6 Best Kids Summer Movies 2024

This summer is packed with exciting movies you can take your kids to. There is a healthy dose of animation and live-action, with some familiar characters getting the sequel treatment. Be sure to treat yourself and your child in the coming months and share memories they will not soon forget. To help you determine which to choose first, we've rounded up the 6 best kids' summer movies in 2024.

IF (2024)

Release Date: May 17, 2024

MPAA rating: PG

MPAA explanation: thematic material, some suggestive material, brief strong language and smoking

Do you remember Bing Bong from Inside Out? IF tackles the same concept of grappling with imaginary friends as kids age. Does your child have an imaginary friend? They'll love this one because it presents them with characters they can relate to.

For parents, don't worry, there is entertainment value for you, with many recognizable faces and voices occupying the movie's cast, including Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Steve Carell, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt. Since IF includes live-action settings with animated characters, the movie may be visually uncanny for some younger children.

The Garfield Movie (2024)

Release Date: May 24, 2024

MPAA rating: PG

MPAA explanation: action/peril and mild thematic elements

After a couple of movies in the early 2000s, Garfield is back on the big screen for a fully animated feature. Chris Pratt is also back voicing beloved pop culture figures after voicing Mario in The Super Mario Bros last year.

You may know Garfield to sit at home all day eating lasagna, but in this new movie, the lazy cat and his friend Odie embark on a spy mission. While any dangerous mission can have its tense moments, this movie may introduce your child to the idea of spies in pop culture, often a point of interest for many young tweens.

Robot Dreams (2023)

Release Date: May 31, 2024

Common Sense Media Recommendation: ages 8+

Based on a graphic novel by Sara Varon, Robot Dreams follows the story of a dog who becomes friends with a robot he built. This Spanish animated movie without dialogue was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the past Oscars. It has been critically acclaimed, garnering an elusive 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even though the movie has kids in mind, Robot Dreams deals with complex themes like loneliness, friendship, abandonment, and our relationship with technology. Watching this movie with your child may present a jumping-off point in discussing how they may choose to go on and interact with the world and the relationships they forge. Your child may also be charmed by the physical comedy that comes with having a dialogue-free movie.

Inside Out 2 (2024)

Release Date: June 14, 2024

MPAA rating: Not yet rated

There is not much to say to get millions of families to see Inside Out 2 once it releases in June. The original movie was a box-office success and became the fifth highest-grossing Pixar movie behind children's classics such as Finding Dory and Incredibles 2. This new sequel will be sure to make it onto that list.

This time around, Riley is going through puberty. As we all know, puberty comes with more emotions, which are personified by voice talents such as Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling. With any Pixar movie, you should expect every family member to be entertained and maybe even shed a few tears. This is a must-see if you have children going through puberty. If they are a bit younger, go ahead and show them the first movie; it still holds up today.

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Release Date: July 3, 2024

MPAA rating: PG

MPAA explanation: action and rude humor

Don't feel guilty if you're not caught up on what is happening in the Despicable Me franchise. Families can not get enough of the minions. The minions are so popular that they have spawned two spinoff movies. If you are hesitant about taking your child to a film the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) explained has "rude humor," just know that undoubtedly all of that is minion antics, so pretty harmless.

Your child will be mesmerized by these characters in unexplainable ways. If your child is not currently up to date on the recent Despicable Me movies, now is the perfect time to catch up. You can find all of the saga's installments on Netflix and Crave (in Canada).

Harold and the Purple Crayon (2023)

Release Date: August 2, 2024

MPAA rating: PG

MPAA explanation: mild action and thematic elements

This movie is perfect for your creative child, especially if they like to draw. Zachary Levi plays Harold, a drawing who comes to life. He possesses a crayon that can make objects he draws appear in the real world. Hijinks ensue.

The film is ultimately about being confident in yourself as a creative person. It can be hard to communicate creative ideas in the real world, but the movie utilizes this magical crayon as a way for these ideas to be accepted in reality the same way they are found on the page. The message of not becoming distressed by those who don't accept their creative ideas can be a powerful message for your child.