Kids' Entertainment

The Best Movies About Time Travel To Watch As A Family

Why can’t we all have a DeLorean?

by Casey Suglia
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Movies have a way of transporting us to another world for a few short hours. Sometimes to a totally different dimension! Truly, who hasn’t dreamt of hopping into a time machine after watching Back To The Future? And if your kid’s imagination is also obsessed with all things time travel, be sure to check out these awesome, family-friendly movies.

While science hasn’t quite figured out how to time travel in real life just yet, these movies fulfill that sense of fantasy. Sure, some kids might want to travel back in time to sneak in an extra cookie after dinner or maybe even witness some historical events they learn about in school, but what time travel movies can teach kids is a valuable lesson on enjoying the moment. Live in the moment, focus on the good... that sort of thing.

Below, you’ll find a collection of fun and funny fantasy movies that not only have a positive message and can bring you to a different dimension, but are fun to watch with the whole family. Read on for some of the best kid-friendly time travel films.

1Action Replayy

In this Hindi-language film, a young man named Bunty enlists the help of his girlfriend’s eccentric grandfather to help reconcile his parents who are on the verge of divorce. With the help of a time machine, Bunty travels back to the uber groovy year of 1975, where he tries to make his parents fall in love. Think of it as the Bollywood version of Back to the Future.

Watch Action Replayy, rated TV-PG, on Netflix.

2Alice Through the Looking Glass

The mad hatter is in trouble and Alice has to save him. With the help of a magical looking glass, she travels back to Underland and through time, where she must find out what is wrong with the Hatter before time runs out.

Watch Alice Through the Looking Glass, rated PG, on Disney+.

3A Kid in King Arthur’s Court

A mysterious earthquake takes a 14-year-old little league player, Calvin Fuller, into King Arthur’s court. When Calvin awakens in the Middle Ages, he discovers that he must rid Camelot of evil in order to save King Arthur.

Watch A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, rated PG, on Disney+.

4A Wrinkle In Time

Following the disappearance of Meg Murray’s father, she is visited by three astral travelers who bring her and her brother on a journey through “a wrinkle in time” to worlds beyond their imagination.

Watch A Wrinkle in Time, rated PG, on Disney+.

5Back to the Future

Teenager Marty McFly travels to the 1950’s, thanks to a time machine built by his scientist friend, Doc Brown. While in the ‘50s, Marty meets his parents, and has to make sure that they fall in love in this dimension in time, other wise he will cease to exist.

Rent Back to the Future, rated PG, on YouTube Movies for $3.99.

6Back to the 90’s

A teenager is transported back to his parents’ high school days, where he has the chance to alter the events that led up to their divorce in this swoonworthy, Thai musical.

Watch Back to the 90’s, rated TV-14, on Netflix.

7Click

Adam Sandler stars as a dad who has everything — except enough time to do it all. With the help of a magical remote, he is able to pause, skip, and rewind to some of the best parts of his life. Although the film is rated PG-13 due to language and some crude humor, the moral of the story, and Sandler’s LOL comedy, is worth the watch.

Rent Click, rated PG-13, on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.

8Cinderella III: A Twist In Time

Cinderella is living her happily ever after, married to Prince Charming. But when Cinderella’s wicked stepmother gets a hold of the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand, she turns back time, leaving Cinderella searching for Prince Charming so she can break the spell.

Watch Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, rated G, on Disney+.

9Flight of the Navigator

David is an ordinary boy who takes a fantastical flying machine on a big adventure to the farthest reaches of the universe, and beyond.

Watch Flight of the Navigator, rated PG, on Disney+.

10Free Birds

Two lucky turkeys born on opposite sides of the tracks travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving for a history changing mission — prevent all turkeys from becoming dinner. Unfortunately, this proves to be difficult thanks to the colonists.

Watch Free Birds, rated PG, on Amazon Prime Video.

11Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts is off to a rough start. A famous killer has escaped prison and is bent on seeking revenge on Potter. Meanwhile, there is a rift between his two best friends, and a new teacher has been sent to protect him. But he manages to stay out of trouble, thanks to Hermione’s new ability to travel in time.

Watch Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, rated PG, on Peacock.

12The LEGO Movie 2: The Second One

When LEGO DUPLO invaders start to ruin everything in the path of the citizens of Bricksburg, it’s up to Emmet, Lucy, and LEGO Batman to travel to unexplored worlds to save their town.

Rent The LEGO Movie 2: The Second One, rated PG, on YouTube Movies for $3.99.

13Meet the Robinsons

A young inventor named Lewis time travels to the year 2037, where he learns that the fate of the future is in his hands. With the help of the wacky Robinson family, he learns to keep moving forward.

Watch Meet the Robinsons, rated G, on Disney+.

14Minutemen

Three high school outcasts invent the ultimate time machine to can take them back just far enough to alter conversations and interactions that led them to be uncool. But when their actions accidentally create a black hole, they learn that they can actually create a massive mess.

Watch Minutemen, rated TV-G, on Disney+.

15Mirai

After the birth of his baby sister, 4-year-old Kun travels through time to meet people and pets from his family’s history in their mysterious home.

Watch Mirai, rated PG, on Netflix.

16Saving Santa

An elf discovers the only way to stop an invasion of Santa’s Kingdom is to activate a secret time travel device in Santa’s sleigh. The elf musters enough courage to travel back in time to the North Pole to save Santa and have things go back to the way they were.

Rent Saving Santa, not rated, on YouTube Movies, for $2.99.

17Shrek Forever After

Shrek, fully settled into married life, longs for the days when he was free to be an ogre. But after he’s duped into signing a contract, he enters in an alternate universe where ogres are hunted and he and his wife have never met. Shrek must find his way out of the universe in order to restore order and be reunited with his true love.

Watch Shrek Forever After, rated PG, on Amazon Prime Video.

18Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

In this installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, reporter April O’Neil finds an ancient Japanese scepter that can transport people to different centuries. It’s up to the TMNT crew to travel back to the 17th century to save their friend and save the world.

Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, rated PG, on HBO Max.

19Toy Story That Time Forgot

In the middle of one of Bonnie’s playdates, the Toy Story crew find themselves in uncharted waters when they discover that the new, cool set of action figure dinosaurs transports them to a prehistoric era in this short film.

Watch Toy Story That Time Forgot, rated TV-G, on Disney+.

20We’re Back! A Dinosaurs Story

Four dinosaurs are travel through time to modern day New York City, intent on bringing joy to the children living in the city. But, as always, nothing is what it seems.

Rent We’re Back! A Dinosaurs Story, rated G, on YouTube Movies for $3.99.

21The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones

The beloved prehistoric family, the Flintstones, meet the family of the future, the Jetsons, when they are accidentally transported to the stone age. It’s your favorite cartoon families coming together to travel through time and switch lives — what more could you want?

Rent The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones, not rated, on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.

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