Sometimes a movie is a mom's best bet to solve her kid's problems, especially when she's exhausted the craft projects [1], the cooking experiments, and her favourite books [2]. Never do you need an activity that will entertain your children for longer than 10 minutes and appeal to both your preschooler and your older kids than when you have a grumpy kid on your hands who just needs some downtime to chill.
Luckily, there is a wealth of awesome kids' movies, both old and new, that will appeal to children of all ages and their parents. From in-theatres-now newcomers [3] that will delight your kids and give you an excuse to serve them popcorn and candy for dinner to old-school classics [4] that remind parents of just how magical childhood can be, the following 16 movies all deserve to be on your bucket list. Pair them with your kids' (or your own) moods both to entertain and to turn those frowns upside down and get your fun back on track.
When Your Kids Are Making Parenting Calmly a Challenge and You Need to Remember Even Superheroes Have Problems
That is, problems like Common Core maths [6]. The Parr family of Incredibles 2 may have superpowers, but they still deal with real family struggles, especially now that Mr. Incredible is a stay-at-home parent trying to help with homework, a sleep-averse baby, and teenage relationship problems, while Elastigirl is out kicking bad-guy butt and still dealing with the demands of motherhood.
When Your Kids Are Too Glued to Those Screens
The Sandlot is a classic [8] that will show your kids that now's the time to put down the iPads and video games and enjoy the best parts of being a kid when school's out of session: endless days you get to fill with any kind of fun you want (baseball wins most of the time here), adventures you never planned, and, of course, fireworks and s'mores. Released in 1993 but set in 1962, the movie contains some mild language and one hilarious unintentional makeout scene, so make sure your kids are old enough for both.
When Everyone Needs Some Excitement and Adventure
Can't hear "I'm bored" one more time? Then put on Steven Spielberg [9]'s 1985 classic buddy film, The Goonies, the story of a group of kids on an adventure-filled treasure hunt inspired by their desire to save their neighbourhood from developers. Watch out for some seriously bad language and some scary scenes, including some bad guys who are after our pint-sized heroes.
When Everyone Just Needs to Shake Their Hips
The originator of "shaking it off," 1978 classic Grease made "Summer Nights" a real thing and gave us a host of other infectious songs that will remind you of the joys of adolescent Summers and first loves and the allure of the bad boy (oh, Danny Zuko, you heartbreaker [10], you). You'll love the throwback kitschiness; your tween and teen kids will love the soundtrack and pure exuberance.
When Your Older Kids Need an Outing
If your big kids are just plain sick of your little ones (and making your life hell because of it), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, out June 22, is your answer. Sure, the latest addition to the franchise isn't exactly a kids' movie [11] (it's rated PG-13, FYI), but it's packed from the start with action scenes teens and tweens will love and even has some thoughtful takeaways, like the importance of world conservation and the ability of girls to kick some butt.
When You Want Your Kids to See Their Problems Could Be Much Bigger (Literally)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids might be cheesy and admittedly feature some outdated special effects, but the 1989 film is also super fun. When a failed scientist-dad's shrink ray begins working at the worst time possible, shrinking two sets of siblings down to less than an inch, even traversing a typical suburban backyard becomes a huge adventure. Guess what? Being small can lead to some big, big problems.
When Your Kids Have Forgotten How Good They Have It
Sure, it's a little dark, but when your kids are really taking you for granted, a viewing of 2002's Lilo & Stitch, Disney's tale about an orphaned girl so lonely that she befriends a crazy destructive alien, might just remind them that they have it pretty good.
When the Entire Family Needs a Good Cry
Spoiler alert: 1991's My Girl does not have the happiest ending, but sometimes we all need a good cry, so queue it up to watch with your older kids. The sweet movie tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who spends the Summer of 1972 growing up, dealing with more emotional landmines than any kid should have to, and learning about herself and life in general in the process.
When You Need to Know Friendships Can Endure
Friendship fallout or feeling lonely? Watch Now and Then, which tells the story of four friends who spend the Summer of 1970 attempting to solve a mystery and forging bonds that will last a lifetime. Released in 1995, the film has a dynamite cast, including Christina Ricci [14], Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffmann, Demi Moore [15], and Rita Wilson, and shows that girls can have just as many adventures as boys can [16].
When You Want to Prove That Older Can Be Better
In my humble opinion, nothing beats the original The Parent Trap [17], starring Hayley Mills as a pair of separated-at-birth twins who are reunited in dramatic fashion at the Summer camp of my childhood dreams. Sure, the movie is about as old-fashioned as you can get (the dressed-up dance with the boys' camp from across the lake is from a time gone by), but it's still as charming and fun today as it was in 1961, so prove to your kids that retro can be cool.
When You Need Them to Get Excited About Summer Camp
Use the "new" The Parent Trap [18] to get reluctant campers [19] excited for their Summer camp experience. Who knows? Maybe they'll meet their long-lost twin there. The film might be 20 years old now (eek!), but it's an equally fun Summer romp that updates the original by adding some poker playing and ear piercing and losing the boy drama.
When Your Tween Is Feeling Blue
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants is one of those cheesy movies that is awesome because 1. it features a cast, including Blake Lively [20], America Ferrera [21], Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, who have gone on to be even more prolific, and 2. it shows how great friendships can get you through the hardest times. The plot follows the four best friends as they separate for their own Summer adventures and stay connected by a pair of magical jeans. Need even more downtime? Follow up with The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, which follows the foursome through another separated and drama-filled Summer.
When You Want to Encourage Free-Range Behaviour With a Healthy Dose of Fear
It's not just the song heard round the world [22] at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle [23]'s wedding; Stand by Me is also a 1986 coming-of-age movie that tells the story of four boys who go on a journey to find the body of a missing boy during Labor Day weekend 1959. While it's definitely not appropriate for younger kids (we're talking language, guns, dead bodies, and a huge amount of vomit), it's a classic that older kids will appreciate and learn from.