Favorite Movies and TV Shows
In my deep dive on Screen Time, I discuss the importance of selecting content wisely - avoiding anything scary/violent, not stressing too much about whether it is explicitly educational, and being mindful of whether your child is sensitive to pacing
Given the benefits of co-viewing (i.e. watching with your child), it also makes sense to steer your child towards movies/shows that you will enjoy, too!
The purpose of this page is to share some of my personal content recommendations for toddler and preschool ages
“Embrace” sections are options where you should feel zero hesitation in terms of appropriateness
“Consider” are also beloved in our fam, but require more parental judgment as to whether they are right for your child
You’ll notice there are a ton of “musical” movies - I believe that the language benefits of movies/shows are much greater when the whole family can continue singing the lyrics together during car rides, after-dinner dance parties, etc.!
Regarding the classic princess movies, many parents are understandably concerned about gender stereotypes and body image. But there is reassuring research here!
In a study of preschool-aged children, watching Disney princess movies was associated with more female stereotypical behavior a year later, but had no impact on body image (parental body esteem, other the other hand, was highly predictive of child body esteem)
In a follow-up study of the same cohort years later, the researchers found that those who had early engagement with “princess culture” actually had more egalitarian gender attitudes and similar or better body esteem in early adolescence. Their theory is that these movies really put the female protagonist front and center, which sends an important message.
For more age-based content recs, check out the lists on Common Sense Media
Embrace:
Toddler (2-3)
Bluey - sweet while still being funny and entertaining. Full of poignant moments - I’ve even gotten parenting ideas from watching!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - charming and slower pace, great for evening screentime since won’t rev kids up
Mr Roger’s Neighborhood - doesn’t get more wholesome than this (for adults - I highly recommend the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”)
Sesame Street - your kids might even learn something, according to the research!
Preschooler (4-5)
Ponyo (find the English version) - Miyazaki film (same director as Spirited Away) you’ll want to watch with your child. Spectacular animation and storyline. We loved this one so much we bought a pet fish who we named Ponyo.
Encanto & Moana - Lin-Manual Miranda lyrics, beautiful morals, strong female role models (whenever someone in my house lifts something heavy now, my kids say “You’re Luisa!!”)
Toy Story - the GOAT, great for both boys and girls; also one of the rare instances where the sequels retain the quality
Consider:
Toddler (2-3)
Curious George - encourages curiosity, but also a bit of mischief; I love shows that extend the experience of reading the books
Madeline - another opportunity to build off the books (which we adore - they’re on my list of favorite preschool age books!)
Other great books with companion TV shows are “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Frog and Toad”
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is the modern version most kids watch and it’s fine, tries to be educational
Personally, I prefer the really old shorts from the 1940s (e.g. The Little Whirlwind, Mickey’s Birthday Party, Trick or Treat, etc). It’s cool for the adults to admire the hand-animation! But they are quite short.
Preschooler (4-5)
TV Shows:
Spidey and his Amazing Friends - these are fast paced and stimulating, so better for mornings than evenings (and watch out for any resulting behavioral changes). That said, the characters have provided so much fun fodder for play in our family.
This hilarious takedown of Spidey and Disney Junior in general is worth a read!
Sadly the books that go with these series are pretty lame, I don’t recommend
Fancy Nancy: nice for social skills and expanding vocab since the whole shtick is she likes to use “fancy” words; look for the books at your local library!
Elena of Avalor and Sofia the First: strong, spunky princess shows
Do it for the nostalgia (and great music, too!), if you can look past the old-fashioned gender roles
Snow White & Sleeping Beauty - two of the oldest Disney movies with much slower pacing and gorgeous classical music throughout
Mary Poppins - the first 20 minutes are boring for young kids so consider skipping, but then the classic songs and magical moments begin!
Wizard of Oz - similarly slow in the beginning (black and white section in Kansas) so might fast-forward to Munchkinland. Wicked Witch and Oz can be a bit scary, but the rest is golden. We loved reading this book version.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - some absolutely delightful songs, especially fun if you have a car-obsessed kid. There’s some scary scenes with child-snatchers towards the end you may want to skip.
Do it for the tunes, but maybe skip the scary parts:
Okay clearly I am a sucker for Disney, especially the classics from our childhood - feels like sharing a piece of my cultural heritage with the kids; if there’s a different set of movies that bring you back to your early years, consider giving those a try!
Beauty & the Beast: “Be Our Guest”, “Tale as Old as Time” - need I say more?!
Aladdin: my childhood fave (fun fact: for one of my early birthdays, my mom hand-drew a “pin the belly button on Jasmine” game)
Little Mermaid: hits like “Part of their World”, “Under the Sea”, “Kiss the Girl”
Lion King: make sure you’re prepared to discuss Mufasa’s death, or skip that part
Coco: stunning animation, great soundtrack. May also lead to important convos about death and ancestors
Mulan: some scary battle scenes, but good exposure to different cultures and banger songs (lyrics are mostly over their heads)
Frozen: wonderful message about sisterly love, rather than romantic love. Beware, your children may become obsessed with Ana/Elsa. Frozen 2 is also fantastic.
Hercules: very underrated, IMO! Hades and the Hydra can be a bit frightening. Watching this launched our family into a months-long obsession with Greek mythology at bedtime.
Avoid:
Cocomelon - hyperstimulating, mindless slop. Just don’t.
Peppa Pig - whiny characters and annoying snorts. One of my biggest parenting regrets was allowing this for a year or so before banning.
