Last week, I watched Disney’s Tarzan with Addy and was kind of horrified at how scary and sad it actually is!
I never noticed it before, but think about it.
Tarzan’s parents are killed by the leopard (cheetah?), it comes out a few different times that make me jump (I hate being scared), and Clayton kidnaps – scary for littles!
And that’s just Tarzan. Let’s not talk about Bambi. Anyone remember Old Yeller? I am an adult and The Rescuers Down Under still scares me with that creepy lizard and the poacher. Some of these “kid movies” are not suitable for kids.
Of course, each family and child is different and parents know their child best, but here is a list of movies that were thought of as appropriate or not appropriate amongst a group of mothers who had a conversation.
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Appropriate Movies for Sensitive Children
Ramona and Beezus
Cars
The Boxcar Children
The Muppets (2011)
March of the Penguins
Happy Feet
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition
Robots
The Emperor’s New Groove
The Boxtrolls
Madagascar
Shaun The Sheep – The Movie
The Lego Movie
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Mulan
Planes
Planes: Fire & Rescue (plus bonus features)
Room on the Broom
Rio
My Neighbor Totoro
Cinderella
The Aristocats
The Adventures Of Milo And Otis
The Little Rascals
Wall-E
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Ponyo
The Secret World of Arrietty
Oliver & Company
The Sound of Music
Polar Express
Hook
Despicable Me
Eloise At The Plaza
Mrs. Doubtfire
Home Alone
The Rookie (Full Screen Edition)
Peter Pan
Winnie the Pooh movies (more of the originals, older ones)
Wallace and Grommit (the first 3)
Pink Panther (animated cartoons)
Tigger and Pooh
The Backyardigans
Charlie Brown
Pokemon
Lisa informed us about the Raising WonderBoy website that has a great list too!
Should be watched with caution
Benji – 4 Movie Set – Benji – Benji: Off the Leash – For the Love of Benji – Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story
Beauty and the Beast (1991)(Plus Bonus Features)
Finding Nemo
Aladdin: Diamond Edition (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD)
Dumbo
Brave
Big Hero 6 (Plus Bonus Features)
Pinocchio (1940) (With Bonus Content)
Up
The Rescuers (The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under) (35th Anniversary Edition)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Frozen (2013)
James and the Giant Peach
Guardians of the Galaxy (Plus Bonus Features)
Toy Story 3
Mars Needs Moms
Ice Age (Single-Disc Edition)
Cars 2
The Iron Giant (Signature Edition)
Babe (Widescreen Special Edition)
The Little Mermaid DVD Walt Diesny (Two-Disc Platinum Edition) (1989)
The Fox And The Hound
Lilo & Stitch (Two-Disc Big Wave Edition)
Barnyard
Chicken Run
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Brother Bear
Old Yeller
Bambi
Lion King
Lady and the Tramp
Do you have any movies to add to either list? Leave them in the comments and I will be sure to add them!
Hi – Just wanted to share a website that also lists movies that work for sensitive kids. The suggestions are broken into lists by age, so you can have options as they get older 🙂
http://www.raisingwonderboy.com/movies
I just watched the new Benji with three sensitive kids and they were scared spitless. The scary parts were pretty intense and didn’t go over so well. Thanks for this list. I should’ve come here first 🙂
Thanks — some great ideas on this list, but … Home Alone? Are you thinking of the right movie? The one where a kid’s parents accidentally forget him (nightmare fuel for anxious kiddos) and his house gets besieged by robbers and he has to fight them off using extreme violence? My sensitive kid would be scarred for life.
Thanks for the article as it is very helpful! I do have to disagree that Mrs Doubtfire and Home Alone make the safe list while Frozen doesn’t. We found Frozen to be a very safe movie, in spite of the parent’s subtle disapearance and two-faced Hans.
Once again, thanks for the list!
I have a child with autism and he is completely terrified of all studio Ghibli movies. It started with the movie Spirited Away. It replays in his mind over and over and gives him nightmares. Once he figured out that the same studio made My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and others, they became a trigger as well.