Halloween is all about dressing up, trick-or-treating, and for most of us…watching scary movies! The trick, of course, is finding spooky ones that are kid-friendly enough for everyone in the family to enjoy. We have 5 great suggestions for your family movie nights during October.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
In this funny twist on a classic horror movie, we find Count Dracula running a high-end hotel resort far away from mankind, where monsters can bring their families on vacation and are free to be the monsters they are! But all is not calm when a human stumbles into the hotel, crashing the celebration of Dracula’s daughter’s 118th birthday. A perfect family-friendly movie for children 7+.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Is it a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? It’s both! Watch this Tim Burton classic as it follows the king of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, and his attempts to change up the boring town traditions. He stumbles upon Christmas Town and plots to bring Christmas to his town, but not everyone is onboard with this newfound change. A bit dark for younger kids, but a great Halloween family movie for those ages 8+.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
In this thrilling classic, we follow a teenage boy named Max and his little sister who move to Salem. On Halloween night, they stumble upon the house of his crush Alison. With his parents at a party, they decide to venture into the house of the Sanderson sisters. Before Max knew it, he’d brought back to life the trio of devilish witches that were executed over 300 years ago! Watch as Max, Alison and Dani attempt to stop the witches’ wish of eternal life from coming true. Best for kids ages 13+.
Casper (1995)
When Carrigan Crittenden hires afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey to rid her mansion of its ghostly guests, Harvey and his daughter Kat move into her home and help move the spooky spirits back to the other side. But when they stumble upon a friendly ghost named Casper, they find out all is not what it seems! Produced by Steven Spielberg, this much-loved movie is best for children ages 7+.
Coraline (2009)
When Coraline moves into a new home, she begins to feel neglected by her parents; that’s when she finds a secret passage to a parallel world where everyone has buttons instead of eyes. She has caring parents, and it feels like all her dreams are finally coming true. When she’s invited to stay there forever, she realizes that her dreamy alternate reality may be more of a nightmare after all! This creepy animated fantasy is suitable for kids ages 9+.
The spooky season’s in full swing, so gather your gang, pass around the popcorn, and settle in for a friendly scare or two. It’s showtime!