67 Best Family Halloween Movies for Kids Who Love Getting Spooked
From animated films for toddlers to flicks from the '90s and '00s with a huge nostalgia factor, fire up these festive picks for your next movie night.
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While no one wants a kid sleeping in their bed or night or waking up with nightmares, research shows that it's actually okay to scare kids — if you do it in an age-appropriate way. And one developmentally sound way to do that is by watching scary movies, where they know they're home and safe, they can turn the lights on or duck under a pillow if they're scared or turn it off entirely if it gets to be too much.
So, which scary movies for kids are the best ones? Even if they have great tolerance, they're probably still too young to start in on the all-time classic horror films. But even leaving those aside, there are enough spooky movies for kids to last the whole year. These are the best family-friendly Halloween movies for kids to watch in 2023. Some of them are so gentle they're toddler-friendly, with no monsters, ghosts or ghouls in sight — just an appreciation for wholesome fall fun and short running times. Others are creepy stop-motion animated classics, Disney originals and other Halloween movies you may remember watching when you were a kid (but are now always available, thanks to streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max). And then for the very strong, there are those movies that are for teens and tweens, which are scarier than kid-friendly films, but don't yet have the level of gore or violence you see in horror movies for adults. With so many options, you're bound to find something that matches their level of bravery.
Then, after the kids go to bed, you can check out the scariest movies on Netflix, the best haunted house movies, the best witch movies or the best ghost movies, and scare yourself all over again.
The Amazing Maurice (2023)
This one definitely has eerie elements, but they're not your typical Halloween witches and ghosts. Instead, a cat named of Maurice leads a crew of rats and one musician in a Pied Piper-style con — only to go up against a real evil entity that's taking a town's food. It's based on the book The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett.
We Have a Ghost (2023)
This is for the older ones out there, the teens and upper tweens. It's about a family who moves into a house only to find out that it's haunted — and that the ghost might be their ticket to social-media fame and riches. And while it's good for families with older kids, the director has a pedigree in adult horror, having made Happy Death Day and Freaky.
Chupa (2023)
A teenaged kid growing up in Kansas City flies to Mexico to meet his extended family — only to learn that there's a cub of a legendary chupacabra living under his grandfather's shed. Directed by Jonás Cuarón, son of Gravity's Alfonso Cuarón, this one is about family as much as it is about a mythical monster.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
it just isn't Halloween until the Great Pumpkin descends and brings this sincere 25-minute holiday special to TV screens. Lots of Halloween movies for kids delve into the excitement and joy of the holiday, but only the Peanuts can cover the disappointment of it, too, and still have it be entertaining for families.
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Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Kiki's Delivery Service is from legendary animation director Hayao Miyazaki — director of Princess Mononoke and other acclaimed films from Japan's Studio Ghibli — so it's never a bad time to throw on one of his films for kids. But this one, about a good witch who uses her flying broom to start a delivery service, is perfect for Halloween and isn't scary in the least. Plus, it's got a cute cat. All this makes for an excellent first Halloween film for new movie-watchers.
Coco (2017)
This movie is filled with skeletons — but in a good way that won't always scare kids. It's actually about the Day of the Dead, and not Halloween, so it's a perfect way for kids to learn more about that special holiday. In it, a kid named Miguel accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead, and he needs to rely on his (deceased) family to help him get back to the world of the living. Along the way, he learns more about his own family history and gets a greater appreciation for his family's past.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
What's this, what's this? It's the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, told by macabre master Tim Burton and stop-motion animation legend Henry Selick. When Jack decides he wants to head up Christmas instead of Halloween, things don't go as he planned. Since it spans two holidays, you can watch it any time between October and December.
Ghostbusters (1988)
Older kids hankering for something other than little-children Halloween movies may be placated by this one, which is certainly more grown-up — watch out for some sexual situations — but is just as much a comedy as it is ghost story. If they like it, they can move on to the sequel, the 2016 reboot with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy or Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which finally lets kids strap on the proton packs for themselves. A sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife is scheduled for this December.
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Coraline (2009)
Coraline is a good one to watch with family because it's actually about the relationship between parents and kids. Based on the 2002 children's book by Neil Gaiman, the stop-motion film is about a family that moves to a new apartment complex. Busy with unpacking and work, Coraline's parents don't always have time for her. One day, she discovers a magic door that takes her to a parallel universe where an "other mother" promises her everything her heart desires. But kids should be careful what they wish for, right? This one is also directed by Henry Selick, who made The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The Secret of NIMH (1982)
At its heart, The Secret of NIMH is a hero's tale — with a mom as the hero, no less — about a mouse who is on a hunt to find medicine for her young son, who is suffering from pneumonia. But it's wrapped in eerie trappings, and her quest included run-ins with vicious rats, a killer cat and a secret that may reveal the truth about what happened to her husband years ago.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
Fans of this year's The Muppets Mayhem can enjoy more felt antics with this Muppet/Disney Parks mash-up. In it, Gonzo agrees to spend the night in a haunted house, and runs across certain spooky elements that may seem familiar if you've even been on The Haunted Masnion ride. (Two words: "Madam Pigota.") Taraji P. Henson, John Stamos, Yvette Nicole Brown and Darren Criss all guest star.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Before they wrote the music for The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman wrote the songs for this '50s B-movie-inspired musical about a flower-shop worker and his man-eating plant. Yes, the murderous antics of the vegetation is terrifying, but the music is so catchy, it kind of takes the sting out of it all.
Spirited Away (2002)
Another one from director Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award when it came out for its dazzling visuals. In it, a family gets lost and winds up in a world of spirits, which turn the parents into pigs. Their daughter goes on a mission to turn them back, running into hungry ghosts, difficult witches and soot sprites along the way. It does get scary at times. If kids want the otherworldly creatures without the peril, they might prefer Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, about a friendly troll-like being who mostly looks like a woodland creature (and also some more soot sprites).
Wendell & Wild (2022)
Wendell & Wild was written by Jordan Peele (of Get Out fame) and directed by Henry Selick (of Coraline), and somehow maintains the sensibilities of them both: It has the social consciousness of a Peele movie and the stop-motion creepiness of a Selick movie. In it, Peele and his comedy partner, Keegan-Michael Key, play demons who try to trick a 13-year-old girl named Kat into bringing them into the land of the living. When she realizes her mistake, she has to figure out a way to send them back.
Toy Story of Terror (2014)
Back to the little ones: This one is only 20 minutes long, and it's definitely for the kids who love Woody, Buzz and all their friends (along with adults who will recognize the B-movie conventions). When Mr. Potato Head goes missing at a roadside motel, Woody and the rest of the toys go on a spooky and mysterious adventure to bring him back before Bonnie and her family check out and leave him behind.
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E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Who could forget the scene of E.T. trick-or-treating with a blonde wig, hat and dress? For something with a nostalgic appeal, this Steven Spielberg's classic has a lot of peril and suspense, but there are no ghosts, ghouls or witches, which might make it a good choice for family movie night.
The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular
In this 22-minute special, done in the style of the excellent The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Mickey is challenged to tell the scariest Halloween tale. When his and Donald's nephews deem his first yarn too tame, it he tells two more, each dialing up the fear factor. And yet, they all have a lot of zany humor to cut the tension.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
This scary-but-not-too-scary movie follows the delightfully British Wallace and Gromit as they try to figure out what's been destroying a town's vegetable gardens. It turns out to be a monster, but not one that you'd expect — it's a were-rabbit, transforming from a bunny to beast.
The Addams Family (1991)
Calling all Wednesday fans! Before Jenna Ortega, Christina Ricci starred as Wednesday Addams — alongside world-class actors like Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd — in this '90s update of the classic sitcom. If the kids like this one, show them The Addams Family Values at Thanksgiving.
ParaNorman (2012)
One thing we know for sure: stop-motion animation goes hand-in-hand with spooky scares. This movie, from the makers of Coraline, follows the story of a boy who can communicate with the dead, and he uses the power to unravel a town-wide mystery.
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