Not-so-scary Halloween movies for the kids to watch

There are countless horror films for adults to choose from – or Ghostbusters to fall back on (the original version, of course!). Here, though, are some suggestions of Halloween movies for the little ones, so they don’t miss out. And for the not-so-brave among the adults!

hocus Pocus

Movie classics

The 2015 release (and 2018 sequel) Goosebumps is based on RL Stine’s children’s book series. It’s not overly graphic and will be fun for kids aged five and above.
Hotel Transylvania and its sequel will get your kids giggling with their host of eccentric monsters (and, not forgetting, one loveable human) and their crazy antics.
Take your kids on a spooky adventure with Scooby-Doo and friends as they solve mysteries and come across monsters, ghouls and more.
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride are animated movies that have appropriately eerie themes, along with song and dance. Great for kids aged seven and up.

Nightmare before halloween

Monsters, Inc. is charming, funny and exciting all in one. The two main stars are monsters, but not the really scary kind, so it’s perfect for little kids. Anyone over the age of four is sure to love this one.
Casper offers the perfect mix of Halloween and kid-friendliness. Casper the Friendly Ghost and Kat, a normal teenage girl, quickly become friends and go on adventures together.
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie is suitable for all ages; after all, honey-loving Pooh would never scare anyone!
Hocus Pocus is perfect for pre-teens. It features three witch sisters on the path of revenge.
“I still think Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the best not-so-scary scary movie out there – it’s a perfect one for the whole family as it’s got lots of secret adult humour sprinkled through out. It’s about Wallace and his dog Gromit starting a pest-control business, when they receive a call to try and stop the dreaded Were-Rabbit from eating the town crops.” – Michaela

Wallace and gromit

In Monster House, adults don’t believe three youths (Mitchel Musso, Spencer Locke, Sam Lerner) when they claim a neighbouring residence is a living creature that means them harm.
Maybe this is pushing the Halloween movie vibe but surely the Harry Potter series with its wizards, Death Eaters and giant snakes count as spooky?! Two stand-out favourites are Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban.
Frankenweenie tells the story of young Victor Frankenstein, a science nerd and outsider at school, and his one good friend: his dog, Sparky. But then, tragedy strikes, and Sparky shuffles off this mortal coil. His science teacher (Martin Landau) gives him an idea of how to jolt old Sparky back to life.
In The Haunted Mansion, workaholic real estate agent Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is accused by his wife, Sara, of neglecting his son and daughter. So, he takes the family on a vacation. Along the way, the family stops off at a sinister mansion that Jim has been asked to sell only to discover it’s haunted.
Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers a secret door in her new home. Behind it lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better, only everyone has buttons for eye (obviously not a red flag…).
The House with the Clock in the Walls is a great blend of humor and age-appropriate spine-tingling horror. Ten-year-old Lewis goes to live with his truly odd uncle (Jack Black) in a creaky house with a mysterious ticking heart in its walls. The magical adventure is good for kids 10+.