Site icon Tinybeans

16 Holiday Movies to Watch with Your Toddler This Year

Unwrap the magic of the season with a sleigh full of heartwarming toddler-friendly titles, all streaming on your favorite platforms

Baby, it’s cold outside! Thank goodness there’s a load of indoor fun just waiting to be streamed. Whether you and your tiny tots are snowed in or are spending the weekend stringing popcorn, you’re going to want the perfect movie—so we’ve curated a list of the best Christmas movies for toddlers. From retro classics to modern favorites featuring new characters and inventive songbooks, these films and specials are a cozy way to celebrate the spirit of the season. Read on for our picks and don’t worry: We won’t tell if you borrow a popcorn string from the tree for a snack.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Stop-motion is making a comeback! From Marcel the Shell with Shoes On to Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the flipbook style of storytelling is finding new fandom. No reason we can’t introduce littles to one of the first to perfect the form, right? Even better: This holiday origin story about how Rudolph found his place at the front of Santa’s sleigh team celebrates acceptance and self-discovery. 

Available on Amazon

Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year

Walt Disney Studios

In this magical Christmas movie for toddlers, everyone's favorite honey-gold teddy recalls a past holiday season before setting resolutions for the New Year around the Pooh Corner. Your own honey bunch will want to bounce with Tigger, be brave with Piglet, and throw an arm around Eeyore. Just like you did when you were little.

Available on Disney+

Strawberry Shortcake’s Perfect Holiday

Netflix

A tasty delight about Strawberry Shortcake and her attempt to make the holiday perfect, this Netflix animated film is as good as it looks. As Miss SS and her Berry Buddies get ready for their winter festival, themes of friendship and personal growth outweigh the pursuit of perfection—fantastic lessons that are never too early to learn. 

Available on Netflix

Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne

Apple TV

For every special occasion, there’s a Peanuts special. So after you’ve wrapped up Christmas, be sure to usher in the New Year with the gang, too. This 2021 holiday special was animated in the WildBrain studio’s new style, with Charles Schulz’s timeless characters brought to life through rich, vibrant color and their touching narratives hitting all the right notes.    

Available on Apple TV+

All I Want for Christmas Is You

NBC Universal

Parents will love that this adorable computer-animated film is based on the unofficial Queen of Christmas’s chart-topping jingle (yes, Mariah Carey); baby boppers will revel in the film’s story about a little girl who wants to prove to her parents she’s ready for a puppy.

Available on Amazon

A Garfield Christmas 

CBS

If there’s anyone we love more than Garfield, it’s Grandma! In this 1987 short film, Garfield shares our sentiment, as he, Odie, and their human, John, pack up the old sedan and head for Grandma’s house. It’s a holiday that taps into the pasta-loving cat’s charm, delivering a down-home good time for everyone.

Available on Peacock

Related: The Best Holiday Movies on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon & Apple TV+ This Year

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Warner Bros.

A little bit salty, a little bit sweet, this forever classic Christmas movie for toddlers has a happy ending that captures the spirit of the season. Clocking in at just less than a half hour, it’s the perfect length for your giggle box’s attention span, especially those who, like Cindy Lou Who, are not much more than two.

Available on Peacock.

The Snowman

Many of the best holiday movies for toddlers and preschoolers are based on books. Our favorite? The Snowman, adapted from Raymond Briggs’s wordless tale. With a gentle, ethereal vibe that won’t scare mini snowballs, it’s just the wondrous gem to watch after building a frosty buddy in the backyard. 

Available on Pluto TV

 

The Polar Express

Castle Rock Entertainment

Locomotive-loving kids will toot their horns for this visual feast about a boy who boards a magical train headed straight for Santa’s domain. They’ll love it even more if bigger kids make them paper train tickets and hot cocoa. Quick note: There are a few intense scenes, like the dramatic chase, so keep the remote ready to skip ahead if need be.

Available on Max

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Yes, it’s the classic special that comforted you every year during your childhood, and it’s just as lovely as you remember. Introduce your silly peanuts to Charlie, Snoopy, Linus, and the rest of the group as they search for the true meaning of Christmas. And keep tissues close for the heartfelt pageant at the end.

Available on Apple TV+

The Snowy Day

Amazon Studios

An adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats’s acclaimed picture book, this animated adventure captures the spirit of outdoor exploration and wintertime wonder as it tags along with protagonist Peter on his way to Nana’s. At just under an hour, you can squeeze it in after dinner and still get your toddler tucked in on time.

Available on Amazon

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Walt Disney Pictures

Featuring kiddos’ favorite felted friends, this hilarious musical reworks Charles Dickens’s 19th-century novella into a zany romp that will keep the chuckles chuckling. With Kermit as Bob Cratchit and Michael Cain as Scrooge, there’s no shortage of fun surprises. Some of the ghosts might be too much for toddlers, so keep the remote handy.

Available on Disney+

Frosty the Snowman

Get ready to sing along with the beloved holiday tune featured in this 2D-animated classic. About the lovable and friendly Frosty, the story sees the snow buddy and his friends keep his magic hat out of the clutches of a greedy magician. Something to be aware of: There’s a scene in which Frosty melts, which can make the little ones sad.  

Available on Amazon

Prep & Landing

ABC

Sure to elicit giggles, this clever holiday story features elves working together to prepare for Christmas. At only 22 minutes, you can watch this and then go on to the second short feature with elves Wayne and Lanny, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice. It’s a newer Christmas movie for toddlers that's just right for the preschool set.

Available on Apple TV+

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas

Walt Disney Studios

House of Mouse fans will cheer for this robust collection of holiday shorts featuring Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, and the rest of the gang. It’s actually the sequel assortment to Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, and with so much kindness and good cheer from the menagerie, you’ll want to stock up on both.

Available on Disney+

The Nutcracker

Warner Bros.

Show us a toddler who can sit through an entire ballet. We’ll wait … Exactly! That’s why you should just bring the show to them. In this 1993 take on the tale of Clara, the Mouse King, and those mesmerizing Sugar Plum Fairies, your budding bunhead can spin right along with New York City Ballet’s principals.  

Available on Hulu