Sometimes, you just need a classroom movie day. Whether it's raining and you need to run indoor recess or your class has earned a movie party, it's good to have a number of clean movies (for a public school) and Christian movies (for a private school) available to throw on.
This list comes from the awesome members of our Christian Teachers' Lounge by Teach 4 the Heart. If you're not already in there, join us for more great advice and suggestions.
Disclaimer: We have not vetted all of these movie choices. Please use your discretion and district guidelines when selecting movies.
awesome clean movies for kids
These movies and shows are non-religious, but clean and recommended by your fellow teachers!
lower Elementary
Wild Kraats - A show from PBS about animals
Leapfrog: Letter Show - These animated characters turn letters into words
Berenstein Bears Show - Kids learn a lesson with every episode
Go Noodle - Short videos that focus on movement and mindfulness
Pink Panther and Pals - Silly antics from the Pink Panther set to music
Wishbone - A dog imagines himself in classic books
The Magic Schoolbus - Students go on crazy class field trips to learn about science
Tinga Tinga Tales - YouTube videos based on African animal creation stories
Umi Zoomies - An educational and animated show
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood - A calming show with a kind host
Reading Rainbow - Brings your favorite books to life
Storyline Online - Celebrities read classic picture books aloud
Shaun the Sheep - The silly adventures of a barnyard leader
The Singing Walrus - Educational songs for kids
Little Bear - These animated episodes always have a lesson
Charlotte's Web (Animated 1973) and Charlotte's Web (2006) - Movie versions of the classic book (read the book with your class first for more impact!)
Numberblocks - Short math videos on YouTube
Operation Ouch - Short, educational, and fun science videos on YouTube
Science Max - More fun YouTube science videos
UJU Videos - Brain break, fitness, and mindfulness videos from YouTube
upper elementary and Secondary
Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front - A live-action film about a girl living during World War II
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl - A movie that takes place during the Great Depression
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure - A live-action movie that is set shortly before the Revolutionary War
Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street - Middle school kids navigate growing up
Dude Perfect - Humorous online videos often involving crazy stunts
Liberty's Kids- Animated series that teaches America's history
Kid Snippets - Adults act out audio from kids (from Bored Shorts TV on YouTube)
The InBESTigators - Four kids run a detective agency together
great Christian movies for kids
lower Elementary
Right Now Media - Christian streaming service that includes kids shows
Minno Kids - A streaming service full of Christian, animated content
Buck Denver Asks: What's in the Bible? - 13 volumes of Bible stories available
VeggieTales - The original classic now has lots of versions
Bibleman - The old show now has new animated episodes! (Also available on RightNow Media)
Greatest Adventures of the Bible - Animated versions of Bible stories
Owlegories - Owls use nature to learn more about God
3-2-1 Penguins - These wacky penguins learn about faith and have fun
Adventures from the Book of Virtues - Animated series based on the books by William Bennett
Jay Jay the Jet Plane - Jay Jay learns values and friendship
100 Bible Stories - Animated Bible stories
Patch the Pirate's Operation Arctic: Viking Invasion - An animated movie about pirates, vikings, a princess, and humility
The Beginning Bible - Animated stories from The Beginning Bible
The Amazing Bible Series - Animated characters explore God's Word
Boz the Bear - Boz is a green bear who loves exploring the Bible with friends
Theo Presents - An animated show that teaches kids theology
Miss Patty Cake - Miss Patty Cake shares about God's love for kids
Douglas Talks - A green puppet shares Sunday School lessons
upper elementary and secondary
Adventures in Odyssey - Kids learn the importance of faith and friendship
Ryan Defrates Secret Agent - A fun animated series that teaches Biblical truths
Torchlighters - Animated stories of true-life Christian heroes from history
The Chosen Series - Watch a live action series on Jesus's life via the free app
McGee and Me - A boy and his imaginary friend use lessons from the Bible
The Buttercream Gang - A movie about kids who do good deeds for God
Superbook - Travel back in time to Bible stories
Yippee TV - This Christian streaming service includes animated programs, original programming, and content from hand-picked YouTubers
We hope this list is helpful the next time you need to put on a clean movie or a Christian movie, whether it's a 5 minute YouTube video or a feature-length film.
What movies or shows do you like to show in your classroom? Let us know in the comments. And don't forget to join our Christian Teacher's Facebook Group for even more great advice and support from fellow educators.
For another list of recommendations from the experienced teachers in our Facebook group, check out 75+ Best Websites for Teachers.
Want more practical Help guiding your class?
Check out our free class: How to Reduce Disruptions without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing.
spread the word!
Did you find this post helpful? Clue in your fellow teachers by sharing the post directly (just copy the URL) or by clicking one of the buttons to automatically share on social media.
Pin it for later ⤵
This article may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase a resource after clicking the link, Teach 4 the Heart may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping support Teach 4 the Heart in this way.
Gifted Hands! It’s the true story of Dr. Ben Carson.
Thanks for the recommendation!
What about copyright infringement? Most of these sound great, but have you contacted all of the copyright owners of these show and movies to ask permission to show them in class? If not, every time a teacher shows one of them in class they would be stealing content and breaking the law. I would really like to know, because I’m a new teacher and so far have only gotten a couple of organizations to give me permission to show their media in my class. Also, I already know that Youtube has a specific policy that prohibits displaying their videos of any kind anywhere, except for the individual user and their household. So showing their videos in class would be against their policy.
I’m so sorry, we aren’t qualified to answer that question. But this is what I found online: “Under the “Face-to-Face Teaching Exemption,” copyrighted movies may be shown in a K-12 school setting without copyright permission only if all criteria are met: A teacher or instructor is present, engaged in face-to-face teaching activities. The institution must be an accredited, nonprofit educational institution.” from https://www.swank.com/k-12-schools/copyright/#:~:text=Under%20the%20%22Face%2Dto%2D,an%20accredited%2C%20nonprofit%20educational%20institution.