Wayne Szalinski, a brilliant but eccentric inventor and scientist, has been working on a shrinking machine for years. He hopes to use it to help solve global hunger by shrinking food, but his experiments have been unsuccessful so far. One day, while he is away on a conference, his two children, Amy and Nick, and their next-door neighbors, Ron and Russ Thompson, play with the machine and accidentally shrink themselves to the size of ants.
When Wayne returns home, he is devastated to learn what has happened, and begins to search for the kids with the help of his wife, Diane. The tiny teens, meanwhile, must navigate through the dangers of the backyard, including a lawnmower, a rainstorm, and a swarm of hungry ants. Along the way, they befriend an ant who helps guide them towards safety.
As Wayne and Diane search for their children, they encounter a series of comical mishaps and challenges themselves, including being attacked by a scorpion and accidentally getting launched into the air by a sprinkler.
Eventually, with the help of the ant and some ingenuity, the tiny teens and Wayne are reunited, and the machine is reversed to return them to their normal size. The experience teaches Wayne the importance of spending time with his family, and he vows to be more present in their lives going forward.
Overall, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a heartwarming and entertaining family comedy that highlights the value of perseverance, teamwork, and family.