Top 10 Kids Movies of the 90s

Best 1990s Kids Movies

The 90s just might have been the greatest decade for kids’ movies. In addition to the return of Disney and the rise of Pixar, plenty of other producers were making hilarious and adventure-packed movies, from FernGully to Matilda to The Land Before Time. With so many outstanding films to choose from, it was hard to narrow down the best kids’ movies of the decade – but here are the top ten that 90s kids are most likely to remember fondly:

  1. The Parent Trap

Lindsay Lohan made her acting debut in 1998, starring as twins Hallie and Annie in The Parent Trap. The two girls – separated at birth in their parents’ divorce – find themselves at the same summer camp, where they hatch a plan to reunite their parents. Naturally, this plan involves switching places, so Hallie heads to her mother’s home in London, while Annie returns to her father’s vineyard in Napa Valley. This movie had everything necessary to make it a sleepover favorite in the 90s, including charming English accents and a very happy ending for everyone.

  1. Hook

Although Hook never quite received the critical acclaim its directors probably hoped it would, kids adored this twist on Peter Pan. Robin Williams starred as a grown-up Peter, who must return to Neverland and rescue his kidnapped children after Captain Hook takes them away. His adventures along the way were captivating for young audiences, and – okay – a little scary at points. Part of the fun of going to see this movie was showing your younger siblings how much braver than them you were, since pirate duels were not about to intimidate you.

  1. Home Alone

If you don’t watch Home Alone at least once every holiday season, you probably aren’t a 90s kid. In this classic Christmas movie, eight-year-old Kevin McAllister gets left behind when his family heads off to Paris for the holidays. Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, spends the next few days outsmarting a pair of incredibly foolish burglars with a series of elaborate booby-traps. Sure, we knew our parents probably weren’t going to forget us before the next trip, but we stored away a few of those trap ideas, just in case. This film has a heartwarming storyline, but it’s the slapstick comedy that made it worth watching over and over.

  1. Space Jam

Is there a better incentive to go see a movie than the phrase “starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny”? Not in 1996. If you saw only one film in theaters during your 90s childhood, it was probably Space Jam. The Monstars and the Tune Squad were one of the most intense basketball rivalries of the year. In this film, Michael Jordan joins forces with animated Looney Toons stars like Porky Pig and Daffy Duck to save the NBA after the Monstars swoop in and steal the talent of the league’s best players. Our parents probably hated this movie, but it was outstanding in the mind of every kid.

  1. A Bug’s Life

A Bug’s Life was one of the very first Pixar movies, and it was definitely a 90s classic. Like all Pixar films, adults and kids alike found reasons to like this movie. It featured Flik, a thoughtful but unlucky ant who accidently destroys his community’s payment to the mafia-like grasshoppers. Flik, with the help of a team of recently-fired circus bugs, must help his friends and family escape from the grasshoppers’ extorting schemes. In addition to a funny, touching story, A Bug’s Life had some of the coolest and most advanced animation we’d ever seen.

  1. The Sandlot

“You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” is the most quotable line from The Sandlot, the 1993 baseball classic. Every baseball fan has definitely seen this movie, but so has just about anyone who grew up in the 90s. In this film, Scotty Smalls is the new kid in town, and he simply cannot play baseball – until the leader of the sandlot’s ragtag team takes Scotty under his wing. From trying to seduce lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn to dealing with The Beast beyond the outfield wall, the gang in The Sandlot made everyone long for the kind of lifelong friends that this neighborhood crew had in each other.

  1. Mulan

For young girls in the 90s, Mulan was one of the most empowering movies ever produced. Unlike most Disney movies, Mulan was not a princess and did not actively seek out a love interest throughout the film. Instead, she pretended to be a male warrior in order to take her elderly father’s place in the army, learning to fight and eventually thwarting the enemy’s plan. Eddie Murphy voiced her dragon sidekick and guardian, adding plenty of comedy to an otherwise serious film. Disney is currently in the process of making a live-action remake, but they’ve said it won’t include iconic songs like “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” – so really, what’s the point?

  1. Aladdin

Aladdin really marked the start of Disney’s Golden Age of classic films. Robin Williams (RIP) was hilarious in his role as Genie, making the film even more popular. Aladdin’s monkey, Abu, and the magic carpet are practically co-stars of the film, along with the royal Princess Jasmine. While there wasn’t anything particularly unique about this storyline – the princess and the pauper is a story as old as time – it was the funny and action-packed plot that made it especially compelling. Aladdin was such a popular film that video games were made about it, in an era before every big movie was accompanied by a game.

  1. The Lion King

In 1994, the greatest of all classic Disney movies were made: The Lion King. Everyone loves The Lion King, especially if you were raised in the 90s. The tale of Simba’s journey from rambunctious cub to wise and powerful leader was the perfect movie for all ages, and the soundtrack was amazing. This film was so popular that it didn’t just produce sequels. It also inspired video games, a cartoon spinoff, and a Broadway musical, along with countless types of merchandise that your nine-year-old self just had to have. Let’s admit we all have at least one Lion King plush tucked away in our parents’ attic.

  1. Toy Story

The original Toy Story will always be the film that made Pixar unstoppable. Imaging the complex lives that your toys led when you weren’t around was both terrifying and amazing, and to be honest, most kids assumed their toys were sentient beings long before Toy Story set the idea to animation. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the crew made excellent storytellers as they embark on a crazy adventure that ends with them safely back with Andy. Every 90s kid knows the words to this film by heart, because we all watched it on repeat for weeks after it came out.