Sunday, Sept. 7 marks a special day for grandparents. It’s Grandparents Day 2025, and there’s no doubt that you’ll want to mark it by spending time with the favorite people in your life. What better way than putting on a few family-friendly kid movies and watching with them.
Netflix is the perfect home for family movies. There’s something for all interests, whether you’ve got younger grandchildren who need animated movies or you’re looking for something a little more live-action. We have five great picks for this Grandparents Day.
The Land Before Time
Oh yes, there’s still something special about the journey of Littlefoot, Cera, and others as they head out to the legendary Great Valley. It starts off heartbreaking, with Littlefoot orphaned after his mom protects him from a major threat, and now he needs to venture out with just another group of kids to find his grandparents.
It all starts with Littlefoot and Cera, who has been separated from her parents, and along the way they come across Ducky (voiced by the late Judith Barsi), Petrie, and Spike. Their journey takes them on multiple dangerous adventures, and you’re left rooting for them to make it to the end.
There have been numerous movies in the franchise since then, but the first one remains the best, and a must-watch with children small and big.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
How about a movie that is filled with magical inventions and music? Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is perfect for this day, as it focuses on a boy and his grandfather heading to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory after Charlie finds a legendary Golden Ticket.
The tour is a chance for Willy Wonka to find his heir. Of course, the children heading throughout the chocolate factory are dwindled down one-by-one, but will Charlie end up getting his hands on the fortune, and what will he do with it?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the remake starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, is also available on Netflix if you want to see how the movies compare. The original is still the best.
Chicken Run
Need another animated movie? Chicken Run is a great tale, focused on survival and friendship. When a group of British chickens find out that they’re going to be turned into pies by their farmer, they need to figure out how to escape. An American rooster may be their only hope of survival, but things aren’t as they seem with this rooster.
The movie itself is sure to bring up some big topics to discuss, especially with the older children. There are elements of a prisoner of war camp for the chickens, and Rocky the Rooster seems to be able to fly a little like an American war pilot. In fact, there’s even an elderly chicken who was part of the Royal Air Force to add more to the wartime theme.
You can follow it up with the newest Netflix addition to the franchise Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Go back to the 1980s for the next movie to watch this Grandparents Day. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a wonderful story of acceptance and friendship. When an alien crash lands on Earth, a boy, Elliot, will do what he can to help protect him while he finds a way to “phone home.”
Of course, when it comes to aliens, there are people out there looking to abduct and test on him. Elliot and his family need to find a way to keep him safe while his family finds their way to Earth to help him. However, when E.T. starts to fall ill, Elliot finds that they may be running out of time.
This is one of those movies for young and old. It brings up many topics about differences and acceptance, whether it comes to aliens or humans.
Sherlock Holmes
For those with the teenage grandkids, it’s time to turn to something a little more “adult.” Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. is a PG-13 movie to put on, perfect for those who have grandkids who love to solve crimes. Hey, with so many Sherlock adaptations and the original novels out there, this could be a great way to build on their interest.
The first Sherlock Holmes movie with Downey Jr. in the titular role sees him and his crime-solving partner, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) hunt down the perpetrator in a string of brutal murders in London. We know that Lord Blackwood is behind it all, but he is more than just another murderous threat. He dabbles in the black arts, and when he rises from the grave, the occult and strange technologies prove to be problems for the crime-solving duo.
There is a sequel movie, but it’s not available on Netflix right now. However, it is worth the watch!