Posted on 12/29/2025 7:09:48 PM PST by gdzla
I have a five year old grandson who seems to have very much enjoyed the movie "White Christmas" with Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby a couple of days ago.
I would like to put together a list of age appropriate classic movies to recommend for a weekly afternoon movie with grandpa.
Keep in mind he is only 5 and as yet not polluted with the "common" culture or exposed to a public school. He lives with a stay at home mom and a working dad and goes to a private school. He and his two younger sisters are much loved and cared for.
His screen time (TV or moms phone) is vert limited and only allowed with mom's or dad's permission. We only have a limited time to lay the groundwork to create a strong and stable character so it's important right now to be able to control what he is exposed to. Lord knows the dam will break one day and he will be flooded with the sh*t that is so pervasive now. Hopefully he will be able to navigate it all.
Below are a few of what I would like to have him discover with me.
What others would the Freeper Universe suggest?
Alice In Wonderland 1951
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves 1937
A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965
Blackbeards Ghost 1968
Holiday Inn 1942
Journey to the Center of the Earth 1959
Lilies of the Field 1962
Mysterious Island 1961
On the Town 1949
Spaced Invaders 1990
Swiss Family Robinson 1960
The Court Jester 1956
Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation 1962
Lady and the Tramp
Chitty Chitty is very scary FYI
Yes, it is a lovely movie. Maybe it's lost on adults. Kids will understand it totally.
Totoro is another great opus from Studio Ghibli.
“Happy Feet”.
Also you get to listen to some good tunes from the 70’s.
Stevie Wonder’s “I wish” is in that movie.
I’m kind of surprised that he enjoyed White Christmas that much as a five-year old. I don’t particularly enjoy that movie very much as a forty-six year old. He might like the original Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye. I remember liking that quite a bit as a kid. Popeye (1980) would be a good choice as well. Also the first two Muppet movies, The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981) are great but there is a pretty big drop off after that.
Gotta’ admit....great scene....
I love your choices, most of them anyway.
Your Peanuts/Charlie Brown shows will always be good.
How about some Winnie the Pooh?
Also, even as a 5 year old, I loved The Wizard of Oz.
Other suggestions:
Lady and the Tramp
Mary Poppins
Miracle on 34th Street
If you can introduce the book version of any of these, that’s always beneficial.
Those old Warner Brother’s cartoons had classical music as a background.
“Kill da Wabbit, kill da wabbit...”
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
First men in the moon
The time machine (original)
Our vines have tender grapes
‘Charley and the chocolate factory’. The one with Gene Wilder as Wonka.
Three to consider:
Treasure Island (1934) — the first sound film version starring Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, and Lionel Barrymore.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
Charlie Chan at the Circus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89MMEVNWBxg&list=PLUls2U1FlkrORNZi9rDBDeMubNP3VrSAi
Look around on YouTube there are LITERALLY 100s of old movies there
For 5 yr olds? I doubt they'd get any of the jokes.
Yeah the candy man with his wagon is a little over the top. My concern are those two whiny smarmy brats squealing like piglets. I know it sounds mean but they are really annoying.
I forgot
Anything with:
Laurel and Hardy
Abbott and Costello
The Three Stooges
Buster Keaton
Charlie Chaplin
Most things with:
Jerry Lewis
MAny of these can be found for free (With commercials) on YouTube
The Rabbit of Seville is my all time favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon.
With a little bit pf patience and digging you can find alot here:
https://archive.org/
“seems”
Don’t wimp out. Do some activities.
Your Grandson might not understand the Nazi’s, but the 1963 film “Miracle of the White Stallions” is very good.
A Boy And His Dog is not a kid’s movie.
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