15 Throwback Movies To Watch With Your Kids

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One of my favorite things to do during the winter is cuddle on the couch with my family. I love introducing them to the movies and television shows of my childhood (80s/90s) and winter is the perfect time to do this! We try to have movie nights every weekend, or every other weekend, so we have our list of movie night necessities ready to go before we press play.

Warm blankets? ✅

Freshly popped buttery popcorn? ✅

Something tasty to drink, like our favorite juice drink- Tampico  ✅

Then it’s just time to pick the movie. While there are so many great classics, I have a list of ones that I think are fun to watch with kids. Here are 15 throwback movies that are perfect to watch on a cold winter afternoon:

Back to the Future (1985, Rated PG)

I was not even two years old when this movie came out, so I didn’t see it until years later, but it’s one of the best movies from the decade in my opinion (and one of the few sci-fi movies I’m a fan of). The movie is all about time travel, which is an exciting concept at any age. The boys have not seen this one yet, but it will be one of the next classic movies they watch!

The Sandlot (1993, Rated PG)

Having two boys that play baseball, this movie was a must-watch for our family. It’s about a group of friends who play pick-up games of baseball together and fear “the beast” on the other side of the fence.

Home Alone (1990, Rated PG)

This one is a holiday classic that we watch at least a couple times a year at Christmas time. Kevin comes up with some pretty epic ways to keep his home from being robbed as he outsmarts the “wet bandits.” My kids can’t believe Kevin’s parents would forget him, while I sit and wonder how Kevin’s dad afforded the home his family lived in and a vacation to Paris for the whole extended family lol.

Richie Rich (1994, Rated PG)

Richie Rich looks like the luckiest kid in the world because he has all the toys he could want. What he doesn’t have though? Friends. That must be so lonely to live like that. Though my boys wished they had all the money to buy anything they wanted, I think they realized, by the end of the movie, that all the material goods in the world can’t make a person happy if they don’t have friends to share it with!

The Secret Garden (1993, Rated G)

This movie is based on the book and completely different than anything my boys would usually watch. It’s a touching story about an orphan girl who discovers a secret garden and a sick cousin, and, throughout the movie, she finds a way to bring the garden back to life and heal a family.

The Neverending Story (1984, Rated PG)

This is another movie that came out around the time I was born, but this is one of the few movies I remember watching as a child in the 80’s. This movie is complete fantasy but it stirs imaginations and kids will get a kick out of it.

The Princess Bride (1987, Rated PG)

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie on this list. Although my boys don’t like the kissing part (just like the little boy listening to his grandpa tell the story in the movie) they like the action part of it! Personally I love this movie for it’s fairytale romance and comedy.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989, Rated PG)

Though this movie is extremely far-fetched, I love that it shows a different perspective on life (literally!) These kids, now shrunk down to a size smaller than ants, must survive the dangerous trek back to their home and get the attention of their parents. This is just a fun movie to watch!

The Karate Kid (1984, Rated PG)

I haven’t watched the original with my boys yet, but recently, we watched a newer version of this movie (the 2010 one) when my little sister was in town. I knew my boys would like it, especially because my oldest is in karate himself. They thought all the moves were pretty cool and I caught them trying them out afterwards. The original is on our list to watch this winter.

The Mighty Ducks (1992, Rated PG)

I love movies about the underdogs overcoming obstacles so it’s no surprise that this movie made my list of favorites. I also like that it shows my sports playing boys the value of hard work!

Hook (1991, Rated PG)

I love this version of Peter Pan much more than I enjoyed the cartoon version of the movie. I’m not sure if it’s because the cast includes Robin Williams and Julia Roberts, I like the idea of a grown man discovering the magic of his childhood, or the Lost Boys’ reactions upon Peter’s return, but this movie is one of my favorite Disney stories brought to life.

E.T. (1982, Rated PG)

So technically E.T. is not from my childhood, since it came out the year before I was born, but I could not leave this classic off the list! This story about a sweet alien befriending a boy was one of the first throwback movies I showed my kids. Watching it as an adult I couldn’t help but wonder how the mom didn’t realize an alien was living in her home, but as a child I didn’t think much about it.

Ghostbusters (1984, Rated PG)

As a kid, the movie Ghostbusters was a bit scary but was still a fun movie to watch. With all the new remakes of the movie since the original one came out, this is probably the most well-known movie on the list and one we’ve watched at least half a dozen times.

The Land Before Time (1988, Rated G)

My boys are a bit old for this animated movie now, but it’s perfect for little ones, especially those that are into dinosaurs. It’s about an orphaned dinosaur who makes new dinosaur friends on his journey to find the land his mother told him about.

The Santa Clause (1994, Rated PG)

This movie is my favorite holiday movie that I look forward to watching with the boys each Christmas. The sequel and third movie in the series are good as well, but the first one is definitely our favorite. It just gets us in the holiday spirit during the most magical time of the year.

If you have tweens or teens I’d also suggest Mrs. Doubtfire and Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. A Little Princess (the 1995 version) is also a favorite of mine! There are so many great movies to choose from, so I’m wondering what you’d add to my list? Sinisa insists that Goonies should have made my list as well since he thinks it’s an iconic film, but I’m not a huge fan of it (<gasp>).

Whichever movie you choose to watch with your kids, don’t forget the snacks! We can’t have movie night at home without them! Popcorn is a favorite snack and Tampico juice always tops the list of drink options.

We tried the Blue Raspberry flavor this past movie night because it’s a favorite flavor from my childhood, so I thought it would be the perfect juice to go with our throwback movie night. I put it in cups with fun polka dot straws. Tampico tends to be our go-to for family fun nights, whether we are crafting, playing games, or watching movies.

I’d love to hear what your favorite “Splash From the Past” movie is so let me know, either in the comments below or on social (find me on Twitter at @aliciamarie112)!