If your children go nuts over spooky season, then you've got to check out our list of the best Halloween movies for kids. Whether your family prefers Netflix or Hulu, or you have every streaming service out there, you'll find something fun for everyone to watch. Our list includes all of the spooky classics you may have enjoyed when you were young, as well as a handful of newer titles kids can't seem to get enough of!
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Stars include Harry Potter's Tom Felton, everyone's favorite '90s twins Tia and Tamera Mowry, and voice work by the hilarious Catherine O'Hara and Jack Black. Introduce the kids to your childhood favorites including the Sanderson sisters, Jack Skellington, the Addams family and the Scooby-Doo gang. Or, find something fresh to enjoy and make new traditions with films that take place at a strange high school full of monsters, in an abandoned New Jersey asylum, and in a witch's apartment full of spooky books!
This October, avoid spending hours scouring every streaming service for the best age-appropriate Halloween movies, and skip right to the good stuff! You'll find something on our list your kids will love in the time it takes you to make some popcorn and get cozy on the couch.
A Babysistter's Guide to Monster Hunting
Justina Mintz / Netflix
Who's in it: Tom Felton, Indya Moore, Tamara Smart, Oona Laurence
When Kelly gets stuck babysitting for her mom's boss instead of going to a Halloween party, she's forced to track down a bunch of monsters who kidnap the boy she's sitting for. With the help of Liz, who is a member of a secret organization designed to help babysitters, they track down the monsters who took Jacob. However, things get complicated when the Boogeyman discovers that Jacob's vivid imagination is just what he needs to form his monster army.
Released in 2020, A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting offers fantasy and comedy, making it a hit for most kids. Stream it on Netflix now to watch Kelly and Liz team up with the rest of the secret society to defeat the Boogeyman and get Jacob back home!
Halloweentown
Walt Disney Pictures
Who's in it: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Joey Zimmerman, Judith Hoag
If you grew up in the '90s, then you've definitely heard of Halloweentown. The Disney cult classic offers a fantasy world where witches, goblins, ghosts and werewolves live apart from humans. When a witch and single mother, Gwen, decides to raise her children like mortals, her mother, Aggie, tries to change her mind. Aggie wants to teach her 12-year-old granddaughter about her witchy powers before it's too late, as she'll lose them forever when she turns 13 unless she learns to use them.
After overhearing their mother and grandmother talking, the kids sneak into Halloweentown, where Aggie lives. While there, they help their grandmother investigate why the people of Halloweentown are going missing and learn more about their family history. Not only can you catch Halloweentown right now on Disney+, but you can also watch the rest of the series, which includes Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, Halloweentown High and Return to Halloweentown.
Open Season: Scared Silly
Sony Pictures Animation
Who's in it: Will Townsend, Donny Lucas, Melissa Sturm, Trevor Devall
If your kids enjoyed any of the Open Season movies, they'll love the spooky addition of Open Season: Scared Silly. After Elliot tells a scary story about the legend of the Wailing Wampus Werewolf, Boog gets so scared that he no longer wants to go on their annual camping trip. To help him overcome his fear, Elliot, Mr. Weenie and the others try to scare him, which doesn't go as planned.
Meanwhile, Shaw returns to the forest to get his revenge on Elliot and Boog after embarrassing him in the first film. Watch Open Season: Scared Silly on Netflix to watch the woodland creatures uncover the mystery of the Wailing Wampus Werewolf and defeat Shaw.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Disney
Who's in it: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Ken Page, Paul Reubens
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is another cult classic that kids love to watch year after year. A combined Halloween and Christmas film, this movie introduces kids to the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington. Full of ghosts, zombies and other spooky monsters, the residents of Halloween Town are responsible for bringing the holiday to the children of the human world year after year.
Tired of this monotony, Jack changes things up after stumbling upon Christmas Town. With the help of his friends, they kidnap Santa Claus and try their hand at toy-making. Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+ now!
Hocus Pocus
Disney
Who's in it: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Our list of Halloween movies wouldn't be complete without Hocus Pocus. While you've likely seen this film a dozen times, it may be time to introduce your kids to this cult classic. When the new kid in Salem lights a cursed candle to impress a girl, he unintentionally resurrects three witches who wreaked havoc centuries earlier.
The Sanderson sisters have until dawn to lure children to their cabin for a spell that will keep them alive forever, but three kids and a talking cat keep getting in their way. Hop on Disney+ to introduce the family to Winifred, Sarah and Mary in one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time!
Monster House
Columbia Pictures
Who's in it: Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Nick Cannon
Monster House follows the story of 12-year-old DJ Walters and his cranky old neighbor, Horace Nebbercracker, who steals toys from children to keep them away from his house. Things get strange the day before Halloween when Horace gets sent to the hospital, and the house seems to come alive. Along with his friend and babysitter, DJ consults a supernatural expert who believes the house is bound with the spirit of a ghost.
To stop the house from eating children, they must find its "heart" and destroy it. Stream Monster House now on Hulu and take the family on a spooky adventure that unlocks the mystery of the Nebbercracker house!
Goosebumps
Columbia Pictures
Who's in it: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Jillian Bell
Inspired by R. L. Stine's children's horror series, Goosebumps shows what happens when books come to life. After moving to a new town, a teenager named Zach makes friends with his neighbor, Hannah, and classmate, Champ. Hannah's overprotective father makes Zach and Champ believe she's in danger, so they sneak into her house, where they find the entire series of Goosebumps books locked up.
It turns out Hannah's father is R.L. Stine, who shares that his stories started coming to life, forcing him to keep them locked up. However, the kids accidentally free Slappy the Dummy from his manuscript, and he's out for revenge against his creator. Available to stream on Netflix, Goosebumps offers both nostalgia and child-friendly horror for the whole family to enjoy!
Girl vs. Monster
Disney
Who's in it: Olivia Holt, Brendan Meyer, Kerris Dorsey
Fifteen-year-old Skylar feels crushed when her parents refuse to let her go to a Halloween party with her best friends. In defiance, she cuts the power to the house alarm and tries to sneak out. By doing so, she accidentally unleashes a monster her parents contained in the basement, learning she's a fifth-generation monster hunter.
While processing her family's big secret, Skylar and her friends must face their fears in order to track down and capture the monster. Girl vs. Monster is a Disney Channel Original Movie and is available to stream on Disney+.
Nightbooks
Netflix
Who's in it: Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, Krysten Ritter
Released on Netflix in 2021, Nightbooks follows the story of Alex, a young boy from Brooklyn whose parents are concerned about his love of writing scary stories. In an act of rebellion, he takes his notebooks in the elevator to burn them in the basement furnace. However, he doesn't make it to the basement and instead wakes up in a magical apartment with a witch named Natacha.
Along with Yasmin, another child the witch has captured, Alex must write a new story to read to the witch each night or face the consequences. While reading the books in the witch's vast library for inspiration, they stumble upon notations written by "Unicorn Girl," who the kids believe found a way to escape. Using the notations, Alex and Yasmin devise a plan to get away from the witch and go home.
Don't Look Under The Bed
Disney
Who's in it: Erin Chambers, Eric "Ty" Hodges II, Steve Valentine
Don't Look Under The Bed is a '90s throwback you may remember from watching the Disney channel as a kid. It follows the story of Frances, a teenager who gets framed for various pranks around town. Things only get worse for her when Larry, her imaginary friend, reveals that the boogeyman is setting her up.
When Frances' brother Darwin gets kidnapped, she and Larry must enter the Boogeyworld dimension under her bed. To save her brother, she must convince him that Larry, who was also his imaginary friend, is real. Don't Look Under The Bed is available now on Disney+!
Frankenweenie
Disney
Who's in it: Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder
Frankenweenie is the perfect Halloween movie for a family of dog lovers. Directed by Tim Burton, the story is about a young boy named Victor and his dog Sparky. After a tragic accident leads to Sparky's death, the amateur scientist creates a lab and uses electricity to bring his dog back to life. However, when Sparky chases after the neighbor's cat, he's recognized by a classmate, who blackmails Victor into resurrecting his goldfish.
When the rest of his class learns what he's done, they take over Victor's lab and accidentally turn their deceased pets into monsters. With the help of Sparky, Victor and his classmates track down all the monsters to eliminate them. Catch this Frankenstein-inspired classic on Disney+ now!
Twitches
Disney
Who's in it: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry and Kristen Wilson
Twitches is another Disney Halloween cult classic that premiered in 2005. The story begins inside the magical dimension of Coventry with the birth of twins Apolla and Artemis. When evil takes over, they're sent to Earth to ensure their safety. There, the twins are adopted by separate families and raised differently.
The twins run into each other on their 21st birthday, resulting in a powerful burst of energy that releases their magical powers. They learn about their past as well as a prophecy that they're the only two who can save Coventry from evil. Stream Twitches on Disney+ now to enjoy this family favorite!
The Munsters
Netflix
Who's in it: Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Daniel Roebuck, Jorge Garcia
Rob Zombie opted for a kid-friendly movie when he wrote and directed The Munsters for Netflix. Based on the hit television show from the '60s, this 2022 film serves as an origin story for the characters. It kicks off with the creation of Herman Munster, a Frankenstein-like creator built by Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang and his assistant Floop.
After Floop accidentally robs the grave of a hacky comedian, Herman comes alive as a dimwitted performer and embarrasses his creator on live television. Lily and her father, The Count, catch the show, and she falls head over heels for Herman. Watch their love story unfold in The Munsters, streaming on Netflix now!
Hocus Pocus 2
Disney
Who's in it: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
If your family loves Hocus Pocus, then they'll certainly enjoy the new sequel Disney released in 2022. The movie dives into the lives of the Sanderson sisters as children in 1653 before they're resurrected again in the modern day by two teenage girls. They learn they were tricked by the owner of a magic shop located inside the old Sanderson house.
The girls must work together to fight off the witches and send them back to their graves. As it turns out, the Sanderson sisters aren't the only ones with powers. Stream Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+, and keep an eye out for all of the Easter eggs referencing the original film!
Monster Family
United Entertainment
Who's in it: Emily Watson, Nick Frost, Catherine Tate, Jason Isaacs
After Emma accidentally calls Count Dracula, thinking she has called a costume store, the lonely vampire becomes infatuated with her. Determined to make her his bride, he sends the Baba Yaga to curse her. Meanwhile, Emma drags her overworked husband and miserable children to a costume party. There, the Baba Yaga accidentally curses her and her whole family, turning them into the monsters they dressed up as.
Transformed into a vampire, Frankenstein's monster, a mummy, and a werewolf, Emma notices a positive change in her family's behavior. However, after she rejects Dracula, he becomes vengeful and plans to destroy the world. Catch Monster Family on Hulu to watch Emma and her family come together to reverse the curse and defeat Dracula.
Under Wraps
Disney
Who's in it: Christian J. Simon, Malachi Barton, Sophia Hammons
Released in 2021, Under Wraps follows the story of three preteens who find a mummy in a neighbor's basement. After they accidentally resurrect it, they must find a way to return him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween. However, a group of criminals have something else in mind for the mummy.
As the kids work to rescue the mummy from the criminals, they befriend the ancient creature and name him Harold. Stream Under Wraps now on Disney+ to watch the kids face their fears and rescue their new friend from a fate worse than death.
Hotel Transylvania
Columbia Pictures
Who's in it: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James
Ever wonder what would happen if the world's most famous monsters all got together for a big celebration? If so, you and the kids should check out Hotel Transylvania this Halloween! In honor of his daughter's 118th birthday, Count Dracula is hosting a massive party at his monsters-only hotel. His daughter Mavis, however, would rather spend her birthday exploring the human world.
To deter her from this, Dracula asks his zombie bellhops to disguise themselves as humans and scare Mavis back to the hotel. While the plan works, the bellhops accidentally lead a human back to the hotel as well. Catch Hotel Transylvania on Hulu to watch Dracula frantically try to disguise the human as a monster while simultaneously planning his daughter's birthday extravaganza!
Twitches Too
Disney
Who's in it: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry, Kristen Wilson
If your family enjoyed watching the original, they'll love Twitches Too! The story picks up after the events of the first film, as the twins struggle to find a balance between being witches and going to college. When clues lead them to believe their father is alive and stuck in the Shadowlands, they perform a spell to bring them back to Coventry.
When the twins accidentally bring Thantos back instead, they must band together to defeat him and rescue their father. Released in 2007, you won't want to miss this sequel, available now on Disney+.
The Haunted Mansion
Disney
Who's in it: Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, Marsha Thomason
After Jim forgets his wedding anniversary, he's determined to make it up to his wife, Sara, with a family vacation. When Sara gets invited to Gracey Manor, they take their two kids, Michael and Megan, to meet the owner, Gracey, and see if they can come up with an agreement to vacation there. However, the family gets stuck in the mansion for the night after a storm causes flooding.
During their stay, the family realizes it wasn't just a coincidence that Gracey contacted Sara about the mansion. Stream The Haunted Mansion on Disney+ to watch the family encounter ghosts, secret passages, and a mystery surrounding their family's history.
Monster Family 2: Nobody's Perfect
United Entertainment
Who's in it: Emily Watson, Nick Frost, Catherine Tate, Jason Isaacs
Monster Family 2: Nobody's Perfect takes place one year after the events of the first film. The members of the Wishbone family struggle with their various shortcomings, including Max with his height, and Faye with her lack of talent. In the midst of their struggles, the family attends Baba Yaga's wedding to the hunchbacked butler of Renfield, whom they've welcomed into their family since the events of the first film.
When the bride and groom are kidnapped during the ceremony, the Wishbone family must overcome their insecurities to save them. Using Baba Yaga's magic, they turn themselves into their monster forms and band together to save their friends. Catch Monster Family 2: Nobody's Perfect now on Hulu!
Scooby-Doo: The Movie
Warner Bros
Who's in it: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini
Based on the beloved animated series Scooby-Doo: The Movie offers a live-action version of Scooby and the gang. After friction causes the group to split for two years, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby are reunited at a tropical resort named "Spooky Island." The owner, Emile Mondavarious, invited the gang to solve a mystery, as he suspects his guests are victims of a demonic curse.
Still sore from their big fight, Fred, Daphne and Velma try to solve the mystery on their own. Scooby and Shaggy, however, hope their joint mission will get the gang back together. Stream Scooby-Doo: The Movie on HBO Max to watch the Scooby gang learn to work together again to solve this mystery and defeat an unexpected villain.
The Amazing Maurice
Sky
Who's in it: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel
Released in 2022, The Amazing Maurice follows the story of Maurice, a streetwise cat, a pied piper named Keith and a gang of rats. Together, they travel around, tricking villagers into thinking they're dealing with a rat plague. After they convince the villagers to pay Keith to handle their rat problem, they move on to another town to repeat their scam.
Everything changes when they travel to Bad Blintz, a town whose food and rat population has mysteriously disappeared. Stream The Amazing Maurice on Prime Video to watch Maurice, Keith and their gang of rats uncover the mystery surrounding this strange village.
Casper
Universal Pictures
Who's in it: Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle
Another Halloween classic your kids will love is Casper. The cult classic was released in 1995 and is based on the beloved cartoon Casper the Friendly Ghost. When Carrigan Crittenden inherits Whipstaff Manor, she is furious that her father didn't leave her any of his money. When she learns of a treasure hidden inside the mansion, she is determined to find it. However, several ghosts inside the home have other intentions for the spoiled heiress.
Carrigan hires paranormal therapist James Harvey to move into the manor with his teenage daughter, Kat, to get rid of the ghosts. But Dr. Harvey never could have anticipated just how mischievous the Ghostly Trio, Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie are. Catch this classic for free on Tubi and watch Kat befriend Casper and uncover the secret treasure!
Hotel Transylvania 2
Columbia Pictures
Who's in it: Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, David Spade, Molly Shannon
If your family enjoyed the first movie, then you'll definitely want to watch the sequel, Hotel Transylvania 2. The story takes place years after the first movie, when Dracula's grandson, Dennis, is nearing his fifth birthday. As the son of Mavis and the human Johnny, Dracula fears Dennis won't have any vampire powers.
With the help of his monster friends, Dracula tries to draw out his grandson's monster side but unintentionally puts him in danger. When Mavis and Johnny learn of this, they go to Transylvania to confront Dracula as they struggle over where to raise their son. Stream Hotel Transylvania 2 with the family now on Netflix!
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Special Anti-Pesto Still
Who's in it: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter
Part of the Wallace and Gromit series, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit delivers a kid-friendly parody of classic monster movies the whole family will love. With the help of his beagle Gromit, Wallace invents a machine to to deter rabbits from eating up their vegetables. The invention works by tricking rabbits into disliking vegetables, but Wallace accidentally uses the wrong setting and fuses his brain with a bunny named Hutch.
When a giant bunny, nicknamed the Were-Rabbit, eats all the town's vegetables, Wallace suspects Hutch is the culprit. However, after locking up Hutch, Gromit discovers a bunch of half-eaten vegetables in Wallace's room, leading him to believe his friend is the Were-Rabbit. Catch Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Prime Video to see how Gromit finds a way to reverse their mistake and rescue Wallace from the angry villagers.
Monster High: The Movie
Paramount/Nickelodeon
Who's in it: Miia Harris, Ceci Balagot, Case Walker
With the sequel scheduled to come out this fall, it's the perfect time to introduce the kids to Monster High: The Movie. Inspired by the fashion doll franchise by Mattel, it was released in 2021 alongside an animated series. The movie stars Clawdeen Wolf, a half-human werewolf who is invited to attend Monster High. Her parents agree as long as Clawdeen promises to keep her human side hidden.
While at her new school, Clawdeen befriends the children of various famous monsters, including Medusa, Dracula, the Mummy and more. The teen runs into trouble, however, when she has trouble controlling her emotions, which facilitates her human form. Stream Monster High: The Movie on Paramount Plus and learn what happens when Clawdeen's big secret is discovered.
ParaNorman
Universal Pictures
Who's in it: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann
ParaNorman tells the story of Norman Babcock, an 11-year-old outcast who is isolated because of his ability to communicate with the dead. While rehearsing a school play with his only friend, Neil, who is also the victim of bullying due to his weight, the boys are confronted by Norman's crazy great-uncle, Mr. Prenderghast. He tells Norman that he must perform a ritual to protect the town, which later triggers Norman to have a vision of being chased during a witch hunt.
After his bully prevents him from performing the ritual, the ghost of a witch summons zombies to his rescue. He recognizes the witch from his vision, and with the help of his friend and older sister, Courtney, they work to uncover the town's history and complete the ritual. Watch ParaNorman with the family on Prime Video now!
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
Nickelodeon
Who's in it: Victoria Justice, Chase Ellison, Matt Winston, Brooke Shields
A father and his two teenage children travel to Wolfsberg, Romania, after inheriting a castle from his late wife's great-uncle. At the castle, they meet Madame Varcolac, the strange housekeeper whose name triggers wolf howls in the distance. While exploring the house, 17-year-old Jordan accidentally cuts her foot on a blood-filled glass vial. She immediately notices that her senses are heightened and her allergies no longer bother her.
Concerned, her younger brother, Hunter, tells his new friends about what happened, and they determine that Jordan is becoming a werewolf. Seeking help from Madame Varcolac, Jordan learns the castle's previous owner was also a werewolf, and he has until the next full moon to find a cure and save his sister. Released in 2010 on Nickelodeon, you can stream The Boy Who Cried Werewolf on Netflix.
The Addams Family
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
Who's in it: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Kroll, Allison Janney
Kids go crazy over the 2019 animated version of The Addams Family! Especially now, with the popularity of Netflix's Wednesday, it's a guaranteed winner this Halloween season. Rejected from society, newlyweds Gomez and Morticia move into an abandoned asylum in New Jersey. Years later, they struggle with Wednesday's curiosity over the outside world and reluctantly agree to send her to public school.
Meanwhile, a local reality TV host has targeted the Addams family as their home interferes with her plans for the season finale of her show. She targets the family with lies spread through social media, turning the locals against them. Watch Wednesday and Pugsley struggle with adolescence in The Addams Family, streaming now on Paramount Plus.
Corpse Bride
Warner Bros
Who's in it: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride tells the story of Victor Van Dort and his bride-to-be, Victoria Everglot. The tale takes place during the Victorian era when the two are set up in an arranged marriage designed to boost the status of both families. Despite this, they fall for each other immediately after meeting. However, nerves cause Victor to mess up his vows and start a fire during the wedding rehearsal, and he runs away to the woods.
While practicing his vows with a tree, Victor unknowingly places the ring on a skeletal finger belonging to the deceased Emily. His act causes her to resurrect and bring him to the Land of the Dead as her new husband. Now Victor must escape Emily and find a way back to Victoria before it's too late! This Halloween, stream Corpse Bride on Prime Video for you and the family to enjoy.
