15 Best Kids' Movies To Watch During Halloween

Spooky season comes and goes, but Halloween classics live forever, much like the ghouls and ghosts at their center. Everyone has their nostalgic holiday favorites, whether you grew up in the 1980s or the 2010s. Thankfully, you don't have to be terrified out of your mind to enjoy the fall colors and faux spider webs. That's why Hollywood has churned out plenty of family-friendly horror flicks over the years.

Today, we're not here to freak you out. Instead, we've collected a lineup of Halloween films that are perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages. If you're a parent of pumpkin-loving kids or simply a child-free adult looking for something comforting to watch, you're sure to find a winner here. Feast your eyes on the best kids' movies to watch during Halloween. 

You can't go wrong with "Hocus Pocus." The 1993 Disney film directed by Kenny Ortega, the filmmaker behind "High School Musical," stands a step above the rest. The movie follows the endlessly entertaining Sanderson sisters, played with great exuberance by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. When a few kids in Salem, Massachusetts, accidentally resurrect the centuries-old witches, chaos reigns down upon the town.

Best remembered for the (literally) enchanting performance of "I Put a Spell on You," the movie delivers a kid-friendly plot with enough campy humor to tickle the funny bones of adults and children alike. (Though if you're watching it with kids, you may be stuck explaining what a "virgin" is.) Much of the film's success lies in the wonderful performances from our three witchy leads, who embody their characters' unique personalities — Midler plays the self-centered leader, Parker the ditzy sister, and Najimy the zany one — with whimsical plentitude. Though we love the silly 21st-century updates of "Hocus Pocus 2," nothing beats the original.

Has there ever been a greater Halloween director than the wonderfully weird Tim Burton? That's a hard no. Indeed, most of the filmmaker's projects could be construed as Halloween-themed. But it all started with "Beetlejuice," Burton's career-defining second film (after "Pee-wee's Big Adventure") and arguably his most popular to this day.

The movie's incredible cast includes Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as a pair of recently deceased ghosts who are incensed to find their home overrun by a family of tasteless metropolitans, played by Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Winona Ryder. The ghosts call on Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a so-called "bio-exorcist," to rid the house of its new inhabitants.

"Beetlejuice" has something for everyone: O'Hara's delightful performance and that incredible dinner table scene are sure to cheer up the adults, while moody teens will no doubt relate to Ryder's goth Lydia Deetz. Keaton's fast-talking, campy Beetlejuice will get a laugh out of the younger set. While it might be a bit too freaky for the youngest of tots, the film's "horror" elements feel very tame compared to today's frights. Let's be honest, that ghastly sandworm is more silly than scary.

A Guillermo del Toro production, 2014's "The Book of Life" has all the hallmarks of a del Toro project without any of the horror. Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, the film takes inspiration from the Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. "The Book of Life" centers on a love triangle between three residents of the town of San Angel. Bullfighter Manolo (Diego Luna) and military hero Joaquín (Channing Tatum) both love María (Zoe Saldaña), banished to Spain by her family. When Manolo is sent to the Land of the Remembered by a mischievous god, he must fight his way through the afterlife to reunite with his love.

Not as widely seen as the critically-acclaimed Pixar film "Coco," the similarly-themed "Book of Life" is just as worthy of becoming a perennial Halloween favorite. The vibrant, eye-catching movie has a distinct style that echoes the colors and the aesthetics of the Day of the Dead, and Mexican culture in general. Though it's not synonymous with Halloween, the Day of the Dead also takes death and the afterlife as its central focus, albeit from a very different angle. For youngsters not familiar with the Mexican holiday, "The Book of Life" can serve as an education, while also telling a spellbinding, heart-rending story.

Based on the 1960s sitcom of the same name, "The Addams Family" reintroduced audiences to the country's strangest clan. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston play the demented but loving Gomez and Morticia, while Christina Ricci and Jimmy Workman play kids Wednesday and Pugsley. The plot revolves around the arrival of long-lost Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd), actually a con man hoping to steal the Addams' money and mansion. He and his intimidating mother soon learn that the family is far more menacing than he anticipated.

Filled with dark humor and cutting wit, "The Addams Family" is perfect for clever middle schoolers and devilish adults alike. The film strikes a difficult balance, presenting the peculiar family as morbid and disturbed yet still convincing audiences to root for them. The oddly charming family was popular enough to inspire a superb sequel with Christina Ricci's star-making turn in "Addams Family Values" and the Netflix series revamp "Wednesday," produced and occasionally directed by our freaky friend Tim Burton. If you or your kiddos get a kick out of the Addams on the first go-around, there's more where that came from.

Only the fourth movie in an increasingly popular enterprise, 1998's "Halloweentown" remains one of the greatest Disney Channel Original Movies ever made. Filled with charming worldbuilding and starring a Hollywood legend, the movie is just as good as you remember. We follow a trio of siblings, 13-year-old Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), her brother Dylan (Joey Zimmerman), and sister Sophie (Emily Roeske). Annoyed by their mother's refusal to let them celebrate Halloween, the siblings travel to visit their grandmother, Aggie, played by the iconic Debbie Reynolds.

Grandma Aggie lives in Halloweentown, a magical place populated by ghouls, skeletons, and warlocks. Marnie learns that she's a witch, as are her mother and grandmother, and Aggie teaches Marnie to access her powers. Marnie uses her newfound abilities to defeat the evil force that's been menacing the town.

Though made for the younger set rather than too-cool-for-you teens, "Halloweentown" has enough movie magic to charm viewers of all ages. The kids are all charismatic and a hoot to watch, and the film delivers some seriously funny moments and sweet messages — "Being normal is vastly overrated" — that never get old.

If it were made today, the 1984 film "Ghostbusters" probably wouldn't be rated PG. In fact, if the movie had come out just one month later, it would have likely been rated PG-13, as that was when the new category debuted, thanks to "Gremlins" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". Suffice it to say, "Ghosbusters" may be better suited for older kids than younger ones.

The classic sci-fi blockbuster comedy stars Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray as broke scientists who begin ridding the city of paranormal activity for money. The stakes are raised when two New York City neighbors, played by Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis, get possessed by malevolent demigods. It's up to the ghosbusting team to save the city from utter destruction.

More funny than scary, "Ghostbusters" nevertheless contains several startling, spooky moments. Written by stars and comedy legends Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, the film's cross-genre shenanigans were a novelty at the time, and most of the humor holds up today. As a warning (or a reminder) to parents, the movie does contain some crude language and a sexual encounter with a ghost, but the latter scene will likely go over most youngsters' heads.

Let's be honest: the 2003 film "The Haunted Mansion," based on the beloved Disney theme park ride, was a flop. As such, it didn't take a lot for the 2023 reboot, simply titled "Haunted Mansion," to improve on the original. Still, the newer film does more than improve on its predecessor — it provides a heartening amount of thrills and laughs of its own accord.

Taking a more grounded approach to the source material, "Haunted Mansion" follows Ben (LaKeith Stanfield), an astrophysicist who's recently lost his wife. When Father Kent (Owen Wilson) enlists the grieving Ben's help to exorcise a haunted Louisiana mansion using Ben's ghost-capturing camera, he's forced to come out of hiding. The residents of the mansion, a mother and son (Rosario Dawson and Chase W. Dillon), are plagued by ghosts, and Ben and Father Kent call on a psychic (Tiffany Haddish) and a historian (Danny Devito) to rid the house of spirits.

The film balances the laughs with frights, a few of which are genuinely creepy. Though some of the side characters feel unnecessary and tacked-on, the core cast is fun to watch. The PG-13 movie is best suited for those middle school-aged and up, and those familiar with the ride will get a kick out of its many references.

It's all there in the name. Based on the cartoon series "Casper the Friendly Ghost," the 1995 film "Casper" isn't scary at all. The plot begins when Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty), a spoiled heiress, discovers there may be treasure in her late father's mansion, but a trio of dastardly ghosts keep her from finding it. When Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a paranormal therapist, arrives on the scene, he meets Casper (voiced by Malachi Pearson), a friendly ghost, and the Ghostly Trio, who just so happen to be Casper's three irritating uncles. Casper develops a crush on Harvey's daughter, Kat (the paranormally-inclined Christina Ricci).

The gentle film is most definitely suitable for all ages. The humor isn't couched in innuendo or winks to grown-ups, and the plot will appeal to anyone with a soft heart. A lonely ghost boy who longs for a friend? How can you deny that sweetness? In addition, the film deals directly with death and grief (though not in a morbid way), acknowledging Casper's past as a human and confronting the loss of Kat's mother, whom her father is obsessed with contacting on the Other Side.

A unique take on the coming-of-age story, the 2012 film "ParaNorman" asks us to have sympathy for the monsters we normally fear. Produced by the stop-motion animation production company Laika, "ParaNorman" is both an artful masterwork and, as our own Matt Donato put it, a perfect horror movie primer for kids. Kodi Smit-McPhee voices Norman, an 11-year-old who can see and communicate with ghosts. No one believes what he can do, and Norman is ignored by his family and made fun of at school.

Norman finds himself at the center of a centuries-old supernatural maelstrom when a 300-year-old witch curses the townspeople and turns them into zombies. Norman must use his powers — both his supernatural ones and his ability to empathize — to right the wrongs of his town's deceased residents.

Though it's appropriate for kids, "ParaNorman" doesn't pull any punches when it comes to tackling the subject of death head-on. As Donato writes, the film succeeds because of how it embraces "what horror fans have known all along — there is no greater, more comforting feeling than confronting our fears face to cackling face."

Another stop-motion film of the Halloween variety, "Frankenweenie" is more dazzling than its silly title might suggest. Born from the brilliant, bizarre mind of Tim Burton, the film follows 10-year-old Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), a science nerd who doesn't fit in. When Victor's beloved dog Sparky dies, Victor is devastated, until his science teacher (Martin Landau) inspires him to perform a scientific feat and bring Sparky back to life. All goes well until Victor's classmates learn his secret and start using it on animals of all kinds, escalating the chaos into a sort of kid-friendly "Pet Semetary" situation.

Beautifully composed in black and white, the stop-motion film began as Burton's short film in 1984, and it contains all the hallmarks of the director's work. A classic Burton protagonist, Norman is sweet and sensitive despite his interest in the macabre. As a nostalgic ode to horror movies of years past, the film is a sort of Frankenstein-ing of Burton's previous projects, bringing back favorites like Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara to voice its curious characters. A morbid tale that retains a lively, human spirit, "Frankenweenie" will touch adults and kids in equal measure.

Sometimes it can be disappointing to re-watch the movies you loved as a kid, as they don't always hold up under adult scrutiny. While the 2006 film "Monster House" might not be as well-remembered as some of its spooky peers, it deserves a second (or a first) look. A wonderfully executed horror movie for kids, "Monster House" is a satisfying take on a classic story. The 12-year-old DJ (Mitchel Musso) lives across the street from a haunted house. And not just any haunted house, either. The house is literally alive, and it's keen on gobbling up any trick-or-treaters who get too close.

The film features some exciting action sequences within the house, and Steve Buscemi plays a creepy old man named Nebbercracker. Surprisingly funny, "Monster House" features some killer jokes that will appeal to kids and adults without taking down (or up) to either demographic. While the animation looks somewhat dated (it uses the same early motion capture technology featured in "Polar Express"), the occasionally wonky character movements don't detract from its overall success as a spooky movie. It won't scare your youngest kids half to death, and it's clever enough to keep older kids locked in.

The master of dark stories made for kids, Roald Dahl's books have been adapted for the screen many times. While much of his work contains spooky elements, "The Witches" is the most Halloween-appropriate story. In the 1990 film directed by Nicolas Roeg, we follow a seven-year-old named Luke (Jasen Fisher). While staying at a hotel with his grandmother, Luke discovers a group of evil witches hatching a plot to turn every child in England into a mouse. A deliciously menacing Anjelica Huston plays the Grand High Witch, masquerading as the leader of a children's charity.

An engaging plot and wonderful practical effects make "The Witches" a timeless classic. The last film the "Muppets" creator produced before his death, Jim Henson's Creature Shop managed the puppetry work and created the prosthetics for the witches. If you've seen the film before, you're unlikely to have forgotten the sickening scene when the witches remove their wigs and masks to reveal their disgusting, wrinkly faces beneath. A legitimately freaky film, "The Witches" might be a little too scary for the tiniest tots, but its fantastical imagery remains a joy to watch for anyone willing to risk the witches' wrath.

Though R.L. Stine's works have made it to the screen several times, including the seriously scary 1990s "Goosebumps" TV show, his most famous book series wasn't given the proper feature film treatment until 2015. Tim Burton almost made a "Goosebumps" film in the 1990s, but instead, audiences had to wait two decades for Rob Letterman's version. A meta take on the children's horror series, Nathan Lane plays a fictionalized R.L. Stine. Chaos erupts in their small town when Stine's imaginary monsters are unleashed into the real world, so he teams up with his daughter, Hannah (Odeya Rush), and their neighbor, Zach (Dylan Minnette), to put the creatures back in the books where they belong.

Stine fans will get a kick out of seeing the author's most famous monsters, including the Abominable Snowman, Slappy the Dummy, the Lawn Gnomes, and the Giant Praying Mantis. Exciting and funny enough to entertain viewers of all ages, the scares never turn disturbing. The film contains a heartening message, too. We learn about the powerful tool of imagination, the joy of getting lost in a good book, and how creation can be a cure for loneliness.

Recent iterations of the "Scooby-Doo" franchise have tackled Halloween head-on, from "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!" to "Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!" (The latter film features both Bill Nye and Elvira.) While both those films are enjoyable, cinephiles will tell you that there is no better "Scooby-Doo" film than "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island." Released in 1998, the movie kicked off the franchise's 1990s revival in the form of direct-to-video releases.

Taking a darker tone than previous entries in the series, "Zombie Island" sees the gang burnt out on monster-hunting, tired of catching humans dressed as ghouls. Reuniting after time apart, they travel to Louisiana and visit Moonscar Island, allegedly haunted by an old pirate. While skeptical at first, they soon learn that the undead residents of the island are much more real than they thought.

The film retains the series' classic visual style with the addition of a pleasing gothic look, taking the creepy tone of the film seriously. Though more frightening than other "Scooby-Doo" movies, "Zombie Island" is still kid-appropriate and serves as a great entry point for future horror lovers.

What if Count Dracula's Transylvania mansion was actually a welcoming, safe space for ghouls and goblins of all kinds? Such is the premise of the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise, which began with the 2012 film from "Clone Wars" creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Adam Sandler voices the Count, who runs an inn catering to monsters and other magical creatures. Dracula lives there with his eternally teen-aged daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). When an easygoing human, Johnny (Andy Samberg), wanders into the hotel, he and Mavis fall in love, much to Dracula's chagrin.

Dracula does everything he can to protect his 118-year-old progeny from contacting the outside world, while trying to keep his guests from discovering there's a human in their midst. A charming, silly romp, "Hotel Transylvania" features incredible actors voicing all sorts of spooky creatures. The supporting cast includes Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, and Mel Brooks, among others. Burgeoning romantics will love the film's tale of star-crossed lovers, while goofs and the more morbidly inclined have plenty to chew on with the film's lighthearted monster mashup.