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The Best Halloween Movies for Kids

Updated March 24, 2020 45.3k votes 1.9k voters 44.7k views105 items

List RulesHalloween-themed or "horror" movies be appropriate for children.

Halloween movies for kids include some holiday classics and some newer films that are quickly becoming classics. The best Halloween movies for kids aren't always overly scary - some are just good, spooky fun! From Beetlejuice to The Haunted Mansion, this list includes kids' Halloween movies that are perfect to show at a Halloween party or after trick-or-treating. Be sure to vote for your favorites and if you know of a great Halloween movie that isn't on the list, add it!

A lot of these kids' Halloween movies are shown each year on TV, particularly on ABC Family, which shows the "13 Nights of Halloween" annually. Not all of these movies are about Halloween. Some are creepy, sure, but a film doesn't actually have to include Halloween to make the cut. Movies like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Ghostbusters, for example, aren't about Halloween at all - but they are perfect to show at Halloween anyway!

If you're going all-out this year for Halloween, you might want to check out these lists for some great Halloween songs, decoration ideas and some tasty Halloween recipes to serve while you watch your favorite Halloween movies.

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It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Lisa DeFaria, Christopher Shea
Released: 1966
Directed by: Bill Melendez
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television... more on Wikipedia
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The Nightmare Before Christmas
Paul Reubens, Catherine O'Hara
Released: 1993
Directed by: Henry Selick
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D is a 2006 3D version of the 1993 film of the... more on Wikipedia
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Hocus Pocus
Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler
Released: 1993
Directed by: Kenny Ortega
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American comedy fantasy film directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette... more on Wikipedia
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Casper
Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman
Released: 1995
Directed by: Brad Silberling, Phil Nibbelink
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Ghostbusters
Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver
Released: 1984
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
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Halloweentown
Debbie Reynolds, Rino Romano
Released: 1998
Directed by: Duwayne Dunham
Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 1998.
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Beetlejuice
Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder
Released: 1988
Directed by: Tim Burton
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Monsters, Inc.
Billy Crystal, John Goodman
Released: 2001
Directed by: David Silverman, Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich
Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film directed by Pete Docter,... more on Wikipedia
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The Addams Family (1991)
Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1991
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
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Coraline
Teri Hatcher, Dakota Fanning
Released: 2009
Directed by: Henry Selick
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Hotel Transylvania
Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler
Released: 2012
Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak
Released: 1982
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Return to Halloweentown
Debbie Reynolds, Sara Paxton
Released: 2006
Directed by: David Jackson
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Halloweentown High
Debbie Reynolds, Frank Welker
Released: 2004
Directed by: Mark A.Z. Dippé
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Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
Debbie Reynolds, Jessica Lucas
Released: 2001
Directed by: Mary Lambert
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The Goonies
Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin
Released: 1985
Directed by: Richard Donner
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Scooby-Doo
Pamela Anderson, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Released: 2002
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
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Corpse Bride
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
Released: 2005
Directed by: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
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Frankenweenie
Winona Ryder, Elle Fanning
Released: 2012
Directed by: Tim Burton
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The Haunted Mansion
Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Tilly
Released: 2003
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
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Edward Scissorhands
Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder
Released: 1990
Directed by: Tim Burton
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ParaNorman
Anna Kendrick, John Goodman
Released: 2012
Directed by: Sam Fell, Chris Butler
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Escape to Witch Mountain
Kim Richards, Kyle Richards
Released: 1975
Directed by: John Hough
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Little Monsters
Fred Savage, Howie Mandel
Released: 1989
Directed by: Richard Greenberg
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Ernest Scared Stupid
Eartha Kitt, Jim Varney
Released: 1991
Directed by: John R. Cherry III
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Halloweentown

Little Monsters