Fun 80's Movies To Watch With Your Family Today! ⋆ The Mint Chip Mama

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.

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.

Rich results on Google's SERP when searching for '80's movies'

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 – coming out soon!

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

Ghostbusters – 1 h 45 min, 1984, 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

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

Vice Versa – 1 h 38 min, 1988, PG

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – 1 h 29 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

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

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

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

Teen Witch – 1 h 33 min, 1989, PG-13

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

Footloose – 1 h 47 min, 1984, PG

Irreconcilable Differences – 1 h 53 min, 1984, PG

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

Splash – 1 h 49 min, 1984, PG

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

Teen Wolf – 1 h 32 min, 1985, PG

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

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

Dirty Dancing – 1 h 40 min, 1987, 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

Twins – 1 h 47 min, 1988, PG

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

Chances Are – 1 h 48 min, 1989, PG

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 Harrahs 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 (11, 7, and 5). 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. Stacey is also an active PTA member (and former president) as well as a Girl Scout troop leader. Her musings on motherhood, Manhattan, the suburbs, and more can be found here and on Facebook at The Mint Chip Mama. 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 schools University of Michigan Alumni Club of New York City. She also holds a Masters in Psychology from The New School in New York City. For more updates, follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. View more posts