With the Christmas season in full swing, you may want to add festive movie options to your regular rotation.

There are so many holiday movies to share with your family this time of year, but they aren’t all appropriate for every age. Our list below breaks down the best family holiday movies for families by age group, but remember that you know your kids best. These are guidelines, but your judgment will rule regarding what you think your kids are ready for or what they’ll like.

The best holiday movies for families with little kids (under age 7)

A Muppet Family Christmas

This one holds a special place in my heart. It is hard to get it in its entirety because of licensing issues with the Sesame Street characters making an appearance, but the entire special is on YouTube. The whole thing is family-friendly, short, and can keep attention well. Plus, for those of us who watched it as kids, it’s nostalgic. The story of Fozzie and the Muppets crashing his mom’s vacation and staying at the farmhouse is adorable.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

As one of the best adaptations of A Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol tells the story well with puppets. Michael Caine is great as Scrooge, and it is just a great film that still does the story justice. Be careful with the ghost of Christmas future with little kids. You may need to skip it because he’s just as terrifying here as he is in all the other adaptations.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Although there have been multiple adaptations of this story, too, the original cartoon is the easiest one to introduce little kids to. My kids didn’t always like that he was stealing Christmas stuff, but I explained that he’s just lonely.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Another great one that’s easy for kids is Rudolph. The only question I’ve really had to field from my kids with this one is why they’re all mean to Rudolph. They don’t understand why his nose matters so much.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol

For another adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Mickey Mouse does an excellent job of it. The only problems my kids have with this one are Goofy’s Jacob Marley being creepy and, again, the ghost of Christmas Future.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Charlie Brown is a pretty safe bet for little kids. Although this one does dive into some more profound ideas, it’s easy to follow, and there’s Snoopy, so that is usually enough for little kids.

Frosty the Snowman

For another short option, Frosty the Snowman is another easy one for little kids. The saddest part is when Frosty melts, but you can assure your kids that he comes back.

White Christmas

While they may not understand all the little things about this one, it is okay to watch with little kids. They won’t understand the sections about war and some of the others, but the music and dancing make up for it.

The best holiday movies for families with bigger kids (7-12)

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Apart from the debate about if this is a Christmas movie or Halloween movie (or if it can be considered both), it does have Santa and Christmas in it, so I’m going to include it. As I noted in the Halloween article, Oogey Boogey can be creepy, so it might not be great for little kids.

The Santa Clause

While this one is fun, not everything in it is appropriate for little kids. There are some adult jokes, and the first time you see Santa, he dies, which can be a bit much for some kids.

Elf

Most of Elf is okay for kids, but you need to remember that there is some swearing. Otherwise, it’s a pretty cute movie that offers a unique telling of Santa and saving Christmas.

The best holiday movies for families with tweens & teens (ages 12+)

A Christmas Story

Because it pretty much reveals Santa not to be real and some of the language, this one is better for older kids who are looking back at these years. Teens are suitable for this one too, but it might not be great for little kids.

Gremlins

Another film on the Halloween list was Gremlins, but it takes place at Christmas, so you could consider it under both categories. While Gizmo is adorable, his offspring isn’t, and they turn this one into more of a scary film.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

This film is a lot of fun, but there’s language and sexual content. This one is definitely one of the best holiday movies for families – but best reserved for older kids.

Scrooged

This adaptation of A Christmas Carol is definitely geared toward older kids and adults since it’s rated PG-13. There’s swearing, violence, drinking, and the ghosts are spooky.

Christmas films are great to share with your family. While there are many choices, it is up to you to figure out what is appropriate for your kids. Have fun, grab some Christmas cookies, and enjoy them together.