Many parents and guardians will agree that when it comes to keeping children content at home, little works as well as sitting down as a family and watching a good film.
But on top of being a fun form of entertainment, films can also teach children valuable life lessons, making them more than just an idle pastime.
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UK-wide cultural education charity Into Film has compiled a list of the 50 movies every child should see before the age of 11, as chosen by industry experts and film education specialists.
In alphabetical order, they are:
101 dalmatians, 1961
A Little Princess, 1995
Annie, 1982
Babe; The Gallant Pig, 1995
Beauty and the Beast, 1991
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 2009
Coraline, 2009
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, 2010
Dumbo, 1941
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, 1982
E.T.
Fantastic Mr Fox, 2009
Free Willy, 1993
Frozen, 2013
Home, 2015
Hook, 1991
Hotel Transylvania, 2012
How To Train Your Dragon, 2010
Jumanji, 1995
Kubo and the Two Strings, 2016
Mary Poppins, 1964
Mary Poppins
Matilda, 1996
Nanny McPhee, 2005
Night at the Museum, 2006
Oliver!, 1968
Oliver!
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Paddington, 2014
Secret Life of Pets, 2016
Shaun The Sheep Movie, 2015
Shrek, 2001
Space Jam, 1996
Spirited Away, 2001
Star Wars; A New Hope, 1977
Swallows and Amazons, 2016
The Adventures of TinTin, 2011
The BFG, 2016
The Gruffalo, 2009
The Iron Giant, 1999
The Jungle Book, 1967
The LEGO Movie, 2014
The Lion King, 1994
The Lorax, 2012
The Never-Ending Story, 1984
The Princess Bride, 1987
The Secret Garden, 1993
The Witches, 1990
Toy Story, 1995
Trolls, 2016
Up!, 2009
Wallace and Gromit; The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 2005
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, 1971
Zootopia, 2016
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Each film was measured against a series of metrics, from the impact of the movie on a child’s intellectual, educational and emotional development, through to suitability for family viewing plus overall entertainment and nostalgia factor.
So next time your little one asks to spend an afternoon watching a film, it might be an idea to choose one of these titles.
And for families who haven’t seen many from the checklist? Challenge accepted…
(Images: Getty)
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