Looking for Suggestions on Videos and Films for My Kids

Ok, this is not a suggestion to buy, although it's worth every penny. The Signing Time series is awesome - you ALL will pick up a new language skill very effectively, and it is very fun and enjoyable for children to watch. Check them out from your library so that you have access to the various titles, not just the ones you buy.

Kudos to you on going no-TV, we love being that way ourselves. My son is just 6 and I can't think of a lot of family movies right now. We - more specifically my husband and son - love the cartoons series (mickey mouse, donald duck, goofy, etc) and we're always checking movies out of the library to watch. Some for us 3, some for us two after he goes to bed.

We also really love Veggie Tales - I dont know if it's too young for your family, but they are awesome. Some people in our church put out a set of animated scripture stories but I love Veggie Tales so much better! They're more subtle and correct in presenting the story. For example: King George and the Rubber Ducky is a movie about a king who had lots and lots of rubber duckys, but one day spies a neighbor's only rubber ducky who he loves dearly. The king coveted that rubber ducky and since he couldn't just up and take it, he sent him to the pie war (everything is so gentle - instead of war with blood and swords, there're pie wars where you get splatted with blueberry pie. Instead of being condemed to die, you get banished to the island of perpetual tickling.) Anyway... is this sounding familiar yet? I think it took me a couple viewings to realize hey, this is King David sending Uriah to battle so he could have his wife.
It thoroughly and accurately teaches the concept, without being obvious or explicit. Non-christians would watch this movie and think it was simply a story about coveting and being good without realizing the underlying story.
Not all of them are bibilical, some are just fun. They do all seem to target something - like there's one where LarryBoy (who is my 7yo nephew's favorite character to draw all the time) fights the Rumorweed. There's another "The Toy Who Saved Christmas" You probably are already familiar with Veggie Tales though!

Hi G.,
You can go to Focus on the Family website, as they sell wonderful movies.
Also, out of Utah (likely LDS owned) is, Feature Films for
Families.

I realize you're looking for new movies as gifts for Christmas, but, I have lots of used excellent movies that are gently used which you could consider after Christmas.
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Feature Films for Families is good; the Narnia movies (use your judgement for younger kids). I also recommend checking out www.moviereporter.com. He does film and DVD reveiws from a Christian perspective. National Geographic movies are good. If you use Netflix you can look under the genre "Faith and Spirituality" for ideas as well as "Children and Family". You may be able to browse the genres without being a member. You can also get the Touched by an Angel series on Netflix on DVD. We have enjoyed the movies by Sherwood Films: Facing the Giants, Flywheel, and the new one (Fireproof). The Giants movie is more for the kids. By the way, we don't have TV, just DVD/VHS also. Getting rid of TV cut down on some problems for us!

Try Christian Book distributors for Christmas videos very cheap or DVD whichever you prefer. I have gotten some good ones like Christmas Shoes, a little sad but a very nice story and my six year old watched it with me. What about Veggie Tales? Or Max Lucado. Steve Green has one called prayer bear for the littlest one. My six year old boy loves it. Also wanted to mention that my little boy is fearful but love Adventure in Odyssey on tape and I am sure your older ones would.

I am a missionary in Budapest Hungary and although I am American, my son is Hungarian and I have used these Christian videos, especially Veggie Tales, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, the Pond (audio), Christopher Church Mouse (audio), and Adventures in Odyssey to help him. His vocabulary is fantastic as I raise the level a tad higher than is suggested by the manufacturer and it increases the challenge a little. We got a lot of videos that have been marked down to a dollar since not many want videos anymore. We got Bibleman too and Chronicles of Narnia (I got the more cartoon version, not wanting to scare him). We also got Gentle Ben, Lassie, The Sound of Music, Heidi and I could go on. The old ones like Lassie still show Timmy praying before he goes to bed and so on and that has reinforced for my son, that other kids do pray. We love the Classics as well as most Disney (not all though, still have to pick and choose depending on what you see fit)

By the way, my twenty something year old niece told me when I was just home on furlough this summer, that teens love Veggie Tales!! I have noticed too that my little one gets a little more everytime he watches them.

Hope you find what you are looking for,
P.

our 6 yr old enjoys watching Dirty Jobs w/ Mike Rowe (there are now 3 dvd sets out).

My 7YO twins enjoy the "Eyewitness" kids documentary series. Our church occasionally runs some videos/DVDs during summer (to give sunday school teachers a break) - my kids aren't too fond of movies (they're a bit sensitive to sounds/visuals and found "Adventures In Odyssey" too scary) but they liked the Prairie Dogs http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item...

Try the TV series "Little House On The Prairie". It is always a good lesson and fine for kids of all ages. If you start with the beginning season it will grow with your kids and its based on true stories.

Check out http://www.littlehardhats.com/videodvd.html

This is a series of educational videos about professions that involve "big machines" - fire trucks, airplanes, road construction, farming, garbage collection, etc...

We have a 5-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, and here are some of the movies that we have enjoyed lately as a family:
Because of Winn Dixie
Black Beauty (directed by Caroline Thompson)
The Secret Garden (with Kate Maberly as Mary)
Zathura
Sky High
The Princess Bride
Nanny McPhee
Wall-E
Narnia, both The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian
Enchanted
Peter Pan (the live-action 2003 version)

We always like the classic Disney movies (like 101 Dalmations, the Rescuers...) and all the Pixar movies (like Toy Story, Finding Nemo...)

We also just found the British cartoon series (which is out on DVD) called Charlie and Lola. See if you can preview it first from the library to see if it's not too young for your kids, but my kids and I love it!

And we have enjoyed watching the Star Wars movies--more intense, but good lessons about following what's good and not being deceived by evil.

You might like the Focus on the Family website "Plugged In" which reviews movies from a Christian perspective. I read it often to get a better idea of what's actually in all those movies I hear about: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/

Focus on the Family put out some videos in the 90s about a group of kids. They are called "McGee and Me." Each movie addresses a different value - honesty, stealing etc. They are great. I used to buy them for my nieces. I would look for them on e-bay.

These aren't Christian movies but: A Goofy Movie, The Brave Little Toaster, Milo and Otis were movies that my kids and I watched a lot. Your kids might be getting a little old, but they're still cute movies.

A friend of mine gave us some videos that her kids had. You may have to search on-line or yard sales to find them though, but they are all worth the search.
Rigoletto
Split Infinity
Seasons of the Heart
Buttercream Gang
Girl of the Limberlost
Lost in the Barrens
Also Country Bears is a good one.
And for me, I love the Love Comes Softly series

There is a company called Feature Films for Families that is working on getting good family type films into the market. They have many types to choose from and they are really good. Fun to watch but also good story lines with lessons for kids...

Veggitales, ET most Disney movies. You dont say if you have a boy or girl but girls like the lizzie maguire shows as well as hannah montana. Books are great too.

No one else has mentioned the Veggie Tales videos. Perhaps they are geared a little more to younger children, but I think the older ones would enjoy them too.
On the more educational side, see if you can find any of Bill Nye the Science Guy. He has a wacky way of presenting scientific information. The videos are both educational and entertaining.

Try FEATURE FILMS FOR FAMILIES, I have gotten several movies from them ,all are Christian based.

i am a huge fan of ghibli studios mayazaki films.

my neighbor totoro deals with woodland spirits, in fact there is earthy spirituality in all them, which i think can be compatable with christianity, but not all folk may feel that way.

the strength and integrity of the characters is so special though.

the movies include, but there are more than this list: nausica, howls moving castle, spirited away, princess mononoche, and many others. i love them, and can stand watching them again and again.

i feel the same way about the last unicorn also....

humn...oh, and beleive it or not, old yeller. seems old, but i just showed it to my kids and it is now a household favorite. try exploring the 80's, like, flight of the navagator....and back to the future!

I've never had issue with anything from PIXAR. They seem to be able to make a movie that does not include crude humor yet still is entertaining to adults and children alike...what a concept! I am also thinking about Little House on the Prairie, but don't know if it's on DVD. Best of luck, I am looking forward to reading your responses as we are in a similar boat.
E.

A family fav for us is "Facing Giants". I wish there were more films like it because it was an amazing feeling to watch a movie that confirmed all that you teach your children at home. My children were truely impacted to see a movie that practiced the values and morals we live by. My son was 8 and daughter 10 when we watched it. They (especially my son ) wanted to watch it again. Warning though , you won't get through this movie with out crying.It really touches you. You'll want to go out and buy it to give to everyone, trust me I did. Another great movie for boys and girls is the American Girl movie about Kit Kittredge. You can't go wrong with this purchase and a very timely story givin our current economy. A little about us...Christian family of 6 home schooling in the Santa Cruz area. Merry Christmas.

I absolutely love Little House on the Prairie. Very uplifting with great messages on how to treat people and the series ministers about God. They sell the DVD series, (9) sets I believe in all, at Target and probably Best Buy, or you can search for them on the internet. I've seen almost every episode and I love them all.

My daughter is just turning 11 and loves the Andy Griffith Show and the Dick Van Dyke Show. : )
Have fun!

You've had some really great responses. Most of my favorites were already stated, but I loved The Ultimate Gift and that one hasn't been said yet, so I can at least contribute that movie. :-)

As for tv series:
Dr. Who is a British Sci Fi that has been around for like 60 years. The main character is "The Doctor", and they have had several (8 I think) actors playing "The Doctor." Tom Baker did the show in the 80's and is our favorite doctor. They are super cheesy. We can't help but love them.

MythBusters is also a great show for learning cool stuff. I like it because it shows practical applications of science, math and critical thinking skills....(which I thought were boring in school because I didn't understand how they related to real world situations). My husband loves it because they blow stuff up.

My younger brothers, my husband and I all love reading the books and watching the movies. Lately, we've been watching the movies first then reading the books second because the books are almost always a lot better.

Above all, I have to second the Netflix idea. Once you get started with it, you'll never want to go back.