Top 10 Classic Children's Movies

There are so many great children's movies that have withstood the test of time that it took some paring down on my part to come up with my picks for the top 10 classic children's movies of all times.

Let's start with my favorite The Sound of Music (1965). The story takes place in 1930s Austria. A young postulant nun is sent as a governess to the house of Captain Von Trapp, a widower, to take care of his seven impish children. Initially they try and scare her away but Maria's loving and forgiving nature grows on them and they soon begin to love her and her music. The captain and Maria soon fall in love, marry and, together with the children, are forced to flee their beloved Austria on the eve of World War II so as to avoid fighting alongside the German army. As a little girl, the music and storyline were so extraordinary, I saw it 11 times! This movie will have you singing and dancing weeks after you've seen it.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is the story about an alien botanist who is mistakenly left behind by his crew. A 10-year-old boy named Eliott takes him home and hides him away to protect him. It's a race against time for Elliott to get E.T. back to his home planet before its too late and they both die. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love this heartwarming movie about true friendship.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) tells the tale of young Dorothy Gale who is knocked out during a hurricane and dreams that she has been swept away to a far away land of colorful characters. She sets out on her journey to find the Wizard who will help her get back to her home in Kansas. This movie is a classic that will have you riveted until Dorothy is finally back in Kansas!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) is the story of an over-the-top inventor who creates a flying car, named "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" after the noise it makes. It takes Caractacus Potts, his children, and love interest to a magical place filled with pirates and castles. This made my list for the wonderful memories it produced for me, and for its totally original storyline!

Mary Poppins (1964) is a magical nanny who is summoned to the Banks house to take care of their two spoiled children. Mary Poppins soon teachers the children how to enjoy life while also teaching them how to behave! Who can resist the movie that brought us the song "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" This movie made my list because of its originality and magical song and dance scenes.

The Love Bug (1968) is about a Volkswagon named Herbie who has a mind of his own. He follows Jim Douglas, a down-and-out race car driver, home from the showroom one day. Together they win races, putting Jim back on top in the race car circuit and sealing a lifelong friendship between Jim and Herbie.

Bedknobs and Broom Sticks (1971) starts off in London during WWII where 3 orphaned Rawlings children are sent to live with Miss Eglantine Price, a witch-in-training. To stop the children from revealing her secret, she presents them with a magical bedknob that enables their bed to fly. Together they must find the second half of the book, 'The Spells of Astaroth', which specifically holds the "substitutiary locomotion" spell so desired by Miss Price. This is another exciting and original storyline that brings back so many great memories of the old drive-in movies.

Peter Pan (1953) was adapted from a play by Sir James M. Barrie, about a boy who refused to grow up. In the story, the Darling children are whisked away to Neverland by Peter Pan to visit this magical place. There they encounter the villian Captain Hook and help Peter, Tink and the Lost Boys defeat this evil pirate. This movie is a children's movie classic for its imaginative storyline, as well as its popularity with both children and adults alike! The theme is one of my very favorites, that of the child in all of us!

Anne of Green Gables (1985) is a bestselling novel by Canadian-born author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The story revolves around an 11-year-old orphaned girl named Anne Shirley who is mistakenly sent to the Cuthbert's home to help out on the farm. They'd requested a boy orphan but got the fiery little redheaded girl instead. Her charming and quirky personality grows on the Cuthberts and changes their lives forever! Being a huge fan of the book series, the movie did a wonderful job staying true to the heatwarming storyline. A winer in my book!

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and is the story about a young penniless Charlie who wins a tour through the famous chocolate factory and, in the end, inherits the whole lot by Willy Wonka himself. I love the creativity and imagination that went into making this movie. Its original theme makes this movie a timeless classic.

So there you have it, my recommendation for the top 10 children's movie classics of all time.