The holidays bring back so many childhood memories of family time – cooking and baking holiday food with family members, curling up on the couch together to football or special holiday features on TV. Here are ten wholesome movies to watch this Thanksgiving holiday with your family:
1. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Alvin and the Chipmunks. In this movie, Alvin, Simon and Theodore perform in a play, recall famous moments in American History, take care of a kitten, and face the marriage of Dave.
2. The Blind Side
For many families, the fall season means holiday meals and weekends watching football games. Football loving families will enjoy this true story. The movie shows how the Tuohy family took Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle, Michael Oher into their home and family when he was in high school and had no roof over his head or family to support him. One of my favorite scenes shows the family fixing their plates with Thanksgiving take-out and Michael Oher sits in the dining room alone to eat this special meal when the rest of the family plops down in front of the TV to watch football. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-G-TGHoCM
Note: There are some scenes in this movie involving violence, references to drug use, and social drinking that may be disturbing or inappropriate to children under the age of twelve.
3. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
In the tradition of Charles M. Schultz, Charlie Brown finds himself hosting a Thanksgiving meal for his friends. The characters are ambivalent and somewhat negative about the holiday, but after a heartfelt speech from Linus and Marcie, the Peanuts gang realizes the true meaning of the holiday. Also included is The Mayflower Voyagers, which follows the Pilgrims — including Charlie Brown and friends — as they journey to the New World in 1620.
4. Free Birds
In Free Birds, Reggie the oddball believes he’s smarter than the rest of his flock and understands they’re being fattened up for slaughter. Reggie is the lucky fowl for the annual presidential turkey pardon. At Camp David, Reggie lives it up with telenovelas and pizza delivery until he is kidnapped. The kidnapper and Reggie go on a mission back in time to the First Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu.
5. Miracle on 34th Street
Typically listed as a Christmas movie, the opening scene of Miracle on 34th Street is Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Six year old Susan has serious doubts about Santa Clause. Her mother told her the “secret” about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn’t expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all – the importance of childhood wonder, trust, and standing up for what you believe.
6. Mouse on the Mayflower
In this Thanksgiving tale, the Mayflower is caught in a big storm. William, a church mouse, tells the story from his point of view. He starts with the pilgrims’ decision to move to America and the packing of the Mayflower. When a disaster at sea threatens to sink the ship, William has an idea to save the ship. The pilgrims land safely and write the Mayflower Compact. They build their new colony and church, but it’s already fall and they don’t have enough food stored. The winter is harsh and food is limited, so many pilgrims don’t live through the winter. The pilgrims learn to plant crops in the spring, and in the fall celebrate with a big feast, the first Thanksgiving.
If you have a hard time finding a copy, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruaRLw5Gf5Q
7. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving
Based upon Louisa Mae Alcott’s book (also the author of Little Women), An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving is set in New Hampshire shortly after Civil War. A young widowed mother raises her three children after their father dies in the War. Their situation looks pretty sad, but because the kids want their mom to have an amazing Thanksgiving holiday, they turn to their estranged, but wealthy Grandmother for help in making their wish come true (without their mother’s knowledge).
8. Pocahontas
While Pocahontas is highly inaccurate historically, this Disney-animated film focuses on the daughter of Algonquin chief Powhatan, who isn’t happy with her upcoming arranged marriage to Kocoum. British settlers arrive in the area, and Pocahontas falls for John Smith. Meanwhile, greedy Governor Ratcliffe is certain the Native Americans have access to gold riches and is determined to get his hands on the treasure. Pocahontas and John Smith meet in secret, and when they’re discovered it creates a dangerous tension between the Europeans and the Algonquians. The only hope for preventing war lies with Smith and Pocahontas.
This movie is quite entertaining, but make sure your kids know the real story by reading to them historically factual books about Pocahontas.
9. Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale
Get ready for nonstop action in this rousing tale of a Native American who defies incredible odds in his struggle for freedom! Squanto, a young warrior abducted from his homeland and enslaved, must battle impossible hazards on a desperate journey home. Driven by a passion to be free, he risks everything to escape his captors, braving the wilderness and triumphing, finally, as a great leader. A vivid true story of one man’s unquenchable thirst for independence, SQUANTO: A WARRIOR’S TALE thrills with high-powered action and inspires with legendary courage!
Be sure to teach your kids the historical facts about a Native American named Tisquantum, whom the Pilgrims called Squanto. As they watch they movie, let you kids figure out fact from the fiction regarding Squanto’s life.
10. The Thanksgiving Treasure
Set in 1947, The Thanksgiving Treasure takes place on the small Nebraska farm of the Mills family. An 11-year-old Addie Mills tries to invite her father’s sworn enemy over for Thanksgiving dinner in the hopes of ending their long-standing feud.
Learn historical facts & remind your kids about gratitude with these ten Thanksgiving books for kids!
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