Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and of course, food. But it can also be a fun time to watch movies together. If you’re looking for some Thanksgiving-themed films to watch with your kids this year (or in 2022), here are 10 of the best options. From funny comedies to heartwarming dramas, there’s something for everyone in this list.
Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year in my opinion. The Christmas season is settling in, family time is abundant, and everything is just cozier! There’s nothing better than curling up on the couch with a holiday movie on the TV, an autumn candle burning, fresh pumpkin pie, and the first snow of the season falling. I love getting the house all decorated for the fall and Thanksgiving season and spending more time with family.
Thanksgiving tends to get overshadowed by Christmas and Halloween, but in recent years, I’ve really made it a point to focus on making the Thanksgiving holiday special for my family. One way we do this is by watching Thanksgiving-themed movies throughout November! We sprinkle in a little Christmas here and there (how could we not), but it’s such a fun way to spend time together and create lasting memories.
It’s no secret that there aren’t as many good Thanksgiving movies as there are Halloween or Christmas movies, but there are some fun ones out there! As always, I would recommend researching any movie before you turn it on for your family.
If I haven’t seen a movie previously and my kids want to watch it, I’ll usually read reviews on Kids-In-Mind or similar websites. They do a great job of reviewing the movies and explaining any semi-questionable scenes in detail! It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to kid-friendly Thanksgiving movies.
Hare is a list of the best Thanksgiving movies for kids you can watch as an entire family this November:
1. Free Birds
Free Birds is an animated movie about two turkeys who travel back in time to prevent their species from becoming the traditional main dish for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s funny, has some action, and is a lighthearted comedy movie for a family movie night.
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 1, 2013
Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video
2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a classic Thanksgiving staple you can’t skip! In this short TV special, Charlie Brown’s friends invite themselves to his Thanksgiving dinner, then Peppermint Patty them complains that the Thanksgiving menu is not good enough. After a series of events, Charlie and his friends sit down to talk about how Thanksgiving is about being thankful and together.
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: November 20, 1973
Where to Watch: Youtube, Apple TV+
3. Garfield’s Thanksgiving
Another TV special, Garfield’s Thanksgiving is sure to make everyone in the family laugh. After being put on a diet at the vet, Garfield isn’t happy with his owner, Jon, and is miserable watching him prepare Thanksgiving dinner for himself and Liz (the vet). Liz comes over, and Jon admits his Thanksgiving dinner preparation was a disaster. Grandma comes over to save the day, Garfield convinces Liz he doesn’t have to be on a diet, and everyone is happy in the end!
Rating: TV-G
Release Date: November 22, 1989
Where to Watch: Prime Video, YouTube
4. Alvin and the Chipmunks – Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration
These turkey day episodes are fun for the whole family! Alvin, Simon, and Theodore perform in a play, revisit notable American History moments, take care of a kitten, and navigate through Dave getting married. This show is especially fun for little kids, so don’t feel bad if you need to take a break from those chipmunk voices – turn this on for your kids and sneak in some well deserved self care! Better yet, you could turn this on Thanksgiving morning while you prep the food for later in the day.
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: September 23, 2008
Where to Watch: Purchase the DVD set
5. Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
While Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving covers Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s the perfect family movie for this time of year. The group of friends heads out on a quest for winter, searching for the perfect Thanksgiving feast ingredients along the way.
Rating: G
Release Date: November 8, 1999
Where to Watch: Purchase the DVD, purchase on Apple TV
6. A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving is a made-for-TV animated short your kids will absolutely adore. In this animated short, the classic friends all bring an item to share, including honey, acorns, ice cream, and lemonade, but Rabbit informs them of what a real Thanksgiving dinner should consist of. So, they set out in the Hundred Acre Wood to find the perfect ingredients for their Thanksgiving feast.
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: November 22, 1998
Where to Watch: N/A
7. Turkey Hollow
Turkey Hollow is a fun movie to watch with the older kids! In this movie, Ron Emmerson takes his kids, Tim and Annie, to their Aunt Cly’s farm in the town of Turkey Hollow. There is no technology, and the kids find themselves searching for the 10-foot monster that’s a legend in Turkey Hollow.
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 21, 2015
Where to Watch: Prime Video, VUDU
8. Ratatouille
While Ratatouille isn’t technically a “Thanksgiving movie,” it is all about food, family, and friendship. This is the perfect movie to watch as a family with a great mix of comedy, adventure, and heartfelt themes.
Rating: G
Release Date: June 29, 2007
Where to Watch: Disney+
9. The Christmas Chronicles
I couldn’t put together this list without including at least one Christmas movie! One fun family Thanksgiving tradition you could adopt is watching a Christmas movie after your feast to bring in the new holiday season. The Christmas Chronicles is about two siblings who set out to “catch” Santa on camera on Christmas Eve, but they end up on a crazy adventure.
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 22, 2018
Where to Watch: Netflix
10. A Looney Tunes Thanksgiving
A Looney Tunes Thanksgiving special includes “Bugs Bunny’s Thanksgiving Diet” and “Daffy Duck’s Thanks-forgiving special.” These are fun animated shorts to watch with the whole family, and don’t take up too much time!
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: November 15, 1979 and November 20, 1980
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
Honorable Mentions:
Dora’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Great Pumpkin
Little Women
Toy Story
Paul Blart Mall Cop
Miracle on 34th Street
Addams Family Values
The Blind Side
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Home Alone
Now that we have some of the older movies out of the way, there are some awesome new movies to watch out for coming out this November! Here are a few you should keep an eye out for when planning your 2022 November and December movie nights:
Disenchanted
Rating: No Rating
Release Date: November 24, 2022
Where to Watch: Disney+
The Santa Clauses (Series)
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 16, 2022
Where to Watch: Disney+
Slumberland
Rating: PG
Release Date: November 18, 2022
Where to Watch: Netflix
Strange World
Rating: N/A
Release Date: November 23, 2022
Where to Watch: Theaters
What are your favorite Thanksgiving movies to watch as a family? Let us know in the comments!
Thanksgiving is a time to come together with loved ones, reflect on what we’re grateful for, and watch some classic family movies. We hope you enjoy these ten films as much as we do! If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving movie ideas, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. What are your favorite Thanksgiving movies?
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