30 Movies to Watch with Tweens

Want to get your tweens super excited for movie night? Start with the best movie menu and a great list of movies for tweens.

One of the greatest ironies of parenting a middle schooler is that when the chilly weather of fall finally arrives here in the south and we want to snuggle down for a family movie party, our schedule ramps up so much it feels impossible to find the time!

Between sports practice, homework, and other family obligations, every day of our week seems to have something penciled in lately.

We've barely scratched the surface of what it will be like parenting a busy teen. I know from mom friends with older kids, the next few years are going to rush by in a total blur. I've been warned I'm about to spend half my life in the car driving her everywhere.

So how does a busy family-on-the-go make time to connect over a good old fashioned movie night these days??

Easy Tips for Making Time for Movie Night

1. Combine Dinner WITH the Movie

Dinner AND a movie? We so do not have the time for that. When sports practice runs into the evening and she wants to shower up before sitting down, it would be more like dinner OR a movie. If we want to do both, I get creative with what I consider "dinner" for the night.

When the kids were little, we used to do popcorn for dinner as a special treat. Now, my growing girls need more sustenance than a bowl of popcorn will provide.

We'll eat dinner while watching the movie but I like to make a big movie snack board for them. I'm sure to include items with protein to help fill them up. 

2. Make an Easy Snack Board in Minutes

While Tim was off picking the kids up from sports practice, I prepped everything we needed for the snack buffet except for the warm appetizers. 

• Pre-pop the popcorn
• Chop the apple into slices and toss with pineapple juice to keep it crisp
• Prep the carrots (or just use a bag of baby carrots)
• Set out plates and napkins

When we were ready for movie night, I just quickly microwaved the snacks and added them to the board. With a variety of 3 different appetizers, I had them all heated up in just 10 minutes and we were able to sit down for the show.

3. Focus on Finger Foods

No one wants to be dealing with utensils in the living room. Keep everything easy-to-eat finger food.

Bonus: My kids have learned to equate snackable appetizers with holiday celebrations. Serving them for movie night makes the whole evening feel like a party.

Pro Mom Tip: I set out the protein-packed snack board with fruits and veggies first. I let everyone nibble away on the more filling foods first. Once they are done, only then do I bring out the popcorn or movie candy.

30 Movies for Tweens

You've found the time, you've made the snacks. Now, the big question: What to watch??

Here are 30 movies our family has recently loved to watch with our tween girls:

1. Yesterday: We just watched this during our most recent movie night, SO sweet!
2. Aladdin, the Live Action version
3. Napoleon Dynamite
4. The Princess Bride
5. Ant Man
6. Ant Man and the Wasp
7. Black Panther
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
9. School of Rock
10. The Princess Diaries
11. Jumanji (both versions!)
12. Holes
13. The Harry Potter series
14. The Lego movies
15. Howl's Moving Castle
16. Totoro
17. Ponyo
18. Back to the Future
19. Star Wars, the entire series
20. Ground Hog Day
21. Hairspray
22. Beauty and the Beast, live action
23. Cinderella, live action
24. Star Trek, the Chris Pine versions
25. Hidden Figures
26. Spiderman, we prefer the 2002 versions
27. High School Musical
28. Teen Beach Movie (I LOVED this one, maybe even more than the kids)
29. The Nightmare Before Christmas
30. E.T.