Football Season Is Here! 24 Football Movies to Watch With Your Kids

The fall season brings with it so much to celebrate: cozy recipes, Halloween costumes, trips to the pumpkin patch. But in the United States, there’s one thing that defines fall more than anything else—and that’s football season. Whether it’s Sunday night watch parties, tailgates with family and friends, rooting for your favorite collegiate football team, or cheering for your kid’s team—America is obsessed with football. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get you (and your kiddos) involved with the fan-favorite sport, including watching the best football movies for kids! 

Whether it’s their shows of teamwork and sportsmanship or the lessons they teach about hard work and perseverance, football movies are some of the best family-friendly entertainment out there—and we’ve rounded up our favorite picks by age. From Sesame Street episodes for toddlers to family favorites like Rudy and Little Giants, this list has a football movie perfect for the whole family. Read on for 24 of the best football movies for kids!

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How We Picked The Best Football Movies

Finding family-friendly movies—especially family-friendly sports movies—can be quite the challenge for parents of littles. Luckily, we’ve done the work for you. Here are all the factors we took into consideration when choosing the best football movies for kids.

Ratings

Using the MPAA rating system as a guide, we split all of our favorite football movies into age-appropriate categories. For toddlers and little kids, all episodes and movies have ratings of TV-Y, G, or PG. For tweens and teens, our picks are rated PG or PG-13. You won’t find any R-rated content in this round-up.

Age-appropriate themes

Sports movies often tackle a variety of heavier themes, such as family tension, academic pressure, financial stress, and serious injury. The movies we selected for this list—particularly picks for toddlers and little kids—approach these ideas in a digestible, kid-friendly way.

Nostalgic classics

Of course, we had to include our favorite football movies of all time—the films we loved as kids and teenagers! This includes nostalgic picks like Little Giants, Rudy, and Remember the Titans.

Best Football Episodes for Toddlers (Ages 2–4)

These toddler-friendly episodes are perfect for your future star quarterback. They have short run times and easy-to-follow plots, while still tackling all the important parts of the game.

Blippi Learns to Play Football!

Rating: TV-Y | Run Time: 1h 8m
Where to Stream: YouTube

In this exciting episode, perfect for toddlers just starting to show an interest in football, Blippi meets up with his new friend Joe Haden—former NFL player of 12 years. Together, they play and learn all about Joe’s favorite sport, and maybe even score some touchdowns.

Mister’s Rogers’ Neighborhood Competition: Football Star Lynn Swann

Rating: TV-PG | Run Time: 28m
Where to Stream: Apple TV

While this Mister Rogers’ episode features star NFL player Lynn Swann, it offers a different view on everyone’s favorite sport. Swann actually takes Mister Rogers inside his ballet class and teaches the audience all about how dancing helped him play better football. 

Sesame Street: Humpty Dumpty’s Football Dream

Rating: TV-Y |  Run Time: 30m
Where to Stream: HBO Max

It’s time for the King’s Horses & Men annual football game, but this year, Humpty Dumpty wants to join in! Of course, he’ll need the proper protective gear, and all his friends on Sesame Street are there to help him. This one is great for teaching kids about how to stay safe while playing sports.

Best Football Movies for Kids (Ages 4–7)

For little kids, we picked football movies that tackle family-friendly themes and have lots of comedy, while straying away from violence, poor language, or mature themes. The best part? Adults will enjoy watching these films, too. 

The Game Plan (2007)

Rating: PG | Run Time: 1h 55m
Where to Stream: Disney+

When bachelor pro athlete Joe Kingman (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) learns he has a young daughter, his world is turned upside down. The movie follows Joe as he bonds with his child and learns that family is more important than anything.

Gus (1976)

Rating: G | Run Time: 1h 37m
Where to Stream: Disney+

In this family-friendly sports movie, the California Atoms welcome their newest team member—a mule capable of kicking a 100-yard field goal—to help stay afloat in the NFL. What follows is lots of laughs, smiles, and valuable lessons for your little ones. 

The Longshots (2008)

Rating: PG | Run Time: 1h 34m
Where to Stream: Apple TV

In this sports-comedy film, former football star Curtis Plummer agrees to coach his 11-year-old niece, who wants to become the first-ever female quarterback. Despite being humorous, the movie teaches lots of important lessons about believing in yourself and overcoming obstacles based on gender.

Best Football Movies for Tweens (Ages 8–12)

This is the age when parents really start having fun with what their kids like to watch—and these football movies for tweens are no exception. They tackle themes like hard work and perseverance while not veering into mature territory parents may feel uncomfortable with. 

Rudy (1993)

Rating: PG | Run Time: 1h 54m
Where to Stream: Netflix

This biographical sports drama follows Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger as he overcomes deep academic, physical, and personal challenges to play college football for the University of Notre Dame. For little kids, this is a great one to teach about hard work and bravery in the face of adversity.

Remember the Titans (2000)

Rated: PG | Run Time: 1h 54m
Where to Watch: Disney+

It’s the 1970s, and not everyone in a small Virginia town is thrilled when African-American new head coach Herman Boone starts to lead the football team. The coaches and the players must learn how to overcome their differences in order to win. Starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, and the late Hayden Panettiere, Remember the Titans is a beautiful story about overcoming adversity.

Little Giants (1994)

Rating: PG | Run Time: 1h 46m
Where to Stream: Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video

Sibling rivalry takes center stage in this film as a man sets his heart on turning a group of misfits into a youth football team to upset (and outdo) his brother’s star team. But, of course, this group of ragtag kids may have more up their sleeves than anyone realizes. 

Invincible (2005)

Rating: PG | Run Time: 1h 45m
Where to Stream: Disney+

Based on the true underdog story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender and die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan earns a spot on the team after a new coach holds an unprecedented open tryout. Soon, Vince will be surprising everyone—including himself. 

More Football Movies for Tweens

• Safety — PG (2020)
• American Underdog — PG (2021)
• Brian’s Song — G (1971)
• Bye Bye Barry — NR (2023)
• Home Team — PG (2022)
• Woodlawn — PG (2015)

Best Football Movies for Teens (Ages 13+)

You’ll love watching these iconic movies with your teen. From Friday Night Lights to The Blind Side, make sure to save these picks for your next family movie night.

The Blind Side (2009)

Rating: PG-13 | Run Time: 2h 9m
Where to Stream: Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video

The true story of Michael Oher, The Blind Side follows a young homeless boy from a broken home as he’s taken in by the Tuohy family, who do everything they can to help him reach his full potential—on and off the field. 

Friday Night Lights (2004)

Rating: PG-13 | Run Time: 1h 58m
Where to Stream: Netflix

Set against the backdrop of small town Odessa, Texas, a struggling high school football team starts on the long path to victory as they grapple with unexpected injuries, external pressure, and the ups and down of high school. For teens who are athletes themselves, they’ll surely see themselves in this one.

23 Blast (2014)

Rating: PG-13 | Run Time: 1h 39m
Where to Stream: Tubi

When a star football player suddenly goes blind, he’s faced with an impossible choice: a safe life or a return to the sport he loves. Teens will love the resilience and strength in this film.

More Football Movies for Teens

• Forever Strong — PG-13 (2008)
• The 5th Quarter — PG (2011)
• Undefeated — PG-13 (2012)
• We Are Marshall — PG (2006)
• Radio — PG (2003)

FAQs

What are the best football movies for kids that are based on true stories?

Some of the best football movies that are based on true stories include The Blind Side, Invincible, and Rudy. They’re entertaining and memorable, while also tackling real-life topics.

What are the best animated football movies for kids?

While there aren’t many animated movies about football, there are plenty of toddler-friendly television shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that feature football-centered storylines. Our favorites include Blippi Learns to Play Football! and Sesame Street: Humpty Dumpty’s Football Dream.

What football movies are on Disney+?

Football movies for kids on Disney+ include Invincible, Gus, and The Game Plan.

What football movies are on Netflix?

Our favorite football movies on Netflix include Rudy and Friday Night Lights.

Are football movies too violent for kids?

While football movies will include some level of violence and aggression on the field, the movies on this list have been screened for violence and mature themes, so you shouldn’t expect anything too crazy while watching with your kiddos. That being said, parents should always prescreen content beforehand, as kids’ sensitivity levels may vary.