20 Best Family-Friendly Netflix Your Family Will Be Obsessed With
It’s hard to please everyone… but not impossible with these Netflix recs!
Finding a family-friendly show on Netflix that everyone loves can be a real pain. First, you want to make sure the flick is appropriate for your 5-year old, but also has enough comedic value to keep grandma from passing out on the couch. If the thought of picking your next family night movie is making you break a sweat, take a deep breath and don’t panic. We’ve got you covered with the best Netflix shows for kids, plus Netflix programs for the whole family to enjoy!
We get it, it’s hard not to freak out when you’re trying to make everyone happy. There’s so much to do, and you just want to enjoy your time with your family. While you enjoy family friendly TV shows on Netflix, you can spend 5 minutes accomplishing another easy task—getting your family’s memories off your phone and into your hands. Choose your favorite pics and print them in a gorgeous photo book before your show’s even hit its theme song, and hey, maybe instead of searching for what to watch on Netflix with family, your kids will want to flip through that awesome photo book you made of your summer vacation!
This large-scale version of the hopping-around-the-room game you used to play as kids is made bigger, better and slightly more slippery on Floor is Lava. Different teams compete to hop across rooms filled with lava, aiming for the exit while climbing across walls and jumping across obstacles, all while trying to avoid sliding right into the bubbly red lava at every turn. Your whole family will find reasons to cheer, wince and laugh as you watch different teams compete for not only the best time, but for the grand prize of a… lava lamp!
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
If your family is a big fan of the iconic book series, you’ll love seeing the adventures of the Baudelaire children jump from page to screen. While sometimes dark, this show also comes with its comedic moments, not to mention Neil Patrick Harris as the one-and-only villain, Count Olaf. If you read the series as a kid — and you’re still trying to persuade your little ones to crack open the first book — this show is a wonderful way to introduce them to a favorite childhood series.
Many years ago, you may have pulled a Carmen Sandiego CD-ROM PC game out of your cereal box and obsessively played it for hours on end. Now, the master thief has hopped from your desktop to your TV (and your kids’ iPads), using her skills for good as she travels the world foiling V.I.L.E.’s evil plans, all while wearing her signature red hat and coat.
The Great British Baking Show: Juniors
This kid-focused spinoff of The Great British Baking Show follows talented young British bakers whipping up cakes, biscuits, breads and other treats. But just like the adult version, this show features plenty of cooking disasters and problem-solving, time limits and of course, tastings with the judges. One of the advantages of this junior version is that your kids may find an easier connection with these kid contestants — plus, they may want to learn how to whip up some treats you can sink your teeth into.
If your kiddos love entertainment with a side of surprise, Emily’s Wonder Lab is a great series to delight them — plus, they’ll be learning about science and technology in a fun and exciting way. Host Emily Calandrelli showcases STEAM activities, demonstrations and at-home experiments that’ll both inspire and educate your kiddos.
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants
Odds are, you remember reading the iconic Captain Underpants series back in the day, so you know your entire family will love watching the hijinks and adventures of the Captain, George and Harold unfold. The fourth graders have a penchant for pranks and comics, and turning their principal into the infamous underwear-donning superhero.
They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky, The Addams Family… is on Netflix! If you haven’t heard about Netflix’s biggest hit to date, the show follows the titular character as she heads to a new school, Nevermore Academy. As new mysteries involving new characters and old begin to unfold, Wednesday uses her sarcasm, wit and intelligence to make new friends and foes, making this series a fun, edge-of-your-seat watch for the whole family.
You may think, why would I want to watch a show where I guess if something is cake or not? The truth is, this show is a mind bender. You’d be surprised at the deliciously sweet replicas skilled cake artists can create — from purses to sewing machines, you’re never 100% sure your guess is correct. Your entire family will sit in awe and wonder, and odds are, you’ll be completely shocked by whatever random object is cake (plus, don’t be surprised if you develop a major sweet tooth during each episode).
As kids, there were few things better than staying up late or coming home from school and watching reruns of Full House, wishing you could sit on the iconic blue couch in the Tanner family living room. This Netflix reboot features DJ and her kids, following the loss of her husband, plus Kimmy and her daughter, and Stephanie, all moving back into the San Franciscan home to help DJ raise her kids, much like the original series. With tons of nods to the original show, including guest stars like Uncle Jesse, Danny Tanner and Uncle Joey, the heart and laughs that you loved from the ‘90s are very much still woven into the stories on the Netflix show today.
If your family loves shows with contestants, judges and comedy, this baking competition will bring all the laughter. Starring home bakers that are known for not being great in the kitchen who are tasked with re-creating edible masterpieces, this show combines your fave parts of reality contests with “hot messes.” Vying for a $10,000 prize, this one will keep your whole family entertained.
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series
Gotta catch ‘em all! Catch all the episodes featuring Ash and Pikachu’s adventures through the wild world of Pokémon. If you grew up playing the games or watching the movies (and laughing at Team Rocket), you know how enthralling the world of Ash Ketchum can be. This series is a wonderful way to get your kids involved in a franchise that can be watched and played by every generation.
Careful, Bear Grylls’ life is in the palm of your hands. You and your family will need to help Bear Grylls make decisions that are important to his survival… using your remote! This interactive series tasks viewers, aka your family, with helping Bear make choices in harsh environments to complete missions. (Which means you can watch multiple times, making different decisions to see what would have happened!)
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure
This interactive Netflix show will have your family’s full attention thanks to its interactive storytelling. In this series, you drive the action in this adventure featuring characters from the world of Jurassic Park, plus starring Jenna Ortega from Wednesday and Bill Nye (you know, the science guy!). For fans of the franchise, this show is a great way to introduce your kids to Isla Nublar and its many dinos.
Odds are, you grew up watching Sonic the lightning-fast blue hedgehog running after gold rings, and whether or not your family saw the 2020 film, this series is a great way to see Sonic’s explosive adventures continue (plus, all his friends!). In this family-friendly series, Sonic races through parallel dimensions to reconnect with his friends and save the world — no big deal, right?
For fans of superheroes, this show is perfect for families that love action and heroics. After being widowed, a mother must dig into the mystery of her young son’s new superpowers while also keeping his new gifts a secret from those who may want to use him to their advantage.
Set years after the events of the Karate Kid films, this series follows the rekindling rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. Following the reopening of the Cobra Kai karate dojo, the family can meet new characters and see some of their fave characters from the films as Johnny seeks redemption in this dramedy.
If you grew up watching Aang journey from last Airbender to a uniting Avatar, you’ll want to share his adventures with Katara and Sokka with your kids. The trio make new friends, foes and encounter many battles as they travel through all four nations, and face off against the Fire Nation. Not to mention, Netflix has a live-action movie of the beloved series in the works. Before you know it, your whole family will be yelling, “Yip, yip, Appa!”
You may have grown up reading the super popular children’s series by the same name, which is why you and your kids will love watching this modern version of a fun group of girls growing and learning through their babysitting business (as well as tackling real-life family and social issues).
Whether your little ones are obsessed with Vin Diesel in the franchise that never seems to end, or are avid Hot Wheels racers, this animated series of the super popular car franchise will hold your kids’ attention. When a government agency recruits Tony Toretto and his friends, they’ll have to infiltrate a criminal street racing circuit as undercover spies.
While you may remember the TMNT team for its jokes about pizzas and sewers, this Nickelodeon animated series featuring your four favorite turtles will bring the fun right to your living room. There’s a reason your green childhood heroes, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphelo, are still iconics today—and in this series, our heroes fight evil alien forces threatening NYC.
While finding a family-friendly show on Netflix that’ll impress everyone in your family may seem impossible, you’ll certainly find a bunch of winners within our recommendations. Afterall, family movie night is less about the movie and more about just spending time together. To make the most of your movie night, snap some pics of Paps snoring in the recliner, dad trying to be tech support when your streaming service cuts out, and the kids covered in popcorn. Print those photos in a family photo album for the kids to pull out and reflect on for years to come.
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