30 Best '90s Movies for Kids to Watch Now
Movies for kids really stepped up their game in the 1990s. Not only were advancements in CGI offering visual feasts, but Pixar was delivering stories beyond the typical lesson-tellers and Disney was enjoying another golden age. Animated fare was better than ever.
Same goes for live-action storytelling. The decade gifted us nostalgic favorites like “The Rocketeer,” “Hook” and “Babe,” which still tug at the heartstrings. So if you’re looking for amazing retro cinema to watch with your kids — or if you just want to revisit the great old days of your youth — here’s a list of 30 movies for kids from the 1990s (all rated either G or PG) you can rent or stream right now.
‘Home Alone’ (1990)
When an eight-year-old is accidentally left home alone while his family goes on Christmas vacation, he has the time of his life — until he comes face to face with a couple of burglars. This 1990 classic just the first in a series of hilarious holiday comedies, all residing on the digital shelves of Disney+.
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Witches’ (1990)
Based on Roald Dahl’s classic tale, “The Witches” focuses on a little boy and his grandmother who subvert a coven of witches who want to turn British children into mice. (Should you prefer the 2020 remake starring Anne Hathaway, check it out here.)
Rent it on YouTube
‘Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken’ (1991)
After a lot of dedication, perseverance, and luck, a young woman achieves her dream of becoming a daredevil horse diver. But her fortune takes a turn after one life-changing dive.
Stream it on Disney+
‘Hook’ (1991)
Peter Pan grew up, left Neverland and became an ordinary dad — until Capt. Hook decided to kidnap his children. Peter Pan to the rescue again!
Stream it on Hulu
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
It’s a tale as old as time: Girl lives in castle with hairy guy; they fall in love; villagers show up with torches. But throw in talking, singing household objects and two Oscar noms, and you get a true rose! (The 2017 live-action remake starring Emma Watson is also worth a stream.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Rockteer’ (1991)
In 1938 Los Angeles, a stunt pilot uncovers a rocket pack that gives him the power to fly. But the tech and his heroic acts attract the attention of the government and Nazi operatives.
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Addams Family’ (1991)
Snap your fingers as you fall for the creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky Addams family, who seem like ripe targets for a con artist — but have a few tricks up their sleeve. (If you want more, the 1993 sequel, “Addams Family Values,” is also streaming.)
Stream it on Paramount+
‘My Girl’ (1991)
In 1972, a death-obsessed girl, whose single father runs a funeral parlor, spends her days contemplating mortality and riding bikes with her best pal, an outsider who seems to be allergic to everything. But when her dad starts dating, her life get turned upside down.
Stream it on Tubi
‘Honey, I Blew Up the Kid’ (1992)
When an inventor’s creation turns his toddler into a 112-foot giant, the kid heads off to the ultimate playground: Las Vegas. (This is just one film in the “Honey” franchise. Watch the whole series here.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’ (1992)
Loggers and polluters threaten to destroy a rainforest where magical creatures dwell. Together, they decide to take on the humans and save their home.
Stream it on Starz
‘Aladdin’ (1992)
It’s a whole new world for street urchin Aladdin after he finds a chatty, cheery blue Genie in a lamp who changes his life. (Disney+ is also streaming the live-action remake if you are so inclined.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ (1992)
A busy decade for Jim Henson’s fuzzy folks, the ’90s gifted families with “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” a musical retelling of the Charles Dickens classic. (For more Muppets, check out 1996’s “Muppet Treasure Island” and 1999’s “Muppets from Space.”)
Stream it on YouTube
‘The Sandlot’ (1993)
In 1962, a kid who is new to town finds friends and adventure when he joins a backlot baseball team in this delightful coming-of-age story.
Rent it on Amazon
‘Cool Runnings’ (1993)
Based on a true story, this underdog tale see a disqualified Olympic sprinter team up with a questionable coach to launch the first Jamaican Olympic bobsled team.
Stream it on Disney+
‘Free Willy’ (1993)
A boy’s conscience is awakened when he learns that aquarium owners plan to get rid of a much-loved killer whale. Taking matters into his own fins, he helps the animal escape.
Rent it on YouTube
‘The Lion King’ (1994)
Simba just can’t wait to be king, but when his father is killed and his uncle places the blame squarely on him, he runs away, unsure he’ll ever be fit to claim the throne. (Live-action enthusiasts, Disney+ has the 2019 remake, too.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘Babe’ (1995)
When a farmer brings home a piglet from a county fair, the oinker turns out to have value far beyond just becoming bacon — Babe can herd sheep! (The sequel, 1998’s “Babe: Pig in the City,” is equally charming but slightly darker in tone; watch it on YouTube.)
Rent or buy it on YouTube
‘Toy Story’ (1995)
A pull-string cowboy who runs the toy room with a gentle, kindly manner comes under threat when an astronaut newcomer shows up and creates chaos. (Make it a movie marathon with all four “Toy Story” films.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘Magic in the Water’ (1995)
While vacationing on a remote lake in British Columbia, a little girl discovers that the myth of the mysterious lake monster is true. Once she finally gets her family to believe, too, they learn of the toxic disaster threatening the creature’s life and team up to save it.
Stream it on Tubi
‘Balto’ (1995)
Based on a true story, a Husky races to bring medicine that will avert an epidemic in Nome, Alaska.
Rent it on YouTube
‘A Little Princess’ (1995)
Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this story belongs to Sara, a privileged girl whose life is upended when her father enlists in the war and she is sent to an upscale boarding school.
Rent it on YouTube
‘James and the Giant Peach’ (1996)
An orphan escapes his cruel guardian aunts by making friends with the insects who live inside a giant peach. It could only be from the vision of Tim Burton who gets help with the novel by Roald Dahl.
Stream it on Disney+
‘Matilda’ (1996)
Another Roald Dahl essential, “Matilda” sees its precocious namesake stand up to her awful parents and sadistic headmistress, with the help of her friends, a special teacher and her own nascent magical abilities. (The 2022 remake is available on Netflix.)
Rent it on Google Play
‘Fly Away Home’ (1996)
A father and daughter bond when they take on a flock of orphaned Canada Geese who have to be taught how to migrate south.
Rent it on YouTube
‘George of the Jungle’ (1997)
A live-action adventure based on the 1967 animated series, this ’90s hit unfurls as a human who lives on Burundi’s Ape Mountain is whisked away to San Francisco. (The 2003 sequel finds the klutzy king, now married and the father of George Jr., battling his scheming mother-in-law.)
Stream it on Disney+
‘Cinderella’ (1997)
One of the best remakes of the princess-and-the-shoe fairy tale, this classic featuring a multicultural cast gives Whitney Houston a starring role as the fairy godmother to Brandy’s Cinderella, the girl who’s been living among the ashes.
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)
Twins who’ve never met before encounter one another at summer camp, then swap places and try to reunite their parents in this remake of the 1961 live-action classic.
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Prince of Egypt’ (1998)
An animated telling of the biblical story of Moses, the plagues, and the freeing of the Hebrews from bondage, DreamWorks’ Oscar winner is a timeless tale.
Stream it on Amazon
‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)
A giant robot from outer space lands on earth and makes friends with a young boy. The kid then works to keep the authorities from finding and destroying the alien they just don’t understand.
Stream it on Paramount+
‘Tarzan’ (1999)
Craving more jungle adventure? Disney’s animated musical is an often-overlooked gem about a man raised among gorillas on a journey to self-discovery.
Stream it on Disney+
Please note, the linked locations of the films and their availability are subject to change.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
