For parents, it’s not easy to engage kids regardless of their age. Toddlers, teens, and tweens all get bored if they continue doing the usual lineup of activities. During the COVID-19 lockdown, this has been evident to my partner and me, more than ever. It turns out our Spectrum cable in Albany NY is not always enough to beat the boredom. We realized it’s always handy to have a list of easy to access movies to keep your little crew occupied while you are busy working, doing chores, or running errands.

Netflix has been a lifesaver. Fortunately, it has a whole genre of family-friendly movies catering to kids of all ages. From classics to the most recent ones, your kids won’t ever get enough. But Netflix’s database is huge. You can get lost in the options unless you don’t have a list of best picks. So to help you with that, we have done all the legwork. Here’s a list of the top 10 kids and family movies you can watch on Netflix right now:

1: Feel the Beat (2020)

It’s a comedy, drama, and family movie probably teens and tweens would enjoy. After failing to find success on Broadway, April returns to her hometown where she is forced to prep a dance squad of kids for competition.

Feel the Beat is for anyone who loves dance movies and secretly admires underdogs. The plot of the movie is cheesy and predictable which makes it perfect for kids to enjoy.

2: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

This movie is based on a true story. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind follows the life of a boy living in Africa who teaches himself engineering.

William Kamkwamba gets thrown out of school when his family fails to afford school fees. But that doesn’t stop Kamkwamba from learning. He sneaks into the school library and continues to learn how to build a windmill.

When a drought hits his village, Kamkwamba creates a turbine that powers the water pump and saves his village from famine.

3: Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution (2019)

This animated Pokémon movie reunited all Pokémon fans from the 1998s. It’s a CGI remake of the first Pokémon movie. Although it was released in 2019, it was released worldwide in February 2020 on Netflix. If you would like to reminisce about the original Pokémon movie, this one’s it.

4: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Calling all Spiderman fans, if you would like to see Spiderman in animation, this movie will be savoring for the eyes. And let you tell you it’s nothing like other Spiderman movies you have ever seen.

Here is how the story goes. After an incident, Miles Morales, a teen opens an inter-dimensional portal. He gets to visit alternative world spider men and women. Together, all spider people must prevent the collapse of the universe. This computer-animated movie leaves everyone with a message that anyone can be a hero.

5: Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

As the name implies, Mary Poppins Returns is the sequel of the original movie starring Julie Andrews. The 2018 movie’s cast includes Emily Blunt who returns 25 years after the events of the original movie. The former nanny of Michael and Jane Banks returns in the wake of the death of Michael’s wife.  

This movie is going to take you back to your childhood and remind you of the joy brought by the original Mary Poppins.

6: Incredibles 2 (2018)

Who doesn’t live a good old superhero movie? Speaking of superheroes, your kids might already be in love with the Incredibles.

Incredibles 2 follows the story of the Parr family as they struggle to restore the trust of the in superheroes and balancing family life at the same time. It’s not just a heartwarming movie for kids, but parents as well. Mama Helen goes on the mission to catch a villain while daddy Bob experiences the challenges of a stay-at-home dad.

The movie is funny, full of heartwarming movies, and most of all, it gives us the lesson of learning to work as a team.

7: Hugo (2011)

Hugo is based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The movie follows the story of a young orphaned boy, Hugo, who lives in a Paris railway station alone. He befriends a young girl and together they set on the journey putting them in contact with the work and legacy of Georges Melies, the groundbreaking filmmaker. The story is full of adventure. Some say it’s a love letter to the art of filmmaking.

8: The Little Prince (2015)

It’s an animated adaptation of the bestselling novel The Little Prince. Netflix brought the story to life so that the young generation can cherish this classic tale. But it’s not a complete translation of the tale, it pays homage to the best characters and scenes of the novel. You will the fox, snake, and rose. If you have read the book, you would enjoy watching the movie as well. Maybe after watching the movie, you can encourage your kids to read the actual novel.

Trust me, these movies have been really helpful when we had to call in for Spectrum cable repair. Your kids will have a great time watching them as well.