7 Movies To Watch When You Yearn To Feel Like A Kid Again 

Has your to-do list gotten too long?

Has your reading-to-working ratio skewed too much towards working lately? What about the amount of hours that you’ve spent frolicking in fields, blissfully unaware of climate change? Has it been at, like, a normal level? Or have you been frolicking less frequently than you’d prefer? On the other hand, you might be frolicking every morning and reading to your heart’s content, but still missing something vital in your life. Is that the case? Well, I have a movie for you. Seven, in fact. These movies will help you reconnect with your inner child if you’re feeling burnt out, depressed, uninspired, or inexplicably nostalgic. It’s important to act like a child every now and then; otherwise, you forget how to live.

1. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Watch it when: The world is too big and loud.

Why it helps: Even if you haven’t watched My Neighbor Totoro, you’ve heard about it. A gentle balm for bruised grown-ups, this Miyazaki masterpiece follows two sisters with an ailing mother who move to the countryside, only to discover forest spirits that ignite their sense of wonder. Trees hum, rain soothes, kindness flows from the land itself. If you’ve lost your own sense of wonder, Totoro will coax it out.

2. Paddington 2 (2017)

Watch it when: You’ve lost faith in people.

Why it helps: This Peruvian bear may be obsessed with marmalade, but he’s even more obsessed with spreading joy. Through his kindness, optimism, and unflappable manners, Paddington Bear anchors a story that is equal parts absurd, hilarious, and profound. Paddington 2 doesn’t just make you want to be a kid again; it inspires you to be better in every aspect of your life.

3. The Iron Giant (1999)

Watch it when: You’re feeling left out.

Why it helps: This Cold War-set movie is timeless in its message. Nominally a sci-fi film, it follows a lonely boy who discovers and befriends a towering alien robot. However, beyond that, it’s a story about fear, sacrifice, and self-actualization. Maybe that’s exactly what you need right now if you’re feeling like you’re always in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, being a weird kid — even a grown-up one — is never wrong.

4. A Little Princess (1995)

Watch it when: You’ve neglected your love for reading.

Why it helps: Alfonso Cuaron’s adaptation of the beloved 1905 novel of the same name is bursting with spirit and color. When the kind-hearted young Sara is forced into indentured servitude after her father, a soldier, goes MIA, she summons a formidable imagination to survive and transcend her days. If you need a reminder of the importance of storytelling and empathy, this movie will do the trick.

5. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Watch it when: You’re starting over … again … for the last time.

Why it helps: This is another Miyazaki masterpiece that doesn’t disappoint. This time, a 13-year-old witch leaves home to find herself, only to wind up more lost than ever. If you have a case of burnout or imposter syndrome, then this movie will help you conquer your self-doubt and invoke the strength you need to start over.

6. The Muppet Movie (1979)

Watch it when: You haven’t laughed in a while.

Why it helps: The original Muppet Movie is silly, saccharine, and surprisingly existential. When Kermit abandons his swamp to make it big in Hollywood, he runs in with an oddball gang and sings his way though more puns than any script has a right to contain. Essentially, this movie is about a frog who sings about rainbows, but that’s precisely why you need it right now. Straightforward and uncomplicated joy is a key to happiness.

7. The Secret Garden (1993)

Watch it when: You need proof that people can heal.

Why it helps: There’s just something about visually rich adaptations of beloved children’s novels. The Secret Garden, which centers upon an orphan, a recluse, and a grieving uncle, shows how it’s possible to find your way back to yourself, even after great loss. The Secret Garden may make you cry, but it will help you find magic again — and, in the process, grow. If wanting to feel like a kid again is all about recovering the parts of yourself that you’ve lost, then The Secret Garden will help you pick up the pieces.