One of the best ways to get your child into the holiday spirit is by watching Christmas movies. But with so many to choose from, which ones are both engaging and appropriate for their little minds. Whether your kiddo is into cartoons or live-action, everyone in your family will love these Christmas movies for toddlers!
Christmas has always been a very special holiday for my family. When it came time to share the tradition of watching Christmas movies with my daughter, I was super excited to experience them together. But, I quickly realized that some of my childhood favorite movies either were too mature or just didn’t hold her attention.
The Best Christmas Movies for Toddlers (that everyone will love!)
When I put together this list, I started with my 16-month-old daughter’s favorite movies! Towards the end, I added a few favorites from mamas in the BOL family. (You can subscribe here to join over 6,500+ mamas on my email list!)
Anyhow, you will find everything from sentimental classics to funny comedies on this list. I hope that these Christmas movies for toddlers help introduce your child to this very special holiday.
1. Annabelles Wish
This sweet cartoon is about a cow that is born on Christmas and is given as a gift to a little boy from Santa. It has a good mix of story and song, which I have found important to keep my daughter’s attention.
Annabelles Wish was my favorite movie as a kid, so naturally, I was so excited to share this with my daughter. To my surprise, this was by far her favorite Christmas movie.
Rating: NR, 4+
Length: 54 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon
2. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Most of us have watched this Christmas classic! My daughter loves dogs, so Max (the Grinches side-kick) kept her very engaged. She kept making woof noises throughout the entire movie.
Although this has nothing to do with a Christ-centered Christmas or Santa, it was one movie that she sat through the ENTIRE movie for.
Rating: NR, 5+
Length: 26 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon + Youtube, Stream on Peacock
3. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
We are now going to look at some of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Christmas classics. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is that old-fashioned claymation style movie.
I love this nostalgia this brings. It introduces your toddler to the idea of Santa and how he came to be! This movie is filled with a good amount of songs, which will help to keep your little one engaged.
Rating: NR, 5+
Length: 48 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon + Youtube
4. The Year Without a Santa Claus
I’m all about the claymation movies and The Year without a Santa Claus is my favorite. It’s great to watch with your toddler since there is quite a bit of music along with reindeer and even some animals to keep their attention.
Rating: G, 4+
Length: 51 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon, Youtube + Apple TV, Stream on Netflix
5. Frosty the Snowman
If your toddler loves snowmen, they will absolutely love this movie. My daughter was obsessed with any snowman she saw during the holidays. It was so cute to see how excited she was to see Frosty come to life.
Rating: NR, 3+
Length: 30 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy Amazon, Youtube + Apple TV
6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
If you want the true essence of the Christmas spirit, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a must-watch. Your toddler will love the music and characters.
Heads up, when the abominable snowman came on my daughter jumped a bit. But it really didn’t seem to bother her all too much!
She was quickly distracted by Yukon Cornelius’ dogs and the Island of misfit toys!
Rating: NR, 3+
Length: 53 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy Amazon, Youtube + Apple TV
7. Emit Otters Jug-Band Christmas
This is my Family’s favorite Movie. Many people aren’t familiar with this Muppets Christmas special. It’s about mother and son otters who take a risk to surprise each other with a Christmas present.
We love the sweet storyline of this movie along with the catchy toons that have made this movie a family tradition.
Rating: NR, 5+
Length: 48 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent Amazon, Youtube + Apple TV, Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
8. The Snowman
This movie was recommended again… and again from the Bless Our Littles Mamas. So many of them loved that it brought a classic Christmas book to life.
The Snowman is about a body who builds a snowman on Christmas Eve who takes him to the North Pole!
Rating: NR, 3+
Length: 26 Minutes
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Vudu, FREE on YouTube
9. Winnie the Pooh: a Very Merry Pooh Year
I loved this movie as a kid and unfortunately, I didn’t get around to sharing it with my daughter last year. But, it’s on our list for next year! The next few movies are going to be more geared towards your toddler’s interests versus the entire family.
Winnie the Pooh: a Very Merry Pooh Year is about how Pooh and his friends celebrate Christmas and New Year. It really focuses on enjoying these holidays with those we love!
Rating: G, 3+
Length: 65 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Youtube, Amazon, and Apple TV, Streaming on Disney+
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol
This was another movie that was HIGHLY recommended by the Bless Our Littles Mamas. If you love the Muppets, you will surely love this classic!
The Muppets Christmas Carol is a not-so-scary version of Eboneizer Scrooge. It has a cute twist on this classic Christmas story.
Rating: G, 5+
Length: 120 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Youtube, Amazon, and Apple TV, Streaming on Disney+
11. Elmo’s Christmas Countdown + Christmas Eve On Sesame Street
If your child loves Elmo, they are sure to enjoy this Sesame Street Christmas movie. My daughter absolutely adores Sesame Street, so she enjoyed this movie a LOT.
This movie is completely age-appropriate for toddlers and keeps their interest, much like each episode of Sesame Street. Although it’s a bit long, we broke this up and watched it over a few nights!
Rating: G, 3+
Length: 1 Hour 44 Minutes
Where to Watch: Purchase on Amazon
12. A Charlie Brown Christmas
If your little one enjoys cartoons, they will really love this Christmas classic. Unfortunately, my daughter didn’t make it through the entire movie. But, she’s also not much for movies with animation.
I’ve always enjoyed this Christmas classic. If it was one of your childhood favorites, it may be of your toddler’s too!
Rating: NR, 3+
Length: 30 Minutes
Where to Watch: Streaming on Apple TV+
13. An Elf’s Story
If you are starting the Elf on the Shelf, you MUST introduce your toddler to this movie. It gives them the backstory of how the elf came to be. It will encourage them to be on their BEST behavior since Santa’s elves are always watching.
Rating: NR, 4+
Length: 24 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon, Streaming on Netflix
14. Samantha Movie
If you have a little girl, they will love the Samantha Movie by American Girl. I can remember watching this movie when it first came out. This past Christmas I was so excited to show my daughter.
It’s lower on my list simply because it’s longer. We had to break this up over several nights, but she really did enjoy it. Also, there isn’t much music, so if your toddler doesn’t sit through movies without it, you may want to wait until they are a little older.
Rating: NR, 7+
Length: 86 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, or Itunes
15. Eloise at Christmas
As a little girl, I loved Eloise!! I can remember when it first came out on Disney Channel.
This Disney Christmas movie reminds me of the mischief of Home Alone. It’s a fun movie to watch with the entire family and will keep even your toddler interested!
Rating: NR, 4+
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime
16. Santa Buddies
If your little one is interested in dogs, they will love this cute Disney Christmas movie. Since the dogs are the main characters, my daughter couldn’t take her eyes off of it. She enjoyed watching the puppies work together to stir up the Christmas spirit!
Rating: G, 5+
Length: 88 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, Youtube or Itunes, Streaming on Disney+
17. Mickey’s Twice a Christmas
What makes Christmas more magical than Mickey and Minnie?! This Disney Christmas classic is especially perfect if your toddler loves Mickey Mouse Club House. It feels like it brings the magic of the Walt Disney World theme parks along with these nostalgic characters together to make the most magical Christmas experience.
Rating: NR, 5+
Length: 68 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Vudu, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV, Streaming on Disney+
18. Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
Everyone’s favorite monkey celebrates Christmas with a little bit of mischief. Curious George and The Man In The Yellow Hat are trying to figure out what to get for each other.
This one was highly recommended by moms in the Bless Our Littles community. So, I can not speak personally – but it’s on our watch list for next Christmas!
Rating: NR, 3+
Length: 58 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Youtube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV, Streaming on Hulu and Peacock
19. VeggieTales: The Best Christmas Gift
You probably won’t be grabbing a bowl of popcorn for the whole family to watch this movie, but your toddler will really love it! I really appreciated that incorporated Christ into the storyline. It’s not easy to find age-appropriate movies for your toddler that include the real meaning of Christmas.
Rating: NR, 4+
Length: 30 Minutes
Where to Watch: Purchase DVD on Amazon
20. The Polar Express
For the past 10 years, we’ve watched The Polar Express every Christmas Eve. It’s a movie that is great for all ages and really creates excitement for Santa’s arrival.
The reason this is at the bottom of my list (which may surprise you) is that it’s a bit dark and kind of long for toddlers. My daughter definitely didn’t sit through the entire movie but did enjoy the musical parts of it.
Rating: G, 6+
Length: 92 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon, Youtube, and Apple TV. Streaming on HBO-Max
21. 12 Dogs of Christmas
If your toddler enjoys live-action movies, they will surely love 12 Dogs of Christmas. Since it has real dogs and characters, this will keep their attention for most of the movie!
This is another sweet movie that can be watched as a family. Which if you have older children that’s important!
Rating: NR, 7+
Length: 107 Minutes
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Google Play, Amazon, and Itunes. Streaming on Pluto, Tubi, and Peacock
My Thoughts..
Whether you are looking for a new movie to watch or are wondering if your favorite is toddler friendly, I hope this list helps you to decide which movies are best for your little one.
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