Six best films to watch with tweens in the UAE

They grow so fast! Got a tween in the house? make sure that they have seen these awesome films before they hit 11.

There’s little better than sitting down as a family and watching a good film.

But on top of being a fun form of entertainment, films can also teach children valuable life lessons, making them more than just an idle pastime. If you watch the right ones that is.

Here are six of our best films to watch with tweens in the UAE before they hit the teenage years and opt out of family movie night!

Annie (1982)

So popular is this film about a feisty little orphan and her four-legged best friend, that there have been several versions made of it, plus it’s even been made into a musical. And as for what it will teach the kids, the main takeaways are hope, optimism, kindness and ambition. It also teaches them that money doesn’t bring you happiness and that you’re never fully dressed without a smile!
Amazon Prime.

Free Willy (1993)

Another orphan film, this time it’s Jesse, a kid who’s had a tough time and then befriends an Orca whale, called Willy, who he tries to save from a life in an aquarium. What does it show the kiddos? That it pays off to keep going and don’t give up because sometimes it’s all about that final push.
Netflix.

ET (1982)

Possibly one of the best movies of all time… quite the claim, we know. Elliott and ET build up a strong friendship. When the alien is detained by the government, Elliot goes all out to set him free and get him back to his spaceship so he can go home. He does all of this, despite not wanting his best friend to leave. That’s what being an adult is all about.
Netflix.

Nanny McPhee (2005)

Nanny McPhee arrives to help a harried young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war, though she uses her magic to teach the woman’s children and their two spoiled cousins five new lessons. In the course of the story, Nanny McPhee teaches the children five lessons: to stop fighting, to share nicely, to help each other, to be brave and to have faith. All life lessons our own tweens can take away with them.
Netflix.

Oliver (1968)

Based on Charles Dickens’s 1838 novel Oliver Twist, Oliver isn’t the easiest watch, but it’s heart-warming and has a great outcome, plus the songs are incredible. It shows kids that in the right environment and given the right opportunities, you can learn right from wrong and prosper.
Amazon Prime.

Swallows and Amazons (2016)

Swallows and Amazons is based on Arthur Ransome’s 1930 children’s novel of the same name. It follows four children (the Swallows) on holiday in the Lake District sail on their own to an island and start a war with rival children (the Amazons). The children are given a lot of freedom and independence by their parents, something that is not so freely given today.
Amazon Prime.

The Lion King (1994)

Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself. Timon and Simba’s classic song centred around “Hakuna Matata” (which means “no worries, for the rest of your days”) tells kids that happiness is a choice, but kids will also be taught that with great power comes great responsibility, running away won’t solve anything, true friends will always be there and that they should put their trust in people wisely.
Amazon Prime.