26 New Family-Friendly Movies & Shows You’ll Want To Watch On Netflix In September

Give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back because, you know what? You did it. The kids are officially back in school. Pro: You might get a sliver of time back for yourself. Con: Somehow, the stretch between early afternoon (aka pickup) and bedtime somehow got longer. Homework? Check. Dinner? Check. Pre-bedtime crashout? You betcha. A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do, and sometimes that means turning on something good to watch so everyone can actually wind down. Netflix must know the deal, because the streamer has delivered a truly stacked September lineup of new family-friendly movies and shows.

Before we get any further, there are two big things worth flagging.

First, on Sept. 8, Netflix will drop two curated back-to-school playlists: The All-Star Preschool Playlist (school-themed episodes from Gabby’s Dollhouse, Ms. Rachel, and My Sesame Street Friends: My Elmo) and The Ultimate Kids Playlist (Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs, Boss Baby, and Salish & Jordan Matter). There’s also the “For Little Ones Who Love to Learn” collection if you’re looking for even more of the same.

Second, Netflix Playground has some new games coming up. ICYMI, this is a games app built for the 8-and-under set that is included with your membership. As in, no extra fees. And it works offline, so win-win. Dropping this month are My Hungry Caterpillar, PAW Patrol Academy, and Toca Boca Jr. Kitchen, an open-ended cooking game (the chokehold Toca Boca had on my kids for years, I tell you!).

Here’s everything else headed to Netflix for kids and families this month.

What’s New On Netflix In September? The Highlight Reel

Gabby’s Dollhouse: Season 14 — Sept. 14

The dollhouse is going to the dogs... quite literally! Gabby’s little sis Doozie shows up with her puppy Puggie for a cat-and-dog playdate, which means you get 24 minutes at a time of sweet, sisterly, and pawsome distraction.

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85: Season 2 — Sept. 17

Back to Hawkins we go. If you loved Stranger Things and haven’t given this animated spinoff a shot, please do. It’s really cool. Valentine’s Day is looming this time, and the gang has to figure out what’s behind a rash of ghostly apparitions and hostile creatures.

Pokémon Horizons: Season 3, Rising Hope Part 4 — Sept. 18

Your Pokémon-obsessed kid probably won’t shut up about this and will explain every episode to you at length, but that’s the bargain we all make when we have kids. Here, the Rising Volt Tacklers are up against an Explorers plot that threatens the whole Pokémon-and-Trainer bond situation.

Wonka’s The Golden Ticket — Sept. 23

OK, I’ll be the first to admit I’m weirdly so excited about this one! Twelve Golden Ticket winners and their partners head to, you guessed it, Wonka’s factory for a reality competition full of games, tests, and “temptations.” One winner walks away with a life-changing prize.

LEGO One Piece — Sept. 29

You can never really go wrong with LEGO, and this two-episode special sees Usopp recap the crew’s adventures from the East Blue to the Grand Line for Chopper.

More Family Movies & Shows Coming To Netflix In September

• New! Storm on Sesame Street — now playing
• 17 Again (2009) — Sept. 1
• Antz (1998) — Sept. 1
• Baby Geniuses (1999) — Sept. 1
• Big Daddy (1999) — Sept. 1
• The Flintstones (1994) — Sept. 1
• Flushed Away (2006) — Sept. 1
• Jaws (1975) — Sept. 1
• Jaws 2 (1978) — Sept. 1
• Jaws 3 (1983) — Sept. 1
• The Prince of Egypt (1998) — Sept. 1
• Shark Tale (2004) — Sept. 1
• Uncle Buck (1989) — Sept. 1
• The Monster at the End of This Story: A Sesame Street Special — Sept. 7
• New! NFL Melbourne Game (live event) — Sept. 10
• New! Crew Girl — Sept. 10
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) — Sept. 10
• New! Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs: Season 5 — Sept. 12
• Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001) — Sept. 14
• Robots (2005) — Sept. 16
• Thomas & Friends: Really Helpful Engines (2021-2025) — Sept. 30

What's going to the top of your family's watchlist this month? I’m stocking up on chocolate bars and having a Wonka watch party at our house.