15 Incredible Mexican Movies for Kids Who Love Family Movie Night
If you are like me, you’ve watched every mainstream movie for kids available on every streaming platform. That’s life for a father of two girls between 4 and 6 years old. But sometimes you get tired of the same plots and script formulas, and you’d like to watch something different and refreshing.
That’s when watching Mexican movies for kids becomes a great idea. Not only are they interesting options with different approaches and new characters, but they also offer the possibility to learn about a different culture and catch some Spanish too.
Keep reading and discover why having a family movie night is a good idea, how to choose the best movie for it, why Mexican movies are an excellent option, and which Mexican movies for kids you should consider.
Family Movie Night
Family movie night is a great opportunity to enjoy some quality time with your kids and have fun together. If done the right way, you can use movies as education, and if you choose Mexican movies then you also have the added value of learning Spanish.
Now, the key to a great family movie night is choosing the right film. The best way to do that is by checking out the movie ratings. Believe me, you don’t want to watch a movie with the wrong rating with your kids. Using common sense and creativity will make your family movie night a success.
Mexican Movies for Kids
There was a time when Mexico produced more films than telenovelas per year, and there were a lot of options for kids. Nowadays, finding one of these movies with legendary characters such as Chabelo or Capulina is an almost impossible task.
For this reason, I’ve decided to include more recent Mexican movies, as they can be found on most popular streaming platforms. Furthermore, the Mexican film industry has made huge advances in the animation genre and is now exporting these movies all over the world.
15 Fantastic Mexican Movies for Kids
1. La Leyenda de la Llorona
This animated Mexican movie explores the story of arguably the most famous Mexican legend of all: La Llorona (“The Weeping Woman”). The second installment of a series of films inspired by Mexican legends, La Leyenda de La Llorona is a window into the richness of the spiritual Mexican world.
Plot: a group of kids fight against La Llorona, who tries to abduct other kids as a way to calm her guilt over the drowning of her own children.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a modern and smart adaptation of a traditional legend.
Vocabulary:
El alebrije – alebrije, colorful fantastical Mexican creatures formed by parts of different animals.
2. Nikté
Nikté is one of the best animated Mexican movies ever made. It explores Mexico’s indigenous past in a fun and clever way.
Plot: by accident, a girl travels to the times of the Olmec people and tries to become an Olmec princess.
Perfect for kids because: it’s filled with adventures set in an ancient civilization.
Vocabulary:
La diosa – goddess
La princesa – princess
3. Atlético San Pancho
“Atlético San Pancho” is a feel-good Mexican sports movie that doesn’t overthink it and just tells a good, fun story for kids.
Plot: an old janitor from a San Francisco (San Pancho) school puts together a soccer team of kids to play for a championship in one of the most important soccer stadiums in the world: the Azteca Stadium.
Perfect for kids because: it shows that when you work hard, dreams come true.
Vocabulary:
El fútbol – soccer
El estadio – stadium
4. El Libro de la Vida
“The Book of Life” is an American movie that celebrates Mexican culture with the traditional Day of the Dead celebration as background. Produced by Academy Award-winner Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and directed by another Mexican, Jorge Gutiérrez. I’m including it on the list because the film is full of Mexican talent and tells a Mexican story, and you can find it in Spanish.
Plot: Manolo is a bullfighter who embarks on a journey to the afterlife in search of love, only to find himself.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a deep exploration of Mexican myths and encourages kids to embrace the past.
Vocabulary:
El torero – bullfighter
El esqueleto – skeleton
5. Ana y Bruno
“Ana and Bruno” is a movie for kids that explores adult subjects such as death and mental illness. It also has a dark style similar to Tim Burton’s films. That said, it’s one of the best animated Mexican movies ever made, by renowned director Carlos Carrera.
Plot: Ana goes on a search for her father to help her save her family. In the journey she meets some extraordinary friends.
Perfect for kids because: it’s an opportunity to talk about difficult topics and appreciate a different visual aesthetic.
Vocabulary:
El duende – elf
El trastorno mental – mental disorder
6. La Leyenda de la Nahuala
“The Legend of La Nahuala” is the first instalment of the Legend Quest series of animated Mexican movies inspired by traditional legends.
Plot: set in an old town of Mexico when it was still part of the Spanish Empire, La Nahuala is a witch who has taken control of the spirits of two little girls. Leo will try to rescue them before Día de Muertos arrives or they will be lost forever.
Perfect for kids because: like much of Mexican culture, it feeds from a past rich in myths and legends.
Vocabulary:
La bruja – witch
El espíritu – spirit
7. Caperucita y Pulgarcito contra los Monstruos
“Little Red Riding Hood and Tom Thumb vs the Monsters” is a classic Mexican movie from 1962 when special effects were just an afterthought and 3D animation didn’t even exist. It’s a bit kitsch and quite weird, but it’s also a window to a simpler past when a big bad wolf could be just a guy with a costume and nobody cared about how fake it looked.
Plot: think of Shrek with real actors wearing costumes. Little Red Riding Hood (Caperucita) plays the role of the hero in a journey, and The Wicked Witch is the antagonist who uses her monsters to defeat Caperucita, including Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein.
Perfect for kids because: it’s fantastic! It shows that with imagination, the most spectacular worlds can be created.
Vocabulary:
El ogro – ogre
Malvada(o) – wicked
8. AAA Sin Límite en el Tiempo
“AAA – The Movie” is an animated Mexican movie that peeks into the world of professional wrestling. There was a time when famous wrestlers such as El Santo (The Saint) and Blue Demon would star in movies fighting against mummies and monsters. AAA is a tribute to those Mexican movies of old.
Plot: in Mexican wrestling, Técnicos (good guys) fight against Rudos (bad guys), and this same dynamic translates into the film where wrestlers fight a battle to control the AAA (Mexican wrestling world).
Perfect for kids because: it’s the Mexican version of a superhero movie, but instead of superpowers you get to see spectacular flying kicks and other wrestling stunts.
Vocabulary:
La lucha libre – wrestling
El luchador – wrestler
9. El Agente 00-P2
“Agent Macaw: Shaken & Stirred” is a Mexican animated parody of spy films.
Plot: a macaw and a turtle become, by mistake, spies of the Central Intelligentus Animalus (CIA) and try to save the world from an evil bear.
Perfect for kids because: it’s filled with harmless action and funny references to James Bond and Mission Impossible films.
Vocabulary:
La espía – spy
El agente – agent
10. Guardianes de Oz
“Wicked Flying Monkeys” is actually a Mexican-Indian collaboration which makes it an interesting product in itself. Released in 2015, at the time it was the biggest Mexican animated movie ever produced.
Plot: after Dorothy goes back to Kansas, the Good Witch of the South gives a magical broom to the Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow, naming them new guardians of the broom.
Perfect for kids because: it’s an original story that builds on the classic kids’ tale of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Vocabulary:
El espantapájaros – scarecrow
La hojalata – tin
El cobarde – coward
El mago – wizard
11. El Americano
“El Americano: The Movie” is a Mexican-American co-production but still qualifies as one of the best Mexican movies for kids, as its cast is full of Mexican and Hispanic-American actors.
Plot: a Mexican parrot embarks on a wild, adventure-filled journey to Hollywood.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a clever action film for kids that explores the issue of immigration.
Vocabulary:
El/La inmigrante – immigrant
El perico – parrot
12. Ya Veremos
“Ya Veremos” was released with a Spanish title in the U.S., but it means “We’ll See.” The film is a successful Mexican lighthearted comedy with a feel-good story.
Plot: a divorced couple learns that their son needs surgery to save his eyesight, and the kid uses the opportunity to reunite his parents.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a movie about the importance of having a family.
Vocabulary:
La familia – family
Divorciado(a) – divorced
La custodia – custody
13. La Liga de los 5
“The League of 5” is the rare Mexican superhero film. Released in January 2020, the movie struggled in the box office due to the pandemic but is an interesting film that deserves a chance.
Plot: a kid recruits a group of Mexican superheroes to help him rescue his sister from the evil Tin Marin.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a refreshing movie where the superheroes include a Catrina, a Mayan warrior, and a Mexican wrestler.
Vocabulary:
El superhéroe – superhero
La fantasma – ghost
14. Día de Muertos
“Salma’s Big Wish” had the bad luck of producing a film about the Day of the Dead at a time when the biggest entertainment company in the world was doing the same. Even though the producers had to postpone its release for a couple of years, the film stands on its own and offers an alternative vision of the traditional Mexican celebration.
Plot: an orphan girl discovers a book filled with stories that will help her find her parents in a journey to the afterlife.
Perfect for kids because: it shows the Mexican vision of death in a colorful way.
Vocabulary:
La/El huérfana(o) – orphan
Día de (los) Muertos – Day of the Dead
15. Coco
“Coco” is not a Mexican movie, but it has portrayed as well as anyone the rich Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead and its meaning in Mexican culture. You can easily find it in Spanish, too, to get the full Mexican combo.
Plot: Miguel wants to be a musician but her grandma won’t allow it. On the Day of the Dead he’s transported to the world of the dead where he meets his ancestors and discovers the truth about himself and his family.
Perfect for kids because: it’s a beautiful movie about the importance of remembering our ancestors.
Vocabulary:
El ancestro – ancestor
La música – music
El zapatero – shoemaker
That’s a Wrap!
Did I leave out your favorite Mexican movie for kids in my list? Let me know in the comments!
Looking for more Spanish entertainment? Check out these posts!
- Top 10 Science Fiction Spanish Books for Adults (with PDFs)
- 200+ Beginner Spanish Vocabulary Words PDF: Learn Spanish Fast!
- How You Can Encourage Your Child To Speak Spanish at Home
- The Most Extensive Guide Ever to House Vocabulary in Spanish
- Keep Your Spanish Skills Sharp Over Summer Vacation
- Master All the Forms of Ser in Spanish: Your Ultimate Grammar Guide
- All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second Language
- Discover the Joy of Learning Spanish with Summer Fun Activities
- All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second Language - July 11, 2024
- The Best Homeschool Spanish Curriculum at HSA - June 13, 2024
- 20 Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish - May 23, 2024
