2009 KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kid Films

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What is the KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kid Films List?

These are films for kids between the ages of 2 and 18 that we believe to have universal appeal, exhibit outstanding attributes in terms of their production quality. They exhibit qualities that make them as applicable today as the day they were first released.  

We know that media has the power to influence children, negatively or positively. The films on this list portray the values and ethics that we, as a culture wish to instill in our children. The idea behind this list is to provide a parent or caregiver with as much information as possible about the age appropriateness of a film, a brief synopsis, the key artists involved and any special audience issues it may address. 

 What are the criteria to be in the Top 100?

These are all feature films. As with anything that KIDS FIRST! endorses, a film must first meet or exceed the baseline criteria established by the organization. These are: no gratuitous violence or abuse; no inappropriate sexual behavior; no bias in terms of race, gender, culture or religion; no condescension toward children; no replicable unsafe behavior. Additionally, any film on this list has been compared with others and found to be exceptional.

Other viewing lists for children include older, more classic titles. This list does not include some of these. Why not?

Many critics have created lists of top children's films over the years. In reviewing some of those lists, we found that they often took a more academic look and made recommendations based on "what's good for kids" rather than "what kids like." We at KIDS FIRST! take the approach that you can combine these two ideas and come up with a list that accomplishes both. This is not to say that some older, classic films are not valued by us, but we feel some newer, more up-to-date titles have superceded them.   

 Why only feature films?

This is a starting point. Come back to see our "Top 100 Children's DVDs," "Top 100 Children's TV Shows," and other Top 100 lists.

Who voted?

Our 196 nominees were listed on our voting website for 30 days. The nominees came from a select group of our jurors, colleagues and others associated with KIDS FIRST! The public was invited to vote for their favorites from the list of nominees. This list is updated annually. If you didn't have a chance to vote this year, come back next year to do so.

How can I become a juror for KIDS FIRST!?

We welcome jurors at any time. Our jury comprises educators, librarians, child care providers, Girl and Boy Scout Leaders, and other interested adults as well as their associated groups of kids ages 0 to 18. We welcome you to join our jury at any time and help us evaluate and rate children's films, DVDs, and other media. There is a $40 fee for our online training which is completely refundable upon completing the training and review six titles in six months. For more details, go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror. Or, call 505-989-8076.