Feel-good movies and TV shows you can watch with the whole family

The holidays will feel a bit different this year, but some traditions cannot be thwarted - like our annual viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Though your gatherings might be smaller than usual, there are a ton of family-friendly viewing options on streaming and a growing number of ways to make them a virtual group experience. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite kid-friendly TV and film picks below. - “A Christmas Story” (1983) Consider this a triple dog dare. (Streams on Hulu Plus Live TV/ TBS)

- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” (2020)

A toymaker who lost everything when his apprentice betrayed him is inspired by his granddaughter to return to the trade in this fantastical musical. It boasts an all-star cast - Forest Whitaker,

Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose, Hugh Bonneville and Phylicia Rashad - to boot. (Streams on Netflix) - “Hair Love” (2019) Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscarwinning short, about a little girl who helps her dad figure out how to do her hair, clocks in at just under seven minutes but will stay with you for much longer than that - especially if you’ve ever struggled to love your own hair. (Streams on YouTube) - “Ratatouille” (2007) We wouldn’t let Remy, the rat chef at the center of this Oscarwinning animated film, cook our Thanksgiving dinner, but we’ll gladly take his culinary tips while we wait for the musical conceived by TikTok users to materialize. (Streams on Disney Plus) - “Coco” (2017) This tender and vivid Pixar/ Disney film is rooted in the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos,

the annual time when families honor their departed loved ones, so it’s a great preamble to discussing grief with younger kids (or processing it at any age). The story revolves around a young aspiring musician who - in a quest to reverse his family’s long-standing rule against music - finds himself among his ancestors in the Land of the Dead. (Streams on Disney Plus)

- “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008)

Force-sensitive families will enjoy this animated “Star Wars” series, which takes place between Episodes II and III of the Star Wars prequel saga and lets an intriguing heroine shine. (Streams on Disney Plus)

- “The NeverEnding Story” (1984)

This is familiar territory for ‘80s kids, but why not let the younger generations see what movie magic looked like in the pre-CGI days? (Streams on HBO Max) - “Paddington 2” (2017) The marmalade-loving bear has a run-in with the law in this fun sequel, which features one of Hugh Grant’s finest performances as villain Phoenix Buchanan. The first film isn’t bad either. (Streams on Hulu Plus Live TV/TBS)

- “The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo” (2020)

The lovable Sesame Street resident interviews celebrities and hosts musical guests in a typical but truncated late-night format: Each episode is just 15 minutes. (Streams on HBO Max) - “Molly of Denali” (2019) This animated PBS Kids show revolves around a young Alaska Native girl. The series won a Peabody Award this year for “helping to shift the ways that the next generation will think about Indigenous people and for giving native media-makers a central role in shaping their own representation.” (Streams on PBS Kids)