13 Scary Movies That Are Still Appropriate for Kids to Watch This Halloween

When it comes to choosing fun Halloween movies for kids, striking a balance between spine-tingling and terrifying is the key. I remember, as a child, I was absolutely terrified of horror films. I’d quake with fear if I could even hear one playing from the next room. My cousin, on the other hand, loved “monster movies” since before he could talk! We’re sharing a few fun spooky flicks for kids that range from just a little creepy to “they’re heeeere” eeks and shrieks!

While all of these horror movies are appropriate for kids in that they don’t go overboard on the gore (or the gratuitous nudity and swearing that seems to accompany other scary movies), it’s up to you to judge just how much your kids can handle. Check out our favorite scary Halloween movies for kids!

Related: Fun Family Halloween Movies That Kids Can Watch Too!

Best Horror Movies for Kids

The Monster Squad

The Monster Squad is a 1987 horror comedy movie. The movie is about a clan of monster fanatics that try to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his crew of Universal Monsters, who are trying to control the world. The Monster Squad stars Duncan Regehr as Count Dracula, Michael MacKay as The Mummy, Tom Woodruff Jr as The Gill Man, Carl Thibault as The Wolf Man, Andre Gower as Sean, Ashley Bank as Phoebe and Robby Kiger as Patrick.

Little Monsters

Little Monsters is a 1989 fantasy comedy movie. The movie tells the story of Brian Stevenson, who recently moved to a new home with his family. He soon discovers that under his bed is a world of monsters. Little Monsters stars Fred Savage as Brian and Howie Mandel as Maurice, the monster who becomes friends with Brian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk25f0qZqw4

Poltergeist

Poltergeist is a 1982 horror movie and is the 1^st in the series of four, including Poltergeist II: The Other Side in 1986, Poltergeist III in 1988 and Poltergeist reboot in 2015. The movie revolves around the Freeling family, who are being terrorized by ghosts in their home. Poltergeist stars Heather O’Rourke as Carol Anne, Craig T. Nelson as Steven and JoBeth Williams as Diane. Of all the Halloween movies for kids on this list, this one is the scariest in my opinion!

Gremlins

Gremlins is a 1984 comedy horror movie with a 1990 sequel Gremlin 2: The New Batch. The movie is about Billy Peltzer, who is given a furry creature called a mogwai from his father. With his new pet comes rules since the mogwai have three rules that go along with them. When Billy breaks one of the rules, the critter spawns into evil monsters. Gremlins stars Zach Galligan as Billy Peltzer and Phoebe Cates as Kate Beringer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nGd36NhmTE

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is a 1988 comedy fantasy movie. The movie centers on a family that moves into a new house but soon discover that the former residents, who are dead, are still haunting the home. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, Alec Baldwin as Adam Maitland, Geena Davis as Barbara Maitland, Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz.

More Horror Movies for Kids

A few more fun scary Halloween movies for kids include:

• Coraline (this one is actually a lot scarier than you might think!)
• Casper
• Young Frankenstein
• The Witches
• The Little Vampire
• Something Wicked this Way Comes
• Watcher in the Woods
• Goosebumps

Remember, it’s up to you to determine if a movie is too scary for your child’s tastes and personality! IMDB is one of my favorite tools to determine if a movie is appropriate. If you scroll down on any movie, you’ll find a totally unbiased parent’s guide. It just gives the facts about what types of potential issues you could expect.

Do your kids have any favorite horror movies for Halloween? Share in the comments.