Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today!

Fun 80's Movies to Watch with Your Family Today!

As December break looms over us, a warm and cuddly 80’s movie night is just what the doctor ordered. We have been watching these fun 80’s movies to watch with your family – with our family – for years. It’s nice to show them a simpler time. WHAT? No cell phones? ET couldn’t text home? These nostalgic movies are both fun for us and fun for them. Much like with games, if I have to participate, I may as well enjoy it.

A Note On Ratings

As I complied this list, I realized just how many movies from the 80’s we have watched. It’s a lot, and the list is forever expanding. What have I’ve learned? PG in the 80’s may not be what you expect PG to be in 2020.

We brought Innerspace to a friend’s house over the summer (for a backyard screening) and the curses and sexy time surprised us with their PG rating. Oops! Luckily, something else I’ve learned is you can easily distract a kid by asking what they want for dessert tomorrow.

Fun Ways To Watch 80’s Movies With Your Family

Speaking of a backyard screening, if you bought a projector to make your backyard a wicked cool cocoon (and yes, Cocoon is on my list below), bring that Mini Movie Projector inside! You can convert one of your rooms (preferably with a big comfy couch) into a screening room – you just need a big empty wall. Your kids will go bananas.

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As usual, with all of my posts, I have tried to find the obscure and less known. Some movies you defiantly showed your family already. Some you will say “OMG! I forgot about that movie”. Many of these can be found on tv or streaming (I will include the Amazon Video links below), but most I’ve ordered on DVD from the library. Because just like the characters in 80’s movies, I’m old school. Oh… at what age can I show them Old School?

Finally, be sure to check out my sister post – Fun 90’s Movies to Watch with Your Family!

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Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today: PG Movies

Annie – 2 h 7 min, 1982, PG

ET – 1 h 54 min, 1982, PG

Mr. Mom – 1 h 31 min, 1983, PG

WarGames -1 h 52 min, 1983, PG

Footloose – 1 h 47 min, 1984, PG

Ghostbusters – 1 h 45 min, 1984, PG

The Neverending Story – 1 h 34 min, 1984, PG

Splash – 1 h 49 min, 1984, PG

Teen Wolf – 1 h 32 min, 1985, PG

The Karate Kid – 2 h 6 min, 1984, PG / The Karate Kid 2 – 1 h 53 min, 1986, PG

The Muppets Take Manhattan – 1 h 34 min, 1984, G

Back to the Future – 1 h 56 min, 1985, PG

Better Off Dead – 1 h 37 min, PG, 1985

Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun – 1 h 27 min, 1985, PG

Goonies – 1 h 53 min, 1985, PG (For the record – I think this movie is scary)

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure – 1 h 31 min, 1985, PG

An American Tail – 1 h 21 min, 1986, G

Howard the Duck – 1 h 51 min, 1986, PG

The Boy Who Could Fly – 1 h 49 min, 1986, PG

Flight of the Navigator – 1 h 29 min, 1986, PG

Short Circuit – 1 h 38 min, 1986, PG

Space Camp – 1 h 47 min, 1986, PG

Top Gun – 1 h 49 min, 1986, PG

After The 1986 NY Mets Won The World Series

Innerspace – 1 h 59 min, 1987, PG

Overboard – 1 h 52 min, 1987, PG (“OH! That’s why you sit in the chair saying ba-ba-ba-ba-ba”-my 7 year old)

Harry & the Hendersons – 1 h 51 min, 1987, PG

Hello Again – 1 h 36 min, 1987, PG

Mannequin – 1 h 30 min, 1987, PG

The Princess Bride – 1 h 38 min, 1987, PG

Three Men and a Baby – 1 h 42 min, 1987, PG

Big – 1 h 44 min, 1988, PG

Big Business – 1 h 37 min, 1988, PG

Funny Farm – 1 h 41 min, 1988, PG

The Great Outdoors – 1 h 30 min, 1988, PG

Twins – 1 h 47 min, 1988, PG

Vice Versa – 1 h 38 min, 1988, PG

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – 1 h 29 min, 1989, PG

Chances Are – 1 h 48 min, 1989, PG

Field of Dreams – 1 h 46 min, 1989, PG

Honey I Shrunk the Kids – 1 h 33 min, 1989, PG

Look Who’s Talking – 1 h 35 min, 1989, PG-13

Troop Beverly Hills – 1 h 45 min, 1989, PG (a HUGE fan favorite, especially if your daughter is a Girl Scout)

Uncle Buck – 1 h 40 min, 1989, PG

The Wizard – 1 h 40 min, 1989, PG

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Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today: PG-13 Movies

Cocoon – 1 h 57 min, 1985, PG-13

Weird Science – 1 h 34 min, 1985, PG-13

Ferris Bueller – 1 h 42 min, 1986, PG-13

Adventures In Babysitting – 1 h 42 min, 1987, PG-13

Can’t Buy Me Love – 1 h 34 min, 1987, PG-13

Dirty Dancing – 1 h 40 min, 1987, PG-13

Like Father Like Son – 1 h 39 min, 1987, PG-13

License to Drive – 1 h 29 min, 1988, PG-13

Dream A Little Dream – 1 h 55 min, 1989, PG-13

Teen Witch – 1 h 33 min, 1989, PG-13

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Next On Our List To Watch

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1 h 55 min, 1981, PG

The Secret of Nihm – 1 h 22 min, 1982, G

Irreconcilable Differences – 1 h 53 min, 1984, PG

Heavenly Kid – 1 h 31 min, 1985, PG-13

Peggy Sue Got Married – 1 h 43 min, 1986, PG-13

Summer School – 1 h 37 min, 1986, PG-13

Dragnet – 1 h 46 mim, 1987, PG-13

The Secret of My Success – 1 h 51 min, 1987, PG-13

18 Again! – 1 h 40 min, 1988, PG-13

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Meh, Pass.. (We Watched & Didn’t Love)

Karate Kid 3, 1989, PG

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – 1 h 43 min, 1988, PG

Published by Stacey Wallenstein

Stacey Gish Wallenstein created The Mint Chip Mama blog in 2013 to share her love and passion for giving children meaningful life experiences and helping moms like her navigate the challenges and benefits of raising children in the New York metropolitan area. Before becoming a full-time mom in 2010, Stacey spent the better part of the preceding decade as a high-end customer relationship management (CRM) professional for some of the most well-known brands in the hotel, luxury, fashion, and beauty industries, such as Harrah’s Entertainment, Chanel and Christian Dior, Inc. She managed customer loyalty programs for thousands of clients around the country and created social media strategies for a span of industries including healthcare services, restaurants, consumer packaged goods, specialty foods, local attractions and retail locations. After 13 wonderful years in Manhattan (the last three of which spent as a city mom), Stacey and her husband moved to Long Island in 2014, where they now reside with their three children (13, 9, and 7). There, she is a founding member of her local Parenting Center, which provides classes and coordinates events designed to educate and inform parents while fostering an environment of support and friendship within the community. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Stacey has been active in the New York area alumni organization for nearly twenty years, serving as a board member on the school’s University of Michigan Alumni Club of New York City. She also holds a Masters in Psychology from The New School in New York City. Please check out The Mint Chip Mama in the Press: The New York Post, Psychology Today, NY Metro Parents, New York Family, Parents Magazine, Newsday, News 12, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: Kids, NerdWallet, Big Apple Kids Guide, and more! The Mint Chip Mama was also nominated as "The Best Blog On Long Island" for 2022 & 2023, one of the Top 20 New York Mom Blogs & Websites, and one of the Top 100 Mom Lifestyle Blogs on the web! For more updates, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest.

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