May is coming to an end and that can mean only one thing: summer is upon us. As the calendar flips to June, many schools are officially out for the season, weather is getting warmer and it’s prime entertainment time. But while we’re headed into blockbuster season at the theaters, there are also great movie options for families to catch from the comfort of home. Thanks to streaming, there’s a wide range of family-friendly fare to enjoy and much of it available for free.
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While streaming platforms will continue to update their offerings as the summer continues, now that we’ve gotten a look at the June lineups from platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi, we have a pretty good list of some of the best family movies you can stream absolutely for free and these five are some of the best of the best—perfect for family movie night or for when the kids just need to be entertained.
5) Harriet the Spy (Pluto TV)
Available on Pluto TV, 1996’s Harriet the Spy is based on the classic novel of the same name by Louise Fitzhugh. The film stars Michelle Trachtenberg in her first major acting role as the titular Harriet, an 11-year-old aspiring spy and writer who spends her time keeping tabs on her neighbors and friends, keeping her findings in her secret notebook. However, when her notebook is discovered by a classmate, all of Harriet’s frequently brutal observations are brought to light. Harriet not only has to deal with the consequences of her observations, but also the fallout while learning how to deal with her bully who exposed her thoughts int he first place. The film also stars Rosie O’Donnell and also features Eartha Kitt. It’s a charming and delightful film that’s got a good message and is entertaining for the whole family.
4) Spy Kids (Pluto TV)
Looking for some family-friendly action? Look no further than Spy Kids. Released in 2001, Spy Kids follows two young kids who become spies as they attempt to rescue their parents—who are actually spies themselves—who go missing after being called back into active field work to find other missing agents. The film stars Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Antionio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Teri Hatcher, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Robert Patrick, and Tony Shalhoub. It’s sort of like what you’d get if you took a James Bond film, made it a comedy, and added kids and it’s an absolute blast. It was also selected by the United States National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant so that’s pretty cool. Check it out on Pluto TV this summer.
3) Holes (Tubi)
Released in 2003, Holes is the theatrical film debut of a young Shia LaBeouf and also stars Sigourney Weaver, John Voight, Patricia Arquette, and Tim Blake Nelson. The film follows Stanley Yelnats IV (LaBeouf) who is sent to a juvenile detention camp, Texas’ Camp Green Lake after he is wrongly convicted of theft. The detention camp’s cruel warden Walker (Weaver) forces its inmates to dig holes in a dried lake bed but is secretly having the inmates search for buried treasure. As it turns out, the treasure she’s looking for is that of the notorious Katherine “Kissin’ Kate” Barlow (Arquette) and has a surprising connection to Stanley’s family. It’s a surprisingly smart movie even with the kind of wild sounding premise and has a nice balance of mystery and comedy.
2) The Peanuts Movie (Tubi)
No, this isn’t the classic The Peanuts, but there’s little more iconic than The Peanuts—they did just celebrate their 75th anniversary last year, after all. Streaming on Tubi, The Peanuts Movie was released in 2015, it follows pretty classic Peanuts elements, including Charlier Brown trying to just get through life while getting the attention of the Little Red-Haired Girl, Snoopy works on writing a book about the daring World War I Flying Ace. As is the case with all Peanuts stories, Charlie doesn’t have the best of luck as he deals with various embarrassing setbacks. However, the movie has some rather sweet developments—and you certainly don’t want to count ol’ Chuck out. The film was met with critical acclaim and is a lovely mix of nostalgia and gateway to the Peanuts if you aren’t already a fan. Stream it this summer on Tubi.
1) Space Jam (Tubi)
The iconic live-action animated sports comedy starring Michael Jordan and various Looney Tunes characters, if there is one family friendly movie you stream free this summer, let it be Space Jam. Released in 1996, the film sees Jordan dragged out of retirement by the Looney Tunes characters as they need his help going against alien invaders in a basketball game with some seriously high stakes. How high? if they lose, the aliens will enslave them as amusement park attractions. The film features some impressive for its time technical achievements—the way the live-action talent and the animation work together is seamless—and it was wildly successful at the box office. It is also just a super fun, funny movie that will have you both laughing and on the edge of your seat. Definitely be sure to check this one out on Tubi.
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