20 Best Netflix Movies for Kids (August 2026): ‘Minions’ and More

The Despicable Me franchise is wildly popular, and that’s largely due to the Minions. Those gibberish-spouting devoted sidekicks finally got their chance to headline their own solo film in 2015, and the result was a billion-dollar hit that pleased its core demographic: little kids who like fart jokes.

Some adults will also like Minions, an entertaining, era-spanning origin story that chronicles the Minions’ evolution over the centuries. The story primarily takes place in late 1960s London, when the yellow, pill-shaped little creatures are hired by Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock) to do her bidding. She wants to steal the Imperial State Crown from Queen Elizabeth II, and she’ll do anything – and kill anyone – to make that happen. Minions Bob, Kevin and Stuart (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) do as they’re told, but their ineptitude might jeopardize Scarlet’s plans far more than any proper hero ever could.

It’s a hard-knock life for little orphan Annie (Quvenzhané Wallis). She’s stuck in a low-rent New York City orphanage, and her future looks pretty grim. When tech millionaire Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) serendipitously adopts her, Annie’s life takes a turn for the better. But all Annie wants is to find her real parents, which causes Stacks to launch a nationwide search for her mom and dad. Tomorrow is just another day, and maybe that’s when Annie will finally be reunited with the family she’s always wanted.

Based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, this modern interpretation of Annie is a crowd-pleasing winner. The film’s pleasantly retro and fantastical, with musical sequences set in dirty orphanages, pristine mansions and even the White House. Annie herself is a charmer; if you had to look up “lovable scamp” in the dictionary, her picture would be there. The original movie itself was a bit dated, but this Obama-era update has enough energy and pop-influenced musical numbers to keep kids engaged. The supporting cast includes Cameron Diaz as the greedy Miss Hannigan and Oscar nominee Rose Byrne as Grace, Stacks’ loyal and secretly in love personal assistant.

Man’s best friend gets reincarnated over and over again in A Dog’s Purpose, an unabashedly sentimental movie that chronicles the many incarnations of a soul-searching dog as it lives, dies and lives again from the 1950s to the present day. In one reincarnation, the dog, named Bailey by its loving owners, bonds with eight-year-old Ethan (Bryce Gheisar), who eventually grows up to be a high school athlete with a promising future. Bailey eventually dies and is reincarnated as a female German Shepherd in the 1970s and a male Corgi in the 1980s. Through it all, the dog continues to ask a fundamental question: what is a dog’s purpose in life?

Be warned – A Dog’s Purpose will make you cry. But that shouldn’t stop you from watching what’s one of the most life-affirming kids’ films made in the last 10 years. As a bonus, all the dogs featured in the film are super cute and give their human costars like Dennis Quaid and KJ Apa a run for their money in the charisma department. A sequel, A Dog’s Journey, was released in 2019 and is also streaming on Netflix.

Yes, it’s true — even vampires go on summer vacation. But Count “Drac” Dracula (Adam Sandler) has to put on a lot more sunblock than others because, well, the sun will kill him. That doesn’t stop him from boarding a cruise ship and having some fun in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, an entertaining sequel that changes things up for the HT crew. 

Drac discovers more than rest and a nice buffet once the ship starts sailing — he meets the pretty captain, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), and quickly falls head over fangs in love with her. But Ericka has a secret — she’s Drac’s longtime nemesis’ Abraham Van Helsing’s (Jim Gaffigan) great-granddaughter, and she’s promised to help destroy him once the ship reaches Atlantis. But as the ship nears its destination, Ericka realizes she has feelings for Drac, too. Uh-oh!

16-year-old Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is just like any other teenage boy except for one not-so-minor detail — he’s the son of a Greek god. And not just any god, but Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), who is protecting him from Zeus’ (Sean Bean) wrath. It seems Zeus thinks Percy stole his magical lightning bolt, and he wants it back — or else all-out war between the gods will occur. Poseidon doesn’t want that to happen, but he’ll have to reveal Percy’s true nature to the boy — and the hidden powers he possesses.

Based on the bestselling YA novel by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is like Harry Potter but with Greek gods and monsters instead of magic and wizards. That comparison is even more pronounced due to the involvement of filmmaker Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films. He showcases a similarly deft balance between sentiment and spectacle in The Lightning Thief, which works as both a thrilling adventure and a sweet coming-of-age story. The film was successful enough to get a sequel, Sea of Monsters, which is also streaming on Netflix. 

After years of internal strife, the crime-solving Mystery Inc. gang has disbanded. Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Velma (Linda Cardellini) and Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) each go their separate ways, leaving poor Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and trusty dog Scooby-Doo (voiced by Neil Fanning) on their own. Two years later, when guests at a swanky resort called Spooky Island are afflicted with a demonic curse, the Scooby gang are invited to reunite and solve the mystery. But even with their combined brainpower and some sweet Scooby snacks, they might not be able to crack the case before they all fall prey to the same curse.

Scooby-Doo is exactly what you’d expect a live-action adaptation of the original 1969-1970 children’s show would look and sound like. Every color is bright and saturated, while every line reading has an exclamation point at the end of every sentence. It’s over the top in all the right ways, and the lowbrow humor is perfect for kids to understand — and laugh at. A sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, was made in 2004 and is also available to stream on Netflix.  

All young Francisca Imelda (Mireya Mendoza) wants to be when she grows up is a famous horror author. Adopting the male pseudonym “Frankelda,” she writes stories about the Topus Terrenus, a fantastical realm populated by magical creatures — and unknown dangers. Francisca soon discovers that the Topus Terrenus actually exists, and she’s soon transported into it. Once there, a handsome prince, Herneval (Arturo Mercado Jr.), needs her help to save his land. Sensing an opportunity for adventure, not to mention inspiration for her next novel, Francisca agrees to help him save his land.

I Am Frankelda is the latest stop-motion animated adventure from Netflix, which released Guillermo del Toro’s similar Pinocchio a few years ago. Del Toro served as a mentor to Frankelda’s directors Arturo and Roy Ambriz, who share his love for weird beasts, strong heroines and Mexican culture. The result is a breathtakingly beautiful fantasy that successfully transports you to another dimension filled with sights you’ve never seen before. The movie currently holds a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which should tell you how good it is. Don’t miss it.

Netflix just debuted a new animated adventure that’s sure to be a hit with the kids — Swapped. Ollie (Michael B. Jordan) is a sea otter-like creature who befriends and switches bodies with Ivy (Juno Temple), a colorful bird. They have to find a way to switch back to their original bodies, but they soon encounter a bigger problem — the Firewolf, an entity that will burn down everything Ollie and Ivy hold dear.

Swapped is a colorful adventure that convincingly creates another world filled with talking animals, wood and fire gods and tree-like creatures who dispense valuable advice. It’s not a classic like most Pixar movies or the Despicable Me franchise, but it’s charming enough to warrant a watch. 

In 1969, rich pre-teen Alan Parish (Adam Hann-Byrd) plays a mysterious board game named Jumanji and promptly disappears. 26 years later, Judy and Peter Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) move into Alan’s now abandoned mansion, discover the game and begin to play it, which brings Alan (Robin Williams) back. Older and hairier, Alan has been trapped inside the game all these years, and he needs Judy and Peter’s help to finish the game he started all those decades ago.

Forget the Dwayne Johnson reboot movies — the original Jumanji is where it’s at. With groundbreaking visual effects, an irresistible story and Robin Williams at his peak, Jumanji is an imaginative all-ages adventure that effectively transports you to another world. Kids will appreciate the rampaging rhinos and mischievous monkeys that wreak havoc on Alan’s small town, while the adults will appreciate the message that parents aren’t so bad after all.

Over 30 years since Wallace and Gromit were plagued by a bloodthirsty penguin named Feathers McGraw in The Wrong Trousers, the murderous bird is back to enact his revenge in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. When Wallace (Ben Whitehead) invents a helpful robotic gnome that does tasks around the house, Gromit becomes concerned about his owner’s reliance on the technology. When Gromit plugs the “Norbot” into a computer to quiet its charging, Norbot is compromised by a cyberattack by none other than Feathers McGraw. With Norbot now under McGraw’s villainous orders, it’s up to Wallace and Gromit to reprogram him and save the day.

Though two decades had passed between Vengeance Most Fowl and 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, the dynamic dog-and-man duo had hardly skipped a beat. Whitehead does a terrific job emulating Wallace’s original voice actor, Peter Sallis, in the wake of Sallis’ passing, and the humor, claymation and adventure narrative are just as sharp as they’ve ever been. Vengeance Most Fowl boasts plenty of cutesy, colorful delight for children, with humor and charm that will be appreciated by adults as well. This movie is a true crowd-pleaser through and through.

When NYC teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider, he doesn’t know what to do. Thankfully, a Spider-Man from another dimension, Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), is there to help him out. But wait — why is there a superhero from another dimension visiting him? And does it have anything to do with the massive, top-secret device The Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) is building underground? (The answer is yes, of course.)

One of the most inventive animated movies of all time, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is also one of the most fun. It’s a hoot to see Miles team up with various versions of Marvel’s beloved wall-crawling hero, including the mysterious Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) and the wide-cracking Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), to take on bad guys like the Doctor Octopus (Kathryn Hahn). Clever dialogue and great performances from the cast make this movie super entertaining, but it’s the colorful, jaw-dropping animation that makes Into the Spider-Verse truly stand out from the spandex-clad crowd.

The classic British children’s author gets the Netflix treatment in The Twits. Roald Dahl’s 1980 novel is the basis for this animated adventure about two very bad people, Mr. and Mrs. Twit (voiced by Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale), who own the town’s local amusement park. The Twits are big fish in a small pond, and they use their power for no good. That’s why two orphans, Beesha (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Bubsy (Ryan Lopez), rise to stop them and save their town from meat floods and toxic farts. (Don’t ask.)

Like previous Dahl adaptations The Witches and James and the Giant Peach, The Twits is deliciously weird. There’s no other world quite like the one in the movie, which is what makes it both fascinating and slightly repulsive. The movie’s impressive vocal cast, which includes Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke, hits all the right notes and the film’s visual look is distinct from all the cookie-cutter CG kids movies out there.

Singing anthropomorphic animals working together to save a struggling business — what more could you want? Oh, they sing songs you already love, jukebox musical style? Even better. Sing follows Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), a koala trying to save his beloved theater from financial ruin, who hatches a plan — he’ll host a singing competition! The contest attracts a diverse group of animal contestants, each with their own unique backstory and dreams of stardom.

With an uplifting narrative that emphasizes themes of perseverance, self-discovery, and the importance of chasing one’s dreams, Sing delivers a heartwarming message that resonates with audiences of all ages. You’ll love the soundtrack, kids will love the animation, and you all will enjoy the entertaining cast, which includes Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly and more.

What if your favorite music band was secretly a team of demon hunters protecting humanity? That’s the central conceit behind KPop Demon Hunters, a visually dazzling new animated movie that features plenty of magical creatures as well as some catchy songs. 

When K-pop girl group HUNTR/X aren’t touring or recording vocals for their next album, they are slaying demons and keeping the villainous Gwi-Ma from taking over the world. But when he hatches a plan to defeat them by forming his own boy band, the Saja Boys — who will sap fans’ energy and thus weaken the portal between human and demon worlds — they’ll have to summon all the powers they possess to stop him. Will HUNTR/X save the day while topping the charts at the same time? 

Allison and Carlos Torres (Jennifer Garner and Édgar Ramírez) are overworked parents to three children who view their parents more as dictators than loving guardians. Taking the advice of a family friend, Allison and Carlos initiate a “Yes Day,” a 24-hour period where they can’t say “no” to any request from their children. Naturally, this causes all sorts of hijinks, but will it bring the family closer together or tear them apart?

Yes Day is silly, but it’s also a good-natured comedy that garners its laughs through real-world scenarios parents face all the time. Garner and Ramirez are appealing as the stressed-out parents who want the best for their children, and Jenna Ortega has an early, stand-out role as their eldest child, Katie.

Based on Emma Yarlett’s award-winning children’s book of the same name, Orion and the Dark tells the story of 11-year-old Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), who has a paralyzing fear of the dark. One night, he’s visited by Dark itself (Paul Walter Hauser), who takes the young boy on a magical journey where he meets other nighttime entities like Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett) and Insomnia (Nat Faxon). But will Orion truly accept Dark, and all the fears associated with it, before Light comes and disintegrates the entity forever?

That’s just the beginning of the movie, which develops into a weird and wonderful tale about growing up but never forgetting what it was like to be young and adventurous. The animated movie was written by Being John Malkovich’s Charlie Kaufman, who puts his own unique spin on what’s already a twisted kids story. Orion and the Dark is a beautiful film to look at and experience and will surely become a generational classic in the years to come.

Magic and tech collide in the medieval-futuristic world of Nimona. The title character (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a mysterious and rebellious girl with an amazing superpower — she can shapeshift into any animal. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is a young knight ousted from society for apparently killing the Queen (Lorraine Toussaint). While Ballister tries to prove his innocence, Nimona breaks into his lair and demands to be his new villainous sidekick. 

Nimona is a ball of relentless energy, and her friendship with the more staid and cautious Ballister makes for a chaotically fun movie. The art style is unique and captivating, and the movie has a great message about accepting differences that will reach kids without talking down to them. And if you shed a tear when you learn Nimona’s tragic backstory, we won’t tell anyone.

You know how old maps used to depict monsters in the uncharted depths of the ocean? What if those monsters were real? Netflix’s original film The Sea Beast depicts such a world in a colorful, thoughtful family film that feels like a mash-up of How to Train Your Dragon with Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Spunky orphan Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) longs to join the heroic ranks of the brave, seafaring monster hunters, so she stows away aboard a ship. When she and legendary monster killer Jacob (Karl Urban) end up stranded and at the mercy of the beasts, the duo learn that there’s far more to these giant aquatic creatures than meets the eye. Can they help the kingdom overcome its prejudices and restore peace?

This Netflix original movie is a hilarious adventure starring Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph and Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson as a family that accidentally becomes humanity’s only hope against an AI apocalypse.

Convinced her family doesn’t understand her, aspiring filmmaker Katie (Jacobson) can’t wait to start college and find “her people.” Her dad, Rick (McBride), is desperate to recapture his bond with his daughter. Rick decides they should take a device-free cross-country road trip to drop Katie off at school at the same time that PAL (Olivia Colman), a Siri-esque operating system, rebels against her creators. PAL turns every Wi-Fi-enabled device in the world into an evil robot, and it’s up to the Mitchells to stop her before humans are destroyed forever.  

This family movie is an incredible portrayal of how older and younger generations can fail to communicate, and how a little extra understanding can save the world.

If, after the book and the ‘96 movie, you still want more Matilda — and we would understand if you did — then guess what? There’s also a fantastic musical adaptation. The songs in this Netflix film, originally written by Tim Minchin for Broadway, are alternately funny and moving. One number, entitled “When I Grow Up,” is a beautiful tribute to the fantasies of childhood that will bring a tear to your eye.

Alisha Weir is captivating as the titular heroine, and Emma Thompson is wonderfully monstrous as Miss Trunchbull. Matilda the Musical expands upon the lore of the original and will encourage you to be “a little bit naughty” to stand up for what’s right.