Movie Night Choices For Both Parents and Kids

Are you looking for some fun movies to watch with your kids? It can be difficult to find something that is age-appropriate but still entertaining to parents. You want to make sure that what they are seeing is 'clean', but you can only sit through the same cartoon so many times. Other movies interest parents, but might have your kids learning words you wish they hadn't! To help you out, I've come up with a brief list of movies that your whole family will love.
The Cat in the Hat. This 2003 takeoff of the popular Dr. Seuss book delivers plenty of laughs for both adults and kids. Siblings Sally and Conrad are bored out of their minds because it's raining and their uptight parents won't let them do anything that might mess up the carpet. The parents leave, and a cat in a large red-and-white striped hat comes to entertain the children while wreaking havoc on the house. Mike Meyers is hilarious, as usual. It's rated PG for some 'bathroom humor' and mild double entendres, but it's still a good choice for a family movie night.  
Since Halloween is near, it might also be an inspiration for a costume! My  four-year-old nephews dressed up as Thing #1 and Thing #2 for Halloween last year. Aren't they adorable? :)

Finding Nemo. Also from 2003, this Disney offering has a balance of laughs and heartwarming moments. In this animated movie, a shy young clownfish named Nemo gets caught up in the Great Barrier Reef and ends up in Sydney. His father, also somewhat timid, goes off to find him and bring him home. Along the way, he meets a sweet angelfish named Dorrie. Her motto, “Just keep swimming”, encourages him to keep searching for his son until the two are finally reunited. Some of the voices featured are Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres. This movie really cute and has something for everyone. 

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You've probably seen this several times already, but it's a classic. A poor boy named Charlie finds a golden ticket in a candy bar that gives him and four other kids (and their parents) a tour of a very large chocolate factory. The others on the tour are pretty bratty, which gets them into some funny but sticky situations. The Oompa Loompas-helpers in the factory-sing songs that will stick in your head for days. In the end, Charlie is rewarded for his decency with an end to the intense poverty he and his family are living in. Some of the scenes involving the other kids-one is turned into a giant blueberry while another is sucked into a river of chocolate-may be scary to younger children, but it's still funny with the message that good will always win out.

Hopefully now you have a few ideas for your next family movie night. Now all you have to worry about is getting enough popcorn and snacks. Either way, a good time will be had by all. Have fun!