25 Timeless Christmas TV Specials & Kids' Programs

As my wife and I parent a kindergartener and his younger sister, Christmas is surely a highlight of the year – with the pageants, parties, and sharing special stories together, including on TV. But which are the best?

Choosing Christmas Programs for Our Kids (and Also for This Post)

We’ve aimed to ground our kids in the true narrative of Christ’s birth to the Virgin Mary, as proclaimed by the angels and celebrated by shepherds and Wise Men. Their imaginations also light up with the American version of the holidays, as Saint Nicholas is transformed into Santa and the like.

It’s a careful balance, to enjoy the popular myths while trying to minimize commercialism. Some of the best Christmas specials can actually be a help, pointing to why giving and helping others matters most.

With kids out of school for a couple weeks, naturally, young ones will be engaging in a bit more screentime than usual. These specials represent some of the best reflections of wonder, humor, and meaningful holiday storytelling from recent and past decades.

Most programs are available on streaming services like Prime Video. Titles marked with an asterisk* are contained in The Complete Rankin-Bass Christmas Collection box set (on DVD or Blu-ray) which is highly recommended for families.

Timeless Programs for All Ages

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965, 25 min., Apple TV+)
Infused with jazz standards from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, this beloved special follows melancholy Charlie Brown and his friend Linus as they discover what Christmas truly means. (As a bonus, there's also an AppleTV+ original for New Year's Eve, called Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987, 52 min., YouTube)
Kermit and the gang snowed-in at a farmhouse, with mayhem and music ensuing as the Sesame and Fraggle Muppets also show up.
Frosty the Snowman (1969, 25 min.)*
Old-time Hollywood star Jimmy Durante narrates the tale of a girl’s adventure with the snowman who comes to life, from the village to a forest and beyond.
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978, 60 min., YouTube)
Back in its first decade, when Sesame Street emphasized parent-child bonding as the key to learning, memorable songs and big-eyed Muppet characters bring to life a story of giving and wonder.

Music and Fun for the Littles

VeggieTales: The Star of Christmas (2002, 50 min., YouTube)
In turn-of-the-century London, two musical producers (Bob and Larry) see a nearby church’s free pageant as competition, in a story about the true nature of loving others.
Elmo Saves Christmas (1996, 60 min., YouTube)
The question of why can’t it be Christmas every day is an overused trope in kids holiday shows, but it hasn’t really been explored better than in this charming musical adventure.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999, 70 min.) (Twice Upon A Christmas, also fun.)
Three stories featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy share themes of giving and thinking of others, including a send-up of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi.
The Three Wise Men (2020, 26 min.)
Narrated by Andy Griffith and directed by Yarrow Cheney (2018’s The Grinch), this newly restored film retells the sacred story of the Magi in rhyme and colorful visuals.
VeggieTales: The Toy That Saved Christmas (1996, 30 min.)
A fast-paced parable about the dangers of commercialism, local kids are prompted to buy the popular Buzz-Saw Louie toy without considering consequences.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977, 48 min.)
One of Jim Henson’s personal favorite holiday specials, this charming musical story celebrates the season with a message of honoring one’s heritage.
Adventures in Odyssey: Electric Christmas (1994, 30 min.)
Young Dylan wants an XR-7 speedstar, and winning the neighborhood Christmas decorating contest is his only way to get it ... so he thinks.

Favorite Classics with Some Peril (Ages 4 and Up)

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974, 51 min.)*
When Santa plans to take the year off, the world’s children surprise him in this wildly original flight of fancy, a standout among the Arthur Rankin/Jules Bass specials.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, 47 min.)*
Burl Ives as a snowman narrates the story of misfit Rudolph and elf Hermie, who find where they belong among the North Pole denizens despite their differences.
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983, 26 min., Disney+)
A comic and compact version of Charles Dickens’ story, with Scrooge McDuck in the lead, this special famously handed off Disney animation from one generation to the next.
Jack Frost (1979, 48 min.)*
Introducing a winter sprite who gives up immortality to win the heart of his love, this fairytale delights with its memorable songs, over-the-top villain, and themes of self-sacrifice.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970, 48 min.)*
Bringing dimension to the American myth of Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney), orphan Kris is raised by the toymaker Kringles and grows up to save Sombertown from a joyless miser.
The Small One (1978, 26 min., Disney+)
Imagining events adjacent to the Gospels’ Nativity accounts, The Small One tells of a peasant boy in first-century Judea who gives up his beloved donkey to a carpenter and his pregnant wife.
A Garfield Christmas (1987, 24 min., YouTube)
Mixing sweetness and sarcasm just like Jim Davis’ comic strip, the fat cat and eager dog Odie head to the Arbuckle farmhouse for a reunion with Jon’s family.
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966, 26 min., Hulu)
From animation legend Chuck Jones and Ted Seuss Geisel himself, enjoy the comic redemption story of the green figure whose heart was three sizes too small and his dog, Max.
How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019, 22 min., Hulu)
An epilogue to the epic film trilogy, the cast returns for a celebration of invented Viking holiday Snoggletog, with now-married Hiccup and Astrid and their kids visited by a dear friend.
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975, 22 min.)*
When a shepherd boy in struck by lightning, nuns take him in to their abbey in Normandy. With its realism and respect for the sacred, you could call this Rankin-Bass special miraculous.

Unforgettable Holiday TV Episodes

The Andy Griffith Show: The Christmas Story (1960, 26 min., Peacock)
When a few miscreants have to be detained on Christmas Eve, Andy and Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) bring friends together for a Christmas party at the Sheriff’s Office in this first-season highlight.
The Waltons: The Best Christmas (1976, 48 min., Prime Video)
From a tree falling on the town church to a car wreck that leaves family members stranded, multiple emergencies make that perfect holiday look very different than matriarch Olivia planned.
The West Wing: In Excelsis Deo (1999, 41 min., Max)
In this Emmy Award-winning story that deals with alcoholism and some mature themes, the White House comms director learns that a homeless veteran has passed away and strives to give him a proper burial.
Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night (2023, 96 min., The Chosen App)
In a flashback special from the Gospel-inspired series by writer-director Dallas Jenkins, a young shepherd witnesses the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Image: A Charlie Brown Christmas/AppleTV+

Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith and culture for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.