Westerns movies are often full of violence and dark themes, filmmakers of that genre have also made sure that some of their movies are suitable for kids. Cinematic tales of the "Wild West," typically set in the western United States during the mid to late 19th century, have enthralled audiences for more than a century. Whether true accounts, myths or fictional stories, viewers are enraptured by tales of a sheriff or a lone gunslinger ridding a small and friendly town from cattle rustlers, murderers, thieves or a greedy land baron.

Western movies for adults are renown for graphic violence, vulgarity, sex, heavy alcohol use. Many westerns have also aged badly as some of its narratives mistreat women and Indigenous Americans (which goes as far back to the first western made in 1899). While racial and gender stereotypes have been largely avoided in the genre over the last two decades, more serious themes remain, even in PG-13 rated films. Luckily, some filmmakers noticed this issue and began creating G and PG family friendly western movies as a way of familiarizing younger viewers with the genre without exposing them to more adult topics.

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10 Puss in Boots

After a scene-stealing cameo in 2004's Shrek, Puss in Boots, whose origin comes from a 500-year-old fairy tale, got his own self-titled movie seven years later. Instead of a Shrek-like fantasy setting or 16th century storybook France, Puss in Boots occurs in late 1800s Spain, where, like America's "Wild West", there were small towns with sheriffs, bandits, and bank heists. The film is a clever and humorous take on the genre as the swash-buckling outlaw Puss in Boots and his friends seek to steal a treasure and end up rescuing his hometown of San Ricardo.

9 Spirit: Stallion of the Simarron

An Oscar award nominee for best animated picture in 2003, Sprit: Stallion of the Simarron continues to tug on the heartstrings of audiences with an endearing story about a horse who is freed by a man from the Lakota Tribe during the historical American Indian Wars. Spirit's dramatic and adventurous plot provides an animal's perspective on a piece of historical fiction that illicit adoration and empathy from young viewers. The film also gives children a lesson, on their level, about the cruelties of the U.S. Calvary toward America's indigenous people.

8 Home on the Range

Though it had a disappointing box office run and is one of the lesser known Disney animated films, Home on the Range is an entertaining movie about a trio of female cows who protect their owner's farm from a sleazy cattle rustler and land baron. The wacky antics, pratfalls, jokes and occasional twist and turn will likely have kids laughing out loud and rooting for their favorite barnyard animals to win the day. Home on the Range also teaches the value of diverse families and how family members can get along despite their different traits and tasks.

7 Rango

Reddit users proclaim Rango as one of the best underrated westerns because of how it paid homage and lampooned the genre by featuring cowboy a pet chameleon who, after being stranded in the desert, ends up in a town of desert animals who are in desperate need for water and a sheriff. Kid audiences will be inspired by Rango, who despite his awkwardness and eccentricities, becomes a hero simply by doing the right thing. Older audiences will also appreciate how the film is a clever family-friendly version of comedic westerns like Blazing Saddles.

Related: 10 Greatest Western Movies, According To Ranker

6 Holes

Based on the acclaimed young adult novel, Holes is a contemporary western about a diverse group of tweens and young teens who are forced to dig holes in the suffocating heat while at a juvenile detention camp in Texas. The film pulls young audiences into a coming-of-age story and mystery involving hidden treasure and a wild western tale of the past. Holes may be more suitable for older elementary and middle school aged children as the film contains some intense scenes (which depicted hate crimes, racism, discrimination, and murder) .

5 Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Part III, considered to be the best film in the trilogy, is a traditional cowboy movie with a sci-fi, time-traveling spin. This conclusion is quite an intense and entertaining romp as it has strong character development between Doc Brown and Marty McFly. The characters play the "fish out of water" scenario extremely well as they attempt to navigate life in the "Wild West" of Hill Valley while trying to get Marty back to 1985. However, viewers should note there are a few casually racist jokes made by certain characters that reflect the time periods in which they were living which may make some feel uncomfortable.

4 The Three Amigos

The Three Amigos is a western comedy featuring the styling of Saturday Night Live alums and comedic legends, Chevy Case, Steve Martin and Martin Short. The actors play three bumbling and naive 1916 silent film actors who mistake a genuine request to rid a Mexican village of bandits for another movie production. The Three Amigos offers some of the best slapstick in the careers of Chase, Martin and Short, giving children an elementary education on iconic humor. Despite the hilarity of the actors' costumes and actions, audiences should be prepared to discuss some mildly disguised sexual innuendo and racial stereotypes that will stick out to viewers.

3 The Man from Snowy River

The 1982 film, The Man from Snowy River, based on a poem, is a western set in Australia starring legendary American actor, Kirk Douglas. Hailed for its beautiful cinematography, the film is geared toward older children since it is more serious and dramatic in tone, and features long moments of dialogue (which younger viewers with developing attention spans might not enjoy completely). However, it is worth noting that The Man from Snowy River does feature traditional views of courtship and outdated views on masculinity, so families may want to chat with their children about the differences between now and then.

2 Old Yeller

Old Yeller is a timeless classic that has endeared audiences for decades. The movie tells the story of a family in post-Civil War Texas who welcome a stray dog who protects the family and home from the dangers of wild animals, all while creating a bond with the family's two young boys. A fun movie infused with humor, suspense and drama, Old Yeller contains has iconic moments that are hard to forget, especially the tragedy that befalls the loyal dog at the end of the film, but is quickly followed by a moment of hope and joy.

1 The Yearling

The classic movie, The Yearling, follows the lives of a pioneer farming family in Florida in 1878 and their only child, Jody, a pre-teen who adopts a fawn when the mother doe is killed. The film has some tense and sad scenes that might be overwhelming for small children. The mother's grief over the loss of Jody's siblings and her unreasonable attitude toward Jody, in addition to the parent's request of Jody to kill the grown-up fawn, can make for an uncomfortable viewing, but also leads to worthy conversations about the value of love and family in difficult, complicated situations.