rosschar marriette ginett
Giorgina Makara
We've been watching the Curious George:A Halloween Boo Fest and my 3.5 year old LOVES it. It's definitely been on repeat a few times in the past couple of weeks. I would agree that it's a typical Curious George episode that's just longer and involving the fall festival and costumes aspect of Halloween. My little one is not into scary stuff (she covers her ears or closes her eyes during the rats part of Tinkerbell) so finding a happy medium of "something involving the season of Halloween" and "not scary" can be tricky. For us this is a "Good" Halloween Netflix option. ?
I would also like to defend Curious George. I mean, the plot is pretty basic George but to be fair it is in the "Movies for ages 2-4" category. And throughout all the episodes of the show, Bill hasn't figured out George is a monkey and George is allowed to cook in a restaurant kitchen. What I'm saying is suspend some disbelief for the kiddos and the movie holds up just fine.
Yeah my little ones love Curious George Boo Fest as well, but like the two comments above, my kids are 4 and under. The review you read about The Addams Family is pretty spot on, although I don't remember a molestation reference but it wouldn't surprise me. And I love Scooby Doo so I will probably be watching that one during nap time today ?
Has anyone seen The Spiderwick Chronicles? Opinions? It got a pretty safe rating from Catholic News Agency and other reviewers, but I'm curious to hear any other opinions. It looked too scary for the youngest kids.
I saw Spiderwick as a teen and didn't care for it much. The costumes and the general art direction were fabulous, but it's pretty dark. It has a sort of Victorian treatment in the tragedies of the three orphans.
I don't remember much beyond that, though.
Haunted Mansion had some weird "stealing another guy's wife because you believe she is your dead wife reincarnated" stuff. Better to stick to the ride.
I also love the Curious George Halloween movie. It isn't super annoying, and I can potentially sleep through it. Not a ringing endorsement, but it makes my "I have a toddler and a newborn and need some sleep" cut.
Not on Netflix streaming (but should be): Wishbone "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" episode, and Hocus Pocus. The Wishbone episode has the cute dog for the littles and a level of creepy for biggers. Hocus Pocus actually imparts that the devil is a real person who is working in the world concept (with a nod to the guy-in-a-red-suit-as-a-devil thing.)
Elizabeth, I haven't seen Hocus Pocus, so I don't know about that. But as far as Harry Potter goes, the way *I* see it! is that there is a distinction between "the occult" and "magic." The occult is cooperating with satan to get power or favors. If a book or movie deals with the occult, it needs to have the appropriate consequences. Disney's Princess and the Frog is a good example of that done well.
Harry Potter, on the other hand, deals with "magic" not the occult. They just live in a world that has magic in it. There are people who use it for good and people who use it for evil, but no one is calling on the devil. Narnia, Lord of the Rings, fairy tales, all just have magical worlds. I don't have a problem with that. At all.
I love that explanation, thank you! I hadn't pinpointed why I was fine with magical worlds but other magicky things bug me. Tipping my hat to Once Upon a Time again, for their lovely good v evil plots with magic AND consequences. Even if Jesus is just there allegorically.
My kids love the Curious George Halloween Boofest and I think it's good. The songs are horrible, it is true, but the animation is sweet and attractive and *my* kids have fun being scared of No Noggin. For little kids it has just the right amount of creepy and there's nothing inappropriate like in the Scooby Doo (which we had to stop letting our kids watch for similar reasons.)
1. I didn't call them "bad," I called them "bad *asterisk*." An asterisk changes everything.
2. It was my intention to be very clear that I didn't think that there was anything objectionable about the shows, just that they weren't my personal preference.
3. I can only barely tolerate the Curious George books. They live at Gramma's. I love a naughty anthropomorphic animal as much as the next mom, but I prefer them to get what's coming to them, Peter Rabbit-style. I'm fairly confident I won't like it.
I don't like Curious George either. I don't ban him or anything, but I agree on the consequence issue. Nothing annoys me like a disobedient character when the story works out for the better often as a result of the disobedience. That and the, "Oh, George!" dialogue. Like mischief and disobedience are almost cute, if a little exasperating. I always want to jump into the show and give George some real consequences, and I'm always hoping my kids don't think their obnoxious behavior could ever be construed as cute, funny, or ultimately for the better!
Yes, George drives me crazy a lot but it's because of the people. Like, of course your dinosaur bones got all messed up! You brought a MONKEY to a MUSEUM and let him run around! They actually remind me of dog owners who have Granddog stickers on their vehicles.
I love, love, love the Addams Family. And I think the key difference for us was my parents pointing out that this is exacty the OPPOSITE way people are supposed to act. That point was really driven home to me in the second movie, where their baby turns into a little cherub and Mortitia is reading him a sweet bedtime story. She skips to the end and says, "Oh no. He lives."
What age range would you suggest for The Nightmare Before Christmas? My kids are 6 and under. They say they like scary things but they do get nervous about them sometimes. (They watched Mickey's House of Villains all the way through even though it scared them. It was fun scary.) Mostly I'm wondering if it's worth bothering with it if everything is going to go over their heads. I could just stick with Charlie Brown, but I've seen it before and I know I would be bored.
I think if they can handle House of Villains, they should be fine with Nightmare Before Christmas. It's just visually creepy. It's not like a suspenseful music, things jumping out at you horror movie. All my kids have seen it. The only part that really concerns them is when Santa is kidnapped and in danger. They get really worried. But it all turns out okay.
Addams family is an overreaction. Yes there is some sexual innuendo, but it's not bad, and I've been watching that movie since the age of eight, and have never picked up on it. Great film, they're overreacting.
Love your explanation of occult vs. magic in a fictional world like Harry Potter! Well done, and pretty much the way I try to describe it to my kids and others.
We just saw the Curious George thing this am. My three and five tear olds found it scary. I liked the fact that George discovered facts to explain the mystery, but i was bothered by the adults going on about it. I am not into scary movies at all.
I tend to like Curious George. Of course, the Man is kind of an idiot, but my kids see that. They are not going to learn bad habits from the monkey. I think they learn from the natural consequenses of the crazy things George tries; its supposed to be a science-related show, not a parenting show. I always think George is kind of parallel to my one year olds. Mobile, trying things, learning, climbing, clueless!
Children's entertainment has gone through big changes through the decades. TV shows and movies used to appeal to kids with colorful, simplistic visuals and safe stories. Nowadays, emotionally-charged TV shows for kids are common ground, and epic adventures are no longer reserved for teenagers and adults. What better time is there to go through Netflix's vast catalog and pick the best TV series for kids? There is something in this list for everyone, from educational, PBS-style animated shows about magic buses to live-action shows about fighting evil and classic anime. If you're looking for the next series that will both entertain your kids and get them to appreciate a good story, you've come to the right place!
So check out our list of the best kids shows on Netflix below. And for movie recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix, best family movies on Netflix, or best children's films on Prime Video or HBO.
Arguably one of the all-time greatest animated shows, Avatar: The Last Airbender pushed boundaries for what a TV show made for kids could do. The show follows a young boy who is tasked with bringing balance to a world in war. The show featured an epic serialized story with heavy themes such as genocide and totalitarianism while maintaining a playful humor. The characters are well-developed and have their own interesting arcs, and we get perhaps the best redemption story in decades. And the show actually builds up to a concrete ending that ties all the themes and stories in a near perfect bow. If you haven't seen this modern classic, now is your chance. Watch on Netflix
Superheroes are everywhere, there's no denying that. But where the Marvel and DC movies are aimed towards older kids, here comes PJ Masks to introduce the younglings to the exciting world of superheroes. We follow three 6-year-olds who become superheroes at nighttime, and get together to fight crime as the titular superhero team, facing villains and having to work as a team to defeat them. PJ Masks combines all the superheroics of a big-budget movie, with the vast imagination of its target demographic, resulting in a kid-friendly action-adventure show that's both entertaining and an effective morality tale. Watch on Netflix
Just like Dr. Seuss' stories function as bridges for kids to be introduced to the English language, or how to read, Netflix's Green Eggs & Ham functions as an excellent introductory course to TV storytelling, and comedy. A kind of kid-friendly version of the comedy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles, we follow Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am I, who are tasked with guarding and transporting a wild chicken/giraffe hybrid, and end up on a roadtrip of self-discovery. The animation is simply gorgeous, the star-studded cast will delight grown-ups, and the colorful, stylish, silly fun ride of a story will entertain kids as well as give them an excellent introductory course to comedy and TV. Plus, the show has a few surprisingly dramatic twists and turns that will keep you on your toes and teach you a thing or two. Watch on Netflix
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