There are those who love scary Halloween movies and there are those who don't.
Children, especially those that are younger, often prefer less scary movies.
Ove the years we have tried out several less scary movies with our kids during the Halloween season.
This is not a comprehensive list.
We recommend movies that are less focused on frights and chills and more about story, visuals, and other features.
Not all of these movies are about Halloween. They feature creepy characters, settings, and themes associated with the holiday, making them great choices for the whole month of October.
Here are our choices for the best Halloween movies for kids.
The Best Halloween Movies for Kids
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
This is number one on our list. Our kiddos love the Peanuts characters, especially Sunshine and Dinomite. They read the comic strips regularly.
This is the perfect choice for a child's first Halloween movie.
It's not scary.
This movie might be the earliest great Halloween film for children.
Most of us are familiar with the tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
This animated short is pretty much required viewing for anyone looking to present a scary good time to the kiddos.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace and his dog Gromit star in their first feature film, after a series of highly-acclaimed shorts.
This is another perfect entry-point into the world of scary movies for the younger set.
If you are already familiar with Wallace & Gromit, then you know what to expect here: a hilarious adventure with a little mystery and a few scary moments built in.
Hotel Transylvania
Where do monsters go when they need a little rest and relaxation?
This animated comedy about a resort for scary creatures is your answer.
This movie is more fun and silly than scary, and focuses more on family dynamics than frightening images.
The main plot involves a regular human discovering the resort accidentally.
This causes great irritation to Dracula, the hotel manager, which is further complicated when his daughter falls in love with the human.
Directed by acclaimed animation director Gennady Tartakovsky, this was a monster hit that spawned three sequels.
Coco
If your kiddos are studying or celebrating the Mexican Day of the Dead, which begins on November 1, this animated film from Pixar is essential viewing.
It tells the story of a boy who accidentally finds himself in the land of the dead.
He teams up with a mysterious resident of the land, and they go on a perilous adventure together, as the boy attempts to return to the land of the living.
Filled with traditional symbolism and mythology, as well as incredible visuals and music, this is one of the best holiday movies made over the past 10 years.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin
This is the go-to option for your preschool "ghosts and goblins."
The movie is a simple tale of a misfit pumpkin who literally doesn't fit in with his patch mates.
That is, until he finds his moment to shine, in the middle of a big storm that threatens to destroy the pumpkin patch.
This movie shows how everyone, even a square pumpkin, has their place and deserves respect.
This is based on the hit PBS animated series.
Our kiddos were huge fans of that show in their preschool days, and we were so thrilled to see that adorable little troublemaker in a Halloween episode.
This is the live action movie released in 1995, based on the TV show from the 60's.
There is no better choice for children who are easily frightened yet curious about the idea of ghosts and haunted houses.
Casper is brave and soulful, and the bond he makes with the main character, Kat, is very sweet.
This animated classis from Disney is appropriate for even the youngest children and teaches a great lesson.
Pooh and company will reassure kids that it's normal to be scared sometimes, and that they are safe and okay.
This is probably the favorite of all the Halloween movies on this list among our kiddos.
Unlike some of the others we have selected, Monster' Inc. has as much to offer parents and older kids as it does the youngsters, which is something of a Pixar specialty.
One of the best animated movies of the past 20 years.
Monster's University
This sequel to the beloved Monster's Inc. tells the story of how Mike and Sully met, before they began working at the scare factory.
As expected with Pixar, this film focuses much more on relationship dynamics and character development than cheap scares.
While the tone and focus are much different than the first movie, this one holds up well and might even be funnier than the first.
A good choice for kids who don't like things too spooky.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
This might be THE must-see animated film for young audiences for the Halloween season.
Tim Burton's stop-motion masterpiece has become a holiday classic.
To be honest, our kiddos were a little freaked out by it, especially the villain.
That said, underneath the weirdness is a film with vivid imagery, imagination and heart.
This is another Disney film from the early 90's that has developed a passionate following which seems to be growing year after year.
This is a creepy comedy adventure, featuring a trio of truly weird sisters, transported to the present day from the 1600's.
It's up to a team of misfit teenagers to stop the witches' crazy scheme.
Hocus Pocus 2
This long-awaited sequel to the Disney cult favorite Hocus Pocus was released in 2022.
The Sanderson sisters are at it again, conjuring up wicked schemes and plenty of goofy gags.
Fans of the first movie will be delighted with this one, and it is a nice introduction to Halloween movies for older kids who are ready to move on from Casper and Curious George.
Corpse Bride
This movie is, in many ways, the spiritual successor to The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It's a romance set against a backdrop of gothic horror and other creepy imagery, all done in stop-motion animation.
This one has been overlooked somewhat, but deserves mention in discussing Tim Burton's best work.
In other words: it's perfect for Halloween.
This is a modern, animated update on the classic haunted house movie.
This is a genuinely scary movie for kids, with real dangers and mortal peril.
The strength of the story though is the way that the main characters band together and work as a team to take on the supernatural terror in their neighborhood.
This is the first film adaptation of the best-selling book series.
Most of the Potter films (and books) are decidedly at the PG-13 level, and too intense for our audience (ages 6-12).
This one is designed to be a starting point for the series, thus making it more approachable and suitable for school-aged kids.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
This might seem like an odd choice for a scary movie list, until you remember the scene (yes, you know the one) that takes place on Halloween.
Our kiddos were immersed in the story right from the start, which holds up surprisingly well after 30 years.
If ghosts, goblins, witches and wizards are not your kiddos' cup of tea, then this charming and emotional adventure just might be the ticket for your family this Halloween.
Aracnophobia
This movie appeals to a specific source of scares rather than the usual assortment of ghouls and ghosts, making it even more frightening for some, and lots of fun for most everyone else.
This is a live action horror film that plays out more like an over-the-top comedy.
This movie is just what the witch doctor ordered for a creepy, kooky double feature.
We are recommending these together because Addams Family Values was the better film, but makes no sense at all if you don't watch Addams Family first.
Either way, you and the kiddos are in for a fun night, full of black humor and great performances.
The Addams Family (animated)
The Addams family have had a major resurgence in recent years, this time in animated form.
This film reintroduces the characters from the 60's tv show and films from the early 90s.
The focus is on the oldest daughter, Wednesday, who some older kids might relate to, especially as she attempts to navigate academics and social interactions with her "normal" peers at school.
There is a sequel as well.
Coraline
I will admit it: this move really creeped out our kiddos.
If you think your kiddos are up for some disturbing fun, however, look no further than this 2009 animated classic. It has a unique visual style and striking imagery, while also just telling a really good story about an 11 year-old girl learning to love the family she has.
A must-see, especially for fans of the book.
Beetlejuice
This 1988 film, from director Tim Burton, was finally followed by a sequel in 2024.
This movie and the sequel really straddle the line between creepy/scary and laugh out loud funny, but sits squarely in the age 12 and up zone.
This film has an amazing cast and unforgettable scenes, and is a must-see for anyone planning to see the sequel.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
This is on our list because there are a lot of bad movies about witches out there.
We like this one because of the scenes with live action and animation combined together.
Plus, it has a great battle scene at the end with the reanimated suits of armor.
This is the ideal way to introduce kids to the classic Universal Studios monster of the 30's and 40's, who remain as iconic and scary as ever.
It's a comedy, so it never gets as dark as the original Dracula or Frankenstein movies, while maintaining the spirit of those legendary works.
What are some of your favorite scary movies for children?
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I love several movies here. Harry Potter series, Casper, and Adams Family are my favourite. You remind me to share them with kids. Thank you for sharing.
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