15 of the Best Animal Movies for Kids!

At MetLife Pet Insurance,¹ we know pets are family. So if you're lookng for a way to keep the kids entertained, and still involve the pets, consider this list of top-rated animal movies for kids. The list is broken into three categories: The Classics, The 90s, and New Films.

The Classics (Pre-90s)

They might have some age on them, but these movies will never go out of style! Here are some of our favorite animal-centric classics:

• 101 Dalmatians (1961): Talk about a classic! Who isn’t familiar with the premise of this Disney masterpiece, featuring its cast of pups in perill? The interplay between the dogs is endlessly charming, but for many, it’s the over-the-top Cruella who steals the show, so much so that she has become synonymous with the sheer idea of villainy in film. The film’s popularity has proven so endearing that it has undergone four cinematic reissues throughout the decades—one in 1969, one in 1979, one in 1985, and one in 1991—plus a live action remake that is just as popular in its own right. But it all started here, well over 50 years ago!
• The Jungle Book (1967): This animated musical comedy was inspired by the Rudyard Kipling book of the same name and is so popular that it just received a live-action reboot in 2016. After Mowgli is lost in the jungle as a baby, Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to keep him safe from the tiger Shere Khan, while they convince him to rejoin civilization.
• The Rescuers (1977): When a message in a bottle makes its way to the Rescue Aid Society, a mouse organization dedicated to the rescue and well-being of anyone in need, it is up to the brave mouse Miss Bianca and the shy janitor Bernard to rescue the little girl Penny from her kidnappers an evil pawn shop owner Madame Medusa and her companion Mr. Snoops. 
• Milo and Otis (1986): The quintessential story of friendship: Milo, the cat, and Otis, the dog, grow up together on the same farm as great friends. One day they are separated from each other when Milo is playing inside a box floating in the river and accidentally drifts downstream. This is the story of their harrowing trek across mountains, plains, and snow-covered hills to find each other again.

The 90s

Even without the classic VHS cases, it’s always fun to relive these late twentieth century gems!

• Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993): Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey revolves around a group of pets with distinctive (and often clashing) personalities. The group becomes lost and begins its long journey back home, learning invaluable lessons about companionship and family along the way. 
• Babe (1995): This widely-acclaimed comedy-drama is aboutBabe, the pig with dreams of being a Border Collie to herd sheep with his canine friends on the rural farm he calls home. Featuring impressive animal animatronics carried out by Muppets creator Jim Henson’s renowned Creature Shop, Babe was an unlikely contender at the 68th Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director and won Best Visual Effects.
• Air Bud (1997): This film, starring the real-life Buddy the Wonder Dog, offers plenty of high-flying Disney entertainment while also addressing some weighty issues in a surprisingly mature and poignant manner. After the passing of his father, Josh has a hard time adapting to life in his new town and has trouble making friends with the other children in his class. That all changes when he meets the stray Buddy, a golden retriever with a very particular talent: Playing basketball! 

New Films (2000 - Present)

• Finding Nemo (2003): One of the most iconic children’s movies of the decade, Finding Nemo is about Marlin, a clownfish, and his son, Nemo, who live in the Great Barrier Reef.  After Nemo travels into the open sea he is caught by a scuba diver and and sent to live in a dentist's office (P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney). Marlin must leave the reef where he feels safe to find Nemo and bring him home.  On his travels he befriends Dory, a blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss, and encounters many dangerous sea creatures such as sharks, anglerfish and jellyfish in his quest to get Nemo home safely.
• Madagascar (2005) A lion, a zebra, a giraffe, and a hippo are best friends at New York's Central Park Zoo. When one of them goes missing the other three break free to look for him, only to find themselves reunited on a ship heading to Africa.
• Happy Feet (2006): This Australian-American fantasy film is beautifully animated and has life lessons throughout. It focuses on the life of Mumble, an emperor penguin who cannot sing, but can tap dance! 
• Zootopia (2016): Zootopia is the story of Judy Hopps of Bunnyburrow who fulfills her childhood dream of becoming the first rabbit police officer in Zootopia. Despite all her achievements in police academy, Judy is relegated to parking duty. That is, until she meets an unlikely friend, a fox by the name of Nick Wilde. They have to team up to save Zootopia from an illness that is making all its citizens turn into wild animals again. 

Consider Investing in Pet Insurance

Looking for more ways to keep your pets happy and healthy? Consider investing in a pet insurance policy with MetLife Pet Insurance.¹  We offer dog insurance and cat insurance policies for pet parents.  Get your free quote today.