Welcome to Part 5:
Top 10 Teaching History Helps For Kids

Today I’m excited to add to the Top 10 History Helps, my TOP 10 HISTORY MOVIES FOR KIDS!

Grab some POPCORN and get cozy!
I hope you’ve been finding all kinds of tips and tricks in the Top 10 History series!
So far I’ve shared my absolute favorite Top 10 History Podcasts For Kids, hopefully gotten your entire family singing some of the Top 10 History Songs For Kids (sorry some of them just get stuck in your head forever lol), showed you how to make 10 History Timelines For Kids that would fit any homeschooling space and talked about WHY making a history timeline is so important and FUN, and in the last post in the series, I listed my family’s picks for the BEST History Audiobooks for Kids!

I thought that one was really cool, but this post seems right on time with the season.
I am writing this during the odd time warp that occurs between Christmas and New Years.  That time when you have to think hard to recall what day of the week it is, and when there’s tons to do, but the fluffy new blanket, fuzzy socks, and a cup of coffee are feeling equally as urgent!  I’m longing for cozy… and MOVIE watching!
But before I get too comfortable, I wanted to catch up with you, and share another Top 10… this time my picks for the BEST  HISTORY MOVIES for kids!

What are these “Top 10” posts all about?
Hint:  MORE FUN! 
If this is the first post you have read in the series, and want to know more about WHY I’m writing these Top 10 Lists, and HOW they can be really helpful to your family, you can find out in the first post, Top 10 History Podcasts For Kids.

Each of the Top 10 series will pair perfectly with, and make great extra FUN add-ins for the FREE Ancient History Curriculum series, the FREE American History Curriculum series, and also the FREE American History (American Girl) Unit Studies series I’ve written.

AND… I have found TONS of these great history teaching movies for FREE!!!

*Last Notes:
+You can find a list of ALL of the titles in this “Top 10 Teaching History Helps” series at the bottom of this post.  If you can’t click on it yet, stay tuned, I just haven’t posted it yet!   But be sure to come back soon for the rest of the series, or subscribe to Fields of Daisies to get updates!
+Be aware that many of the links below go to Amazon Prime Video or another site where you can either rent/buy/or watch these movies for free.   I am an Amazon affiliate and make a small commission from any sales via clicks on these links–>at NO extra cost to you of course!

 

TOP 10 History Movies For Kids !

 

Movie #1- The American Girl and Dear America Series

You probably won’t be suprised at all to know that I’m a fan of the old, historical American Girl movies.  I haven’t watched any of the new AG movies, but I have seen all of the ones listed below.  They are just as good as the books (surprised!) and make for a perfect beginning to the Free American Girl History Units that I’ve done!

TheDear America books were another favorite of one of my girls.  They read every book we could find in the series!
I only learned recently that there was a season of shows taped from some of the books!  They are free on Amazon Prime Video right now too!  Since there aren’t a lot of these movies, I just grouped them together.

*Felicity:  An American Girl Adventure  (Colonial America)
*Samantha:  An American Girl Holiday   (Turn of the Century America)
*Kit Kittredge:  An American Girl   (The Great Depression)
*Molly:  An American Girl on the Homefront  (World War 2)

*Dear America Season 1  (FREE! On Amazon Prime Video)

*These movies are of course the perfect companion resources for Fields of Daisies’ FREE American Girl Unit Studies!
+American Girl Kaya (Native America-1764)
+American Girl Felicity (Colonial America-1774)
+American Girl Josefina (America’s Southwest Frontier- 1824)
+American Girl Kirsten (Pioneer America- 1854)
+American Girl Addy (Civil War America- 1864)
+American Girl Samantha (Turn of the Century- 1904)
+American Girl Kit  (The Great Depression- 1934)
+American Girl Molly  (World War 2- 1944) 

Also, they’d be good to add to the FREE Early American History  or  FREE Modern American History Curriculum series as well!

 

Movie #2- Disney History Movies

Ok…I know. As much as it pains me, Disney has been in the news lately and not always for the most family friendly stuff.  HOWEVER, for many years Disney produced really wonderful and wholesome family entertainment.
Here are just some of the many great Disney made History Movies.

*Prince of Egypt (Ancient Egypt/Old Testament)
*The Storyteller:  Greek Myths Series   (Ancient Greece)
(These are FREE on Amazon Prime Video right now!  Just a note, some of these are kind of scary!)
*Hercules    (Ancient Rome)
*The Sword In the Stone   (Middle Ages)
*Robin Hood   (Middle Ages)
*The Three Muskateers    (Middle Ages)
*The Prince and the Pauper   (Middle Ages)
(There are some themes that might not be great for some Littles in this one)
*Disney’s The Sword & the Rose    (Middle Ages)
*Squanto:  A Warrior’s Tale   (American History- Native Americans)
*Johnny Tremain  (American History- Revolutionary War)
*Tall Tale    (American History- The Wild West)
*American Legends
*Davy Crockett    (American History- Wild West/American Frontier)
*Westward Ho The Wagons   (Westward Expansion/American History)
*The Great Locomotive Chase   (Civil War)
*The Journey of Natty Gann  (American History- Turn of the Century)
*Valiant   (WW2)
*I Am David  (WW2)
(Please preview ALL movies- this one has some very intense moments.)
*Hidden Figures   (American History-  1960’s/Civil Rights)
*Ruby Bridges   (American History-  Civil rights)
*Night Crossing    (East/West Germany- Berlin Wall)

 

 

Movie #3-  Whole Family Friendly History Movies

*Sgt. Stubby  (WW1-  this animated movie is SO CUTE!!)
*Leo Da Vinci:  Mission Mona Lisa    (Renaissance)
*From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweller
*Mr. Peabody & Sherman
*Sacagawea   (Early American History/Native Americans)
*Night at the Museum 1
Night at the Museum 2
Night at the Museum 3
(This series is so much fun!  Not particularly academic focused, but would be fun to keep a notebook out to jot down any historical characters or references you don’t know, and have fun looking them up after you watch these movies!)
*Little House on the Prairie   (Pioneers/Westward Expansion)
You can watch Season 1 FREE on Amazon Prime Video-  I HIGHLY recommend the PILOT EPISODE!!
It is such a full picture of what it was like for the Pioneers as they set out into the unknown west!
*Love Comes Softly    (1800’s Frontier/Pioneer American History)
*Seven Alone      (1800’s Frontier/Pioneer American History)
*This Is American Charlie Brown!   (Early American History)
*Clash of the Titans      (Ancient Greece)
*Atlantis:  The Lost Empire
(This is a stretch, but there are some connections)
*Ben Hur         (Old Testament/Ancient Civilizations/Ancient Egypt)
* Meet the Romans         (Ancient Rome)
* Paul, the Apostle          (Ancient Rome/New Testament)
* Gladiator School,   Rome Alone , and  Trials & Tribulations         (Ancient Rome)
* The Robe    (Ancient Rome)
* Gidget Goes to Rome        (Ancient Rome)
*Pendragon            (Middle Ages)
*Red Wall               (Middle Ages)
*The Sword in the Stone          (Middle Ages)
*A Kid in King Arthur’s Court        (Middle Ages)
*The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler       (WW2)
*My Dog Skip   (WW2)
*Melody 1963- An American Girl Story
*The Watsons Go to Birmingham    (American History/1960’s)
*October Sky   (Modern American History)
*Apollo 13      (Modern American History)

 

Movie #4- Drive Thru History Series

Drive Thru History is a fun series that your WHOLE FAMILY will find interesting and exciting.
The style is a bit of archaeology, a bit of geography, and a whole bunch of interesting HISTORY!
If you have read through my 21 Fascinating Facts About… posts, the presentation in these videos is similar.
Dave Stotts is a great host and keeps you engaged.  We often went off digging for more facts after we watched one of the DVDs which in my mind is a SUCCESSFUL day of learning!

*Drive Thru history:  Discovering America’s Founders
(Currently $1.99 for the entire season (12/23) on Amazon Prime Video!)

*Read more about this series on the Drive Thru History website!
*Drive Thru History: Ancient: Christianity and the Birth of Western Civilization
(Covers Ancient Asia Minor, Rome, Greece, and Turkey)
*Drive Thru History: The Gospels   (FREE on Amazon Prime currently!)
*Drive Thru History:  Acts to Revelation      (FREE on Amazon Prime currently!)
*Drive Thru History America: Columbus to The Constitution
* Drive Thru History:  Rome If You Want To
* Drive Thru History: Holy Lands 

 

Movie #5-  Liberty Kids

This history series set during the American Revolution is SO GOOD!  They do a wonderful job of developing the historical characters into real people that your children will relate to, and setting up battles, and squirmishes, and other detailed events we tend to gloss over with in such a way that ties the whole together.  Each episode flows into the next and will have your kiddos asking to watch “just one more episode” !!
You can watch the full series of Liberty’s Kids:  American Revolution on YouTube for free!
You can also buy the entire Liberty’s Kids series on DVD .
Season 1 and Season 2 are available FREE on Amazon Prime Video, but with the 7 day trial download of another channel I am unfamiliar with.  I’m always leery of the “free” trials… maybe because they make it so difficult to cancel, or totally could be because I am likely to forget to cancel before the deadline.  😀

 

 

Movie #6-  Nest Animated Hero Classics

This is a perfect series of history movies for your Littles and really the whole family!!  I bought this set back in the stone ages when my children were small, but I have to say that these videos are STILL among my very favorites for teaching history!  The companion coloring books that are –>FREE<– on the Nest Learning website are PERFECT for creating history notebooks!
You can watch all of the Nest Hero Classics (American History through biographies) on this YouTube playlist, or order them on DVD from the Nest Learning website.     They also have a series on the Bible- both Old Testament History and New Testament which would integrate SO WELL with your Ancient History studies!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie #7-  Musicals

*Fiddler on the Roof     (Turn of the Century/Imperial Russia)
*Oliver!    (Victorian England)
*1776  (The American Revolution)
*The Music Man   (Turn of the Century)
*Newsies!  (Turn of the Century)
*Pollyanna  (Turn of the Century)
*Oklahoma!  (Westward Expansion)
*The Sound of Music   (WW2)

 

 

 

Movie #8-  Feature Films For Families

Some of these movies I can almost remember by heart from how many times my kids requested them (The Buttercream Gang and No More Baths!).  But there are also LOTS of new movies as well!
**NOTE:  These films are produced by a Mormon film production company if that is of importance to your decision to view these movies.  Personally, I haven’t noticed a bent toward any doctrine.  Most of the movies highlight good character and the importance of family.

Here are a few that are especially good for History movies!  I haven’t seen all of these.
*My Friend Walter   (1500-1600’s Early American History)
*Caddie Woodlawn    (1800’s American History)
*Split Infinity  (1920’s American History)
*Station Jim   (Victorian England)
*Hiroshima Maiden       (Post WW2)
*From Time to Time     (WW2)
*Miracle At Moreaux    (Canada- WW2)

 

 

Movie #9-  Torchlighters:  Heroes of the Faith Movies

This is an EXCELLENT biographical series that will have your children connecting with the family of faith in a way that will ground them in REAL HIStory, and inspire them to take their own places in the story!!

You can watch the entire Season 1 of this series, Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith, on Amazon Prime, and you can also find the series on the Torchlighters website.   They also have a really helpful History Timeline that plots each of their biographies on it so that you can easily locate the people that lived during the period of history that you are studying!
AND…
You can print out TONS of FREE companion coloring pages and other activities on their website to go along with these movies!
*Torchlighters Heroes of the Faith Activities
*Torchlighters Heroes of the Faith Activity Guides  
(I’m not sure why these are free to download???  But I was able to open them!)

* The Perpetua Story      (Ancient Rome)
* Heroes of the Faith- The Augustine Story

 

Movie #10-  The Story Keepers and Adventures In Odyssey (History)

From Focus on the Family, both of these series are really good!  Your kids will love it and be learning the most important HIStory!   I’ve included lots of the AIO History Series Books in myAmerican History booklists, and I love the companion audio series of these books as well.  I just bought my oldest 3 grandchildren the entire set of Adventures In Odyssey!   BUT did you know that there is an animated series of these books as well?   Hope your family loves them too!

*You can watch the entire series of The Story Keepers on YouTube!
*The Story Keepers: 13 DVD Set
*The Catacomb Rescue
*Starlight Escape
*Ready, Aim, Fire!

*Adventures In Odyssey:  Race to Freedom    (The Underground Railroad)
*Adventures In Odyssey:  The Knight Travelers   (Middle Ages)
*Adventures In Odyssey:  Go West Young Man
*Adventures In Odyssey:  The Caves of Quamran

 

 

Movie #11-  Horrible Histories

If you have already perused my Top 10 History SONGS  list, you surely have come across the Horrible History songs… and I’m guessing you either love these songs and laugh your head off at the English humor, or you think they are well… HORRIBLE!!
If you are in the “love them” camp, you will likely also love the Horrible Histories Videos series as well.
You’re welcome.  Or not!  😀

*Horrible Histories    (Seasons 1-6 are FREE on Amazon Prime Video!)
*Horrible Histories Movie:  Rotten Romans!
*Horrible Histories :  The Middle Ages   (Free on Amazon Prime Video)

 

 

Happy Living, Loving, Learning… and LISTENING friends!

I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and share with us what YOUR family’s favorite podcasts are !

**TOP 10 Teaching History Helps Series**

 

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS    (Seriously the ULTIMATE history book list!!)
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 History HANDS-ON
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS

And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS
+Top 10 AMAZING Homeschooling Resources At The Library