Halloween is the only holiday that claims ownership of an entire genre of movies.
But when horror movies are off the table, (Read: My nine-year-old has a full-blown phobia of zombies) what’s a spooky mom to do? This list is here to help and take your family-friendly Halloween repertoire beyond It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and The Nightmare Before Christmas. There’s a whole world of ghoulishly good cinema for every age! Most of these family-friendly Halloween movies are digital, and many can be borrowed from your local library. (A few may be a little harder to find, but they are the ones most worth a watch!)
The following age recommendations are loosely based on reviews from Common Sense Media, but you know your kids best! (My five-year-old seems to have absolutely no fears at all, I know some grown adults who consider Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory a horror movie. You do you.)
15+ Family-Friendly Halloween Movies
Lil Pumpkins 🎃 (5 & Under)
Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest- In our house, we start watching ‘Curious George No Noggin’ the day after Labor Day and don’t stop until it’s time for ‘Christmas Monkey.’ My husband and I enjoy it just as much as the kids do!
Room on the Broom- Repetition, rhyme, reptiles…Room on the Broom has everything your little pumpkin wants.
Toy Story of Terror- Paranormal Pixar Perfection. Snuggle up with your little people and watch this one if you haven’t already.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin- In a patch full of round pumpkins, Spookley shows us it’s cool to be square.
Trick or Treaters 👹 (5-10)
Kiki’s Delivery Service- A teenage witch with a talking cat who starts her own business? Yes, please! Written and directed by the internationally acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki, this Studio Ghibli animated classic is perfect for the whole family.
The Worst Witch- Before the boy who lived, there was The Worst Witch. I’m pretty sure I watched this nostalgic gem so much that I wore out my VHS tape, and sadly it’s extremely hard to find now😭 If anyone knows where I can find a good copy please let me know! In the meantime, enjoy this clip of Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard.
Halloween is Grinch Night- And you thought the Grinch was just for Christmas! This 1978 TV special actually came before How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It even won an Emmy and is currently available for your viewing pleasure on youtube.
Casper- Christina Ricci falls in love with a ghost. But don’t worry, he’s friendly and Devon Sawa, so it’s amazing and not weird at all… Most kids will just remember the hijinks and ghost farts, but this film does address some heavier topics (like death) and may be intense for more sensitive kids.
Ghosts & Ghouls 👻 (10-13)
The Halloween Tree – This is by far my favorite Halloween movie! Based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, this animated TV special is storytelling at its finest. This slightly creepy tale follows a group of best friends who are swept up on an adventure that takes them through history, visiting traditional Halloween celebrations around the world. Bradbury himself narrated it and wrote the screenplay, so you know it’s good. (It’s also another Emmy winner.) If you only watch one movie from this list, let it be this one! And once you’re done, read the book!
Hocus Pocus 1 & 2- This one-time cult classic not only takes place in New England but the sequel was actually filmed right here in Rhode Island! It’s also Sarah Jessica Parker’s finest work by a landslide. Carrie Bradshaw doesn’t hold a black flame candle to Sarah Sanderson. The Sanderson sisters are Halloween.
The Witches – Kids either love or hate the screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s bewitching novel. For me, it’s a love story, but I’ve heard others describe it as…well… traumatizing. I’m a fan of the original, but there was also a remake of it not too long ago. It’s here for the 10+ crowd… if you dare.
Goosebumps- Jack Black plays R.L. Stine in this PG-rated monster movie. This frightfully delightful family film is perfect for Halloween movie night.
The Living Dead🧟 (PG-13)
The Harry Potter Series- October is the perfect time to rewatch the Harry Potter movies. (As if you need a reason.) Overall, HP is pretty family-friendly. Two of the movies are rated PG-13 so we put them over here at the big kid, but Halloween might be the perfect time to introduce The Sorcerer’s Stone to a younger child. Accio Popcorn!
Addams Family- They’re creepy and they’re cooky. Mysterious and Spooky. They’re all together nostalgic and have had a couple of iterations. If it’s been a while, rewatch the all-together ‘ooky’ classic, which isn’t very scary, but won’t hold the attention of a younger audience. Elementary-aged kids will enjoy the 2019 cartoon version more.
Ghostbusters- No many how many times they revamp this franchise goes through, it will always have a place in our Halloween hearts. They aren’t exactly horror movies, but they do contain some adult language and innuendos not suitable for the younger crowd.
Beetlejuice- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Anything Tim Burton touches is legally classified as a Halloween movie. The ghost with the most was rated PG in 1988, but if it were released now it would be rated R based on the two F-bombs alone. That’s to say nothing of Beetlejuice himself and his extremely questionable behavior that would land him front and center of the Neitherworld’s #Metoo movement. Not to mention the slit writs, melting faces, or terrifying sand snakes that haunt my dreams.
Happy Haunting Mummies!
