Summer isn’t just made for holiday vacations, summer camps, beach days, or simply spending lots of time in the sun. The summer months are also a time to watch the best classic or recently released movies for kids, leaving everyone ready for more summer adventures. There’s no better way to kick off the season than watching the best summer movies for kids on Netflix!
If you’re confused about what to watch at your Netflix party, you are in for one of the best hacks of the summer. Spend more time watching Netflix and less time searching for what to watch. From epic superhero adventures to delightful animated comedies, we’ve got the best Netflix movies night lineup for kids and the whole family to watch and enjoy this summer!
Year: 2018
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Stars: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Kevin James
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 37m
Your favorite monster family boards a luxury cruise ship so Dracula can take a summer vacation from the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for the pack as they indulge in all the fun the cruise offers, including monster volleyball, exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But the dream vacation soon becomes a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the ship’s mysterious captain, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could destroy them all. This is indeed one of the best movies for kids to watch this summer on Netflix!
Year: 201
Director: Paul King
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Ben Winshaw, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Nicole Kidman
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 35m
After a deadly earthquake destroys his home in the Peruvian rainforest, a young bear (Ben Whishaw) makes his way to England in search of a new home. The bear, dubbed “Paddington” for the London train station, finds shelter with the family of Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins). Although Paddington’s amazement at urban living soon endears him to the Browns, someone else has her eye on him: Taxidermist Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman) has designs on the rare bear and his hide.
Year: 2014
Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 42m
Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting the island’s unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons — and a mysterious dragon rider who turns out to be Hiccup’s long-lost mother, Valka (Cate Blanchett). Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.
Year: 2020
Director: Jay Karas
Stars: Seth Carr, Tichina Arnold, Adam Pally
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 41m
One of the best summer movies for kids to watch on Netflix, “The Main Event,” is about a magical mask and wholesale storytelling device that gives superpowers to an 11-year-old wrestling super fan named Leo (Seth Carr). Because it makes him more confident (by making his voice more profound and giving him super strength), Leo uses those powers to become a wrestling phenomenon, despite still having the scrawny frame of an 11-year-old.
Year: 2018
Director: Brandon Camp
Stars: Gabriel Bateman, Darby Camp, Kiele Sanchez
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 27m
Two school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them, and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
Year: 2022
Director: Richard Linklater
Stars: Milo Coy, Jack Black, Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, Josh Wiggins, Lee Eddy, Bill Wise, Natalia L’Amoreaux, Jessica Brynn Cohen, Sam Chipman, Danielle Guilbot
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, History
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 30m
Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood tells the story of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969 from two interwoven perspectives — the astronaut and mission control view of the triumphant moment and through the eyes of a kid growing up in Houston, Texas who has intergalactic dreams of his own. Taking inspiration from Academy Award-nominated® filmmaker Richard Linklater’s own life, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is a snapshot of American life in the 1960s that is part coming of age, part societal commentary, and part out-of-this-world adventure.
Year: 2021
Director: David Yarovesky
Stars: Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, Krysten Ritter
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 43m
Alex is a creative boy with a strong passion for writing scary stories. But when he’s labeled weird and rejected for what he likes, he swears he’ll never write again. That’s when an evil witch captures him in her magical apartment in New York City and demands that he tell her a new tale every night if he wants to stay alive. Trapped inside with Lenore, the witch’s spiteful cat watching his every move, Alex meets Yasmin, another young prisoner who has learned how to survive the witch’s wicked whims. With Yasmin’s help, Alex must learn to embrace what makes him unique — his love for scary stories and rewrite his destiny to break them free.
Year: 2021
Director: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe (co-director)
Stars: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Olivia Colman
Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 54m
Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother, and beloved dog to start her first year at film school. But their plans to bond as a family soon get interrupted when the world’s electronic devices come to life to stage an uprising. With help from two friendly robots, the Mitchells must now come together to save one another and the planet from the new technological revolution.
Year: 2020
Director: Harry Bradbeer
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Louis Partridge, Helena Bonham Carter, Susie Wokoma, Frances de la Tour, Burn Gorman, Adeel Akhtar
Genre: Thriller, Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2h 4m
When Enola Holmes-Sherlock’s teen sister discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord. Despite having a famous sibling, she’s very much her person in the way she goes about playing detective.
Year: 2011
Director: Stephan Franck
Stars: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: G
Runtime: 1h 42m
The evil wizard Gargamel has plagued the happy, peaceful Smurfs for a long time. Finally, he succeeds in chasing the little blue people from their village through a magic portal — which transports them to Manhattan and into the life of ad executive Patrick Winslow. Only three apples high and lost in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way back to their world before Gargamel tracks them down.
Year: 2020
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: YaYa Gosselin, Lyon Daniels, Andy Walken, Hala Finley, Lotus Blossom, Dylan Henry Lau, Andrew Diaz, Isiah Russel-Bailey, Akira Akbar, Nathan Blair, Vivien Blair, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Boyd Holbrook, Christian Slater
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 40m
If you’re looking for a sweet and silly sci-fi adventure movie that’s fun for the whole family this summer, Robert Rodriguez’s “We Can Be Heroes” is the pretty best option for kids to watch on Netflix. When alien invaders capture Earth’s superheroes, their kids must learn to work together to save their parents — and the planet.
Year: 2021
Director: Andy Coyle
Stars: Bella Ramsey, Ameerah Falzon-Ojo, Oliver Nelson
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: TV-Y7
Runtime: 1h 24m
When Hilda wakes up in the body of a troll, she must use her wits and courage to return home, become human again, and save the city of Trolberg. The film draws on the familiar rhythm of a Hilda episode — Hilda has gotten into trouble and has to use her bravery and cunning to find a solution.
Year: 2018
Director: Andy Serkis
Stars: Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett
Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 45m
Human child Mowgli is raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the jungle animals as one of their own, but the fearsome tiger Shere Khan doesn’t take a liking to him. But there may be more significant dangers lurking in the jungle as Mowgli faces his human origins.
Year: 2020
Director: Glen Keane
Stars: Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeung
Genre: Adventure, Family
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 40m
Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. She ends up on an unexpected quest and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. One of the best movies for kids to watch this summer on Netflix, “Over the Moon,” is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination.
Year: 2018
Director: Kevin R. Adams, Joe Ksander
Stars: John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Rating: TVPG
Runtime: 1h 46m
Set in a near-future world where AI robots and cyborgs are every days, Next Gen’s story follows Mai, an angry, disgruntled girl who’s bullied at school and feels alone in the world. When she stumbles upon a top-secret robot, the two form an unlikely bond and together learn the value of friendship while a sinister evil genius plots to take over the cyber world and break their bond. Definitely a must-add list to the best summer movies for kids to watch on Netflix!
Year: 2021
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 50m
Inspired by a true story, “Fatherhood” takes us through the journey of a single father. Everyone around him at first doubted whether Matt would be able to take proper care of his daughter (Maddy). Even though he was skeptical about it, he decided to take responsibility and raise his daughter without his mom’s or in-law’s help. He had his own ways of raising Maddy no matter what. In the end, he tried his best to keep her healthy & happy & do what was best for her.
Year: 2019
Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
Stars: Sarah Natochenny, Dan Green, Bill Rogers
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: TV-Y7
Runtime: 1h 37m
This Netflix original CGI spin takes your favorite Pokémon characters — Ash, Misty, Brock, and of course Pikachu — and pits them against an artificially generated foe. After a scientific experiment leads to the creation of a clone of Mewtwo, he sets out to destroy the world, and ash and his friends then decide to thwart Mewtwo’s evil plans.
Year: 2021
Director: Jude Weng
Stars: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: PG
Runtime: 2h 3m
A summer in rural O’ahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to a long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage. Initially skeptical about her new surroundings, Pili finds a cryptic pirate’s journal in her Papa’s studio hinting at a 200-year-old shipwrecked treasure hidden away in the island’s caves and mountains.
Year: 2018
Director: Christopher Jenkins
Stars: Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya, Lance Lim
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 32m
Peng rejects the community of his tight-knit flock of geese in an attempt to live life on his own terms, but when he narrowly rescues two young ducklings from an eccentric but deadly cat, the two latch onto Peng like a parent. The makeshift trio embarks on a beautiful and dangerous journey through mountains, lakes, bamboo forests, marble caves, and deep river valleys to reach their respective flocks.
Year: 1993
Director: Nick Castle
Stars: Walter Matthau, Mason Gamble, Joan Plowright
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1h 35m
The mischievous Dennis Mitchell makes the life of neighbor George Wilson miserable with his overactive energy and inadvertent troublemaking. Because his parents must leave town for work and can’t find a babysitter for Dennis, they ask George and his wife, Martha (Joan Plowright), to take care of him. But when burglar Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd) breaks in to steal George’s gold coin collection, he takes Dennis as a hostage, and crusty George must save the boy. This is one of the best classic movies for kids to watch on Netflix this summer!
Netflix has tons of stuff the whole family can watch. While there are so many viewing options, you don’t need to waste your time sifting through them. Queue up these kid-pleasers on Netflix because there’s something for everyone on this list of the best summer movies for kids to watch from the comfort of your home. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
4Kids.com offers a wide variety of opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources for kids. Still looking for more summer camp activities for kids? No problem!
Check out our comprehensive listing of summer camps for kids near you. If you’re even more curious and seeking to learn more about kids’ topics, tips, and guides, check out more blog posts in the Parenting Category.
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