Entertainment
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. For ghouls and goblins, that is. Or for kids who want to dress up like their favorite Harry Potter character or superhero and run around the neighborhood begging for free candy. It’s not a bad deal though, and there are 12 kid-friendly Halloween movies on Netflix to get you in the holiday spirit. The term "kid-friendly" might be a little subjective, but by that I mean Halloween movies that border on scary and won’t give your kid nightmares before the spookiest night of the year.
Because you know there can be no Halloween without R.L. Stine involved, there are two movies, Mostly Ghostly and Goosebumps 2: Haunted House, to help pass the torch down to your kids. My five-year-old has already gone through all four seasons of the Goosebumps series, which is also on Netflix, so this is actually good news for our household and my sanity.
You'll also find some new animated classics, like Spookley the Square Pumpkin, Mickey's House of Villains, and Monster Family. Plus, there are some fun-but-spooky live action films like All Hallows Eve, Little Monsters, and My Babysitter's A Vampire — all of which can be found in the "kids" section of Netflix.
Whether it’s new to your little ones or new to you as well, there are some solid kid-friendly Halloween picks you and your family should check out this year.
1Coraline
Coraline might be a little too scary for some kids, but it has just the right amount of creepiness and mystery to keep little ones’ attention the whole way through. It’s about a girl who finds a mysterious door that leads to a parallel world where she finds seemingly perfect versions of her family and home, but she soon sees the place for what it really is and she has to find her way back to her real home. This is another one we’ve watched five too many times in my home, but that just goes to show how much staying power it has.
2A Witches' Ball
Beatrix is a young witch set to be officially inducted into the magical world of witchcraft on Halloween. But when something jeopardizes her chances, she seeks the help of her BFF pet rat (voiced by NSYNC’s Joey Fatone) to ensure her place as a witch.
3R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly
If you’ve ever read a Goosebumps book or seen one of the episodes of the '90s TV show, then you know the drill. An average kid, Max, finds himself in supernatural peril and realizes that only he can save the day. Kids will get a little thrill from the mini jump scares along the way.
4All Hallows Eve
Eve Hallow (Lexi Giovagnoli) just turned 16 years old and received the most unbelievable gift: She's a witch! While trying to navigate adolescence, friends, boys, and magic, Eve accidentally summons one of her ancestors for a not-so-happy reunion.
5Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
In the G-rated sequel to Goosebumps which, sadly, is no longer on Netflix, Slappy the Dummy is back to wreak havoc on a group of friends and their quiet small town. Slappy's return is caused by Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) after they find the dummy and unknowingly read the magic spell left in his pocket.
6Mickey's House of Villains
Several Disney universes collide in this animated special, which features the one and only Mickey Mouse coming face-to-face with some of Disney's most iconic villains. When the villains conspire to takeover the House of Mouse, it's up to Mickey and his pals to take them down.
7DreamWorks Spooky Stories
This might not be a Halloween movie, but DreamWorks Spooky Stories is a collection of four stories with familiar movie characters, all with scary themes. They can be watched individually or as one almost hour-long set.
8DreamWorks Spooky Stories 2
This is another batch of scary stories starring characters from Shrek, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Megamind. If your kid isn't too familiar with all of the characters featured, it’s still a fun way to introduce them to the fun of scary movies, especially for those who have shorter attention spans.
9Little Monsters
Little Monsters is a classic that any parent should introduce their kid to at some point, whether it’s Halloween or not. But Halloween season is probably the most appropriate time of year to bond with your kid, whatever their age may be, over the '80s fantasy movie.
10Monster Family
If your kids like the Hotel Transylvania movies, then they’ll probably enjoy Monster Family too. It doesn't have any celebrities voices behind the animated characters, but it is about a family of classic horror movie monsters, including a Frankenstein-esque monster, mummy, witch, and werewolf.
11My Babysitter's A Vampire
In My Babysitter's a Vampire, Ethan (Matthew Knight) discovers that the girl his parents hired to babysit his little sister isn't exactly human.
12Spookley The Square Pumpkin
Based off of the book The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, the animated film with a similar name tells the story of Spookley — a pumpkin who doesn't look anything like the rest of those in his patch. Instead of letting the teasing about his differences get to him, Spookley perseveres — and eventually gets a chance to show everyone that there's nothing wrong with being different.
Your kids might be a little too young to indoctrinate them into the world of Scream and Halloween just yet, but you don't need blood and gore to get them in the mood for Halloween. And with all of these movies on Netflix, you really don't have a reason not to get into the spooky holiday spirit.
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