“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -Helen Keller
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Looking for a little adventure? Here are some of our favorite adventure flicks the whole family will enjoy. All of these films are rated G or PG. There’s fantasy, history, superheroes, and detectives. You can’t go wrong with a good adventure tale!
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Ella Enchanted takes you to a fantasy land of fairies, elves, ogres, and giants. It’s a very creative Cinderella story based loosely on Gail Carson Levine’s Newbery Honor book. Great fun!
Secondhand Lions is full of surprises. It’s about Walter, a boy whose terrible mother drops him off at her aging uncles’ doorstep to spend the summer. You’ll fall in love with Hub and Garth and get carried away in their exciting tales of the past and new adventures of the present. And, there’s a lion!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of our all-time favorites. When Walter is about to lose his job, he takes off on a crazy adventure to find the only person who can help. It has absolutely gorgeous cinematography and the humor is just our style.
We think The Princess Bride is one of the greatest movies of all time. It’s fun adventure (giants, miracle marshmallows, disguises, torture, oh my!) with a touch of romance for what is sure to please every audience. It really doesn’t get better than The Princess Bride.
Nim’s Island is a sweet adventure story about a young girl on an isolated island who fears her dad has been lost at sea. She communicates with her favorite adventure-story author, begging her to cross the sea to help her.
Swiss Family Robinson is a classic for good reason. We still love the story of a family who works together to make a life for themselves on a deserted island after a shipwreck. There are great animal scenes with elephants, ostriches, and tigers and a superb pirate battle at the end.
We have a real soft spot for fellow nerds in the world. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a fun fantasy adventure about an apprentice of the legendary magician, Merlin, who must find and train Merlin’s successor. The successor is played by Jay Baruchel who is really good at playing the nerd role. Favorite Line: “I don’t know what you’re into here, Dave, but whatever it is, you are definitely participating.”
Holes is one of our favorite books and the movie did not disappoint. It has a great cast. It’s such a beautiful story of friendship, forgiveness, and creating your own luck, and it’s just plain funny. The villains are great. The boys are great. The story is fabulous. We really love this one.
Some of you are probably hesitant to give this one a chance, but trust us. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a great story with a fantastic cast. There’s a mystery to solve and you’ll learn a bit about American history during the Great Depression along the way. You won’t be disappointed.
Home Alone is a classic slapstick adventure masterpiece that ends with a really sweet message. That’s all we have to say.
Mom grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries so she was excited to see this movie when it came out in 2007. Nancy Drew is a well-dressed, eccentric teenage detective, fearless and smart. She and her friends will take you on a fun adventure.
Everyone but our mom loves Jumanji. We think she can’t bear the thought of the house getting totally destroyed by jungle creatures and weather. But, hey! All that chaos makes it really fun. If you love board games, edge-of-your-seat disaster around every turn, and Robin Williams, you’ll love it!
Hook is a wonderful retelling of the story of Peter Pan. There are pirates, fairies, mermaids, and lost boys. There’s a flying pirate ship and and a ticking crocodile. There’s even baseball. Good, clean fun for all!
Sky High is a funny superhero story of kids training to be heroes and side- kicks at their local superhero high school. It’s the fun of a super hero movie mixed in with the comedy and awkwardness of high school.
We like Willow even though there are some things about it that we don’t like… not sure how else to say that. The story just grows on you. It’s this good-hearted little man who protects a rosy cheeked infant on a long journey through a magical land. It’s fun fantasy and adventure.
Whenever we go to a museum, we imagine the displays coming to life. Night at the Museum is based on that premise. It’s really funny and takes you through a lot of cool history as you meet the various museum characters.
Around the World in 80 Days (2004 version) is the story of Phileeas Fogg and his French valet Passepartout (Jackie Chan!) attempting to circumnavigate the world in 80 days to win a bet. This is one we’ve watched many times because it’s really fun.
Paddington is a sweet bear who lives with the Brown family in England. One day, he buys a special book as a gift for his aunt’s 100th birthday. When it is stolen, he goes on an exciting journey to find the thief. Teddy bears chasing thieves = good fun!
Audrey Hepburn stars in How to Steal a Million as the daughter of a famous artist who is actually a forger. When one of his reproductions winds up in a Paris museum, they have to figure out how to steal the famous sculpture back before it is discovered to be a fake. You’ll love watching these un-savvy novice criminals try to save the day.
National Treasure is a fun adventure for American History buffs. It follows Ben Gates, an historian and amazingly talented codebreaker, as he tries to solve the mystery of a national treasure dating back to the founding fathers.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe is full of adventure, amazing talking animals, and scary villains. It’s an epic adventure for the whole family.
Need more movie recommendations? Check out all our family friendly lists.
