Best Space Movies for Kids

Humans especially kids are always fascinated by aliens in outer space. The excitement about aliens increases many folds if we talk about them. There are many movies that revolve around their visits to Earth. These movies also spark the imaginations as well as the creativity of kids. 

There are many such movies that enhance the experience of learning about space and the outer world by presenting them as adventures. We have brought you a list of English movies that are kids friendly.

Best Space Movies for Kids

Here’s a list of the best space movies for kids.

MovieName & DirectorRating
space movies for kids
Apollo 11
Todd Douglas Miller
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
space movies for kids
Apollo 13
Ron Howard
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 87.5%
space movies for kids
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
Tad Stones
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
space movies for kids
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Steven Spielberg
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
space movies for kids
Ender’s Game
Gavin Hood
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%

1. Apollo 11

Duration1 hour 33 minutes
Directed byTodd Douglas Miller
IMDb Rating8.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating80%
Release Year2019
CastNeil Armstrong, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Deke Slayton, Clifford E. Charlesworth, Bruce McCandless II, H. David Reed, Charles Duke, Gene Kranz, Bill Anders
space movies for kids

On its fiftieth anniversary, the events surrounding the actual Apollo 11 space mission are presented solely using archival footage and still photographs of or associated with the mission. The events span from the eleventh-hour preparations for the launch to shortly after the safe touchdown of the capsule with its three astronauts back on Earth. 

The mission is historic as the first time humans had stepped on the surface of the Earth’s moon.

It arguably made household names of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as the first and second to walk on the moon, and slightly less so for the third astronaut, Mike Collins, who remained inside the capsule at the time. It was arguably the most dangerous space mission at the time in part to the astronauts leaving the safety of the capsule.

2. Apollo 13

Duration2 hours 20 minutes
Directed byRon Howard
IMDb Rating7.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating87.5%
Release Year1995
CastTom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Emily Ann Lloyd, Miko Hughes, Max Elliott Slade
space movies for kids

This Hollywood drama is based on the events of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) find everything going according to plan after leaving Earth’s orbit. 

However, when an oxygen tank explodes, the scheduled moon landing is called off. Subsequent tensions within the crew and numerous technical problems threaten both the astronauts’ survival and their safe return to Earth.

3. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins

Duration1 hour 10 minutes
Directed byTad Stones
IMDb Rating6.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating74%
Release Year2000
CastAnimated Movie

Tim Allen, Nicole Sullivan, Larry Miller, Stephen Furst, Wayne Knight, Adam Carolla, Diedrich Bader, Patrick Warburton, Kevin Michael Richardson, Charles Kimbrough
space movies for kids

In this animated film, space adventurer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) loses his partner during a mission and resolves to never jeopardize another person’s life again. But Buzz’s commander, Nebula (Adam Carolla), finds him a replacement anyway: Princess Mira Nova (Nicole Sullivan). Meanwhile, Buzz’s nemesis, nefarious Emperor Zurg (Wayne Knight), plots to steal the Uni-mind, a valuable device that facilitates the little green men’s collective thought process; without it, the whole race is useless.

4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Duration1 hour 55 minutes
Directed bySteven Spielberg
IMDb Rating7.9
Rotten Tomatoes Rating92%
Release Year1982
CastHenry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, K.C. Martel, Sean Frye, C. Thomas Howell, Erika Eleniak, David M. O’Dell, Richard Swingler
space movies for kids

After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Bringing the extraterrestrial into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as the alien is dubbed, to his brother and his little sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore), and the children decide to keep its existence a secret. Soon, however, E.T. falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both Elliott and the alien.

5. Ender’s Game

Duration1 hour 54 minutes
Directed byGavin Hood
IMDb Rating6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating70%
Release Year2013
CastHarrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight, Suraj Partha, Moises Arias, Khylin Rhambo
space movies for kids

When hostile aliens called the Formics attack Earth, only the legendary heroics of Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) manage to attain a victory. To prepare for the next attack, Col. Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and his cohorts initiate a military program to find the next Mazer. Recruit Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) exhibits an unusual gift for training, easily mastering all of the challenges thrown at him. Mazer Rackham, himself, takes Ender as a protege to prepare him for the oncoming war.

6. Escape From Planet Earth

Duration1 hour 29 minutes
Directed byCal Brunker
IMDb Rating5.8
Rotten Tomatoes Rating70%
Release Year2012
CastAnimated Movie

Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, Ricky Gervais, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Sofía Vergara, Paul Scheer, Jason Simpson, Doug Abrahams
space movies for kids

On the planet Baab, dashing astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser) is a national hero and master of daring rescues. However, Scorch does not work alone; his nerdy brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA, often lends quiet, behind-the-scenes support. When a distress signal arrives from a dangerous planet, Scorch ignores Gary’s warnings and sets out on a rescue mission. Scorch soon finds himself caught in a trap set by an evil enemy, and it’s up to Gary to save him.

7. Flight Of The Navigator

Duration1 hour 30 minutes
Directed byRandal Kleiser
IMDb Rating6.9
Rotten Tomatoes Rating84%
Release Year1986
CastJoey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker, Albie Whitaker, Matt Adler, Howard Hesseman, Robert Small, Jonathan Sanger, Iris Acker, Richard Liberty
space movies for kids

A 12-year-old boy goes missing in 1978, only to reappear once more in 1986. In the eight years that have passed, he hasn’t aged. It is no coincidence that at the time he “comes back”, a flying saucer is found, entangled in power lines.

8. Gravity

Duration1 hour 31 minutes
Directed byAlfonso Cuarón
IMDb Rating7.7
Rotten Tomatoes Rating75%
Release Year2013
CastSandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma, Amy Warren, Basher Savage
space movies for kids

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission. Her commander is veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), helming his last flight before retirement. Then, during a routine spacewalk by the pair, disaster strikes: The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Ryan and Matt stranded in deep space with no link to Earth and no hope of rescue. As fear turns to panic, they realize that the only way home may be to venture further into space.

9. Green Lantern: First Flight

Duration1 hour 17 minutes
Directed byLauren Montgomery
IMDb Rating7.1
Rotten Tomatoes Rating70%
Release Year2009
CastAnimated Movie 

Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, John Larroquette, Kurtwood Smith, Larry Drake, William Schallert, Malachi Throne, Olivia d’Abo
space movies for kids

Pilot Hal Jordan accepts a mysterious, powerful ring from a dying alien that transforms him into a Green Lantern. He patrols the earth to ensure peace and justice prevail.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy

Duration2 hours 1 minute
Directed byJames Gunn
IMDb Rating8
Rotten Tomatoes Rating85%
Release Year2014
CastChris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly
space movies for kids

Brash space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the quarry of relentless bounty hunters after he steals an orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain. To evade Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with four disparate misfits: gun-toting Rocket Raccoon, treelike-humanoid Groot, enigmatic Gamora, and vengeance-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when he discovers the orb’s true power and the cosmic threat it poses, Quill must rally his ragtag group to save the universe.

11. Home

Duration1 hour 34 minutes
Directed byTim Johnson
IMDb Rating6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating71%
Release Year2015
CastAnimated Movie 

Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Jones, Brian Stepanek, April Lawrence, Stephen Kearin, Lisa Stewart, April Winchell
space movies for kids

After a hive-minded alien race called the Boov conquers the Earth, they relocate the planet’s human population — all except for a little girl named Tip (Rihanna), who’s managed to hide from the aliens. When Tip meets a fugitive Boov called Oh (Jim Parsons), there’s mutual distrust. However, Oh is not like his comrades; he craves friendship and fun. As their distrust fades, the pair set out together to find Tip’s mother, but, unbeknown to them, the Gorg — enemies of the Boov — are en route.

12. Mars Needs Moms

Duration1 hour 28 minutes
Directed bySimon Wells
IMDb Rating5.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating80%
Release Year2011
CastAnimated Movie
Seth Green, Joan Cusack, Dan Fogler, Elisabeth Harnois, Mindy Sterling, Kevin Cahoon, Tom Everett Scott, Jacquie Barnbrook
space movies for kids

Milo is a 9-year-old boy who has a lot on his mind; he has monster movies to watch, comic books to read, and all other kinds of fun stuff to accomplish. He definitely does not have time to do homework or eat his vegetables. He’s getting tired of his mom nagging him to do these things, and his mom is tired of nagging. But just as Milo is telling his mom that life would be more fun without her, Martians kidnap her. Milo stows away on their spaceship, determined to launch a rescue.

13. Monsters vs. Aliens

Duration1 hour 34 minutes
Directed byRob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
IMDb Rating6.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating75%
Release Year2009
CastAnimated Movie

Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Paul Rudd, Julie White, Jeffrey Tambor
space movies for kids

When a meteor full of space gunk transforms Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) into a giant, the government renames her Ginormica and confines her to a secret compound with other monsters, like bug-headed Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie). When an extraterrestrial robot lands on Earth and begins a rampage, Gen. W.R. Monger persuades the president to send Ginormica and her fellow monsters to battle the machine and save the planet.

14. Muppets From Space

Duration1 hour 27 minutes
Directed byTim Hill
IMDb Rating6.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating80%
Release Year1999
CastAnimated
Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta, Jerry NelsonBrian Henson, Kevin Clash, Frank Oz, Jeffrey Tambor, F. Murray Abraham, Rob Schneider
space movies for kids

With enormous enthusiasm and unsinkable optimism, daredevil Gonzo steps into his first starring role in “Muppets From Space,” a hilarious extraterrestrial adventure about the search for Gonzo’s past. On a quest with buddy Rizzo to find his real family, Gonzo discovers that his long-lost relatives are actually aliens from a distant planet.

15. Planet 51

Duration1 hour 31 minutes
Directed byJorge Blan, Javier Abad, and Marcos Martínez
IMDb Rating6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating72%
Release Year2009
CastAnimated Movie

Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, John Cleese, Freddie Benedict, Alan Marriott, Mathew Horne, James Corden
space movies for kids

When astronaut Capt. Charles “Chuck” Baker lands on Planet 51, he thinks he is the first life form to set foot there. He gets the surprise of his life when he learns that it is inhabited by little green people who live in an idyllic version of 1950s America — complete with a universal fear of alien invasion.

16. The Cat From Outer Space

Duration1 hour 44 minutes
Directed byNorman Tokar
IMDb Rating6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating67%
Release Year1978
CastKen Berry, Sandy Duncan, Harry Morgan, Roddy McDowall, McLean Stevenson, Jesse White, Alan Young, Hans Conried, Ronnie Schell, James Hampton
space movies for kids

A UFO captained by a cat-like extraterrestrial (Ronnie Schell) is intercepted by the U.S. Military. The spacecraft’s feline pilot, who goes by the human name Jake, reveals to his captors that he must locate a substance called “Org 12” to restore his battered spacecraft and reunite with his mothership. With help from scientist Frank Wilson (Ken Berry), Jake figures out the Earth equivalent of Org 12 — gold — and then activates his collar’s technological capabilities to help retrieve it.

17. Titan A.E.

Duration1 hour 34 minutes
Directed byDon Bluth and Gary Goldman
IMDb Rating6.6
Rotten Tomatoes Rating66%
Release Year2000
CastAnimated Movie 

Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, Bill Pullman, Jim Breuer, Ken Hudson Campbell, Thomas A. Chantler, Tsai Chin, Elaine A. Clark, Roy Conrad, Jim Cummings
space movies for kids

A science-fiction film that combines traditional animation with computer-generated images, “Titan A.E.” takes place in the distant future, after Earth has been obliterated by a mysterious alien race known as the Drej. Cale is a human teenager who has been given a mysterious map by his father, leading him on an unforgettable journey.

18. Treasure Planet

Duration1 hour 35 minutes
Directed byRon Clements and John Musker
IMDb Rating7.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating70%
Release Year2002
CastAnimated Movie

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, Martin Short, Roscoe Lee Browne, Corey Burton, Dane A. Davis, Tony Jay, Austin Majors, Patrick McGoohan, Michael McShane
space movies for kids

The legendary “loot of a thousand worlds” inspires an intergalactic treasure hunt when 15-year-old Jim Hawkins stumbles upon a map to the greatest pirate trove in the universe in Walt Disney Pictures’ thrilling animated space adventure, “Treasure Planet.” Based on one of the greatest adventure stories ever told – Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” – this film follows Jim’s fantastic journey across a parallel universe as a cabin boy aboard a glittering space galleon.

19. Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets

Duration2 hours 16 minutes
Directed byLuc Besson
IMDb Rating6.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating72%
Release Year2017
CastDane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Sam Spruell, Alain Chabat, Rutger Hauer
space movies for kids

In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline worked together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. When a dark force threatens the peaceful city, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to identify the menace that also jeopardizes the future of the universe.

20. Veggie Tales: Veggies in Space, The Fennel Frontier

Duration50 minutes
Directed byMike Nawrocki
IMDb Rating6.9
Rotten Tomatoes Rating66%
Release Year2014
CastAnimated Movie

Mike Nawrocki, Phil Vischer, Megan Murphy, Cydney Trent, Lisa Vischer, Carly Henderson, Jim Poole, J. Chris Wall, Brian Roberts, Jason Zito
space movies for kids

A Lesson in The Power of Sharing! Join Captain Cuke (Larry the Cucumber) and his loyal first officer, Mr. Spork (Bob the Tomato), as they embark on an out-of-this-world adventure to bravely travel where no Veggie has ever been. The entire USS Applepies crew takes on Luntar the Looter, a power-stealing space pirate, but they’re in for a big surprise when they find out what’s motivating him!

21. Wall-E

Duration1 hour 38 minutes
Directed byAndrew Stanton
IMDb Rating8.4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating92%
Release Year2008
CastAnimated Movie

Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, MacInTalk, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver, Karleen Griffin, Kim Kopf
space movies for kids

WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But during 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he’s more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE (Elissa Knight), a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. Smitten WALL-E embarks on his greatest adventure yet when he follows EVE across the galaxy.

22. Zathura: A Space Adventure

Duration1 hour 41 minutes
Directed byJon Favreau
IMDb Rating6.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating65%
Release Year2005
CastJosh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Tim Robbins, Kristen Stewart, Frank Oz, John Alexander, Derek Mears, Douglas Tait, Joe Bucaro III
space movies for kids

After their father (Tim Robbins) is called into work, two young boys, Walter (Josh Hutcherson) and Danny (Jonah Bobo), are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa (Kristen Stewart), and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. With the help of an astronaut (Dax Shepard), the boys attempt to return home.

FAQs

What is considered the best space movie?

There are a few very good space movies that are kid-friendly and that they will love to watch. These are Apollo 11, Apollo 13, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Ender’s Game, Escape From Planet Earth, and Flight Of The Navigator.

What is the movie about kids who went to space?

One such movie is Zathura: A Space Adventure, where two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.

Is there a NASA movie?

There are a few good movies that are based on expeditions conducted by NASA. Two such movies are Apollo 11 and Apollo 13.

Is Apollo 13 a real movie?

Apollo 13 is a space drama film based on the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our article about the best space movies for kids! These movies definitely will spark excitement about aliens We hope this guide was able to help you narrow down your choices.

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