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Reclaim the TV! 6 great movies kids can stream on an iPad 

Sarah Prager
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Remember the time before you had kids when you could watch whatever you wanted on your own TV? Thanks to tablets and streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, you can get that back. You deserve some TV time of your own, so let your child curl up with an iPad and enter their own magical world for an hour or two while you get a break.

These movies are all computer-animated tales released in the 2010s that last around one hour and 45 minutes. They’re all highly rated and well-reviewed pieces of entertainment that you can feel good about showing your kids. All six are appropriate for toddlers and up, though some have scary parts. Many of these will entertain kids at any age of elementary school, and even middle schoolers.

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Here are the best movies for kids that can be streamed on an iPad:

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Abominable

The Abominable Snowman isn’t scary in this DreamWorks movie from 2019. In fact, the yeti named Everest is in need of protection by Yi, a girl who discovers the creature on her rooftop in Shanghai. The epic voyage across China is beautiful and engaging with important life lessons learned along the way. Watch on Hulu.

Coco

Twelve-year-old Miguel loves music and takes a journey through the Land of the Dead to get home and return music to his life. Inspired by Día de los Muertos, this 2017 Disney/Pixar film can be streamed on Disney+.

Inside Out

Kids from preschool to middle school will appreciate this movie about the feelings in our brains. Amy Poehler voices Joy and other stars join in as Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. The five emotions work together to save 11-year-old Riley (the girl whose head they live in) from her despair when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. An interesting look inside our memories, imagination, and other cerebral workings that is fun for kids, this 2015 Disney/Pixar film is on Disney+.

Moana

While keeping some elements from the princess movies of year’s past, Disney creates a strong, independent heroine without a love interest in Moana, the 16-year-old daughter of the chief of fictional Polynesian island Montunui. With songs and comedy, this engaging adventure released in 2016 streams on Disney+.

Over the Moon

This 2020 Netflix original is a musical about Fei Fei, a Chinese girl mourning her mother’s passing. Her mother used to tell her about the moon goddess Chang’e, and Fei Fei decides she should build a rocket to go to the moon herself to prove to her dad that Chang’e is real. This story about family, loss, and magic can be found exclusively on Netflix.

Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph looks at what happens to the characters inside video games when the players are away. Any kid who plays games on a tablet will love it! It’s a 2012 Disney story of friendship between two characters from different games that can be found on Disney+.

Which one of these best kids’ movies will your kids choose today? Whichever it is, they’ll enjoy themselves, and you’ll love the downtime!

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Sarah Prager
Sarah Prager
Contributor
Sarah is a writer and mom who lives in Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National…
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