When you’re ready for some quality family time to silence the chaos of the 2025 season, there’s nothing better than curling up with one of our favorite Christmas movies for kids and families. Here are 10 Christmas movies to watch this season.
1. Elf
Elf is an all-time favorite and is about a guy named Buddy who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and was raised by Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the fact that he doesn’t fit in with the elves, but then he finds out that he has a father in New York, so Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. Buddy finds his father, and the family starts a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly childlike results. Keira Mullen, a freshman at Central High School, has said, “This movie is really funny, and it brings out its Christmas spirit.”
2. The Polar Express
This popular movie, The Polar Express, is about a boy who doesn’t believe in the existence of Santa Claus. But one night, he is woken up in the middle of the night and is taken on an adventure to the North Pole. He learns about courage, friendship, and the true spirit of Christmas. Polar Express is loved by many people all over the world, including Rowan Barker. She stated, “I’ve been watching it my whole life, and it gets me in the Christmas spirit.”
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Grinch starts with an angry green creature called the Grinch. He hates Christmas. But one year, Mr. Grinch thought it would be a great idea to steal everyone’s Christmas because he’s mad that he doesn’t have a family, but it doesn’t turn out well. A student from Urbana High School, Fidany Mukadi, said, “I like The Grinch because of its heartwarming message about Christmas being about love and not gifts.”
4. The Grinch (Animated)
This film has the same storyline as the original, but it focuses more on how he doesn’t have a family.. The animated movie is about a grumpy green hermit who lives on top of a mountain that is away from the city. One year, the residents there plan to have a Christmas three times bigger than their other Christmases, but the Grinch doesn’t like it, so he wants to destroy their Christmas. But a little girl named Cindy-Lou Who is plotting to meet Santa to ask him for help with her overworked mother.
5. Home Alone
Home Alone is a classic 1990 family comedy film about an eight-year-old boy named Kevin McCallister, who is accidentally left behind when his family rushes off for a family vacation in Paris. When Kevin is home alone, two robbers break into his house, but Kevin is ready for them. “I like Home Alone because of its humor; it’s pretty funny,” said Fidany.
6. Home Alone 2
Lots of students at Central love this movie more than the original. Just like the original film, Kevin is left once again, but he goes to New York instead of Miami, where the family was originally supposed to go. While he’s there, he finds the same robbers who tried to rob his house. Watch the movie on Disney if interested.
7. Christmas Vacation
Christmas Vacation is filled with hilarious actors known as Clark and in this movie he wants to have a perfect, old-fashioned Christmas with his family. But it is continuously getting messed up by a series of comedic disasters, including the arrival of obnoxious relatives. “I watch this movie every year with my family and it never fails to make me laugh,” says Rowan, a sophomore at Central High School.
8. The Santa Clause
Not many people have seen this movie. “This movie is very underrated and it needs to be watched more,” commented Tai’Lynn Sutton. The Santa Clause is a 1994 Disney comedy starring Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, a man who accidentally becomes Santa Claus after the original Santa Claus falls off of his roof. He travels to the North Pole and starts to grow a fat belly and a big white beard. He realizes he needs to save this Christmas by being Santa Claus.
9. Christmas Chronicles
The Christmas Chronicles is actually pretty new. It was made in 2018 and it was instantly a new favorite to lots of kids. Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce make a plan to catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When their plans don’t go as planned, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Nick known as Santa, and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it’s too late.
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
This classic movie is about a reindeer, and he is an outcast because of his red glowing nose. So, he runs away from home along with another fellow outcast named Hermey, and they go on an adventure where they find the Island of Misfit Toys and must also avoid the abominable snowman. Eventually, Rudolph’s unique nose becomes the key to saving Christmas when it provides a light to guide Santa through a big snowstorm.
Everyone loves the holiday Christmas, including Esosa Ogbebor, “Christmas movies make me happy for the season and it’s exciting to watch them.”