Have the Kids Watch These Summer Movies for a Season Full of Entertainment

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Summer is right around the corner and you and your family are probably looking forward to lots of fun in the sun. Maybe you have an annual family beach vacation or road trip planned, or a bucket list of summer activities to tackle. In between adventures, though, you all probably need a little down time. And that's exactly when you'll want to throw on these best summer movies for kids (that are actually fun for the whole family)!

This list caters to kids of all ages, with animated films like Luca and The Little Mermaid for the littlest members of your family, and more mature selections for teens and tweens like Now and Then and The Goonies. These best summer movies are kid-friendly, yes, but adults will love them just as much—for the feel-good factor as much as the nostalgia factor. After all, you probably remember a lot of these summer classics from when you were a kid yourself. Summer can feel like one big action-packed adventure, but there are plenty of rainy days and lazy evenings where you'll need to fill the time. Now you'll have a list handy when the kids inevitably ask: "Can we watch a movie?"

The Parent Trap

When these identical twins who were separated at birth come face to face at summer camp, they hatch a hilarious plot to swap places and reunite their parents.

The Sandlot

This beloved coming-of-age movie follows Scottie Smalls and his group of best friends as they spend the summer of 1962 playing baseball in the sandlot.

The Baby-Sitters Club

Introduce your kids to all your favorite characters from the bestselling book series by watching this fun film. In it, the babysitters start a summer camp for their clients and have lots of warm-weather adventures.

The Goonies

This classic follows a group of misfits known as "The Goonies" who embark on a treasure hunt to help save their homes from a greedy real estate developer.

Luca

Luca and his friend Alberto are having an unforgettable summer in their seaside town on the Italian Riviera. Only one thing could come between them and a good time: the fact that they're secretly sea monsters!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Four inseparable friends are spending their first summer apart. The one common thread is a magical pair of pants that somehow fits each girl perfectly.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days

Everybody's favorite wimp can't wait to spend his summer playing video games with his friends. The only thing standing in his way is one very disappointed dad.

Now and Then

This coming-of-age dramedy follows four pre-teen best friends as they share a pivotal summer in 1970. Flashing back and forth between that summer and a reunion 21 years later, this film shows how the events and friendships of our adolescence shape the people we become.

Flipper

This sweet adventure film follows Sandy Ricks (Elijah Wood) as he spends the summer with his uncle in the seaside town of Coral Key. It's there that he meets and befriends a very special dolphin named Flipper.

The Karate Kid

This beloved classic is set in Southern California and was a huge hit in the summer of ‘84, so yes, we're sneaking it onto this list! Watch the original with your kids and then segue into the popular Netflix sequel series Cobra Kai.

The Little Mermaid

What better time to jam out to "Under the Sea" than in the middle of the summer? This fun Disney film will have the whole family singing along.

It Takes Two

Here's another '90s flick involving identical twins who discover each other at summer camp. In this one, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson scheme to get their parental figures to fall in love.

Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer

Based on the popular kids' book series of the same name, this fun film follows Judy Moody as she works her way through a list of thrilling summer dares with her family by her side.

Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown

The Peanuts gang is back and this time they're on a summer camp adventure! Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the rest of their friends are competing in a river raft race but some bullies are making things very difficult for them!

Hotel Transylvania 3

Drac, Mavis, and the rest of the gang are on a monster cruise vacation and everything seems to be going swimmingly—until they discover that their boat is being commandeered by the monster-hunting Van Helsing family.

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