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Best Halloween Movies for Kids: ParentDish's Top 10 Picks
Harry Potter movies are now Halloween staples. Credit: Jaap Buitendijk, Warner Bros. / MCT
Here are 10 of the best Halloween movies for kids that will help them appreciate the holiday's spirit without making them too scared.
1. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: This classic children's Halloween movie is a definite must-see during the season. Kids love watching the Peanuts gang celebrate Halloween, and Linus' wish to see the Great Pumpkin can inspire your kids' imaginations to create their own holiday heroes.
2. Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie: This is a great movie for younger kids. It stars the beloved Winnie the Pooh characters, but in the Halloween spirit, you'll also find the Gobloon who haunts the Hundred Acre Wood, providing just enough spooky atmosphere to the film.
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The first movie in the Harry Potter series is a great introduction to the world of young wizards and witches. The costumes and special effects make this film spectacularly perfect for the season. Show other films in the series for a Hogwarts movie marathon.
4. Casper: Who better to celebrate Halloween with than Casper the friendly ghost? The movie is more heartwarming than hair-raising, making it a good choice for younger kids.
5. Monsters, Inc.: One of the fabulously-animated films from Disney Pixar, this is a fun Halloween movie for kids. They also can learn from the film that "scary" things don't always turn out to be so terrifying.
6. Scooby-Doo: The live-action version of kids' favorite ghost hunters is a great seasonal pick. Some of the spooky special effects could be too scary for younger kids, but older children will enjoy laughing at Scooby and the gang's silly exploits on Spooky Island.
7. The Addams Family: The movie version of the classic TV series is a fun film that celebrates the Halloween spirit. As the theme song says: "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together hooky, the Addams family." Kids will love the odd eccentricities of the family and their home.
8. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial: This classic movie about a boy befriending a lost alien and helping him find his way home still resonates with kids today. Children love to see E.T. dress up as a ghost for Halloween, and it's fun to see the costumes that were popular in the 1980s.
9. Beetlejuice: This Tim Burton movie about two reluctant ghosts attempting to haunt the new residents of their home is a classic black comedy. As Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton is mischievous, hilarious and a bit spooky as he helps to induct the two ghosts into the world of haunting.
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Add another Burton film to this list. This movie is about Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington, who discovers a strange new world, Christmastown. The animation in this film is amazing, but some of the Halloweentown characters could be a bit scary for the younger set.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)
10-08-2010 @ 8:12PM
Tom said...Monster House needs to be fairly high on this list. Creepy and scary, but tolerable for my elementary-age children.
Reply
10-09-2010 @ 11:17AM
Lottila said...Sometimes you don't have the time to show a movie. But if you do want to entertain your guests of any age consider doing some DIY projects together. Then find more ways to save! Http://www.savecreatively.com/FreeStuff.aspx
10-28-2010 @ 11:13AM
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4-03-2011 @ 1:44PM
William said...The Halloween movie that is a must see for every kid is MAD MONSTER PARTY. An animated 1967 theatrical release from the makers of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. Trust me, your kids will never forget it! The movie is available on DVD.
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10-08-2010 @ 8:43PM
chikeymnky12 said...What the heck happened to Hocus Pocus? Best Halloween movie EVER, never mind kids movie...
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10-08-2010 @ 9:05PM
CG said...I'm sorry... but these are "kids" movies??? I think not. Perhaps Winnie the Pooh and the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, But the rest????
Nightmare before Christmas??? Yeah right.. That's exactly what will happen.. My kids will have Nightmares from now UNTIL Christmas!
What ever happened to parents who cared about what their children watched and picked movies with out questionable language.. (ET --- "Penis Breath"... I'm sorry, but my kids don't need to hear that garbage when they are 6 and 9.
Give me a break.
Reply
10-09-2010 @ 12:14AM
AE said...Really?, A 9 year can't even hear the word penis. Grow up. Your just one of those parents who shelter their kids but don't realized the damage they do to them in the long run.
10-28-2011 @ 7:48PM
Meli said...My 7 year old son just watched Nightmare before Christmas and he LOVED it. He said it was on of the best movies he's seen in a long time - and he's a scaredy cat. He sleeps with a night light and doesn't like anything "scary" yet he LOVED the movie. I kept asking him to make sure he wasn't scared and he got irritated like "Mom, I'm fine". It is a fine movie for kids to see.
10-08-2010 @ 8:54PM
Alitain said...How is Hocus Pocus not on that list? It is THEY Halloween movie. Half those movies aren't even Halloween, they just might have spooky stuff in it. I mean seriously, Harry Potter is not Halloween. And why can nobody understand Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie, not Halloween movie? Sheesh!
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10-08-2010 @ 10:11PM
Julie said...Hocus Pocus is my favorite! How can this not be EVERYONES fave?
10-09-2010 @ 5:48AM
Christina said...I always got more into the Halloween spirit when I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas than the Christmas spirit. I know what you're saying though. It is a great movie though, regardless of when you watch it. I love it.
10-08-2010 @ 9:26PM
John F.C. Taylor said...Why is the list ten titles long if you're only giving us four titles to vote for. Should be an open vote on all the titles. Oh yeah, and room for write-ins too.
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10-10-2010 @ 9:40PM
George Davis said...How could they not mention "the Ghost and Mr. Chicken"? THE absolute best Halloween movie ever. Don Knotts played the character perfectly, the sound and the photography carried the theme throughout the entire movie. It wasn't about something that could only be made up, it was about something that could happen in any town or neighborhood in the United States. It was presented as believable and left the viewer with the thought that it could happen just down the street from thier house. The fear stayed with them, in every nieghborhood, for years. The best movie, without a doubt.
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10-10-2010 @ 10:13PM
Chima said...Beetlejuice is my favorite of favorites, but I wouldn't let my kids watch it. Pretty disturbing images which were funny to me would have haunted my kids dreams. Plus the scene where Beetlejuice kicks over the toy tree, yells "Nice F-----g model!" then grabs and squeezes his crotch. Though it made me laugh I didn't want my 6 year old emulating it. Many sexual innuendos. This is an adult Holloween comedy...damn funny one too.
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10-08-2010 @ 10:45PM
andi said...Be careful on the movie Beetlejuice. I rented this movie to watch with my kids, age 12 and 11. Unfortunately, the language in this is pretty bad and we had to turn it off. Even though it is rated PG, it was before PG 13 was instituted and definitely would be a PG 13 movie now. The Goosebumps movies are usually always appropriate for 9+ and can be bought at Target. Hope this helps and Happy Halloween!
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10-08-2010 @ 11:08PM
me said...Yes beetle juice is not a kids movie. F* word is used. A ghost makes a jacking off motion. No, this is not a kids movie. I you have any questions on one look it up at imdb.com and view the parents guide.
10-09-2010 @ 5:45AM
Christina said...You know, you'd think that putting Beetlejuice on the same list as a Winnie the Pooh movie would have made the writer think more... there's a big difference between a cute bear and his friends on Halloween and a zombie dude grabbing himself and swearing??
10-08-2010 @ 10:50PM
pcw61 said...Hocus Pocus with Bette Midler should be on this list. It's a gret movie.
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10-09-2010 @ 12:06AM
Chandra said...A little known cartoon not on the list is Scary Godmother. It has a sequel also and is very funny cute and has jokes for parents and kids. A MUST on my list!
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10-09-2010 @ 12:09AM
Cynthia said..."Hocus Pocus" with three great actresses....the Best for Kids and Families!! Very Halloweeny but not really scary....CC
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