Glamumous: Family

Preparing for the arrival of a new baby is a very exciting time, whether this is your first child or your fifth! Chances are you'll be bombarded with choices for baby products, clothes and toiletries, and can be left wondering what exactly you really need to be prepared for when your little one is born.

As many mothers will attest, it is way too easy to buy more than you need, and if you're working to a tight budget you'll probably want to stick with the essentials rather than spend on niceties you may never get around to using.

Here then is a list of the most essential items you will need to be prepared for the arrival of a new baby, with a few suggestions for additional items you might want. I've also created a printable PDF version of this list as a handy reference guide.

What you will need for baby

Lots of bibs and/or muslin squares
1-2 packs of newborn size nappies
Nappy sacks
Cotton wool balls or pads
Changing mat
Fully reclining pram/pushchair/travel system
Car seat (suitable from birth)
6 sleepsuits
6 short-sleeved vests/bodysuits
2 cardigans/light jackets
Shawl or snowsuit (depending on the time of year)
2 pairs of scratch mittens
2 pairs of bootees
2 hats
A cot, complete with a new mattress
3-4 fitted cot sheets
2-3 flat cot sheets
2-3 cellular blankets
If bottlefeeding: 6 bottles with newborn teats, a steriliser and infant formula milk

Extras you may like for baby

A moses basket/crib
Fitted and flat crib sheets
Baby bath
Sling/baby carrier
Bouncy chair
Baby monitor
Changing bag
Baby wipes
Baby nail scissors
Baby brush and comb
Baby towel(s), with hood
If breastfeeding: breast pump

Things you need for yourself

Maternity pads
Lots of large cheap (or disposable) knickers
Breast pads
Nursing/maternity bras
Loose nightdresses (front opening if you are planning to breastfeed)

Download the Baby Essentials Checklist (Printable PDF)

New vs. Secondhand

You should always purchase a new mattress, even if your cot or crib is secondhand. The same applies to car seats, since there is no guarantee that a used seat will be completely safe, even if it appears to be fully intact.

Almost everything else you will need for baby can be purchased secondhand.

When shopping for a pushchair or travel system, be sure to test out various models in baby stores to ensure they fit your requirements. Once you know the make and model you would like to buy, check eBay, Gumtree and local baby sales to purchase at a fraction of the price!

Cots and cribs are almost always available to buy used. It is easier to purchase standard sizes to ensure you can easily find a new mattress to fit (which should be snug with no gaps around the edges to ensure baby cannot trap her head).

Baby clothes are quickly outgrown and are rarely worn out. Ask around to see if friends or family may have a bag of used clothes to save forking out for new items if you're on a tight budget.

What are your tips for new baby purchases?

We'd love to learn your tips for buying products for a new baby. Please feel free to leave your own comments and suggestions below.

Photo credit: Raphael Goetter, via Flickr

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Having spent so long cooped up indoors through the winter months, what better time to explore the great outdoors and enjoy a range of family-friendly activities?

Here are ten interesting and entertaining activities to enjoy with your children this spring, most of which won't cost even a penny, and all of which are guaranteed to make the most of the great outdoors.

Take a walk through bluebell woods

Photo credit: antonychammond

After a mild start to the year, bluebells will be out in force this year offering a spectacular display of colour through our woodlands.

Why not enjoy a peaceful walk through local woodlands with your family to enjoy the fleeting beauty of one of Britain's proudest natural splendours?

Half of the world's bluebell woods are found in the UK, over 1300 in fact, and most are free to enter. To find your nearest bluebell trail, enter your postcode over on the VisitWoods website and find places recommended by other visitors to the site.

Visit newborns at your local farm

Photo credit: tc morgan

During springtime, farms spring to life with the birth of newborn animals. From little lambs to tottering foals and adorable baby chicks, children will be thrilled to meet the new arrivals at your local city (or public) farm.

Go Pond Dipping

Photo credit: Paul Albertella

Pond dipping is a fascinating activity which helps children learn about the natural wildlife lurking in nearby waters. No special equipment is required: if you have an old sieve and a shallow tray you're all set to go!

The Pond Conservation website provides some excellent tips for effective pond dipping, including essential safety advice which is particularly relevant for small children. You might also find these worksheets from The Woodland Trust helpful in identifying the wildlife you discover.

Start growing sunflowers

Photo credit: Kyle Rush

Spring is the perfect time to begin growing sunflowers from seed; by summer you can expect a beautiful bright array of these insect-attracting flowers!

Sow sunflower seeds outside from April in compost-rich well-raked soil, ensuring each seed is about 12 inches apart. To grow really large sunflowers, germinate them indoors by planting in compost-filled yoghurt pots covered with cling-film until the first leaves appear. Once your seedlings are large enough, transplant them to a sunny spot outside and watch them grow. Take a look at The Sunflower Challenge website for more tips and ideas for sunflower growth.

Collect caterpillars

Photo credit: Peewubblewoo

Observing caterpillars as they metamorphose from wriggly little creatures through to beautiful butterflies is a springtime project your children will love, and which will help them learn far more about the natural world than watching the process on TV!

All you need for this project is a large glass jar, some caterpillars and several handfuls of the plant the insects were found on. Encourage children to search around your garden or nearby woodland: damaged leaves may provide clues as to where the caterpillars are hiding.

There is no need to puncture holes in the lid of the jar if your children will be opening the lid to observe them every day. Over time, your children can watch the caterpillars grow and perhaps even shed their skin before wrapping themselves in a chrysalis and emerging as a butterfly - at which stage these beautiful insects should be set free.

This page on the BBC gardening site provides useful advice and tips for collecting and observing caterpillars in the UK.

Go fly a kite

Photo credit: HaoJan

Britain is Europe's windiest country and is blessed with wide open spaces which provide the perfect runway for launching a kite into the air. In recent times the sport of kite-flying has taken a downturn, yet this remains a highly enjoyable pastime for children, particularly after taking the time to build a kite of their own.

A simple paper kite project for children can be found over at Instructables, or you might like to take a look at Kite Calendar to find kite-flying events happening near you.

Nurture birds in your garden

Photo credit: Stuart Herbert

Build a simple nest box to nurture the birds living around your garden. This simple project is something you can complete in an hour or less, and one which children will love to get involved with.

Detailed instructions and templates can be found over at The Birdbox Project, or if DIY isn't your thing, ready made boxes can be bought cheaply at garden centres or even larger supermarket branches (we spotted some for less than £5 on our last visit to Morrissons!).

Forage for wild garlic

Photo credit: Mick E. Talbot

Food foraging is not only fun, but can result in a delicious meal at the end of the day, helping children relate to food and enjoy a variety of new tastes. Unlike domestic garlic found in supermarkets, wild garlic is championed for its leaves rather than the bulb, which are wonderful in salads or boiled in soup dishes.

Wild garlic is ideally harvested in spring when it's frequently found amongst the bluebells which flourish at this time of year. Take the children foraging through woodland to find this delicious plant, which is easily identifiable by it's pungent garlic smell.

Create an insect haven in your garden

Photo credit: wobble-san

Even the smallest outdoor space can be transformed into a haven for insects, enabling children to observe a plethora of miniature wildlife and explore an interest in the natural world.

Try creating an insect watering hole, plant bee and butterfly enticing lavender (in pots if you don't have flowerbeds) or build a bug box to provide the perfect habitat for ladybirds, spiders and lacewings.

Picnic beneath a canopy of blossom

Photo credit: zilverbat

The sight of plum and cherry trees erupting with blossom is one of my favourite seasonal treats. In Japan, the Hanami season is revered with tourists flocking to parks in order to enjoy the flurry of falling blossoms.

While British blossoms may not be quite so breathtaking, picnicking beneath a canopy of pink or white blossoms is a family activity well worth enjoying this weekend! Take a trip to a nearby park or visit one of the most noted locations for blossom viewing listed on the BBC website for a springtime family treat.

Photo credit (main image): Nina Matthews Photography, via Flickr

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Family outings to the cinema can be very expensive affairs! The cost of tickets alone can mount to around £30 for a family of four, possibly even more if you're watching a movie in 3d!

Luckily, there are ways to make cinema trips less expensive, possibly even free! In this post, I'll explain how you can find cheap cinema screenings for you family, score free tickets for new releases, and enjoy snacks which cost a fraction of the kiosk price.

Look out for Kids Screenings and Matinees

Most big name cinemas (and several independent ones) offer budget-priced screenings of family-friendly films. Ticket prices are heavily reduced, averaging only a couple of pounds per person, and while the films screened may not be the latest blockbuster, they offer value for money and the enjoyment of viewing great films on the big screen.

Cineworld's Movies for Juniors

For just £1 each, parents and children can watch a variety of family-friendly films at Cineworld. Screenings are usually on Saturday or Sunday and tickets should be booked online to take advantage of this incredible price. There's usually two or three films to choose from each week, so be sure to check what's showing at your local cinema.

Vue's Kids AM

Vue offer family-friendly screenings on weekend mornings with tickets costing only £1.75 each for adults or children (or £3.00 if watching in 3d). There's usually only one choice of film per week, a fairly recent release which has not yet made it to video.

Odeon Kids

Depending on your location, the Odeon Kids scheme could offer the best value for money. Tickets start from only £1 (to a maximum of £4, depending on your cinema) and for every child ticket purchased an adult goes free!

Kids screenings are on weekends and daily throughout the school holidays, though there's usually only one film choice per week. Ideally you should book tickets at the box office as a 75p charge applies if booked over the telephone/On-line to both the child and (free) adult tickets.

Independent Cinema Screenings for Kids

Your local Indie cinema may offer special screenings or activities for children. In my home town, for example, the Showroom offers weekly activity, lunch and movie screenings for kids which cost just £5 per child (adults can watch the film for just a couple of pounds, but must buy their own food).

Check your local cinema's website or give them a call to discover if there are special value screenings for children.

Orange Wednesdays and discount days

Those using Orange's mobile phone network are eligible for two-for-one cinema tickets every Wednesday at cinemas across the country. Aside from the cost of a text message, this offer is free to use and enables you to buy two tickets for the price of one - effectively halving the price for each person attending.

It's worth booking in advance to take advantage of this offer as cinemas can become incredibly busy on Wednesdays for this very reason! Also, only one promotion per week can be used for each Orange customer, so if you need more than two tickets you'll need to have another Orange-powered phone handy!

Many cinemas offer discounted tickets on certain days/times during the week. On Tuesdays, Odeon, Cineworld and Vue cinemas offer discount tickets (priced at £4.50-£5) and many cinemas offer reduced tickets for showings before 6pm.

Find free tickets for preview screenings

Film distributors often give away tickets for preview screenings of the latest films, usually to generate publicity. These tickets are usually limited and run out quickly, so be quick to register your interest if there's a film you'd particularly like to see!

Here are the most popular websites to find free tickets to movie screenings:

ShowFilmFirst - register to receive updates about new screenings
Sky Rewards - Sky Movies subscribers regularly receive offers for free cinema tickets. Register for the weekly newsletter to get updates about the latest releases.
Virgin Media - Customers to this cable service can opt to receive two free cinema tickets for selected screenings each month.
LoveFilm - Check out the LoveFilm blog for news of free ticket promotions.
HotUkDeals - The Freebies>Entertainment section of this popular deals site features free ticket promotions from many different distributors.
MoneySavingExpert forum - This thread is solely for posting codes for free cinema screenings, and is probably the best place to search for a variety of film types.

Cut the cost of cinema snacks by bringing your own food

Food purchased from cinema kiosks can be extortionately priced. In many places, the cheapest bag of popcorn can set you back five pounds! With a mark-up of 600% on many consumables (more, I suspect, for certain food items), the cost of snacks often exceeds that of the cinema ticket itself. Cinemas argue that much of their ticket sales is take by film distributors and that the food mark-up compensates for that, but those of us little disposable income prefer our snacks to be more frugal.

Did you know that most cinemas allow you to consume cold food and drinks which have not been purchased in the kiosk. Except for hot food and alcoholic beverages, you will usually be allowed to snack on foods you have brought in yourself. Unfortunately, most consumers (and some cinema staff) are the false impression that food and drink purchased elsewhere is prohibited.

Here's what the big three British cinema chains have to say about bringing your own food into their cinemas:

Cineworld

From Section 2.2 of Cineworld's Terms of Entry:

Alcohol and Food Policy: Neither alcohol nor hot food may be brought onto the premises. Only hot food bought on the premises may be consumed on the premises. Alcohol may only be purchased and consumed in Cineworld licensed bar areas or in licensed screens and licensing laws will be strictly enforced.

There is no mention that food purchased elsewhere is prohibited from the cinema.

Vue

From Section 3.8 of the Terms and Conditions:

Hot food brought from outside of the cinema may not be consumed on the premises.

It is also stated in Section 3.13 that no alcohol may be brought into the cinema (and alcohol purchased on the premises must be consumed only in the licensed bar area).

There is no mention that food and drink purchased elsewhere may not be consumed on the premises.

Odeon

In the terms and conditions for general admission, Odeon does not specifically reference whether or not food can be taken into the cinema. Luckily I found this statement to BBC Watchdog to help clarify matters:

ODEON does not have a policy against people taking their own food into screenings, other than when it can affect other guests' enjoyment - for example odorous foods - and discretion is therefore left to the individual cinema managers.

When visiting an independent cinema, it is best to check the terms of entry beforehand to see whether or not you are allowed to consume your own food. In all cases, this is allowed at the cinema manager's discretion; different cinemas may well have different policies in regards to food and drink.

Join the conversation!

Do you have any further ideas about cheap cinema outings for the family? What are your opinions about taking your own food into the cinema?

Please feel free to add your own comments and suggestions using the form below.

Photo credit: atomicjeep, via Flickr

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Having grown up reading Hans Christian Anderson while discovering the allure of Disney, I'm quite the fan of the fairytale genre. I particularly love watching modern fairy-tale films with my children and (thus far) have not experienced a poor reception of the movies I suggest we watch together.

Here are 25 of our favourite modern day fairy tales to share with your family in which I hope to suggest a few movies you may have yet to enjoy.
All of these film are (in my opinion) "family-friendly" and range in classification from U (Universal - suitable for all ages) to 12A (where it is not recommended for children under twelve years old to watch the film without an adult).

I've created a handy playlist of trailers for the films in this list over on YouTube which is embedded towards the end of this post.

You might also like to check out my list of 100 Family Friendly Films for even more suggestions of movies to watch with your children.

Labyrinth (1986)

Labyrinth tells the story of Sarah, a fifteen year old girl, who accidentally wishes her baby brother away to the Goblin King, Jareth. She has thirteen hours to complete Jareth's labyrinth and save baby Toby before he will be turned into a goblin forever!

Classification: U

Release date: 1986
Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connolly, Toby Froud

The Neverending Story

Bastian is a bookish, withdrawn boy who is being bullied at school. After chancing upon a mysterious volume in a bookstore, he retreats to the school attic to read and is drawn into the story to such an extent that he begins to realise the hero of the story is him!

Classification: U

Release date: 1985

Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barrett Oliver

Legend

Another classic from the Eighties, Legend is a magical fantasy film (a very young) Tom Cruise. A demon who seeks to create eternal night by destroying the last of the unicorns and marrying a fairy princess is opposed by the forest boy Jack (Cruise) and his elven allies.

Classification: PG

Release date: 1985

Starring: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a story of friendship between the best runner at school and the new girl in town. Despite their differences, the pair form a close bond and help each other through the troubles they experience as pre-teens, and together, they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants and rule as king and queen.

Without wanting to post any spoilers, I must point out that a part of this story may be rather upsetting for younger viewers. It remains one of my daughter's favourite films, though when she first watched (age seven) a particular scene made us both feel rather sad!

Classification: PG

Release date: 2007

Starring:

Hugo

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. This film reminds me very much of the "Cinderella" genre, wherein the young Hugo's life is transformed from rags to the richness of friendship and finding his place in the world.

Classification: U

Release date: 2011

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Directed by the visionary Terry Guilliam, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen offers an account of the aristocrat's supposed travels and fantastical experiences with his misfit accomplices. Being swallowed by a giant sea-monster, a trip to the moon, a dance with Venus and an escape from the Grim Reaper are only some of the improbable antics!

Classification: PG
Release date: 1988
Starring: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley

Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton's excellent film tells the story of Edward - the greatest creation of his inventor "father" who passed away before his work could be completed, leaving Edward with scissors in place of hands.

Lonely and vulnerable, Edward is adopted by Peg and her family and invited to live with them in their quiet suburban home. At first everyone welcomes the strange man into their community, but soon things take a change for the worse.

Classification: 12A (uncut)

Release date: 1990

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest

Spirited Away

Dubbed a modern-day "Alice in Wonderland", this is a fantasy adventure about Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl who is leaving behind everything she knows and is moving to a new home. Along the way,Chihiro and her parents stumble across a tunnel that leads to a spooky, deserted open-air restaurant and her parents sit down to eat while she wanders off to explore.

After discovering that her greedy parents have been turned into pigs, she learns the number one rule of the new world she is now part of: laziness is not tolerated, and only working hard can enable her to break the spell on her parents.

Classification: PG

Release date: 2001
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino

The Brothers Grimm

Will and Jake are the legendary Brothers Grimm who dazzle small towns with their imaginative folklore and elaborate illusions. When the brothers journey into a real enchanted forest to help a village rid itself of an evil witch, they encounter many of the fantastic characters and thrilling situations found in their beloved fairy tales.

Classification: 12A

Release date: 2006

Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Headley

Spiderwick Chronicles

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Classification: PG
Release date: 2008
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn

Mirrormask

In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, fifteen-year-old Helena works at the family circus with her parents. Ironically, she wishes that she could run away from the circus to join 'real life', but instead finds herself on a strange journey into the Dark Lands, a fantastic landscape filled with giants, Monkeybirds and dangerous sphinxes. She must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get back home.

Classification: PG

Release date: 2005

Starring: Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon

Stardust

In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man named Tristen makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm. But the star is no lump of rock, it's a maiden, Yvaine, and Tristen is not the only one looking for her...

Classification: PG

Release date: 2007

Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer

Enchanted

After finding her Prince Charming, princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Gisele wonders how she could possibly survive in a world where there are no "happily ever afters" until she is rescued by a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer. While she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home, she begins to fall in love with her hero and wonders if fairytale romance can thrive in the real world.

Classification: PG

Release date: 2007

Starring: Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden

Coraline

When Coraline and her parents move to a dreary old house, she finds herself bored and feeling somewhat neglected by her busy parents. One night she follows mysterious mice to find a secret passage leading to a parallel version of her life. On the surface, it seems very much like reality - only better - but when her Other Mother asks to replace her eyes with buttons and to stay forever, she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, with only the talking black cat as her ally.

Classification: PG
Release date: 2009
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman

The Water Horse

Angus is a lonely boy, pining for his father who is serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. He finds a mysterious egg which hatches into a sea creature known as a "water horse" (who inevitably will become known as "the Loch Ness Monster") quickly learns that he needs to hide the rapidly growing creature from both his family and the soldiers who inhabit their home.

Classification: PG
Release date: 2007
Starring: Emily Watson, David Morrissey, Alex Etel

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Dr. Parnassus leads an extraordinary Imaginarium which promises it's patrons an irresistible journey to the limits of their imagination by means of a mysterious mirror. Unfortunately, the doctor harbours a dark secret: years before he made a pact with the Devil to secure immortality in exchange for the soul of his first-born child on the day of their sixteenth birthday.

As his daughter nears this fateful age, the troupe is joined by the shapeshifting Tony and together they embark on a wild and surreal journey through parallel worlds to save Valentina and undo the mistakes of the past.

Classification: 12A

Release date: 2009

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp

Ondine

Ondine is a lyrical modern fairy tale that tells the story of Syracuse, an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman in his nets. His daughter Annie, believes that the woman is a selke (a water nymph), while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in hand.

Classification: 12a

Release date: 2009

Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachelda, Dervla Kirwan

Big Fish

Big Fish tells the story of a dying father and his son, who is trying to learn more about his dad by piecing together the stories he has gathered over the years. The son winds up re-creating his father's elusive life in a series of legends and myths inspired by the few facts he knows. Through these tales, the son begins to understand his father's great feats and his great failings.

Classification: PG

Release date: 2003

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup

Where the Wild Things Are

This beautiful film is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

Classification: PG

Release date: 2009

Starring: Max Records, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker

Penelope

In this modern-day romantic tale, Penelope is about a young girl's inspiring journey, a mysterious family secret, and the power of love. With all odds against her, in order for Penelope to break the family curse, she must find true love with "one of her own kind" and realize the most important life lesson, "I like myself the way I am."

Classification: PG

Release date: 2006

Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon

Ever After

In Renaissance Italy, sixteen-year-old Danielle has been reduced to the level of a servant due to the caprices of her wicked stepmother, Baroness Rodmilla. When Danielle meets Prince Henry , they quarrel, but a second encounter, with Danielle dressed as a noblewoman, sees romance blooming. However, the relationship is threatened when Henry's father tells him he must marry the Princess of Spain.

A classic retelling of the Cinderella story which even includes the appearance of Leonardo da Vinci!

Classification: PG

Release date: 1998

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Angelica Houston, Dougray Scott

Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro)

Satsuke and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. They soon discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros with whom they experience magical adventures.

Classification: U

Release date: 1988

Starring: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Toshiyuki Amagasa

Hoodwinked

Everyone knows the classic tale of Red Riding Hood, but in an interesting twist this film begins where the fairytale left off, placing Red, her Granny and the wolf at the centre of an almost film-noir style plot in which the wolf plays detective and attempts to unravel the mysterious events.

Classification: U
Release date: 2006
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton

Howl's Moving Castle

When a young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home.

A beautiful animation based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones.

Classification: U

Release date: 2004

Starring: (English Language version) Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Billy Crystal

The Princess Bride

Princess Buttercup is saddened by the disappearance of her true-love Westley whom she believes to have been kidnapped by murderous pirates. She finds that she has no choice but to become engaged to the odious Prince Humperdinck , but Westley soon arrives back on the scene and, along with his mismatched band of adventurers, sets off on a daring mission to rescue his beloved.

This is a classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince and a beautiful princess as read by a kindly grandfather.

Classification: PG

Release date: 1987

Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright

Preview all 25 film trailers

I created a YouTube playlist of trailers for all the films on this list to help you and your family decide which of these suggestions you'd most like to watch:

Which are your favourites?

Are your favourite fairy tale movies included in this list? Perhaps we've missed out a classic film that you'd like to suggest for other families?

Please feel free to join the conversation by leaving your comments below.

Image credit (main banner): Anabel Rose Photography, via Flickr.

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Oxford Owl

International Children's Digital Library

FreeKidsBooks.org

More free eBooks for Kindle, Nook, Kobo and more

Can you recommend more quality children's eBook sites?

Girls Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Boys Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Where to buy a children's capsule wardrobe

What would you recommend?

1. Mamma Mia!

2. Annie (1982)

3. The Wizard of Oz

4. Legally Blonde

5. Matilda

6. The Secret Garden

7. Mary Poppins

8. High School Musical

9. Drop Dead Fred

10. My Girl

What are your favourite parent-daughter films?

What you will need for baby

Extras you may like for baby

Things you need for yourself

New vs. Secondhand

What are your tips for new baby purchases?

Take a walk through bluebell woods

Visit newborns at your local farm

Go Pond Dipping

Start growing sunflowers

Collect caterpillars

Go fly a kite

Nurture birds in your garden

Forage for wild garlic

Create an insect haven in your garden

Picnic beneath a canopy of blossom

Look out for Kids Screenings and Matinees

Independent Cinema Screenings for Kids

Orange Wednesdays and discount days

Find free tickets for preview screenings

Cut the cost of cinema snacks by bringing your own food

Cineworld

Vue

Odeon

Join the conversation!

Labyrinth (1986)

The Neverending Story

Legend

Bridge to Terabithia

Hugo

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Edward Scissorhands

Spirited Away

The Brothers Grimm

Spiderwick Chronicles

Mirrormask

Stardust

Enchanted

Coraline

The Water Horse

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Ondine

Big Fish

Where the Wild Things Are

Penelope

Ever After

Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro)

Hoodwinked

Howl's Moving Castle

The Princess Bride

Preview all 25 film trailers

Which are your favourites?

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