmy, right?) KPop Demon Hunters is a phenomenon for good reason: In addition to a fun soundtrack, the film tells a story of three girls who fight demons (cool), and learn a lesson of self-acceptance along the way (even better). MPAA Rating: PG
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Ne Zha 2 (2025)
If asked to name the highest-grossing movies around the world of all time, you would probably be able to guess some combo of the top four: Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Titanic. But you might be hard pressed to guess No. 5, which is this global smash-hit from China. (It is a sequel to Ne Zha.) In it, Ne Zha is torn between wanting to protect his home and not wanting to inflame his inner demonic nature. Things take a turn when he has to share his body with Ao Bing, a purer soul, and complete a series of trials so they both can become immortal. Watch for incredible animated action scenes. MPAA Rating: PG-13
Flow (2024)
Even though it's about a cat, Flow is a true underdog story: Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis made the film with consumer-grade animation software—and it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It's good for adventurous movie-watchers: The action is wordless, there are no humans in the story, and the adventure—about a group of animals weathering a flood—feels lyrical and dreamlike. MPAA Rating: PG
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
The well-loved popular video game characters get their own animated movie, following Mario and Luigi in an origin story of how they found themselves in a fantasy world. With Princess Peach and Toad by their side, the duo must find a way to fight for the Mushroom Kingdom, with the evil Bowser as their enemy. If this kids like it, a sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is out in theaters in spring 2026. MPAA Rating: PG
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Based on the novel of the same name, this movie follows a boy who discovers a fantastical world with a talking gray heron near his home. The movie was a success among Japanese viewers upon release, and it eventually won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. MPAA Rating: PG-13
The Bad Guys (2022)
Some folks just have bad reputations, like wolves, spiders, sharks, carnivorous fish and snakes. But when a group of these "Bad Guys" have to try and walk the straight and narrow, they find it feels pretty good—except when others can't get over their preconceived notions. Sam Rockwell gives a winning vocal performance as Wolf, the leader of the pack. A sequel, The Bad Guys 2, introduces more Bad Girls into the mix. MPAA Rating: PG
The Sea Beast (2022)
A world-famous monster hunter and an orphan of no renown are an unlikely pair in this sea-faring adventure. Maisie Brumble, the orphan, stows away on the ship of the famous Jacob Holland, hoping to help him destroy monsters. Instead, they learn that the world isn't what they expected. The movie is from the director of Moana, so he's had plenty of practice directing a story that traverses oceans. MPAA Rating: PG
Turning Red (2022)
Throw this movie on whenever the kids are being unruly, and maybe they'll relate to the story of children who find their own ways around parental expectations. Only the main character, Mei Ling, does this in an unusual way, since her and her mother have to find a solution to her unusual affliction: She turns into a giant red panda whenever she feels extreme emotions. MPAA Rating: PG
Wendell & Wild (2022)
For something a little darker for the older ones, there's this story, about two demons who try to trick a loner girl named Kat into helping them return to the land of the living. The movie is a team-up of stop-motion animation master Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and horror icon Jordan Peele (Nope), and both of their sensibilities come through in surprising ways. MPAA Rating: PG-13
Encanto (2021)
Most Disney movies feature a princess, or a hero on an epic quest to faraway lands. Encanto turns all those conventions on their head—Mirabel is not only not a princess, she's just a normal, not-gifted girl, and all the action takes place within walking distance of her house. And yet, she still gets involved in unraveling a mystery and learning truths about her family in unexpectedly exciting and emotionally involving ways. (Plus, this one has "We Don't Talk About Bruno," an all-time Disney banger.) MPAA Rating: PG
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
When you're feeling your family is a little too reliant on today's technology, show them this one, about the perils of being unable to unplug. In the movie, an A.I. uprising puts machine against man, and it's up to the Mitchells—a totally normal family on a road trip to drop their daughter off at college—to save humanity. It was produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and retains some of their zany, Lego Movie energy. MPAA Rating: PG
Klaus (2019)
Animated Christmas movies are a dime a dozen, but this one distinguished itself by being nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award when it was first released. In it, a selfish postal worker is re-assigned to the frozen North, where he meets a reclusive toymaker—can you see where this is headed? MPAA Rating: PG
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Just when superhero movies were starting to feel formulaic, this Spider-Man story comes along and shakes everything up again. Instead of one Spider-Man, this movie features several—thanks to a multi-verse that's starting to fray—and they all team up in a way that shows that heroism can come from anywhere, even an animated pig. The visuals are also eye-popping and cool, ultimately earning a Best Animated Feature Academy Award. A sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, came out in 2023—and a long-delayed follow up to that is still currently in the works. MPAA Rating: PG
Coco (2017)
You'd have to be "un poco loco" not to fall for this Pixar story about a boy who accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead and has to find his way out again. The Land of the Dead is so strikingly designed, though, that you might not want him to return. MPAA Rating: PG
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
This fable comes from Laika, the studio behind stop-motion movies like Coraline, ParaNorman, and the upcoming Wildwood. Kubo is known for spinning tales with origami, but, when he accidentally summons an evil spirit, he finds himself in a real adventure of his own. MPAA Rating: PG
Moana (2016)
There's a live-action remake to this coming out, but the original is ready to stream and near-perfect. In it, Moana goes on a seafaring hero's journey complete with monsters and demigods, and it's all soundtracked to some catchy tunes co-written by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda. What can you say to the kids afterward except, "You're Welcome?" MPAA Rating: PG
Sing (2016)
Playful animation meets pop songs of every taste in this movie, about a series of plucky animals who want to put on an American Idol-style showcase to save an ailing theater. It was directed by Garth Jennings. who's half of the acclaimed music video-directing duo Hammer & Tongs, so he knows how to do a musical sequence. A sequel, Sing 2, adds U2's Bono to the cast. MPAA Rating: PG
Your Name. (2016)
For older ones, this movie describes the strange connection between a girl named Mitsuha, who lives in a rural town, and a boy named Taki, who lives in the city. When the two start dreaming about each other, they have to figure out if what they're seeing is happening in real life. MPAA Rating: PG
Zootopia (2016)
Last year saw the release of the hit sequel Zootopia 2, but for families who haven't been introduced to Judy Hopps, it's best to start with the original: In the animal-filled world of Zootopia, a Judy wants to be a cop, but everyone assumes she's too meek because she's a bunny. They also think a fox is sly and up to something. But when predator and prey team up to investigate strange goings-on in the city, everyone learns a valuable lesson about prejudice. MPAA Rating: PG
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The Little Prince (2015)
Quiet to the point of being almost melancholy, The Little Prince is an adaptation of the beloved children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The movie uses both stop-motion animation and computer animation in innovative ways. MPAA Rating: G
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