Halloween movies for kids are not one list, because a film that delights a nine-year-old can keep a four-year-old awake until midnight. So we split our 15 favorite kids Halloween movies by age: gentle specials for toddlers, silly-spooky adventures for early school age, and real "hide behind the pillow" fun for ages 8 to 12.
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How We Picked These Kids Halloween Movies
Every pick has a happy ending, no gore, and a scare level that fits its age group. Use the groups as a starting point, not a rule: you know your child. Watch the trailer together first, and if they hide during the trailer, move down one age group.
Halloween Movies for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Ages 2 to 5)
Short, bright and friendly. Most of these run under 30 minutes, which is about right for this age.
1. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Rated: TV special. Linus waits all night in the pumpkin patch while the gang goes trick-or-treating. Short, sweet and the most traditional Halloween watch there is.
Shop It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) on Blu-ray and DVD
2. Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2004)
Rated: TV special. A square pumpkin who does not fit in saves the patch in a storm. A gentle story about being different, with zero real scares.
Shop Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2004) on Blu-ray and DVD
3. Room on the Broom (2012)
Rated: Animated short. A kind witch keeps making room on her broom for new animal friends. Based on the picture book, so many kids already know the rhymes.
Shop Room on the Broom (2012) on Blu-ray and DVD
4. Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
Rated: TV special. Woody, Buzz and Jessie spend a spooky night in a roadside motel. Familiar characters make the mild tension easy to handle.
Shop Toy Story of Terror! (2013) on Blu-ray and DVD
5. Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (2013)
Rated: TV movie. George goes looking for a legendary scarecrow ghost. Pure fun, perfect for a first Halloween movie night.
Shop Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (2013) on Blu-ray and DVD
Halloween Movies for Kids Ages 5 to 8
Silly monsters, friendly ghosts and villains who are more funny than frightening.
6. Casper (1995)
Rated: PG. A lonely friendly ghost befriends a girl who moves into his haunted mansion. His three ghost uncles are loud, not scary.
Shop Casper (1995) on Blu-ray and DVD
7. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Rated: PG. Dracula runs a hotel for monsters and panics when a human backpacker checks in. Fast, funny and colorful.
Shop Hotel Transylvania (2012) on Blu-ray and DVD
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Rated: G. The monsters in the closet turn out to be more afraid of kids than kids are of them. Not strictly a Halloween film, but it fits the night perfectly.
Shop Monsters, Inc. (2001) on Blu-ray and DVD
9. Halloweentown (1998)
Rated: TV-G. A girl discovers her grandmother is a witch and follows her to a town where it is Halloween every day. A Disney Channel favorite for a reason.
Shop Halloweentown (1998) on Blu-ray and DVD
10. The Addams Family (2019)
Rated: PG. The animated version of the famously creepy family, built around Wednesday starting middle school. Big laughs, cartoon spookiness.
Shop The Addams Family (2019) on Blu-ray and DVD
Halloween Movies for Kids Ages 8 to 12
This is the age for a first slightly scary film, watched next to a parent with the lights low but not off.
11. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Rated: PG. Three witch sisters come back to Salem on Halloween night and three kids and a talking cat have to stop them. The modern classic of kids Halloween movies.
Heads up: a few teen jokes and one scene in a graveyard that can spook younger viewers.
Shop Hocus Pocus (1993) on Blu-ray and DVD
12. Monster House (2006)
Rated: PG. Three kids are convinced the old house across the street is alive, and they are right. Funnier than it sounds, but the house is genuinely creepy at times.
Shop Monster House (2006) on Blu-ray and DVD
13. Goosebumps (2015)
Rated: PG. The monsters from R.L. Stine's books escape the pages and take over a small town. A great bridge between kids movies and real spooky films.
Shop Goosebumps (2015) on Blu-ray and DVD
14. Coraline (2009)
Rated: PG. A girl finds a secret door to a better version of her home, with a mother who has buttons for eyes. Beautiful stop-motion and the scariest pick on this list.
Best for 9 and up. The Other Mother is the moment most kids remember.
Shop Coraline (2009) on Blu-ray and DVD
15. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Rated: PG. Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, tries to take over Christmas. Songs, style and just enough darkness, and it works for both holidays.
Shop The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) on Blu-ray and DVD
Quick Picks: Which Movie for Which Kid?
- First Halloween movie ever: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Kids who laugh at everything: Hotel Transylvania
- Siblings of different ages: Casper or Monsters, Inc.
- Your bravest 10-year-old: Coraline or Monster House
- Parents want to enjoy it too: Hocus Pocus
Set Up a Cozy Kids Movie Night
For kids, darkness is the scary part, so keep the room dim and warm instead of black. A few JOYIN light-up pumpkins by the TV, orange string lights along a shelf and flameless LED candles make it feel like Halloween while every corner stays visible. Build a floor nest with floor pillows and an oversized fleece blanket big enough for everyone, and make a batch of popcorn in the Presto hot air popcorn popper. A ceramic pumpkin mug of warm cocoa is the one they will fight over.
For the full setup, read our cozy Halloween movie night with kids guide.
Where to Watch These Kids Halloween Movies
Streaming libraries change every month, so check a free tracker like JustWatch before movie night to see which app has each film right now. Most of these titles can also be rented for a few dollars, and the Amazon links above take you to the Blu-ray or DVD if you want to own them.
If you would rather have one place for films and live channels, Ovello TV and ScreenHouse are two streaming services we partner with. Both work on Fire TV, smart TVs, Apple TV and Android, and you can message them before you sign up. No smart apps on the TV? An Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max plugs into any HDMI port.
More Halloween Movie Lists
- Halloween family movies that are not too scary
- 31 Halloween movies for October, one per night
- The 20 best Halloween movies, ranked
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