Now that we’re parents, holidays are all about the kids. That goes for Halloween too, so even though we love all things horror, we’ve had to learn to tone it down over the years so that we can enjoy the season with our children. A big part of that, of course, is enjoying some Halloween movies and TV shows with them every October. In our house, we try to watch a different family-friendly Halloween movie every Friday night throughout the month. And trust us, there is no shortage of options, so you can save the seriously scary stuff to watch after the kids are tucked up in bed for the night.
From classic spooky movies and shows we watched as kids ourselves to brand-new content available exclusively on popular streamers like Netflix and Disney+, there is tons of family-friendly entertainment out there for Halloween lovers to enjoy.
Here, we’re sharing 25 spooky — but not too scary — movies and shows to watch with your kids as Halloween approaches. From adorable series geared to toddlers and preschoolers to remakes of ’90s classics, there’s something for every age group, including plenty of picks that grown-ups will also enjoy.
'Zombies'
Disney’s Zombies is a zombie film about friendship and togetherness, which is awesome for kids who want to embrace the Halloween season, but don’t like being spooked. It’s set in a high school where zombie teens from another school have transferred. All the kids have to learn to get along and figure out how to become a united community.
'Coco'
Technically, Pixar’s Coco is a Día de los Muertos movie, not a Halloween movie, but it has a lot of elements of the spooky holiday in it. From the animal spirits to the hilarious talking skeletons, it’s a cool film that is sure to enchant kids of all ages. As an added bonus, it can help teach little ones a bit about Mexican culture.
'Frankenweenie'
Frankenweenie is a fun — though slightly dark — animated horror flick for kids from iconic director Tim Burton. It follows a young Frankenstein as he attempts to use his scientific know-how to bring back his beloved dog Sparky after he suddenly dies. It works, but when some other kids discover his secret, things take a turn for the dangerous.
'Hocus Pocus'
No list of family Halloween fare would be complete without Hocus Pocus. It’s a classic that has set the standard for all family-friendly Halloween movies. The ’90s favorite is of course about a group of kids living in Salem, Massachusetts, who are trying to fend off the malevolent Sanderson sisters, three witches who are on a mission to achieve immortality.
'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
The Nightmare Before Christmas is another Tim Burton kids’ classic. It definitely gets a bit spooky, so be sure to wait until you think your child can handle it, but it’s totally a must-watch. It’s about a “Halloweentown” creature who grows bored of scaring humans, so he decides to try to bring Christmas to his home.
'Corpse Bride'
While we’re at it, we have to mention Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, too. Featuring the voice talents of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, it’s an animated film about a young man who is set to be married, but finds himself in a tricky situation when he is dragged into the “land of the dead” by a woman who was murdered immediately after being married.
'Under Wraps'
Under Wraps is a Disney+ original that’s actually a remake of a Disney Channel film from 1997. It’s a fun family watch ahead of Halloween, about three young friends tasked with saving their mummy friend from a group of criminals. The catch is, they only have until midnight on Halloween to do it.
'Halloweentown'
All of the Halloweentown movies are essential Halloween viewing for families with kids. If you haven’t seen any of them and only have time for one, though, definitely start with the original. The three films, which follow a family of witches as they face various dark (but, not too dark) challenges, are sequential.
'Twitches'
Twitches is another older Disney Channel original film. It stars twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry as young women who discover they’re witches and soon after, have to use their newfound powers to save their kingdom of origin from evil forces. It’s just the tiniest bit spooky, and a whole lot of Halloween fun.
'Harry Potter'
Literally all of the Harry Potter films have a spooky element to them, and they all make for excellent Halloween viewing. Just keep in mind that just like the books, the films get progressively scarier, so you’ll definitely want to stick to the first and second films only if you have younger kids.
'Monster House'
Monster House is a PG-rated animated film about three kids trying to convince the adults around them that one of the houses in their neighborhood is actually a sinister being out to do them harm. With no grown-ups to help, they set out to destroy the house before it terrorizes trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
'A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting'
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is a Netflix original family film that came out in 2020 and became a fast hit. It’s about a girl who is recruited into a secret society of babysitters one night when her charge is kidnapped by the bogeyman, and she has to find a way to save him before his parents get home.
'The Addams Family'
The 2019 animated adaptation of The Addams Family is a fun one. Though it doesn’t quite stack up to the 1991 film, it is entertaining, full of laughs, and features some catchy original tunes that kids will absolutely love. It’s definitely worth a watch, especially if you have younger kids. And then you pop on the second movie in the franchise, which came out in 2021.
'Casper'
Just like Hocus Pocus, Casper is a ’90s-era classic that every kid should see at least once. In our house, it’s a yearly tradition. It’s about the ghost of a young boy who is trapped in an old mansion with his crotchety ghost uncles. But then everything changes when a real-life girl (Christina Ricci) his age moves in with her eccentric dad (Bill Pullman).
'Scooby Doo'
Scooby Doo is a long-running and beloved franchise for a reason. It’s the best kind of spooky, but not too scary, making it perfect entertainment for kids of all ages. From various TV series to feature films, there are tons of options, and they’re all pretty good. We suggest going with whatever version of Scooby Doo is available on the streaming services you subscribe to.
'Vampirina'
Vampirina is an adorable Disney series for young kids, about a tiny vampire who moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania with her family, where they’ve opened a B&B for other monsters. But Vee is different from all the other kids, and has to figure out how to adjust to her new home and make new friends.
'The Worst Witch'
The Worst Witch is a cool series on Netflix, perfect for middle-grade kids, especially those who are Harry Potter fans. It’s about a girl from a regular human family who discovers she has special abilities and ends up attending a school for witches, where she struggles to keep up with the other girls, most of whom grew up in witch families.
'The Scream Team'
This one isn’t too scary, but it is pretty darn funny, which makes it a great choice for family movie night. The Scream Team is about a brother and sister duo who find out the New England town they live in is full of ghosts who are stuck between heaven and earth and can’t move on until they right their wrongs.
'Creeped Out'
Creeped Out is a super spooky anthology series for tweens and young teens, in which a different scary tale unfolds in each episode. Various young characters face bone-chilling challenges that they must figure out how to escape. From creepy creatures to dark magic, this one is perfect for young horror fans.
'Goosebumps'
Whether it’s the original series inspired by the R.L. Stine books, or one of the movies that came out more recently, Goosebumps is a kids’ Halloween classic. The franchise is perfect for families wanting to get spooked out before the holiday. Older kids especially will appreciate the TV series, while the movies have a wider appeal.
'Are You Afraid of the Dark?'
In 2019, Nickelodeon released a reboot of the popular 1990s-era series Are You Afraid of the Dark? and it quickly captured the attention of haunt-loving kids. An anthology series like the original, it follows a group of kids who call themselves the “Midnight Society,” and meet up around a campfire to tell each other spooky stories.
'A Tale Dark & Grimm'
Based on the book by author Adam Gidwitz, A Tale Dark & Grimm is a Netflix animated series for kids that follows Hansel and Gretel as they leave their own story to explore other dark and spooky fairy tales, and discover all sorts of odd and unsettling things along the way.
'Hocus Pocus 2'
In the sequel to Hocus Pocus, which is now streaming on Disney+, the Sanderson sisters are back to cause some massive chaos, and it’s up to a group of high schoolers to stop them. At the same time, it also serves up an origin story about the witches when they were younger and is just as much fun as the original.
'The Curse of Bridge Hollow'
In the 2022 Netflix movie The Curse of Bridge Hollow, Marlon Wayans plays a father who must help his teenage daughter defeat a spirit who is destroying Halloween decorations all over town. This one is more funny than scary — perfect for the whole family to watch together.
'Wednesday'
Starring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzman, Wednesday is Netflix’s take on the character from the Addams Family franchises. Directed by Tim Burton, this series doesn’t premiere until after Halloween — it’ll be streaming starting November 23 — but it’s the perfect thing to get you in the spooky spirit one more time before the winter holidays.
