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Top 10 Christmas movies

BEST 10 FAMILY CHRISTMAS MOVIES 2021

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Movies are a staple of Christmas fun.

After stuffing yourself with turkey, potatoes, Christmas Ham – or nut roast and veg, depending on how you do Christmas! – there’s nothing better than snuggling up as a family on the sofa and settling in to a Christmas movie.

The question is, however, what the heck should you watch?

Here are our best 10 family Christmas Movies‘ 2021, in no particular order. Enjoy!

 

1. Home Alone

Home Alone Movie Poster

Let’s face it, no Christmas movie list would be complete without this all-time classic.

After being sent to the attic for misbehaving, young Kevin McCallister’s family heads to the airport the next day for their Christmas vacation, mistakenly leaving behind poor Kevin. The young lad finds himself home alone for several days.

Unfortunately for Kevin, two local crooks find out he’s alone. But Kevin is smarter than them both. The hilarious encounters that ensue are sure to delight the whole family.

This is a hugely nostalgic film that will bring back Christmas memories for parents of a certain age.

With a PG rating and some slapstick violence, parental guidance is advised, particularly for younger kids.

 

2. Elf

Elf The Movie

Elf is the hilarious tale of a human, played by the hysterical Will Ferrell, who is accidentally transported to the North Pole as a baby and is consequently raised as one of Santa’s elves.

Realizing there’s something a bit different about him from the other elves, Buddy travels to New York in search of his real father.

This feel-good Christmas classic is not only very funny but also carries a positive festive message, making it a perfect Christmas watch.

 

3. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

Grinch movie scene

The Grinch is the tale of the miserable creature who lives with his dog, Max, on Mount Crumpet above Whoville.

As the residents of Whoville, known as the Whos, expand their Christmas celebrations, the Grinch attempts to steal Christmas.

In his attempt to get back some peace and quiet, the Grinch poses as Santa Claus so he can ruin the Whos’ Christmas once and for all.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch is a great update on a classic tale that is suitable for the whole family.

 

4. Klaus

Klaus Movie Scene

Who wouldn’t want to watch an Oscar-nominated Santa Claus origin story?

This gorgeous animation is about a lonely toymaker who makes friends with a postal worker.

Guess what happens next!

Parental guidance is advised as there are a couple of slightly scary scenes in what is overall a very sweet movie with a great message.

5. Mickey’s Christmas CarolMickey’s Christmas Carol

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is the story of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, A Christmas Carol, told through Disney’s favorite Mickey Mouse characters.

Staring Scrooge McDuck as the Christmas-resenting money lender, this short film of just 28 minutes features many classic Disney personalities.

6. Frozen

Frozen 1 Movie poster

Although not strictly a Christmas film, as it is actually set in the summer, Frozen contains plenty of Christmas elements – like snowmen, elves, and reindeer.

First released in 2013, Frozen has become a worldwide sensation and instant classic.

Frozen is a wonderful tale about sisterhood, jammed packed with catchy songs and dazzling animation. A great movie that the whole family will enjoy.

7. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

In this fun adventure with these classic stuffed characters, the Muppets head to the North Pole to try to deliver letters to Santa Claus.

Whether your kids are Muppets fans or new to the franchise, they’ll love this fun film.

Parents will enjoy this heartwarming tale, which at 56 minutes is a short blast of fun.

8. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Jingle-Jangle-A-Christmas-Journey

New from Netflix for Christmas 2021, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is the story of a grumpy toymaker who has lost his mojo.

But a visit from his granddaughter helps the old toymaker, played by Forest Whitaker, find his magic touch again.

Filled with dazzling festivity and Christmas songs, this is an easy watch that will please young kids.

9. Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas movie scene

From the British team that created Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas is a lovely Christmas tale filled with positive messages.

Starring Hugh Laurie, James McAvoy, and Bill Nighy, this funny movie answers the question of how Father Christmas visits so many homes in just one night.

The story covers Christmas’ spirit and family, and is packed with wholesome values.

10. The Snowman

The Snowman movie

The ultimate Christmas classic, the Snowman is a wordless tale of a – you guessed it – snowman who comes to life.

The snowman and the young boy who built him explore the lad’s house, and move outside when it gets a bit warm for the snowy fellow.

They then go outside and take to the skies, heading up to the North Pole. The highlight of this short film is Howard Blake’s spectacular song, Walking in the Air.

A delightful tale and perfect watch at Christmas.

…And a bonus suggestion!

Not a film, but don’t forget to download and tune into KidsBeeTV this Christmas! Packed with festive content, this safe video app for kiddies – available on TV, tablets, and mobile devices – crams in hours and hours of kid-friendly, teacher-curated content. You will find a lot of songs and Nursery Rhymes, cartoons, stories, and crafting videos handpicked specially for this season. And there is more… As a gift to our users, until the end of the year, KidsBeeTV will premiere a total of ten new series:

  • Bubu and The Little Owls
  • Christmas with Om Nom
  • Pinkfong
  • Where’s Chicky?
  • Pat a Pat Como
  • Horaci, The Inuit
  • Monsikids
  • Learn and Play with Paprika
  • Traffic Safety with Poli

Your kid will simply love it!

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3 Ways To Make Christmas (Positively) Different this Year

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2020 has been a tough year – there is no doubt about that. Sadly, this Christmas is going to be different for many families around the world who won’t be able to gather all their relatives together due to the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Although the coronavirus vaccine will start to be distributed soon, we are in for a tough Christmas and winter in the meantime.

But that presents us with an opportunity to find positivity elsewhere. Perhaps to have a positively different Christmas in 2020.

Following such a challenging year, what can we do this festive season to positively impact our communities and our planet? We’ve thought hard about this subject and have come up with 3 ways to make Christmas (positively) different this year. 

Here goes!

1. Buy a living Christmas tree and be more eco-conscious about the decorations.

living christmas tree and eco-friendly decorations to do with kids

The two most common ways of getting a Christmas tree are buying a chopped down tree or buying a fake one.

A real tree, recycled properly, can have negligible emissions, according to the Guardian. However, many trees end up on landfill after the end of the Christmas period, and can each release up to 16kg of carbon as they decompose. And that’s before you’ve considered the emissions from transporting the tree in the first place.

Meanwhile, fake trees are made of plastic. A 6.5ft plastic tree has a carbon footprint of about 40kg. If you already have one, your best bet is to keep it for as long as possible.

But there is a third option: a potted tree. These living plants come rooted in soil and will last for as long as you take care of them. After the end of the festive period, you can put the tree outside and even plant it if you have space. 

That means you can reuse the same living tree year after year, with a carbon footprint of zero or possibly even negative! 

Buying a living tree is an amazing way to look after the planet this Christmas.

Also, you can decorate it by recycling things you have at home, like newspaper, wood pieces and branches. You can even do some arts and crafts with kids! They love to collaborate. With the special holiday crafting playlist on kiddZtube, they can watch a lot of videos to learn how to do simple ornaments, by themselves or with a little bit of your help.

2. Be conscious with present buying.

wooden monkey toy

It is easy to fill stockings with stuff that your kids don’t really need. 

That includes plastic toys that have a pretty short shelf life and end up being given away – or, much worse, thrown away – within months.

However, there are plenty of gifts out there made from more sustainable materials. Rather than buying a cheap plastic or electronic gizmo, consider a toy that is more useful and will last longer.

Digital products can also be a great present – a kiddZtube subscription, for example – as they have a minuscule impact on the environment compared to mass-produced toys.

A kiddZtube subscription is a wonderful gift to kids, but this season it comes even better. Until the end of the year, we will release a total of ten new animation series. We are talking about more than 600 safe and educational videos and super fun content!

3. Donate to charity as a gift.

Donate to charity this Christmas

We all love giving and receiving presents. But equally, we can all probably admit we give and receive a few too many!

A great present idea for Christmas 2020 is to donate some money on behalf of the person you are giving to.

It’s a great way to make a positive difference. You can make it personal by choosing a cause that your friend or relative feels strongly about. For an animal lover, for example, you could donate to WWF.

Parents can also use Christmas time to educate their children about being grateful and understanding their good fortune. You could even take the opportunity to go over all of the kids toys and choose some to donate to kids’ charities.

For the lucky ones among us, Christmas is a wonderful time of year. But we shouldn’t forget that it can be very hard, and very lonely, for the less fortunate in society. That’s important for our kids to learn!

 

There you have it! 3 ways to make Christmas (positively) different this year! Thanks for reading!

 

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Fun festive activities

5 Fun Festive Activities To Get the Family in Holiday Spirits

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Christmas is a joyful time of year. As soon as December comes round, the unmistakeable Christmas feeling hits.

But maybe you aren’t feeling quite as Christmassy as you would like at this time of year. Well, if that’s the case, the good news is that you can kick-start the holiday vibes with some fun festive activities that will get the whole family in the mood for December 25th.

So here are Magikbee’s favourite festive activities!

  1. Get decorating! 🎄

If you aren’t feeling Christmassy yet, this is definitely the best way to get in the mood.

fun festive activities

Is there anything cosier than a Christmas tree?

Decorating the house is sure to boost the Christmas spirits of the whole family. It’s fun and creative – particularly if you and the kids hand-make some of your own decorations. Check out this recipe for quick and easy ornament dough.

A Christmas tree is a great place to start the decorations. We recommend a real pine, if possible. They make your home smell great!

So head down to your local market and buy a tree!

  1. Write letters to Santa

At the age and stage that kids believe in Santa Claus, they are still learning to read and write well. So this is a great exercise for training those crucial skills!

Of course, don’t tell them that’s your motivation. 😉

But encourage them to get creative by writing their wish list to Santa. It will get them excited for Christmas Day and help you out on with your shopping, too!

Letter to santa

Your kids will probably be a little more creative than this!

  1. Go shopping

Speaking of shopping…

fun festive activities

Christmas scenes on the highstreet in Germany 🎄

An essential part of Christmas is giving your loved one gifts.

Admittedly, shopping can sometimes be a bit stressful – particularly if left to the last minute (which, let’s face it, we all do!).

But if you plan ahead and leave plenty of time to hit the shops, you can enjoy yourself and soak up the atmosphere while you make some purchases. Perhaps enjoy a mulled wine while you’re out?

  1. Make (non-alcoholic) mulled wine

Alternatively, make your own – and with the kids!

Mulled wine

Mulled wine is so delicious.

Traditional mulled wine is delicious, but not kid-friendly, obviously. Luckily, you can make an alcohol-free, fruit juice version at home that tastes just as good! It will warm you up on those cold winter nights. Get the kids involved in the simple but fun and satisfying spicing process.

Recipe here.

  1. Volunteer

Christmas is a time for giving to your family and friends. But it doesn’t have to stop there.

The festive season also offers a great opportunity to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Christmas can be an especially difficult time for vulnerable people.

It’s always worth checking with local charities if they have volunteer work open. Some may even have things that older kids can do, too.

Charity worker pictured with a mistletoe behind.

Helping those in need is really what Christmas is all about – whether you are religious or not!

So there you have it – five fun festive activities for the whole family to enjoy this year. Merry Christmas!

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