Adventure movies are some of the most exciting films a child can watch. They encourage curiosity, bravery, and imagination while taking audiences to incredible places. The problem is that many of the best-known adventure films also include frightening villains, intense action, or suspense that can be too much for younger viewers.
As a parent, I’ve found that my kids often want stories with bigger stakes and grander adventures, but they aren’t always ready for the fear that comes with them. Fortunately, there are plenty of family-friendly adventure movies that capture the same sense of discovery, exploration, and excitement without relying on horror or overwhelming tension.
This list highlights adventure films that offer memorable journeys, lovable characters, and meaningful lessons while remaining accessible to most children. They prove you don’t need terrifying monsters or relentless peril to create an unforgettable adventure.
Paddington
Paddington follows a young bear who ventures forth to start a new life in London. As he quickly learns that life beyond the jungles of Peru is not as straightforward as he’d hoped, he needs to rely on the kindness of one family in order to make his way and settle into his new surroundings.
Why Paddington Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Paddington’s decision to leave the hazardous jungles of Peru behind speaks to how this film subverts the adventure genre. As a bear in London, Paddington uncovers a very different kind of adventure, full of mishaps and misunderstandings, creating a charming and chaotic story.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, a few rare scenes may be frightening for particularly cautious children.
Paddington 2
Paddington 2 sees the charming bear settled in with his new family, but as his aunt’s 100th birthday approaches, he needs to find a way to earn money to get her the perfect gift. Unfortunately, when the gift is stolen, things get more complex.
Why Paddington 2 Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Paddington 2 follows the same themes of kindness, decency, and familial love prominent in the first film, while slightly deepening the plot with a scandalous thief and a mystery to solve.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+. Again, there may be scenes that appear intense for sensitive children.
Moana
Moana is about a young woman who dreams of sailing beyond her island and seeing more of the world. And when her island comes under threat of a curse, Moana must sail into the unknown in order to find Maui and rescue her people.
Why Moana Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: The film delves into themes of self-discovery as Moana explores the ocean and embraces adventure. Despite the threat of a curse, Moana is always relatively safe, and threats remain minimal.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+. Some frightening creatures appear briefly in conflict with the heroes.
Up
Up is one of the most charming and captivating films to come out of Disney Pixar in its entire run. An elderly man who tragically loses his wife before they manage to have the adventure she always dreamed of. After her passing, in her memory, he decides to embark on the journey and ingeniously manages to take his home along for the ride.
Why Up Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: The adventure is not driven by fear or an antagonist; instead, Carl sets out to fulfill his wife’s lifelong dream in her memory, despite finding it challenging to leave the comforts of his home.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+. Up features intensely emotional scenes but is rarely scary.
The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot sees an advanced robot assistant wash up on a remote shore where numerous animals reside close by. In an effort to fulfill it’s directive, the robot seeks to find a task to complete, which ultimately leads to them adopting a small gosling, whom she raises to adulthood.
Why The Wild Robot Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Between the vibrant animation style, and the touching story of love growing between an unlikely family, this film has a wild and wonderful setting, but it digs deep into the emotion of the individual characters in a way that feels incredibly charming and warm.
Movie Rating:
Age Recommendation: 7+, there are brief moments of peril.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
The Mitchells vs. the Machines explores tech dependence in a charming story about a family on a road trip who accidentally become humanity’s last hope as a technological apocalypse threatens to end civilization as we know it.
Why The Mitchells vs. the Machines Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Again, unique animation, quirky humor, and a fun narrative about technology colliding in unexpected ways create an energetic adventure story that doesn’t need to veer into overly tense or scary moments.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+. Some parents may choose to avoid this film with younger children due to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters.
The Lego Movie
The Lego Movie follows Emmet, a construction worker who doesn’t feel all that special, as he learns about the existence of Master Builders and accidentally becomes the key to saving all of Lego-kind.
Why The Lego Movie Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Lego is a well-known and adored brand by people young and old, and this film perfectly captures the magic and creativity of playing with these blocks, which unlock unlimited possibilities. All while avoiding extreme or intense concepts.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, with LEGO characters at the heart of the story, it’s very tame in terms of even the tensest scenes.
Luca
Luca is a magical Disney Pixar story about two young sea creatures who make their way onto dry land, where they can transform to become like the locals. From there, they set out to learn about the world of humans, while trying to conceal their identities and avoid getting wet.
Why Luca Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: This is an extremely relaxed and laid-back adventure film about a seaside adventure where kids want to learn more about the world beyond their familiar surroundings. It’s funny, silly, and leans into the magic of the story.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+. There are themes of disobedience and rudeness, but nothing excessive.
The Peanuts Movie
The Peanuts Movie follows the incredibly popular characters, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, in a beautifully animated story about how they develop their close-knit friendship and face various challenges. From navigating first-time crushes to taking to the skies, there is a lot to uncover in this charming film.
Why The Peanuts Movie Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: One of the most impressive aspects of The Peanuts Movie is how it turns ordinary life and a kid’s neighborhood into this sprawling adventure. It’s an incredible depiction of life growing up, and it navigates these ideas with humor and subtlety.
Movie Rating: G
Finding Dory
Finding Dory is a sequel to the popular Disney Pixar film Finding Nemo, which tells the story of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss, who sets out on a journey across the ocean to find her parents after regaining flashes of memory from her youth.
Why Finding Dory Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: As mentioned above, it’s a less intense adventure story than Finding Nemo, with Dory accompanied by close friends, Nemo and Merlin, and uncovering some of the landmarks she passed when she was initially separated from her parents. It’s heartwarming, fun, and hopeful throughout.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 6+, while it’s more relaxed than Finding Nemo, there are still some tense scenes that could challenge sensitive kids.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, is a charming story that follows Shaun, a sheep, who befriends an alien that crash landed near his farm. While the farmer hopes to cash in on the opportunity and create a new attraction that would exploit the frightened alien, Shaun sets out to help fix things and get their friend back home.
Why A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: With a beautiful animation style, this film trades the usual tension of adventure stories to make something brighter, more charming, and incredibly hopeful.
Movie Rating: G
Muppet Treasure Island
The Muppets tackle the classic Robert Louis Stevenson story of Treasure Island in this captivating adventure story where many of the characters are replaced with muppets who get caught up in an adventure to go and find lost treasure. Also featuring the incredible Tim Curry in a pivotal role that elevates the entire experience into a musical extravaganza.
Why The Muppet Treasure Island Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: By replacing central characters with Muppets, it defuses a lot of tension and lowers the stakes, while still capturing the sense of adventure and excitement about seeking a massive fortune.
Movie Rating: G
Race to Witch Mountain
Race to Witch Mountain came out in 2009, with Dwayne Johnson starring front and center in this sci-fi remake. When two siblings with paranormal powers need to evade capture by a nefarious organization, they enlist the help of some unlikely allies and end up forming an odd makeshift family.
Why Race to Witch Mountain Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: This is a fun sci-fi story that is great for getting younger movie fans into the genre, with two kids who have powers playing a central role. Beyond that, there is action, intrigue, and very few intense scenes.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 8+. There are a handful of more intense, scarier scenes that make this film better suited to older kids.
National Treasure
National Treasure is an elaborate story that almost feels like an Indiana Jones narrative for a slightly younger audience. With a focus on history and exploring a vast mystery that extends backward in time, a team of ambitious adventurers embarks on a mission to find a well-kept secret.
Why National Treasure Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: This film feels a little like an escape room as the mysteries unravel and audiences get sucked into the action. It is largely free of the intense drama or horror that may be found in similar films, making it accessible to slightly younger viewers.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 9+. There are some perilous scenes throughout the film as the heroes are pursued.
The Adventures of Tintin
Tintin is an intrepid reporter who is no stranger to adventure, and sets out on a journey to find a lost treasure which was previously claimed by an ancestor of his travelling companion, Captain Haddock.
Why The Adventures of Tintin Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: There is more action present than in many other films on this list, but the film never strays into the world of horror, and ultimately maintains a strong connection to the younger audience for which it is intended.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 9+. Despite the animated nature of the film, there is a fair amount of violence and drinking from characters like Captain Haddock.
The Emperor’s New Groove
The Emperor’s New Groove follows Kuzco, a selfish young ruler who is transformed into a llama by his adviser. While trying to get his hooves on a potion to transform back, he makes unlikely connections with a man he previously turned away, and ultimately learns to look outward.
Why The Emperor’s New Groove Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: The focus here is on comedy, moral lessons, and the idea that perseverance will help you push through difficult circumstances and achieve goals. There is magic and mystery that all combine to create a fascinating adventure story.
Movie Rating: G
A Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie follows a father and son on a road trip that could bring them closer together. However, with their vastly different personalities and interests, it proves challenging to connect and embrace one another’s differences. Thankfully, they learn from their struggles and make the most of their time together to gain entirely new appreciation for one another.
Why A Goofy Movie Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: A charming adventure story that transforms a simple road trip into a captivating adventure packed with unexpected detours, delays, and delightful moments that prove incredibly important for these characters’ growth.
Movie Rating: G
The Great Mouse Detective
When a toymaker is kidnapped, Basil, who is essentially the mouse equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, takes up the case and embarks on an epic adventure to uncover the mystery behind the kidnapping and hold the guilty parties to account.
Why The Great Mouse Detective Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: A wonderful introduction to the world of mystery adventure stories, which encapsulates the magic of Sherlock Holmes stories more gently as it replaces people and tension with talking animals and more relaxed sequences.
Movie Rating: G
The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie provides an origin story for the familiar puppet characters as they gradually find one another and travel across the continental US. Over time, their combined talents become a way for them to connect with each other and others, and ultimately lead to them creating their own show.
Why The Muppet Movie Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: The Muppets have become incredibly iconic characters who can transform stories with tension and drama into something more playful, which is beautifully evoked in The Muppets Movie. In this way, the adventure of a lifetime smooths out rougher edges and becomes a charming tale of friendship and connection.
Movie Rating: G
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Brandon Fraser stars in this incredible adventure story based on a novel, though the film takes some liberties. As they venture into the unexplored center of the Earth, they discover an incredible forgotten world.
Why Journey to the Center of the Earth Is A Safe Adventure Movie for Kids: Rather than leaning into horror, intensity, or tension, this film keeps the focus on the story’s awe-inspiring discoveries and becomes an expansive, awe-inspiring adventure that is largely safe for younger kids.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 8+. The film has a few scenes that may be scary for sensitive kids, but very few.
Meet the Robinsons
Meet the Robinsons follows a young orphan boy swept up in an adventure that takes him to the future, where his extensive scientific knowledge is the key to saving it and helping a quirky family who welcome him with warmth and kindness he has never experienced before.
Why Meet the Robinsons Is a Safe Adventure Movie for Kids: This animated adventure features heart, moral lessons, endless creativity, and positivity. It’s charming and maintains momentum and pace thanks to a variety of colorful characters, while avoiding scary or intense concepts.
Movie Rating: G
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum sees Ben Stiller play a new guard assigned to watch over a museum at night, but when the exhibits come to life, he is clearly in over his head. Despite this, he finds ways to cope with his quirky job and ultimately builds relationships with the vibrant characters at the museum.
Why Night at the Museum Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: Infusing history with a modern-day story that transforms a fairly mundane setting into something teeming with life is a stunning way to breathe new life into the environment, create something magical, and deliver a fresh perspective.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+. There is some cartoonish violence.
Spy Kids
Spy Kids explores the idea of a group of juvenile secret agents who take on special missions that ultimately become a family business. But when Juni and Carmen’s parents disappear, they need to go it alone to bring them back and save the day.
Why Spy Kids Is A Safe Adventure Movie For Kids: This is a much gentler take on a typical spy or espionage story, creating something incredibly fun, bright, and exciting for young viewers who imagine themselves on missions, saving the day. With kids in the driver’s seat, it’s a different take on a popular genre perfectly suited to younger audiences.
Movie Rating: PG
Age Recommendation: 7+, some comedy
