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TV special · Fantasy, Music, Animated · 1970 · TV-G

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town: parents' guide

4+our pick

Best for ages 4 and up. Rated TV-G.

A cheerful stop-motion origin story for Santa that works for preschoolers and up. There is no profanity, drinking or real violence. The villains are a cranky mayor who bans toys, has Kris arrested and, in the uncut version, burns seized toys in front of the town's children, and an icy Winter Warlock who looks menacing until a small kindness wins him over. Kris is a foundling raised by elves. In one song Kris asks children on his lap for a kiss in return for a toy, which now feels uncomfortable; some TV airings cut it. The youngest may find the mayor's rage and the jail scenes a little tense.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

No one is hurt. Soldiers chase and arrest Kris and lock up his friends and adoptive family, and in the uncut version the mayor burns a pile of seized toys while the town's children watch.

Language

None

No profanity or crude words of any kind. The dialogue is gentle and old-fashioned throughout, with the mayor's grumbling as the harshest it gets.

Sex and nudity

None

Kris and the schoolteacher Jessica fall in love and marry, with one quick kiss. In one song, Kris tells children who sit on his lap that a kiss is the price of a toy; reviewers find it uncomfortable today.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No drinking, smoking or drug references. The only magic ingredient is enchanted corn that lets the reindeer fly, which is presented as pure fantasy.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

The Winter Warlock is a looming, icy figure who captures Kris in a dark forest, and the toy-hating mayor rages and hunts him. Both stretches are brief, and the Warlock quickly becomes a friend.

Worth talking about

Winter changes after Kris offers him a small kindness. Ask what might help a grumpy person soften, and whether the mayor's toy ban was fair.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia, allmovie.com, holidayfilmreviews.blogspot.com, ruthlessreviews.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.