By Lucia Vanderhorst – 11th Grade

Sometimes you just need a movie that younger siblings, cousins, or even you can watch without overthinking. Children’s films today aren’t just silly distractions. Many mix humor, heartfelt storytelling, and visuals that are honestly stunning. The cool thing about 2025 is that streaming platforms are competing to drop family movies that can hold the attention of both kids and parents. I picked five that are available now and worth watching, not just because they’re safe for kids but because they’re actually entertaining.

The first one has to be The Wild Robot. This movie feels like a mix of WALL-E and a survival story, with a robot waking up on an island and learning how to live with animals. It’s not just about technology, but also about nature, family, and adapting to things you don’t expect. Family Theater Productions called it a “gentle, heartfelt story for families” , and that’s true. Kids get the adventure, adults get the deeper message.

Another gem is Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. This one is a return to classic claymation humor, featuring the famous inventor-dog duo going against an old villain, Feathers McGraw the penguin. According to Tinybeans, it’s one of Netflix’s most popular family titles this year. It’s funny, creative, and a bit nostalgic for anyone who’s grown up with Wallace & Gromit already.

Then there’s In Your Dreams, which is more fantasy-adventure. It’s about siblings summoning the Sandman, and things don’t exactly go as planned. What makes this movie fun is how it mixes magical elements with real family dynamics. Kids relate to sibling arguments, while the dream world visuals keep it from feeling too ordinary. Again, Tinybeans featured it on their “best streaming family films of 2025” list, which proves it’s making waves .

For kids who love superheroes and a bit of chaos, Henry Danger: The Movie is perfect. Based on the Nickelodeon series, it’s basically action, comedy, and weird alternate realities thrown together. Rotten Tomatoes has it under the trending family movies for streaming at home this year. It’s not too serious, but it’s definitely entertaining enough to keep younger viewers laughing.

Finally, Plankton: The Movie is something SpongeBob fans have been waiting for. Everyone knows Plankton as the little villain obsessed with stealing the Krabby Patty formula, but giving him a whole movie makes for ridiculous fun. Kids love it, parents tolerate it, and honestly, it’s just silly enough to be worth streaming on Netflix.

What makes these movies stand out together is that they balance humor with heart. The Wild Robot is emotional, Wallace & Gromit is clever, In Your Dreams is magical, Henry Danger is chaotic fun, and Plankton is pure goofiness. A few quick points on why they’re worth it:

• They’re all streaming now on major platforms like Netflix or Paramount+, so you don’t have to wait.
• Reviews highlight them as family-friendly but not boring
• They cover a variety of genres, sci-fi, claymation, fantasy, superhero action, and underwater comedy.

Sources:

https://www.familytheater.org/blog/streaming-bluey-moana-netflix-spongebob-despicable

https://tinybeans.com/new-kids-movies-streaming-2025/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_at_home/genres:kids_and_family