The Best Kids’ Movies You Can Stream Right Now

Let me guess: It’s family movie night, and you don’t know what to watch. You’re signed up for too many streaming platforms — which means so many options. I get it! I’m just as guilty. Here at Cubby we’ve recommended great kids’ movies to stream on Disney+, excellent kids’ movies to stream on Amazon Prime, and the best kids’ shows to stream on Disney+, if you need a shorter, 30-minute option! But if you still need help deciding (before everyone runs out of patience and gives up), here is my definitive list of the best kids’ movies streaming right now, including many of my and my daughter’s favorites.

Year: 2024
Runtime: 1h 42min
Director: Chris Sanders

Roz, played by Lupita Nyong’o, is a service robot that ends up shipwrecked on a deserted island. Her attempts to help the local wildlife are unsuccessful, and she in fact ends up doing the opposite — until she comes across a gosling that imprints on her. The heartwarming, beautifully animated film is an adaptation of the novel by Peter Brown, and was even nominated for three Oscars.

Watch on Netflix: The Wild Robot

Year: 1984
Runtime: 2h 7min
Director: John G. Avildsen

A true cult classic, this film follows Daniel, a boy who moves to Southern California and is almost immediately bullied by a group of kids who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo. He makes friends with Mr. Miyagi, a repairman who, incidentally, is a martial arts master. The two start training together in preparation for a competition against the Cobra Kai kids. Although the ending is predictable, it’s still irresistible.

Watch on Hulu: The Karate Kid

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 46min
Director: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim

Anything involving Adam Sandler is sure to be a winner, and this animated musical comedy (yes, you read that right) is no exception. Sandler voices Leo the lizard, a class pet who learns he only has one year to live. He dreams of going to the Everglades, but instead he ends up secretly bonding with each student — and even their mean substitute teacher, Ms. Malkin. 

Watch on Netflix: Leo

Year: 2016
Runtime: 1h 50min
Director: Byron Howard and Rich Moore

All about the stereotypes we thrust upon others, this animated masterpiece follows Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the first-ever rabbit to join the police force in Zootopia. Relegated to traffic duty but hungry for more, she jumps at the chance to solve the city’s biggest mystery. Unexpected chaos and adventure ensue, all including a sneaky fox named Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman).

Watch on Disney+: Zootopia

Year: 2020
Runtime: 1h 38min
Director: Bert & Bertie

Starring household names like Viola Davis and Jim Gaffigan, Troop Zero is about a young girl named Christmas Flint living in rural Georgia in 1977. After losing her mom, she recruits fellow local misfits to form a new Birdie Scouts troop in order to make her dream of being recorded on NASA’s Golden Record come true. It’s an unconventional interpretation of the classic underdog trope that — heads-up — does involve some occasional swearing.

Watch on Prime Video: Troop Zero

Year: 2024
Runtime: 1h 26min 
Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Unique in its lack of dialogue (instead, there are animal sounds), Flow won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2025. It follows a cat whose home is destroyed by a flood, forcing him to seek refuge on a boat and work together with all kinds of animals to survive. Its message is simple, and arguably more relevant than ever.

Watch on Max: Flow

Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 42min
Director: James Bobin

A live-action continuation of Dora the Explorer, the plot is centered around a teenage Dora as she enters high school, is kidnapped, and solves the mystery of a lost Incan civilization. Beloved Boots and Diego are both in on the action, naturally, showcasing the same themes of teamwork and courage in a coming-of-age format.

Watch on Paramount+: Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Year: 2024
Runtime: 2h 40min 
Director: Jon M. Chu

Based on both the musical and novel of the same name, Wicked tells the untold story of teenage Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) before they ever met Dorothy in Munchkinland. Although long, the 2025 Academy Award Winner is absolutely enchanting, from the singing and set design to the comedy and costumes.

Watch on Peacock: Wicked

Year: 1965
Runtime: 2h 54min
Director: Robert Wise

Not just iconic, but also objectively wonderful based on its five Oscars wins (including Best Picture), The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Von Trapp Family singers. It stars the incomparable Julie Andrews as Maria, a postulant who becomes a governess to seven children in Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938. Her zeal for life and music is contagious — not just for the family, but also for anyone who watches this musical.

Watch on Hulu: The Sound of Music

Year: 1996
Runtime: 1h 38min
Director: Danny DeVito

What do you get when you combine Roald Dahl, Danny DeVito, and psychokinetic powers? Matilda, an adaptation of the book by the same name, about 6-year-old Matilda Wormwood. Dealing with her neglectful family and tyrannical principal, the child prodigy finds comfort in books and eventually her kind teacher Miss Honey. Things start getting really fun for her when she discovers her secret powers.

Watch on Netflix: Matilda (as well as Matilda: The Musical!)

Year: 2015
Runtime: 1h 23min
Director: Mark Linfield

A documentary about Sri Lankan monkeys might not sound interesting, but Monkey Kingdom proves otherwise. Narrated by Tina Fey, it follows Maya and her son Kip, who struggle with the hierarchical social structure of the endangered toque macaque species. They and their extended family are forced from their home at Castle Rock, requiring Maya to use her street smarts to help everyone survive. It’s a sweet, compelling story filmed over 10 years that will captivate everyone watching.

Watch on Disney+: Monkey Kingdom

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 27min
Director: Cal Brunker 

After a meteor strikes Adventure City, the PAW Patrol suddenly gains superpowers. It’s exciting — that is, until corrupt Mayor Humdinger teams up with a mad scientist to steal them and become supervillains. The storyline is primarily a victory for Skye, who was the runt of her litter and ends up learning that there truly is no job too big or pup too small.

Watch on Prime Video: PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

Year: 1988
Runtime: 1h 29min
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

My Neighbor Totoro is everything you want in a family movie — it’s nostalgic, simple, and light-hearted. Sans-antagonist, the animated tale from Studio Ghibli is about two sisters, Satsuke and Mei, who move to the country with their dad while their mom is in a nearby hospital. Friendly spirits abound, including the adorable (and massive) Totoro.

Watch on Max: My Neighbor Totoro

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 39min
Director: Jeff Rowe

All the Turtle brothers — Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello — want is to be like normal teenagers. With the help of 16-year-old aspiring journalist April O’Neil, they have the opportunity to do just that (while also defeating Superfly, a mysterious crime boss). Even if the TMNT franchise isn’t quite your thing, you’ll love hearing from the voices of Jackie Chan, Maya Rudolph, Paul Rudd, Ice Cube, and more.

Watch on Paramount+: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This post originally appeared on Cubby. See it there: The Best Kids’ Movies You Can Stream Right Now