The best TV and movies on Netflix for kids (and adults)

Half term is here, and for many of us it's a week that needs filling with activities for holidaying kids.

When you're burned out after a day at the park or the zoo, here are the films and shows - all available to watch on Netflix - which will entertain those little monsters and their adult minders alike:

The Adventures of Puss in Boots

One of the standout stars of DreamWorks' Shrek series has to be Puss in Boots. And now, this Netflix Original series gives us five episodes of unadulterated feline adventure.

The show features swashbuckling escapades in the dusty desert town of San Lorenzo, introducing a new supporting cast for the fearsome and occasionally over-proud hero. The attitude of the frequently un-catlike Puss in Boots creates a subtly sophisticated story that elevates this to the top of the kids' show pile, and will help keep adults equally entertained.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Frequently confused in conversation with both the M Night Shyamalan adaptation and James Cameron's CGI epic, the original, animated Nickelodeon series is something different from either. More importantly, it features some of the best writing of any show, whether for adults or kids.

Netflix has all three series of the adventures of Aang, a powerful little boy lost in time, whose destiny is to save the world when all he really wants is the things every kid wants - to tell jokes, make mischief and... er... ride on giant koi carp.

Avatar presents itself as a fairly standard children's fantasy and goes on to exceed and shatter all your expectations. At times it is hilarious, dramatic, tragic and exciting, and at 20 minutes an episode is irresistibly binge-worthy - what more could you want?

Toy Story 3

Everyone loves Pixar, and there's nothing more Pixar than the Toy Story films. And unlike some sequels, each film about the adventures of Andy's toys gets better and better.

This is definitely the most grown up film in the series, dealing with what happens when we reach childhood's end. At the same time, it has all the jokes, action and favourite characters that kids have come to expect, making it the perfect film for all the family.

Adventure Time

Older viewers will wish that Adventure Time had been around when they were young. This cartoon is everything a kid wants in television, packed with jokes, madcap adventures and loveable dream logic.

Creator Pendleton Ward transports us to the magical Land of Ooo, home of his heroes Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, as well as a kingdom of candy-based life forms and other, even stranger creatures. It never fails to be odd and hilarious, but there are moments of tension and terror too.

There's an element of sophistication to the storytelling, as well as subtle winks and references that adult pop culture fans will love, and a horde of brilliant cameos to spot - George Takei, Neil Patrick Harris and Mark Hamill, to name but a very few. Netflix has three seasons of punchy, ten-minute episodes for you and your kids to enjoy.

Mulan

Some of us may remember Mulan as one of Disney's modern films, but the 1998 animation is actually not far short of its 20th birthday. We think it's one of Disney's more underrated gems, too, with its lead character Fa Mulan - voiced by ER and Agents of SHIELD's wonderful Ming-Na Wen - a much stronger role model for boys and girls than the damsel-in-distress princesses of classic Disney.

Eddie Murphy also puts in a brilliant performance as the voice of the dragon Mushu, who helps the young Mulan disguise herself as a man and go to war in her ageing father's place.

DS fun fact: The film is credited with launching the career of one Christina Aguilera. Jackie Chan - yes, that Jackie Chan - also featured on the soundtrack, which boggles our minds as we had no idea singing was among his skills.

All Hail King Julien

The fantastic partnership with DreamWorks offers another animated movie spinoff, this time with Netflix Original series All Hail King Julien. The show centres around King Julien XIII, one of the stars of the Madagascar series.

Julien is the hard-partying, self-proclaimed king of the lemurs, a master of getting into trouble and sneaking out of it again just as quickly. With its wry sense of humour and pop culture references - from video games to break dancing and Frank Sinatra-style crooning - this show is bursting with appeal for watchers of any age.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Sometimes, kids love something a little weird and horrible, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the success of the Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events books. They follow the adventures of three wealthy orphans whose evil relative Count Olaf will stop at nothing to claim their inheritance.

Brad Silberling's 2004 film was a pitch-perfect adaptation of Snicket's strange world, with great performances from the three Baudelaire kids and brilliant appearances from Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, Home Alone's Catherine O'Hara and Billy Connolly.

Monsters Inc

Another of our favourite Pixar productions is Monsters Inc, the film that proves that all your fears about monsters under your bed as a child were totally justified. The fantastic design of Monstropolis is one of the most imaginative and delightful settings that the studio has created.

John Goodman's Sulley and Billy Crystal's Mike are an instantly charming pair (much like Woody and Buzz in the Toy Story films), but their wry attitude makes them particularly entertaining for an adult audience. Just like little lost girl Boo shows, there are different ways to love this film regardless of your age.

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