The holidays are on their way, and with the arrival of this glorious season comes fun holiday music and great holiday movies and shows! Setting the religious vs. commercial debate aside, I am particularly fond of the movies and shows aimed at kids… they can be so much fun! Here are 8 great holiday videos for kids…
Price: $4.75 at amazon.com
Olive is a small dog who, while listening to a news report on the radio, begins to think she might just be a reindeer, and she journeys to the North Pole to help Santa pull his sleigh. She’s helped by Martini, a recent escapee from the zoo, as well as a herd of other helpful friends. The bad guy (every story needs a bad guy) is an exhausted, cranky postman, bent on keeping Santa at home. The animation is clever, the story original and funny (it’ll entertain parents and kids alike), and the cast is wonderful (Drew Barrymore, Joe Pantiliano, REM’s Michael Stipe, and more). This is far and away my personal holiday favorite. I love it!
Price: $15.99 at amazon.com
What if the plan Phineas and Ferb concoct (to build Santa a rest-stop) backfires, and everyone on Danville is on the naughty list? Can the brothers and their friends convince Santa’s elves that an entire town can’t be naughty, and that Danville is nice? This Christmas DVD is funny, sweet, and I love the music. Hey, where’s Perry?
Price: $ at amazon.com
Is there anything sweeter than a little girl who decides that Santa needs a gift, too? Dora and her friends set out for the North Pole to leave a present for Santa under his tree… for years, this was one of my daughter’s very favorite Christmas DVDs… and she still loves it!
Price: $6.49 at amazon.com
Charlie and his little sister Lola can’t wait for Christmas, but wait! There’s no door on the advent calendar for Christmas Day, and Lola accidentally sent Lotta her wish list and Lotta’s card to Santa! It’s up to Charlie and Lola to set things right. This DVD contains the Christmas episode, as well as 6 other sweet, charming episodes, so your little one will be entertained well into the New Year, too.
Price: $12.99 at amazon.com
Poor Spongebob! He gets all of Bikini Bottom ready for Santa, and then he doesn’t show up. Squidward shows some kindness, for once, and all’s well that ends well, right? There are 8 other episodes on this DVD, only one of which has anything to do with winter, so it’s good for watching year-round, not just at Christmas… bonus!
Price: $6.45 at amazon.com
Every child everywhere loves Mickey Mouse and his friends, and this DVD has a little something for everyone, from a re-telling of the classic “A Christmas Carol” to a bunch of fun sing-along songs. This plays on repeat while we all wrap gifts and drink cocoa a few days before Christmas. It’s so much fun!
Price: $15.99 at amazon.com
I remember loving watching this when I was little, and now my daughter loves it too. Charlie Brown and his friends are all busy getting ready for Christmas, and they’re all such perfect characters. My favorite part of this video isn’t the animation, or the lesson, or the sweetness. It’s the music! If you love the video, buy the soundtrack, too.
Price: $2.39 at amazon.com
This 1966 animated version (not the newer live-action one with Jim Carrey) is funny, touching, and actually has a lesson built in. The voice talent is fantastic, and again, the music is great. Who doesn’t love to sing along with “You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch”?
With so many wonderful, funny, and sweet holiday videos to choose from, there’s bound to be something on this list that will land your cranky little 6-year-old Scrooge on Santa’s good list for sure! Which of these Christmas videos do you and your kids like best, and why? Or did I leave s show or movie off my list? Please let me know!