The ways we watch movies and TV have changed over the decades, but one thing that’s stayed the same? The time-honored tradition of after-school viewing. Even if your school days are long behind you, you might still fondly recall the sweet rush of freedom that comes with getting home after class and tuning into a favorite movie or show. 

For a new generation of kids looking for something to stream once the school day is done, there’s a wide selection of classic options with which to practice the classic ritual. Choose among films from renowned directors, adaptations of celebrated books, musicals featuring timeless songs, or shows that reimagine beloved after-school favorites. Let them break out a snack and relax with one of these picks — they’ve earned it!

Carmen Sandiego

Where in the world do kids want to go after a long day at school? Because Carmen will take them everywhere. Created by Duane Capizzi, this action-packed mystery-comedy is the latest entry in the now-classic media franchise, which revolves around a globe-trotting master thief — the one and only Carmen Sandiego — with a talent for stealing fabulous treasures (including wonders of the world and entire bodies of water, among other things). Running four seasons, the animated series stars Gina Rodriguez as the voice of Carmen and portrays her origin story as one of the good guys, taking a Robin Hood approach to thievery. 

Carmen Sandiego

4 Seasons   TV-Y7   2019

My List

Watch

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

It’s never too early for an introduction to great cinema, and Steven Spielberg’s beloved sci-fi classic, the influence of which still reverberates today, is a wonderful place to start. The 1982 hit stars Henry Thomas as Elliott, a 10-year-old boy who forges an unexpected and powerful friendship with a small earthbound alien, whom Elliott calls E.T. With the help of his siblings (including a very young Drew Barrymore as his little sister), Elliott conceals the existence of his new friend from the authorities — both federal and parental — as he learns more about E.T. and tries to help him find a way to get back home. 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1h 54m   PG

Remind Me

The Magic School Bus

Who wouldn’t want to be in Ms. Frizzle’s class? Luckily, kids can catch her lessons by grabbing a seat on The Magic School Bus, based on Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen’s book series and first broadcast in 1994. Season 1 sees the Frizz (voiced by Lily Tomlin) take her curious class into outer space, into a desert, and even into the immune system of one of their own, among other highly educational places. And after rolling all the way through the original, the expansive field trips continue with the 2017 revival The Magic School Bus Rides Again, in which Kate McKinnon provides the voice of Ms. Frizzle.

The Magic School Bus

13 Episodes   TV-Y   1994

My List

Watch

Paddington

For an ultra-cozy after-school movie, Paul King’s 2014 comedy adapts Michael Bond’s beloved stories of Paddington Bear. The acclaimed live-action/animated hybrid sees the title character (voiced by Ben Whishaw) journey from the jungles of Peru to London, where he finds a home with the kind Brown family. Meanwhile, a determined taxidermist has set her sights on the oblivious newcomer. Following Paddington’s origin story in the first film, his adventures continue in Dougal Wilson’s 2024 sequel Paddington in Peru, in which the bear and the Browns head to the jungle in search of Paddington’s Aunt Lucy. 

Paddington

1h 35m   PG   2014

Remind Me

Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Incorporated

Jinkies, jeepers, and zoinks! There’s no groovier way to unwind after the school day than solving mysteries with the gang. First airing in 2010, this two-season animated series rebooted the Scooby-Doo franchise, first created in 1969 by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, for a new generation of sleuths. The show follows the teenage quartet of Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Velma (Mindy Cohn), Fred (Frank Welker), and Daphne (Grey DeLisle) as they investigate some seriously spooky happenings in their famously haunted hometown, all with the help of the Great Dane Scooby-Doo. As the gang exposes more and more criminals and crooks, however, they get closer to a long-buried secret about the history of the town. 

Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Incorporated

2 Seasons   TV-Y7   2010

My List

Watch

Sing

Any budding singers in the house? In Garth Jenning’s 2016 animated jukebox musical, a star-studded cast lends its famous voices to an irresistible soundtrack of popular songs. In a world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, a koala named Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) runs a theater at risk of foreclosure. In order to save it, Buster holds auditions for a singing competition, attracting contestants including Rosita the pig (Reese Witherspoon), Mike the mouse (Seth MacFarlane), Johnny the gorilla (Taron Egerton), Ash the porcupine (Scarlett Johansson), and stage fright–stricken elephant Meena (Tori Kelly). Together, the mismatched crew put on an unforgettable show full of toe-tapping tunes.

Sing

1h 48m   PG   2016

My List

Watch

White Fang

This one goes out to the animal lovers. Jack London’s 1906 novel White Fang has been adapted many times for the screen, starting all the way back in 1925, and Alexandre Espigares’ animated 2018 feature marks the latest interpretation of the classic story. It follows White Fang, a wolf dog in the Yukon Territories in the late 19th century, over the course of his life as he goes from living in the wild to moving between three very different owners (voiced by Nick Offerman, Paul Giamatti, and Eddie Spears). While the film softens the violence of the original novel, it may still be intense for some very young viewers. 

White Fang

1h 27m   TV-PG   2018

My List

Watch

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Kids can go from the school day into a world of pure imagination with this surreal adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Mel Stuart from a screenplay by Dahl. In one of the most iconic performances of his career, Gene Wilder plays the titular candymaker, an enigmatic genius who distributes (via chocolate bars) five golden tickets granting their lucky recipients a tour of his top-secret factory. Rich kids and candy obsessives secure the first four tickets, but when the poor and good-hearted Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) finds the fifth, it takes him — along with his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) — on an incredible adventure.  

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

1h 39m   G

Remind Me