15 Best Kids Movies From the 2010s To Watch (Again)

When we were kids, we enjoyed watching movies and cartoons. There’s a charm in exploring new worlds and meeting characters. Certain movies stick with us from childhood, and we enjoy revisiting them to relive favorite scenes and quotes, recalling the emotions we felt watching them for the first time. The 2010s gave us numerous memorable kids’ movies, animated and live-action. Let’s check out the 15 best kids’ movies from the 2010s.

1. ‘Frozen’ (2013)

One of the biggest cartoon sensations in the last decade is definitely the story of an ice queen and her kingdom and all the obstacles she needs to overcome to become what she truly is. It is a story about friendship and love, one that stays in our hearts forever. 

Elsa and her sister Anna live in a big castle in the town of Arendelle, two heiresses to the throne their parents left them when they died. The girls are locked inside the castle due to Elsa’s secret. She can turn everything to the ice after touching it and as measures of precaution, both of them were advised not to go out and mingle with their fellow citizens. Until an accident happens where Elsa decides to flee and never come back home. Anna is the one who decides to save her, together with her new friends, Cristoph and his reindeer Sven, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf.

2. ‘Tangled’ (2010)

A well-known but somewhat changed story of Rapunzel told through the words of a small thief, Flynn Rider. On his run from the court’s guards, he stumbles upon a well-hidden castle where he finds a beautiful girl who lives with her mother and rarely goes out. He figures out that she is a long-lost daughter of the king and queen of this land and decides to take her back to her family.

But her mother is an evil witch who took Rapunzel many years ago since she knows the secret to her magical hair and she is not at all satisfied with Flynn’s intentions. This cartoon has got it all. It is an adventure you shouldn’t miss, a beautiful story that shows what a good heart can do but also that evil needs to be recognized and fought against.

3. ‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

We were all very well acquainted with the characters from the first two sequels and couldn’t wait for the next adventures of a great group of toys. This time, they are taken to daycare by mistake. They meet other toys and even become friends with some, but they do not feel really at home there. They decide to join some of them and plan their great escape.

Once again, this remarkable cartoon completely catches our attention, and kids’, too. Full of interesting characters, smart and witty lines, and adventures that don’t allow us to leave our seats. This time, they brought everything to an even higher level, if that’s even possible.

4. ‘Coco’ (2017)

Coco is a masterpiece, a cartoon that received two Oscars, for best music and best cartoon. It is unforgettable, with its interesting storyline, memorable characters, gripping music, and wonderful message. Miguel is a talented guitar player who has to hide his talent because of his family’s long tradition where music is not allowed.

Miguel wants to become an accomplished musician as his idol and in order to prove his talent, he finds himself in a parallel world, the Mexican Land of the Dead where he finds so much about his family’s secrets, meets interesting characters and deals with one of the greatest disappointments of his life. But everything has its own reasons and Miguel is a boy who is destined to do great things in life.

5. ‘Song of the Sea’ (2014)

A list of the best kids’ movies must contain cartoons from the Irish moviemakers where their fascinating talent comes to light. After ‘The magnificent The Secret of Kells,’ they made the even more stunning story of an Irish and Scottish legend of selkies. Selkies are women who transform from seals into people and Saoirse is a little girl who is the last of them.

Saoirse and her brother Ben decide to go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world. But they are going to be drawn into a world they know only from their mother’s tales and this world is so much more different than ours.

6. ‘Inside Out’ (2015)

This beautiful cartoon that deals with human emotions tells the story of a little girl, Riley, who is going through a lot, just like all of her friends. We get to know the emotions that guide her, set in Headquarters, which is the control center inside Riley’s mind. We meet Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness, and Disgust.

Riley’s emotions start to change after she has to move to San Francisco where her dad got a new job. Joy is her main and most important emotion and she is trying to keep everything possible. Still, other emotions need to adjust to everything new, including the way to navigate the house, school, and new city.

7. ‘Zootopia’ (2016)

Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where we get to know Judy Hopps, the first rabbit to join the police force. She is shy and small and surrounded by all kinds of prejudice toward her species and their abilities as policemen. Judy needs to prove herself and immediately decides to take the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. 

But she won’t be alone in it. She meets Nick Wilde, a shrewd fox who is doing everything but making her life easier. Judy will have to go through many obstacles, and meet all sorts of animals, not always too pleasant, in order to prove that she is worthy of her badge. 

8. ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ (2018)

One of the best Christmas movies of the last decade, this family movie is a guarantee for spending some quality time in front of the television. It has magic, adventure, and comedy and it gives a somewhat different picture of Father Christmas. Katy and Teddy Pierce are often home alone since their mother works a lot. 

On Christmas Eve, when she suddenly has to run off to the hospital, Katy and Teddy decide to catch Santa Claus in the act. But what they thought would be asimple video on their camera, turns out to be an unforgettable journey where they will meet many interesting characters and get to know Santa and all his flaws and problems. 

9. ‘Moana’ (2016)

This visually stunning cartoon takes us on a long and beautiful journey across the Pacific. Moana is the rebellious daughter of a village chief, his only child who definitely inherited his family’s love for the sea and navigation. When her island faces the loss of fish and therefore food supplies, Moana learns that it was caused when the demigod Maui stole the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. 

The only way to help her people is to force Maui to return Te Fiti’s heart. On this journey, Moana will discover a lot about her ancestors and show her bravery and independence. This is a beautiful cartoon based on Polynesian mythology, one that you will definitely want to see more than once. A sequel is in the works.

10. ‘Big Hero 6’ (2014)

This computer-animated superhero movie is one of the most inventive cartoons we have seen in a long time. We follow the story of the young robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada who forms a superhero team with his late brother Tadashi’s healthcare provider robot. They plan to fight the evil masked villain responsible for Tadashi’s death.

A somewhat different and more complex cartoon, maybe more suitable for older children and teenagers, but one that will be remembered and seen numerous times.

11. ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ (2012)

Wreck-It Ralph is the name of the arcade game and its main character, a villain that destroys everything. And no one loves villains, almost everyone prefers good guys. That’s why Ralph has always suffered and wanted to prove himself worthy. He sees the opportunity when a new, first-shooter game arrives and he sneaks out inside it to win the medal.

Soon he wrecks everything and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy who threatens to destroy all the games in the arcade. His only hope is a witty “glitch” from a colorful racing game, the talkative Vanellope von Schweetz who needs to teach him how to be a good guy.

12. ‘Despicable Me’ (2010)

A cartoon that centers around a villain is certainly something that might be appealing after all the superheroes and kingdoms we are used to seeing in animated movies. ‘Despicable Me’ tells the story of Gru, an unusual man who lives inside his mansion, surrounded by a small army of minions. They are planning the biggest heist in the history of the world, stealing the moon.

He enjoys everything wicked, but a completely innocent and anything but evil-occasion will completely change him. He meets three orphaned girls who start looking at him differently than anyone ever. They see him as their potential father and, therefore also something good and emotional inside him. And just like that, this great villain meets the three biggest challenges of his life.

13. ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)

A cartoon that shows us that we don’t have to believe everyone someone tells us. This is a story about Hiccup, a Viking boy who wants to join the citizens of his town against the dragons who are constantly raiding their grounds. His father doesn’t want his clumsy and inexperienced son to join them, but Hiccup decides to do it nevertheless. 

He meets a mysterious Night Fury dragon, but this doesn’t end up with Hiccup killing it but befriending this kind-hearted and nice dragon. And that’s when Hiccup realizes that his father and countrymen have been wrong about this interesting species and decides to change their minds, with his dragon’s help.

14. ‘Brave’ (2012)

A story about Merida, the rebellious and brave girl who wants to change her destiny and future. She never expected that her wishes would harm her family and when her mother turns into a bear, after a spell given to Merida by an elderly witch, she needs to mend it for the sake of everyone.

Merida will soon figure out that she needs to change her way of thinking and behaving and with some help from her brothers she will embark on a journey of self-discovery. This is an interesting story that combines Scottish legends with a message that every child needs to hear and understand.

15. ‘A Boy Called Christmas’ (2021)

This is a story about a young boy Nikolas who begins an adventure of a lifetime when he decides to head out north and find his father. Alone and neglected by his aunt, Nikolas simply must see where his father went when he decided to discover the fabled village of elves.

Nikolas takes his pet mouse and a reindeer Blitzen on this journey and soon they end up in this magical land where Nikolas will find out more about himself and his family than he ever thought. This is a beautiful children’s story, a legend that many think they know, but it is always a good thing to learn even more and get to know these magical creatures and their best friends.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!