It’s the seasons of ghost, ghouls, costumes and candy!
Make the most of this Halloween season with spooky movies that the whole family will love. A family movie night is a great way to bond and get into the Halloween spirit.
To save you time, we put together this giant list of the best Halloween movies to watch this year with the entire family, little kids included.
We know that scary movies can cause a lot of fear and nightmares for very young kids, so the movies on our list are not-so-scary. (You won’t find The Blair Witch Project, Sleepy Hollow or horror movies here!)
So pop some popcorn, turn down the lights, snuggle up on the couch, and get ready for a halloween movie marathon!
1. Hocus Pocus – 1993 | PG
There’s no better movie to get into the Halloween mood than Disney movie Hocus Pocus. In this funny film, Max and his little sister Dani move to the spooky small town of Salem, where they struggle to fit in. When they light a black flame candle, they accidentally awaken the Sanderson sisters, a hilarious trio of evil witches, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy.
There are some references to virginity that older kids may understand or ask about, but that will probably go over younger kids heads.
2. Addams Family – 2019 | PG
The Addams Family is one of our favorite Halloween movies. The most recent iteration of the Addams Family came out in 2019, and is rated PG. (Previous versions are rated PG-13.)
In this film, the eccentric family moves to a boring suburb, but Wednesday Addams finds friendship with the daughter of a local reality show host, causing conflict between the families.
3. Casper – 1995 | PG
In this nineties Halloween classic, an afterlife therapist and his daughter move into a new home which is actually crumbling haunted mansion. Their task is to get rid of the wicked spirits who live there. But when they wind up meeting a friendly young ghost, they set out on an adventure that neither of them expected..
4. Casper: A Spirited Beginning – 1997 | PG
In this prequel to “Casper”, the main character, Casper the friendly ghost, accidentally finds himself in the world of the living after failing to show up for ghost training. He becomes friends with young boy who teaches him the ways of a ghost, while a ruler from the other world attempts to bring him back. Little kids will love this family-friendly film. It’s a perfect movie for Halloween Night.
5. Hotel Transylvania – 2012 | PG
Adam Sandler stars in this 2012 animated film. In this popular movie, Count Dracula operates a high-end resort in a monster world that is located far away from the human world. He becomes overprotective when a human boy discovers the resort and falls in love with his daughter.
6. Hotel Transylvania 2 – 2015 | PG
In the second Hotel Transylvania movie, Count Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster side of his grandson who is half human, half vampire in order to keep him from leaving the hotel.
7. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – 2018 | PG
In yet a third movie in this series, Count Dracula and company go on a summer adventure cruise for monsters. However, they are unaware that their cruise ship is actually being steered by a monster-hating family.
8. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – 2022 | PG
This is the fourth and final installment of the Hotel Transylvania movie. County Dracula and friends are back for one more round of fun in this movie which is a sequel to Hotel Transylvania 3.
9. Monster House – 2006 | PG
In this PG-rated computer-animated thriller, three teenagers discover that there is paranormal activity in their neighbor’s house. In fact, it’s not just a house – it’s a living, breathing, scary monster!
10. The Haunted Mansion – 2003 | PG
A busy realtor, played by Eddie Murphy, is summoned to a mansion with his wife and children. Shortly after, they discover the mansion is haunted. In the process of trying to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has been neglecting.
11. Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest – 2013
Of all the Halloween flicks, this is one of the best movies for little kids who do not want to be scared. This is Curious George’s first-ever Halloween movie.
12. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – 1966
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the classic Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the arrival of the great pumpkin.
It’s available on Amazon Prime Video!
13. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit – 2005 | G
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the answers behind a mysterious garden sabotage that is plagueing their village and threatening to sabotage the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
14. Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad – 1949
This classic film is an an animated adaptation of “The Wind in the Willows” followed by an adaptation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.
15. Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School – 1998
In the first Halloween Scooby Doo Special, Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy-Doo are working as gym teachers at an all-girls finishing school, when they get involved in a spooky, monstrous mystery.
16. Scooby Doo and the Goblin King – 2008
Ten years later, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are back for another Halloween adventure. This time, they must go into an underworld ruled by a Goblin King in order to stop the power-hungry mortal, The Amazing Krudsky, who also threatens the safety of their best pals, Fred, Velma, and Daphne.
17. Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo! – 2020
In the most recent Scooby Doo Halloween special, everyone’s favorite dog Scooby-Doo and trusty team gather together again to solve a perplexing mystery and save their beloved Crystal Cove.
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993 | PG
In any discussion of classic halloween movies, Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is bound to come up. In this film, Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween Town. He discovers Christmas Town, and tries to bring Christmas to his home, causing confusion.
19. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone – 2001 | PG
While it’s not directly Halloween-themed, the magic and wizardry of Harry Potter makes it a great candidate for a magical movie night. If you haven’t hopped on the Harry Potter train, there’s never been a better time. Harry is an orphaned boy who finds himself enrolled in a school of wizardry. Here, he finally learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that is haunting and threatening the magical world.
20. Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie – 2005 | G
There’s no one better to celebrate Halloween with than Winnie the Pooh and all his friends. In this sweet animated movie, Lumpy teams up with tiny Roo for a Halloween adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood. It’s a story about friendship, bravery, and teamwork.
21. Corpse Bride – 2005 | PG
In this creepy Tim Burton movie, a shy groom practices his wedding vows not knowing he is in the presence of an already-departed young woman. To his surprise, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her!
22. Edward Scissorhands – 1990 | PG-13
Better for big kids (rated PG-13), a brooding artificial man played by Johnny Depp, has scissors for hands and leads a lonely, solitary life. A new adventure begins when a suburban lady meets him and introduces him to her world.
23. Halloweentown – 1998 | G
In Halloweentown, a young girl lives with her secret witch mother. She soon learns that she too is a witch, and she is summoned to help her grandmother save Halloweentown from and evil force.
24. Twitches – 2005 | PG
In this Hallo-tween movie, two fun teen witches were separated at birth, but adopted by two different families. They don’t meet until the 21st birthday, when they must use their powers to save the world in which they both were born, where their biological mother still lives. This is a good Halloween movie for tweens.
25. The Dog Who Saved Halloween – 2011 | PG
A talking dog (Joey Lawrence) encounters a haunted house, a creepy neighbor (Lance Henriksen) and a scary canine (Mayim Bialik).
26. Ernest Scared Stupid – 1991 | PG
In this very nineties movie, Ernest lives in the small town of Biarville, Missouri, where he accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls.
27. Spookley the Square Pumpkin
The unfortunate and adorable protagonist Spookley is a pumpkin who is square instead of round. Because of his unique shape, the other mean round pumpkins in the pumpkin patch tease and taunt him relentlessly. Luckily, he gets help from a kin Scarecrow, his two friendly bat side-kicks, and three very funny spiders.
28. Goosebumps – 2015 | PG
Based on the best-selling young adult novels, “Goosebumps” is an absolutely perfect movie for Halloween. In this thriller for young kids starring Jack Black, the YA author R.L. Stine’s imaginary demons are set free on the quiet town of Madison, Delaware. A unsuspecting teenager must team up with the writer’s daughter to defeat the evil creatures.
29. Spooky Buddies – 2011 | G
This kids Halloween movie is perfect for the little ones, especially those who love sweet little dogs! A group of puppies must go on a spooky adventure through a haunted mansion.
30. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Treat – 2006
It’s not technically a movie, but this special episode of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” is cute enough to include on our list. In this bonus television special from the Disney channel, Mickey Mouse and all his best friends (known as The Sensational Six) must get to the Trick-or-Treat Tower for the big Party.
31. Mostly Ghostly – 2008 | PG
A shy 11 year old discovers a pair of young ghosts, and finds his bravery through helping them solve the mystery surrounding their demise.
32. Double Double Toil & Trouble – 1993 | Y7
In this magical Halloween movie, two smart young girls (played by Mary Kate & Ashley Olson), try to rescue their parents from their greedy, powerful aunt. They meet lots of fun friends along their journey.
33. Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred – 2011 | G
In this sequel to the movie “Fred”, our protagonist (Fred) has a suspicion that his new music teacher is actually a vampire. He sets out to prove his theory correct and has a series of adventures along the way.
We hope you loved this thoughtfully curated list of our favorite family-friendly halloween movies, and that they help get you into the halloween spirit. There’s no better way to mark this spooky season than by snuggling on the couch with a not-so-scary family movie.
Note: All kids are different, and respond to movie content in unique ways. If you are particularly worried about your kids being too scared of one of these movies, we recommend checking out Common Sense Media for a thorough run-down of each movie and what you can expect in each one, plus reviews from kids and parents alike.
Happy Halloween to all of our readers!
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
