The Best Kids Movies of 2018

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph and Vanellope’s adventure into the World Wide Web features an incredible, quirky cast: Gal Gadot, Ali Wong, and Ed O’Neill, to name a few. But even more exciting? Almost all of the original Disney Princess actresses voice their old characters and deliver amazing zingers. Moms, you’ll love this. 1 hr. 52 min., PG

Incredibles 2

Even though Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack are sib superheroes, they’ll totally remind you of your own kids. Shy Violet rolls her eyes at her parents, while middle-child Dash tries to prove himself. Baby Jack-Jack is, let’s just say, unpredictable. Yet the trio never gets too squabbly (take notice, tots!) and teams up to help defeat the Screenslaver. 1 hr. 58 min., PG

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

The first animated Spider-Man movie has a totally cool concept: When a machine opens a hole in the universe, Spidies from different dimensions work together to fix it. Kids loved seeing Miles Morales, the Brooklyn teen who was bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, team up with Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (she’s Spider-Woman now!) to save the world from the evil Kingpin and get back where they belong. 1 hr. 57 min., PG

The Daniel Tiger Movie: Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?

When Mom Tiger goes back to work, she shows that mothers can be loving and caring while still holding down a job (um, duh!). Mom’s friends—in particular, a new neighbor who is raising her kids with some help from Grandma—normalize all different kinds of families. 48 min., TV-Y

Mary Poppins Returns

The film’s infectious bops and clever raps—sung beautifully by Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda—had us downloading the sound track on the way home from seeing the movie. Kids left the theater crooning “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” thanks to its inspiring lyrics and fun choreography, says Betsy Bozdech, mom of two and executive editor of ratings and reviews at Common Sense Media. 2 hrs. 10 min., PG

Benji

Netflix’s iteration of the classic tale stars a real-life rescue mutt who saves his humans when they’re kidnapped. We couldn’t get enough of his big brown eyes and winning smile. “His adorableness helps make the stakes feel real so kids get invested in the story,” says Bozdech. 1 hr. 27 min., TV-PG

Paddington 2

In the first film, the father—Mr. Brown—worried his family would be better off without the mess and chaos of living with Paddington. But the sequel portrays him as flexible and “in the moment,” which means he can enjoy his kids and his life more. Plus, he’s funny. Swoon! 1 hr. 43 min., PG

Smallfoot

This supersweet film teaches little ones about the importance of telling the truth (“There’s even a direct conversation about integrity!” Bozdech says) and the value of making friends with people who are different from you. 1 hr. 36 min., PG