KLM Kids & Family Films August 2026: Best Children's Entertainment Ranked

KLM Kids & Family Films August 2026: The Best for Families on Board

School's still out across the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, and France, and KLM's August catalog has responded with its deepest family-viewing update since the June launch. Ten new family titles land this month, headlined by Dumbo — worth being precise about which Dumbo, since it isn't the one most parents are picturing. Rankings below combine Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores into a single percentage, sourced directly from the same database that powers inflight.guide.

→ Browse the full KLM family catalog with ratings — inflight.guide

Why August Is KLM's Biggest Family Catalog Update Since June

Most months bring one or two new kids' titles. August brings ten, including a brand-new 2026 theatrical release aimed squarely at children. It's a genuine mix, too — live-action family adventure, hand-drawn and CGI animation, and one brand-new video-game adaptation, all landing in the same rotation. If you're flying with kids this month, this is the best the catalog has looked all summer.

The Best Kids & Family Films on KLM in August 2026

1. Dumbo (2019) — 96%

Runtime: 1 hr 52 min | RT Score: 95% | Metacritic: 96/100 | Director: Tim Burton | Ages 6+

Get this one right before you board: KLM's August Dumbo is Tim Burton's 2019 live-action reimagining, with Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton — not the 1941 animated original, and not a singing-elephant short. It's a slower, more melancholic circus drama, and its 96% combined score makes it one of the best-reviewed titles in the entire August catalog, family film or otherwise. Genuinely worth queuing up, but set expectations with younger kids who might be picturing the cartoon.

2. Toy Story (1995) — 98%

Runtime: 1 hr 21 min | RT Score: 100% | Metacritic: 96/100 | Ages 4+

Still the highest-scoring family film in KLM's catalog, new arrival or not. Eighty-one minutes, a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and a rivalry-to-friendship arc that's never dated. The safest first pick for a child's first time with the seatback screen.

3. Inside Out (2015) — 96%

Runtime: 1 hr 35 min | RT Score: 98% | Metacritic: 94/100 | Ages 6+

Pete Docter's study of an 11-year-old's inner emotional cast holds up as one of the smartest scripts Pixar has produced — dense enough to reward a parent watching along, simple enough for a child dozing in and out on a night flight.

4. Up (2009) — 93%

Runtime: 1 hr 36 min | RT Score: 98% | Metacritic: 88/100 | Ages 5+ | New this month

Carl Fredricksen tying thousands of balloons to his house rather than move into a retirement home, with young stowaway Russell along for the ride. The opening ten minutes are still some of the most emotionally efficient filmmaking Pixar has ever done — expect at least one nearby passenger to need a tissue before it turns into a genuinely funny adventure.

5. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) — 19%*

Runtime: 1 hr 38 min | Metacritic: 37/100 (RT not yet aggregated) | Ages 5+ | New this month

Chris Pratt and Anya Taylor-Joy return to voice Mario and company in the newest theatrical release in this month's arrivals. Early critic numbers are soft — the 19% combined figure reflects Metacritic only, since Rotten Tomatoes hasn't posted a wide aggregate yet — but kids' search intent for this one will be high regardless. It's genuinely new, and it's genuinely on KLM this month.

6. A Bug's Life (1998) — 85%

Runtime: 1 hr 35 min | RT Score: 92% | Metacritic: 78/100 | Ages 5+ | New this month

Pixar's second feature, and one of the best-reviewed titles in this whole new-arrivals batch. Dave Foley's Flik rallies a colony of ants against grasshopper Hopper (Kevin Spacey) — funnier and sharper than its reputation as "the other bug movie" from 1998 suggests.

7. Hercules (1997) — 79%

Runtime: 1 hr 33 min | RT Score: 83% | Metacritic: 74/100 | Ages 5+ | New this month

Disney's animated take on the Greek myth, narrated by a gospel-choir Muses number that's aged into a genuine musical highlight. Lighter and funnier than most Disney entries of its era — a good pick for kids who've exhausted the Frozen and Toy Story rotations.

8. Mary Poppins Returns (2018) — 73%

Runtime: 2 hr 11 min | RT Score: 80% | Metacritic: 66/100 | Ages 6+ | New this month

Emily Blunt takes over as the practically-perfect nanny, with Lin-Manuel Miranda as her lamplighter sidekick. At just over two hours it's a longer sit than most on this list — better suited to a long-haul sector than a short hop.

Bluey — Four Specials

Runtime: 3–4 min each | Ages 2–6

Worth a factual note here, since the name causes confusion: KLM's "Bluey" is not the Australian animated dog series many parents will know from streaming at home. This is KLM's own short in-flight animated series about a young, energetic plane character named Bluey, having brief adventures — in Rio, at a flower parade, at a wellness centre, and learning about flying. Four episodes are on the August lineup, each just 3–4 minutes — genuinely useful filler for very young children during boarding, taxi, or the final descent, rather than a full-length watch.

Also New to the Family Catalog This Month

Rounding out August's new arrivals: Ice Age: The Meltdown (58%, the second entry in the prehistoric franchise), The Ant Bully (60%, Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage lend voices to this animated adventure), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (61%, Brendan Fraser and Steve Martin in live-action/animation hybrid chaos), and Gulliver's Travels (26%, Jack Black's broad 2010 comedy take on the Swift novel — the weakest-reviewed of the new wave, worth knowing before you queue it up for older kids expecting more from the premise).

Full Kids & Family Rankings — August 2026

Rank Title Year Ages RT Metacritic Combined
1 Toy Story 1995 4+ 100% 96 98%
2 Inside Out 2015 6+ 98% 94 96%
3 Dumbo 2019 6+ 95% 96 96%
4 Toy Story 3 2010 6+ 98% 92 95%
5 Finding Nemo 2003 4+ 99% 90 95%
6 Toy Story 2 1999 4+ 100% 88 94%
7 Up 2009 5+ 98% 88 93%
8 Coco 2017 6+ 97% 81 89%
9 Turning Red 2022 8+ 95% 83 89%
10 Monsters, Inc. 2001 4+ 96% 79 88%
11 Incredibles 2 2018 6+ 93% 80 87%
12 Finding Dory 2016 4+ 94% 77 86%
13 A Bug's Life 1998 5+ 92% 78 85%
14 Big Hero 6 2014 6+ 90% 74 82%
15 Frozen 2013 4+ 89% 75 82%
16 Inside Out 2 2024 6+ 91% 73 82%
17 Hercules 1997 5+ 83% 74 79%
18 Onward 2020 6+ 88% 61 75%
19 Monsters University 2013 5+ 80% 65 73%
20 Mary Poppins Returns 2018 6+ 80% 66 73%

Bluey specials not scored — no critic aggregate exists for KLM's short in-flight series. Scores sourced from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic as of August 2026.

→ Filter KLM family films by age group and score on inflight.guide

Also in the Family Catalog This Month

Beyond the ranked table, the August lineup carries a deep bench of continuing family favourites: the full Toy Story trilogy, Frozen and Frozen II (71% combined), Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University, Incredibles and Incredibles 2, Coco, Turning Red, Onward, and Big Hero 6. Elio (2025, 75% combined) and the four Bluey shorts round out the animated end of the catalog. A handful of titles have landed without a full critic aggregate yet — Zootropolis 2, Vaiana 2, and Encanto (Metacritic 75, RT not yet posted) are all on board this month, worth naming even without a complete score since availability is the point for families planning a flight.

By Age: What to Queue Up

Ages 2–6: Bluey shorts (all four), Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Mary Poppins Returns Ages 5–8: Dumbo, Up, Hercules, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Frozen Ages 8–12: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 3, Incredibles 2, Turning Red, Inside Out 2 Teens and parents together: Inside Out (every age responds differently), Dumbo (the melancholy plays differently for adults), Coco

KLM Family Viewing Tip

On KLM's Boeing 787-10, each Economy seat has a 10.6-inch touchscreen at adult eye level — a child in the next seat over will need to tilt it down, or you'll need to tilt yours toward them. Genuinely useful detail this month: the shorter Bluey specials (3–4 minutes each) are ideal for the taxi-and-takeoff window before the seatback screen is technically supposed to be stowed, since a 90-second wait rarely holds a toddler's attention on its own.

If Your Child Liked Dumbo, Also Try...

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dumbo on KLM the 1941 animated original or a newer version? It's the 2019 live-action reimagining directed by Tim Burton, starring Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton — not the 1941 animated classic. It's also one of the best-reviewed titles in KLM's entire August 2026 catalog at 96% combined.

Is Bluey the Australian TV show on KLM? No — KLM's "Bluey" is a separate, short in-flight animated series about a young plane character having brief adventures (in Rio, at a flower parade, at a wellness centre, learning about flying). Each episode runs 3–4 minutes. It isn't the Australian animated dog series widely available on streaming services.

What new kids' films does KLM have in August 2026? Ten new family titles land this month: Dumbo, Up, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mary Poppins Returns, Hercules, A Bug's Life, Ice Age: The Meltdown, The Ant Bully, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and Gulliver's Travels. Full details at inflight.guide.

Are family films available on all KLM flights? The full family catalog is available on long-haul widebody flights (Boeing 787 and 777) with seatback IFE screens in every cabin. Short-haul European flights on the Airbus A321neo and Embraer E195-E2 use a smaller personal-device streaming catalog instead of seatback screens.

At what age can children use KLM's IFE system independently? Most children aged 5 and above can navigate KLM's touchscreen IFE system independently once a film or show is started. Younger children typically need a parent to make the initial selection.

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