Looking for the best kids' movies on Netflix? Here, you can find the best school-appropriate movies on Netflix to enjoy during your next family movie night or during school holidays.
From apocalypses, monsters and family mysteries to festive tales, unlikely friendships and a search for the meaning of life, you will find something exciting in this list of best movies to watch on Netflix for kids and during school holidays.
In this article, you'll find the best kids' movies streaming on Netflix right now so your little ones can enjoy them, too. We have also provided additional age ratings from Commonsense Media to help you pick the best movies to watch on Netflix with kids.
⭐ 🍿🥤 🎥 Looking for the best kids movies to watch next? Discover the best G rated movies on Netflix that suit all ages and are perfect for cozy movie time!
Some of the best Netflix movies for kids are:
The Last Kids On Earth (PG)
Klaus (PG)
The Little Prince (PG)
Shrek (PG)
Pokemon Detective Pikachu (PG)
Matilda (PG)
A Dog’s Purpose (PG)
Hotel Transylvania (PG)
Wonder (PG)
Paddington (G)
You'll find more details about the best Netflix kids' movies, including their IMDB ratings, Rotten Tomatoes and Common Sense Media recommendations below. Grab some snacks for the whole family, get comfy on the couch and enjoy these best kids' movies!
⭐ 🍿🥤 🎥 Don't miss out on the fun! Check out our list of the top 10 Disney movies of all time to enjoy with your family. Join your favourite Disney characters on unforgettable journeys filled with laughter, tears, and plenty of magic today!
The Last Kids On Earth on Netflix (2019)
Genre: Adventure fiction, Comedy, TV Cartoons
Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 75%
Common Sense Media: (book rating) 4 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 8+ years
The Last Kids on Earth is an animated series follows the adventures of a group of teenagers as they fight against all odds to survive zombies and monsters! You can watch The Last Kids On Earth, one of those good movies for 12-13 year olds on Netflix.
You'll find humor while still feeling suspenseful at times - it seems balanced out just right so there isn't too much scary stuff going around but enough excitement that will keep your teens entertained.
Check out The Last Kids On Earth movie trailer, one of the best Netflix PG movies for teens:
The first film of The Last Kids On Earth is about 13-year-old Jack Sullivan and his group of friends, who are the last kids on Earth after an evil king releases an army of zombies and monsters to wipe out the entire planet.
The kids treat the whole thing like a video game, participating in challenges and racecourses to earn points while battling the undead and trying to survive the apocalypse.
The Last Kids on Earth is adapted from a book series by Max Brallier of the same title.
Simply follow this link to watch The Last Kids On Earth on Netflix.
The Last Kids On Earth Book 2 came out to Netflix on April 17th, 2020. The Last Kids On Earth Book 3 was released in 2020, too.
You can watch the whole TV series here.
Klaus (2019)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Dramedy, Comedy, Children's film, Children & Family Movies
Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer for Klaus: 94%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score for Klaus: 97%
Common Sense Media: 4 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 6+ years
Klaus tells the origin story of Santa Claus. It is a feel-good story of friendship, happiness and generosity, which also brings much-needed festive cheer during a rainy weekend or school holidays.
The Common Sense Media rating says Klaus is only appropriate for ages 6 and up, but we think that Klaus is one of those good movies for 8-11 year olds on Netflix that they will enjoy watching with their friends! Watch the Klaus movie trailer, one of the best PG movies on Netflix:
This festive Netflix original is set in the unhappiest place on Earth, a town called Smeerensburg. The story follows the unlikely friendship between a postman and a toymaker, who decide to bring happiness during Christmas by delivering toys to the kids of the town.
Click the link to watch Klaus on Netflix.
The Little Prince (2015)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Children's film, Movies Based on Books
The Little Prince Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 7.7
The Little Prince Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 93%
The Little Prince Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%
Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 10+ years
The Little Prince movie has some great messages for children, such as how important it can feel when you're happy, enjoying and embracing life.
There are also scenes in the movie that may scare or disturb younger viewers (5-8 year olds) so The Little Prince movie is one of the best Netflix movies for 9-11 year olds.
Check out The Little Prince trailer:
The story is about a little girl who has a busy life that’s planned out by her mother to ensure she studies hard and gets into a prestigious university.
After an encounter with her eccentric neighbour, the Aviator, she is introduced to the world of the Little Prince, an extraordinary universe where anything is possible. This is where the little girl discovers the beauty of life through her imagination and learns the value of human connections.
This story is an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's iconic masterpiece, also called The Little Prince.
Shrek (2001)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Family film, Children & Family Movies
Shrek 1 / Shrek 2 Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 88%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%
Common Sense Media: 5 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 6+ years
Shrek is one of the best Netflix movies for 7 year olds and up and is a good family movie you can watch this school holidays. Kids love the fairy tale elements and the wisecracking Donkey! Check out the trailer for the first film:
Shrek lives happily alone in a swamp, but when evil Lord Farquaad sets out to create the perfect kingdom, he banishes all fairy tale characters to Shrek’s swamp. Shrek is furious at the intrusion and makes a deal with Lord Farquuad: he will rescue Princess Fiona and bring her to Farquuad to marry in exchange for his swamp back.
An interesting fact is that Shrek's first film success is often pointed to as a game-changer for modern animation, and it's how well its sequel did that equally changed everything in this industry. The Shrek sequel is available to watch, too!
Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Children's film, Science fiction, Children & Family Movies
Pokemon Detective Pikachu Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating Pokemon Detective Pikachu: 6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 69%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79%
Pokemon Detective Pikachu Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 8+ years
Pokemon is one of the best Netflix movies for 5 year olds and up that will keep your kids with excitement. It has so many great messages, and it's one of those films for 5-8 year olds on Netflix they will keep watching over and over.
There are some violent and scary stories that might upset younger viewers, though. The movie has a fantastic plot and a great message about friendship and teamwork.
We highly recommend giving this one a watch if your kids love adventure movies - they're sure not going to be disappointed!
Watch the Pokemon Detective Pikachu trailer:
Tim’s father was a policeman who is believed to be dead after going missing. When Tim meets his father’s Pokemon partner, whom only he can understand, the two decide to team up to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance.
Matilda (1996)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Children's film, Movies Based on Books
Matilda Age rating: PG
Matilda movie rating IMDB: 7.0
Matilda Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 90%
Matilda Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 73%
Common Sense Media: 4 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 9+ years
Matilda the movie is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children's book and is one of those good movies for 10 year olds on Netflix. If you have a 9-year old who loves to watch epic adventures and the best movies on Netflix, then Matilda would be perfect!
Watch the Matilda movie trailer here:
Matilda is very different from her entire family, who ignore her most of the time. As a result, she is forced to become independent at a very young age. She also happens to be incredibly smart and an avid reader.
When she goes to school, she is disappointed to see that her school principal hates children, but she surprisingly finds a friend in her teacher, who notices Matilda’s potential.
Matilda is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book of the same name.
Watch the inspirational story of Matilda on Netflix.
A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Children's film
Age rating: PG
A Dog's Purpose IMDB Rating: 7.2
A Dog's Purpose Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 35%
A Dog's Purpose Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 73%
Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 10+ years
A Dog's Purpose, a Netflix streaming movie, is perfect for the whole family to enjoy. This film has many lessons you can take away from, such as standing up against abuse and not being afraid when things get tough!
Kids under 8 years old might find it a bit boring, so A Dog's Purpose on Netflix Australia is one of those good movies for 11-12 year olds to watch.
Watch A Dog’s Purpose trailer here:
The story of a dog’s journey through several lives with different owners, throughout which the dog questions their purpose in life and the meaning of life overall.
The movie A Dog’s Purpose is an adaptation of the novel written by W. Bruce Cameron.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Genre: Animated movie, Comedy, Comedy horror, Fantasy, Monster, Children's film, Children & Family Movies
Hotel Transylvania Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 7.1
Hotel Transylvania Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 44%
Hotel Transylvania Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 72%
Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 7+ years
Hotel Transylvania, streaming on Netflix Australia, is one of the best movies for 7-10 year olds on Netflix. It is an animated movie (horror spoof) aimed at children, so be aware of the depiction of monsters and supernatural phenomena so it feels like younger kids can be scared by the violent and disturbing scenes.
Moral values, such as truthfulness, tolerance and courage, are shown throughout the movie.
Watch the Hotel Transylvania trailer here:
Count Dracula runs a hidden hotel resort where monsters come to spend their holidays and where he safely raises his daughter. On her 118th birthday, he decides to run a huge party to celebrate and invites many monsters to be guests.
However, when a human accidentally enters the mansion, Dracula does not want anyone in his resort to notice and tries to disguise himself as a fellow monster. But even his disguise won’t save his daughter from falling in love with the young boy.
Watch Hotel Transylvania on Netflix.
The sequel, Hotel Transylvania 2, is available on Netflix too!
Wonder (2017)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Children's film, Movies Based on Books
Age rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 85%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%
Common Sense Media: 4 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 10+ years
The main message from the Wonder movie is about accepting others and looking beyond external appearances into people's real characters and personalities. It's one of the best family movies on Netflix Australia.
You don't see any sex or nudity in this movie, just a few mild kissing scenes. However, there are some student punches, and school children make fun of and say nasty words about the poor young boy Auggie. So the Wonder movie is one of the good movies on Netflix for 8-13 year olds.
Watch the Wonder trailer here:
Auggie was born with facial differences and has been homeschooled all his life until 5th grade. Starting school for the first time is difficult, especially since Auggie doesn’t look like the other kids and gets bullied. But he soon realises that everyone has their own problems and together they can find happiness.
The Wonder movie is an adaptation of the heartwarming and inspiring novel by R. J. Palacio.
Paddington (2014)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Animation, Children's film, Movies Based on Books
Age rating: G
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 97%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 80%
Common Sense Media: 4 out of 5 stars
Common Sense Media age recommendation: 6+ years
Paddington is one of the best movies for 8 year olds and up. Many parents find that the Paddington movie could be scary for younger kids - 6-7 year olds due to some scenes that seem grossly inappropriate for children of younger age to watch and could have been changed to make the movie more kid- and family-friendly.
However, the story is really beautiful, the filming and special effects are very intriguing to watch, and the story is beautifully told from a child's point of view. This makes Paddington is one of the best G-rated movies on Netflix Australia for 8 year olds and older.
Watch the Paddington trailer here:
After an earthquake destroys his habitat, a polite bear with a love for marmalade is shipped out of his home and ends up in Paddington train station, where he meets a lovely family who decides to take him into their home. However, they don’t know that an evil taxidermist is out to get Paddington to add him to her collection.
Paddington is adapted from a book by Michael Bond titled A Bear Called Paddington.
These days, it is common for families to have a family movie night on the weekend or during school holidays. One of the favourite things about these gatherings is that they can be tailored towards any age group - from toddlers who love watching cartoons to older kids who love watching animated films and teens who enjoy adventures.
Without a doubt, movies are a great way to spend time together as a family on weekends. Thus, enjoy your next family movie night with these best kids' movies that are currently streaming on Netflix Australia.
You may wish to save this list of the best school holiday movies, as it can be handy when your kids are on holiday for the perfect chance to catch up on the amazing family adventure!
And when asking, "What to do during school holidays at home?" apart from watching movies, check out our article to find fun school holiday activities at home ideas!
