Extraterrestrial film E.T has pipped Shrek and Finding Nemo to be named the greatest ever children's movie.

The Steven Spielberg-directed film launched a young Drew Barrymore's Hollywood career in 1982, reports The Telegraph.

In the poll, conducted by www.onepoll.com, the second place went to Pixar's 1996 hit Toy Story, followed by Disney classic Mary Poppins, with The Lion King and The Wizard of Oz completing the top five.

A spokesman for www.onepoll.com said: "The films featured in the poll span across decades and all have something special about them.

"E.T is a movie the whole family can gather around to watch and it never fails to bring a tear to someone's eye."

Top 50 children's films of all time

1.E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial

2. Toy Story

3. Mary Poppins

4. Lion King

5. Wizard of Oz

6. Bambi

7. Back to the Future

8. Shrek

9. Finding Nemo

10. Labyrinth

11. 101 Dalmatians

12. Aladdin

13. Beauty and the Beast

14. The Goonies

15. The Jungle Book

16. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

17. Alice in Wonderland

18. Home Alone

19. Ice Age

20. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

21. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

22. Annie

23. Cinderella

24. Monsters Inc

25. Madagascar

26. Sound of Music

27. Wallace and Gromit - The Wrong Trousers

28. Mrs Doubtfire

29. Babe

30. Beethoven

31. Beetlejuice

32. Black Beauty

33. The Little Mermaid

34. The Railway Children

35. A Bug's Life

36. Dumbo

37. Wall-E

38. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

39. A Little Princess

40. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

41. Jurassic Park

42. Kung-Fu Panda

43. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

44. Billy Elliot

45. Lady and the Tramp

46. Neverending Story

47. Short Circuit

48. Sleeping Beauty

49. An American Tail

50. Chicken Run. (ANI)