Adventures that will make you wish you were a kid again

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Summer is always the best time for adventure. Now that we are well into summer vacation, we thought it might be time to give our younger audiences some ideas from the best kid adventure movies of the past. Adults aren’t off the hook, though. These movies might be about kids, but wasn’t everyone a kid once upon a time?

The Goonies

It’s the best adventure any kid could dream of. This 1985 classic has something for everyone. A group of kids set out on an epic treasure hunt to save their homes from foreclosure. It’s a great coming-of-age story as the leader of the pack, Mikey (played by Sean Astin), leads the kids through a maze of booby-traps, all while outsmarting the nasty Fratelli family.

The Goonies
The Goonies (Photo: Warner Bros.)

This ragtag neighborhood gang is guaranteed to take you back to you memories of childhood, whether you grew up with this movie or not. If you have ever dreamed of adventure at any age, you’ll love “The Goonies.”

“The Goonies” is rated PG for language, some violence and adult situations. On Ok.com, this movie is appropriate for ages 11+ and has a 93 percent worth-your-time rating.

The Neverending Story

Another great adventure from the 1980s, “The Neverending Story” is one of the most creative and spectacular movies of any generation.

The Never Ending Story
The Never Ending Story (Photo: Warner Bros.)

When a troubled boy named Bastian is introduced to a book, “The Neverending Story,” he is swept off on a spectacular adventure in the land called Fantasia. Bastian is the only hope for Fantasia to survive “the nothing” that destroys everything in its path.

Filled with beautiful metaphors and some incredible friends Bastian meets along the way, “The Neverending Story” from 1984 is a touching story that will stay with you for years.

This movie might be frightening at times for small children, but on Ok.com it is appropriate for ages 6+ and is 100 percent worth your time.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

While the more recent version, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” starring Johnny Depp, has its merits, the classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” can’t be beat.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

Capturing Roald Dahl’s beloved story, this 1971 version is a “scrumdidiyumptious” adventure that takes place, obviously, in a gigantic candy factory — how can anyone resist?

But it’s not just the delicious candy that makes this a great movie. Gene Wilder steals the show as the magical and mysterious Willy Wonka. You really never know what the crazy candy inventor will come up with next.

The best part of the movie though, is the fact that you will truly believe that anyone in the whole world can win a golden ticket, no matter your circumstances.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” has an Ok.com 95 percent worth-your-time rating and is appropriate for ages 6+.

Holes

If any of the previous choices are a little too outdated for your liking, the 2003 adventure “Holes” is a bit more contemporary with plenty of history behind it.

Holes
Holes (Photo: Disney)

Shia LaBeouf plays Stanley, a boy who is wrongfully convicted and sent to Camp Green Lake where he spends day after day digging holes. Then when a mystery unfolds, Stanley realizes that you can never escape the past.

“Holes” is definitely a must-see for any tween audience, but there is plenty of humor and depth of the story for adults to enjoy as well.

On Ok.com “Holes” has a 100 percent worth-your-time rating and is appropriate for ages 7+. Sarah Bringhurst is recent graduate from Utah Valley University and currently an intern with Ok.com. EMAIL: sarah@ok.com

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Sarah Bringhurst for OK.com

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