Since the earliest days of cinema, the Western genre has produced some of the richest and most adventurous films in the cinema. These movies document the lives and journeys of characters of varying moral codes who try and survive the brutal frontier, taking on rival gunslingers, Native American warriors and the harsh environment. Despite the genre's reputation for gritty stories, there are plenty of Westerns that are accessible to younger viewers.

While Westerns work best when they take a gritty approach to the Old West, there are plenty of movies from the genre perfect for kids that play up adventure instead of violence. From classic swashbuckler heroes of the Western Frontier to animated gunslinger stories, the list of kid-friendly Western movies is a long one. The Wild West remains a place for childhood escapism, and these movies are a great example of this.

10 Zorro Revives a Classic Swashbuckling Hero

The Mask of Zorro begins with the exploits of the original Zorro, the wealthy Spanish aristocrat, Don Diego de la Vega, a champion of the people of California. However, when his identity is discovered by the oppressive Don Rafael Montero, Diego's wife is killed, his daughter taken and he is imprisoned. After languishing in prison for almost two decades, the hero makes a daring escape when Rafael returns. As an older man, Don Diego approaches Alejandro Murrieta, a young thief, whose brother was killed by a corrupt military officer. Together, they work to bring justice back to California.

The Mask of Zorro follows Murietta as Don Diego trains him, transforming the rugged thief into a masked swordsman who uses his skills for the good of the people. Fueled by vengeance against Don Rafael, Diego plans to reveal his identity to his daughter, but things become complicated when Alejandro romances her. The film is a classic swashbuckling romp in the Old West and one that offers younger viewers an adventurous hero, plenty of humor and bad guys they can love to hate.

9 Scooby-Doo Shaggy's Showdown Gives the Gang a Gunslinging Shaggy

The Scooby-Doo franchise has delved into a range of genres since debuting in 1969, and its 2017 film Shaggy's Showdown represents the series' take on a modern-day Western mystery. The movie follows the gang as they arrive in Sorghum City to visit Shaggy's cousin, Tawny. However, the area has been terrorized by the ghost of Dapper Jack Rogers, Shaggy and Tawny's ancestor from the Old West.

Shaggy's Showdown is one of the better modern Scooby-Doo movies, casting the gang in a Neo-Western mystery as they investigate the ghoul claiming Shaggy's heritage. Centered around Tawny's ranch, the film borrows the classic plot of a land grab, as seen in old Westerns like Shane and Once Upon A Time In the West. Like the best Scooby-Doo stories, it all comes down to a property crime.

8 Cowboys & Aliens Pits Gunslingers Against Invaders From Space

Cowboys & Aliens begins when a man wakes up in the desert, finding a mysterious device strapped to his wrist. With no memory of who he is, the man wanders the desert until finding a town, Absolution. While there, he is identified by the sheriff as a wanted outlaw, Jake Lonergan, and is arrested. However, when a local rancher Woodrow Dollarhyde, intervenes to try and free his son, aliens attack the town. When Lonergan's bracelet-like device shoots down the ship, an alien escapes, and the townspeople form a posse to track it down.

Cowboys & Aliens is a fun combination of the best tropes from both alien invasion science fiction and classic Westerns, following its posse of protagonists as they ride out for answers. While the movie may seem silly to adults and is far from a serious Western, it gives kids three things they love: cowboys, adventure and aliens. With stars like Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig thrown into the mix, it has a strong enough cast to hold anyone's attention.

7 Home On The Range Stars a Trio Bounty Hunting Cattle

Set in the Old West, Home On the Range begins when a cattle rustler, Alameda Slim, steals all but one of the cows owned by a local rancher, Mr Dixon. With the man left destitute, he's forced to sell his last cow, Maggie, to a woman named Pearl. However, this leaves Pearl near financial ruin, as the bank gives her mere days to pay them back before they collect by taking her farm. Maggie convinces some of the cows to join her in an epic quest to find Slim, bring him to justice and use the reward money to save Pearl's ranch.

Home On the Range is a throwback to older, classic Westerns, the type that were more prominent in the days of John Wayne. Rather than playing up tropes of gunfighters and family feuds, the film instead follows cattle rustling from the perspective of the cattle, turning them into bounty hunters. In a way, the movie is almost a child-friendly homage to the Dollars Trilogy.

6 Rango Sees a Chameleon Adapt to Life as a Western Sheriff

Rango begins when a pet chameleon falls out the back of his owner's car, leaving him marooned in the Mojave Desert. While there, he meets an armadillo, Roadkill, who tells him about the Western town of dirt. After surviving the perils of the desert, the creature arrives in town, where he adopts the persona of a rough drifter, Rango. When he accidentally kills a threatening hawk, the town appoints the drifter sheriff. Crossing paths with some of the town's shady characters, the lawman stumbles his way through trying to be a hero.

Rango is actually one of its era's best Westerns, which is no small feat considering it's a movie aimed squarely at kids. The film succeeds in adapting some of the genre's signature tropes, adding an element of comedy as its bumbling hero attempts to navigate a town of creatures modeled after the stereotypical lawless town on the Frontier.

5 The Coen Brothers Created a Brilliant Adaptation of True Grit

True Grit follows the story of Mattie Ross, a teen girl who plots her revenge against Tom Chaney, a dim-witted criminal who murdered her father. She seeks the aid of Rooster Cogburn, a drunken US Marshal with a reputation for being trigger-happy in the face of danger. Hoping Cogburn will kill Chaney, she pays him to set out into Native American territory, where he is joined by a Texas Ranger, LaBeouf, who is charged with finding the criminal over the shooting of a state senator. Not content to let the two men go it alone, Mattie joins them, and the three set off for an adventure into the wilderness to find their fugitive.

While True Grit does contain violence, it's not so excessive that children can't enjoy it, though it may be best suited for older kids. The film stands out as one of the Coen Brothers' best works, and nails the sense of adventure of Old West journeys, with the trio meeting a variety of characters along the way. Culminating in arguably the best shootout of the genre, True Grit is as gritty as it gets for child-friendly Westerns.