Teamwork is one of the most important life skills children can develop, but it’s not something that’s always easy to teach through conversation alone. Fortunately, some of the best family movies naturally demonstrate what it means to cooperate, trust others, and accomplish goals that would be impossible alone.
Whether it’s friends overcoming their differences, families learning to support one another, or unlikely heroes combining their unique talents, these movies show that success rarely comes from one person doing everything. Instead, they remind kids that listening, communicating, and working together often lead to the greatest victories.
The films on this list don’t preach. They weave lessons about collaboration into exciting adventures, heartfelt stories, and unforgettable characters, giving children positive examples of teamwork while they simply enjoy a great movie.
The Lego Movie
The Lego Movie follows Emmet, a construction worker whose life has fallen into a pretty mundane routine. But when trouble arrives on his doorstep, and a group of mysterious so-called Master Builders shows up, Emmet’s life is forever changed.
How The Lego Movie Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: While Emmet is at the heart of the story, he works with a much larger team of builders who all bring their skills to the table and help him achieve his destiny as a Master Builder.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some scenes that could be too much for highly sensitive children.
Toy Story
In a world where toys come to life the moment humans look away, a new spaceman action figure shakes up the pecking order in Andy’s room. But when some toys are mistakenly sold in a yard sale, Woody and Buzz must put their differences aside and work together to help save Andy’s toys.
How Toy Story Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Toy Story starts with toys in conflict, fighting over who is in charge and who is more capable. However, when trouble arises, they find a way to work together and get the other toys to help keep everyone safe.
Movie Rating: G
A Bug’s Life
A Bug’s Life is a movie about an ant colony being terrorized by grasshoppers, which leads Flik, one of the ants, to go out in search of warrior bugs to help protect his home. Unfortunately, he unwittingly recruits some circus bugs and is forced to figure out another way to protect his home.
How A Bug’s Life Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Flik is determined to save his home, and when his initial plan falls apart, he uses his ingenuity and creativity to find alternative ways to help. This is when the movie also sees the ants and the circus bugs come together, working as a singular unit to find creative solutions and push back against the antagonistic grasshoppers.
Movie Rating: G
The Bad Guys
A group of former villains has given up their nefarious ways, but despite their reformation, they are taken advantage of and framed for a heist, leading them to carry out a reverse heist to clear their names and save the day.
How The Bad Guys Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: As former villains, these characters all have very different approaches to their work, and working together does not come naturally. However, because their goals align and they want to be accepted after their efforts to change, they find a way to cooperate and use their skills for good.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some scenes that particularly sensitive children may be frightened by.
Big Hero 6
Hiro’s older brother tragically died in a suspicious fire, which left Hiro mourning his brother and struggling to pursue his goal of becoming an inventor. However, when Hiro uncovers his brother’s last project, a large medical aid robot, they begin to work together, which leads them to uncover who was really behind the fire.
How Big Hero 6 Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Hiro deals with enormous grief after the loss of his brother, but with the help of a kind robot and his brother’s college friends, Hiro is able to find a community that helps him remember and honor his brother, and pursue justice for his brother by capturing the person responsible for the accident in which he died.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+, deals with themes of grief and loss.
The Incredibles
The Incredibles explores a world where superheroes have been forcefully retired due to the damage and destruction they can cause while trying to rescue people. But when one super family encounters a new supervillain and his nefarious plans to unleash havoc, they step up to save the world.
How The Incredibles Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Each of the Parr family possesses very different abilities, and due to the world’s unwillingness to have heroes, they don’t have a lot of experience working together. However, when trouble arises, they figure out how they can work together.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 8+, contains cartoon violence.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
While trying to set off on a family vacation, the Mitchells run into a massive robot uprising. The technological apocalypse is wreaking havoc, but the Mitchells are uniquely positioned to step up and help.
How The Mitchells vs. the Machines Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Once again, a family with a wide variety of skills and abilities needs to come together to learn how to apply those skills in unison to overcome the challenges they face.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+, contains cartoon violence towards machines.
Finding Nemo
When Nemo wanders beyond the boundaries laid out by his father, he ends up being captured and taken far from his home. Then, it’s up to Marlin, his father, to go out into the big blue ocean and try to rescue his son.
How Finding Nemo Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: While Marlin is used to taking care of his son Nemo on his own, this adventure forces him to rely on the kindness and help of dozens of other characters in order to traverse dangerous and unfamiliar parts of the sea, and ultimately bring his son home safely.
Movie Rating: G
Finding Dory
The sequel to Finding Nemo sees Dory, one of Marlin’s new friends, embark on an adventure of her own to find her home and be reunited with her parents. With a flash of memory, Dory has the foundation she needs to follow her path back away from her home.
How Finding Dory Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Once again, this film relies on teamwork, support, and the kindness of strangers in order to achieve a hefty goal. Alongside Marlin and Nemo, Dory makes new connections that help take her, step by step, back to her family.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+. Contains some scenes that may frighten or upset highly sensitive kids.
Chicken Run
Chicken Run follows a group of chickens on a farm who are fated to be processed and turned into chicken pies, but when a rogue rooster arrives, they hatch a plan to escape their cage and create a new life far away.
How Chicken Run Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: To avoid a tragic fate, the chickens learn to work together, using their various skills, in ways that allow them to accomplish what seems almost impossible and achieve freedom.
Movie Rating: G
The Muppets
In the modern Muppets movie, Kermit and the rest of the gang have been broken up for a while, but when one superfan dreams of seeing the show and studio live, it gives them the boost of energy that they need to fight back against an evil businessman with plans to demolish and repurpose their old home.
How The Muppets Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: While almost everyone in the story starts in very different places and has individual motivations, they find common ground and goals that bring them together to achieve something far bigger than any of their individual ends.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 5+, some slight cartoonish violence with puppets.
Zootopia
Zootopia explores a world where animals live together in an advanced civilization; however, they continue to experience interspecies struggles stemming from their vast differences. But when the predators begin to revert to their primal ways, one unlikely duo is perfectly positioned to uncover the cause of this sudden change.
How Zootopia Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Zootopia is full of animals that shouldn’t get along. And in some cases, they don’t. For instance, Nick and Judy, a fox and a rabbit, initially struggle to communicate and work together. But when they begin to recognize their individual strengths and values, they develop a stronger relationship and achieve incredible things together.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 8+, cartoonish violence and some intense scenes.
Ice Age
As the Ice Age approaches, a group of animals comes together to help a small child who has become separated from his parents.
How Ice Age Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: While a mammoth, a sloth, a sabretooth tiger, and a baby don’t make a lot of sense as a team, these characters put aside their differences and they rely on their individual strengths in order to do something that is good and ultimately benefits others without thinking selfishly.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some frightening scenes for sensitive kids.
Moana
Moana is a story about a girl tasked with saving her island from a terrible curse, which leads her to venture into the sea and team up with a demigod who has no idea of the consequences of his actions.
How Moana Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Both Moana and Maui are independent, each with their own mission and motivation. However, neither of them is capable of fully achieving their goals without the other, and while the road to friendship is challenging, they manage to find a way forward.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some scary scenes for highly sensitive kids.
Raya and the Last Dragon
The land of Kumandra has been fractured for generations, which leads a warrior princess named Raya to embark on a mission to find the last dragon, named Sisu, who can help her to unite the kingdom and restore the magic that was lost.
How Raya and the Last Dragon Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Literally at the core of this story is the necessity for Raya to learn how to wield the power of ultimate trust. Along with putting her faith in a dragon and finding a way to work together, this film oozes with messages of teamwork while providing a massive distraction for kids in the form of a really cool dragon.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+; some scenes that may be too intense for sensitive kids.
The Croods
The Croods’ home is destroyed by an earthquake, prompting them to adapt and find a new way of life. Unfortunately, the family’s father is averse to change, and despite being offered help by a nomadic stranger, he struggles to embrace an unfamiliar way of life.
How The Croods Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: The only way to survive and adapt is to embrace change and work with others, even when it’s challenging. It’s a charming story that leans into this message in a highly effective way and resonates with kids.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+, some scenes that are intense and potentially frightening.
Encanto
Encanto is a story about the Madrigal family, who possess unique powers that they use to support and guide their community. Unfortunately, it seems that Mirabel has been overlooked when it comes to receiving a power, which causes her to wrestle with where and how she fits into her family.
How Encanto Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Despite a lack of obvious powers, Mirabel becomes the glue of her family, helping each of her relatives embrace their powers and use them in ways that support one another and the wider community, culminating in a beautiful resolution.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 5+; a few scenes that may stir emotion in highly sensitive kids.
Sing
Sing is a movie about a group of animals who are recruited to perform in a talent show in hopes of raising enough money to save a historic local theater.
How Sing Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: With a whole host of talented characters with big personalities, this film shines a spotlight on the necessity of putting pride aside and combining talents for everyone’s benefit.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some scenes that may affect highly sensitive kids.
Paddington 2
Paddington 2 sees the famous bear settled into life at the Brown home, but now he needs to find a way to contribute, leading to more adventures and a mysterious case of theft.
How Paddington 2 Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: While the first movie explores Paddington’s connection with the Brown family, the second movie sees an entire community rally around the impressive young bear, strengthening bonds and helping one another in times of difficulty.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some scenes that may be frightening for sensitive kids.
The Mighty Ducks
When a selfish lawyer facing a criminal charge is forced to coach a team of misfit hockey players, he struggles to connect with them and help them win a single game. But as they become more aligned, they make great progress and ultimately go on to do great things.
How The Mighty Ducks Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: Initially, it seems as though the team is hopeless, and their new coach isn’t even interested in helping them. However, when they stop acting selfishly and begin working together, they find a way forward and go much further than anyone thought possible.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 9+, some edgy humor and aggressive sports.
Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge sees a bunch of animals whose home is rapidly being overtaken by new homes and developments fight back. As they venture into the new world beyond a massive hedge, they discover a landscape full of enticing food and terrifying people who seem intent on exterminating them.
How Over the Hedge Subtly Teaches Kids About Teamwork: The animals in Over the Hedge unite behind a common cause and overcome great odds not only to survive in the human world but also to thrive.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, some mild scares and cartoon violence that may affect sensitive kids.
