Entertainment
7 Kids' TV Shows & Movies Coming To Netflix In May That Your Whole Family Can Enjoy
Bob D’Amico/Disney Channel
There was once a time when spring meant forcing your kids out into the fresh outdoors, and while I'm all for that, I'm also a huge supporter of quiet time. It's the thing you graduate to once your three-year-old has zero interest in actual naps anymore. I'm also a proponent of evening relaxation in the form of Netflix and literal chilling. Luckily, all of the kids' TV shows and movies coming to Netflix in May will make it possible to do that as a family.
And while cartoons are all well and good, let's be honest — even toddlers these days know the value in a good live-action TV show or movie. Among the kids' content coming to Netflix in May are both movies and TV shows, which means a decent variety, and while it's easy to mourn what leaves the streaming platform each month, it's also fun to wait for what comes next.
I'm not saying I drop my kid in front of the TV and let him have at it on Netflix, but he now knows his way around his iPad and I'd much rather have him watching Happy Feet than a random YouTube video that's vaguely inappropriate. And all of the kids' TV shows and movies coming to Netflix in May will give you and your own kids something to enjoy together.
'Happy Feet' (May 1)
You remember Happy Feet, right? The 2006 animated comedy/musical movie with a bit of a message? But it's not preachy or overbearing either, just the important idea that penguins belong with their families in their natural habitat, and when watching Happy Feet, kids get to see that firsthand. Bringing Happy Feet to Netflix is kind of the best, since it's more than 10 years old now and can be introduced to a whole new generation of small children. It's also one of the only times you'll see Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood, and Hugh Jackman all working together. Which sounds like a weird voice cast, but totally worked, along with the late Robin Williams.
'Kazoops!' Season 3 (May 5)
Season 3 of the Australian animated series Kazoops! premieres on Netflix on May 5, continuing the adventures of Monty and his pet pig, Jimmy Jones. The series is a BBC original, but migrated to Netflix in September 2016 and is probably one of the most adorable cartoons on Netflix right now. I don't know if it's the pet pig or the fact that the kid's wild imagination is what drives the show, but all of the songs are catchy and soothing in a really unique way.
'Spirit: Riding Free' Season 1 (May 5)
According to Netflix, this new series is about former city girl Lucky who "forms a tight bond with wild horse Spirit while having adventures with best pals Pru and Abigail." The series is meant to be a spin-off of sorts of the original animated movie of the same name and the series in another DreamWorks production to use Netflix as its jumping off point. The series follows Lucky and her newfound friends, along with their horses, as they navigate through fitting in and forming bonds.
'The Adventure Club' (May 10)
When you have a group of kids on bikes, exploring ancient treasures, you can't really go wrong. And that's especially true when Billy Zane is on hand to play the bad guy-type. The movie follows three friends who find an ancient box that grants wishes and from there, adventure ensues. It doesn't have any over-the-top aspects of super exciting box office movies, but it does seem like the type of movie to get kids' imaginations going.
'All Hail King Julien: Exiled' Season 1 (May 12)
DreamWorks already brought the series All Hail King Julien to Netflix four seasons ago, but coming in May to Netflix is All Hail King Julien: Exiled, which is a new series about the unorthodox and unpredictable character from the Madagascar movies. And considering King Julien is downright hilarious in everything he does, I'd say this one is a must-see.
'Anne With An E' Season 1 (May 12)
Previously titled simply Anne, the new Netflix series Anne with an E premieres on May 12 and follows the childhood of the character from the novel Anne of Green Gables. According to a Netflix press release, the series is a "coming-of-age story about an outsider who, against all odds and numerous challenges, fights for acceptance for her place in the world and for love. The series centers on a young orphaned girl in 1890, who, after an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and the homes of strangers, is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly spinster and her aging brother. Over time, 13-year-old Anne will transform their lives and eventually the small town in which they live with her unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination."
'Bunk'd' Season 2 (May 28)
The Disney Channel's Jessie got the spin-off Bunk'd in 2015, and among the kids' TV shows and movies coming to Netflix in May, is Season 2 of the series. The show follows life at summer camp, which as we all know is full of humor, adventures, and semi-romances. You know, the kind that are appropriate for Disney Channel pre-teens.
So get ready to sit back, relax, and let the family bonding begin!
