Best Halloween Movies for Kids Ages 4–7, Sorted by How Scary

The best Halloween movies for kids, sorted by how scary they are

Short answer: For toddlers and 4-year-olds, start with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Room on the Broom, or Spookley the Square Pumpkin. For 5- and 6-year-olds, try Monsters, Inc. or Hotel Transylvania. Save Hocus Pocus, Coraline, and ParaNorman for older kids, and go by your child rather than a number.

The list is split into three levels:

• The gentlest picks. Short, gentle, and made for the youngest viewers.
• A little spooky. Monsters and ghosts that are mostly funny, with one or two tense scenes.
• Spooky with real scares. PG films with frightening images, villains who mean harm, and sometimes a death.

The ages are a starting point, not a rule. A 5-year-old who loves spooky stories may enjoy a movie that another 7-year-old can't sit through. You know your child better than any rating. If Halloween already makes them nervous, see kid scared of Halloween before you pick a movie.

Movie ratings come from the MPA's database at filmratings.com. Specials made for TV or home video are often not rated by the MPA, so for those we give the rating shown on Apple TV, Disney, or the UK's BBFC.

Halloween movies for toddlers and 4-year-olds: the gentlest picks

Short answer: Choose something short, with a gentle story and no villain who stays scary. All four run about an hour or less.

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). Rated G on Apple TV, about 25 minutes. What may scare a young child: Linus waits all night in a dark pumpkin patch, and a shape rises out of the dark. It turns out to be Snoopy.
• Room on the Broom (2012). Not rated in the US (Apple TV lists it as NR); rated U by the BBFC. About 26 minutes. What may scare a young child: a dragon catches the witch and plans to eat her, until her animal friends rescue her.
• Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2004). Listed as G (Apple TV lists it as not rated), about 45 minutes. What may scare a young child: the other pumpkins tease Spookley for being square, and a big storm sends pumpkins rolling across the patch.
• Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (2013). Not rated in the US (most library catalogs list it as unrated), about 57 minutes. What may scare a young child: a spooky legend about the No-Noggin, a headless scarecrow said to kick people's hats off every Halloween.

A little spooky: kid friendly Halloween movies for 5- and 6-year-olds

Short answer: These are full-length movies where the monsters are mostly the good guys or the joke. Each has one or two scenes worth knowing about ahead of time.

• Monsters, Inc. (2001). Rated G by the MPA, 92 minutes. What may scare a young child: the idea of a monster coming out of a bedroom closet at night, and Randall, a sneaky villain who can blend into any background.
• Hotel Transylvania (2012). Rated PG "for some rude humor, action and scary images," 91 minutes. What may scare a young child: Dracula explains that his wife was killed by an angry mob of humans, and he has angry moments with glowing eyes.
• The Addams Family (2019). Rated PG "for macabre and suggestive humor, and some action," 86 minutes. What may scare a young child: dark jokes about danger and death, and an angry crowd that attacks the family's house near the end.

The PG on a movie like Hotel Transylvania often reflects a few scenes, not the whole film. The reasons printed after the rating tell you which kind of scene to expect.

Spooky with real scares: PG Halloween movies for older kids

Short answer: These are good movies, and many families love them, but they have villains who truly mean harm and images that may stay with a young child at bedtime. Many parents wait until about 8 or older for these, and Common Sense Media lists Coraline for 9 and up. Go by your child, not the number.

• Hocus Pocus (1993). Rated PG "for some scary sequences, and for language," 96 minutes. What may scare a young child: three witches drain the life from a girl in the opening scene and want to do the same to the town's children; a zombie rises from his grave.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Rated PG "for some scary images," 76 minutes. What may scare a young child: Oogie Boogie, a villain made of bugs, and Santa being kidnapped.
• Casper (1995). Rated PG "for mild language and thematic elements," 100 minutes. What may scare a young child: Casper's three ghost uncles are loud and pushy, and the story talks about how Casper died.
• Monster House (2006). Rated PG "for scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor and brief language," 91 minutes. What may scare a young child: a house that comes alive and swallows people.
• Coraline (2009). Rated PG "for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor," 100 minutes. What may scare a young child: the Other Mother with button eyes, who turns into a spider-like creature. See our Coraline page.
• ParaNorman (2012). Rated PG "for scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude humor and language," 92 minutes. What may scare a young child: zombies, a furious ghost, and a story about a girl who was treated cruelly long ago.
• Frankenweenie (2012). Rated PG "for thematic elements, scary images and action," 87 minutes. What may scare a young child: the boy's dog is hit by a car early in the film, and giant monsters attack the town at the end.
• Goosebumps (2015). Rated PG "for scary and intense creature action and images, and for some rude humor," 103 minutes. What may scare a young child: Slappy the ventriloquist dummy, a werewolf, and a giant praying mantis.
• Halloweentown (1998). A Disney Channel movie, rated TV-PG on Disney's own listing, 84 minutes. What may scare a young child: a hooded dark figure who threatens the town and its residents.

What do G, PG, and TV-PG mean for a Halloween movie?

Short answer: G means general audiences, all ages admitted. PG means parental guidance suggested: some material may not be suitable for children.

For a Halloween movie, the difference often comes down to scary images. Most of the PG films on this list name them in the reason for the rating: "scary images," "scary sequences," or "scary and intense creature action." Those words are worth reading, because they tell you what kind of scene to expect. For the official wording, see what PG means.

A G rating doesn't promise a movie has no frightening moments. Monsters, Inc. is rated G and still has a villain and a closet monster. Our list of G-rated movies notes what may scare a 4-year-old in each title.

TV-PG is a TV rating, not an MPA one. It also means parents may find some material unsuitable for younger children. Specials made for TV or home video, like Room on the Broom, may have no US rating at all.

Why is Hocus Pocus PG in the US but 12 in Germany?

Short answer: Rating boards in different countries weigh the same scenes differently, and a US PG has no minimum age at all.

Hocus Pocus (1993) is rated PG in the US "for some scary sequences, and for language," and PG in the UK. Germany's FSK, which gives every release a minimum age, approves the full version only from age 12; an edited cut released in German cinemas in 1993 was approved from age 6. In German cinemas, children ages 6 to 11 may see an FSK 12 film with a parent.

It isn't the only family film with a gap like this. Several movies rated PG in the US and the UK, including Home Alone and Wicked: For Good, are FSK 12 in Germany, and the gap also runs the other way: Barbie is PG-13 in the US but approved from age 6 in Germany. We checked each one against the official MPA, BBFC, and FSK databases; the full table is in Same movie, different age.

For movie night, treat the letter on the box as a starting point, read what the rating says the movie contains, and watch the first scary scene together.

How to pick good Halloween movies if your child gets scared easily

Short answer: Pick by your child, not by their age. Think about what has scared them before, and choose something a step gentler than you think they can handle.

A few questions that may help:

• What frightens them in books and shows? If a wolf in a picture book is too much, a movie villain may be too.
• Do they like being a little scared? Some children ask for monster games and spooky stories. Others avoid them. Both are normal.
• How long can they sit? A tense scene feels longer to a tired child. A 25-minute special in the afternoon is easier than a 100-minute film before bed.
• Can you watch the trailer together first? A trailer often shows the scariest images in two minutes. If your child is fine with the trailer, that's a good sign. If not, you've learned that cheaply.

How to watch a scary movie together

Watching together may change how a scary movie feels for a young child. Three simple habits help.

Agree on a pause. Before you start, tell your child they can say "pause" at any time, and you'll stop the movie, no questions asked. Knowing they can stop it gives a child control, and some children feel braver once they have it.

Check the weather inside. At a tense moment, pause and ask: "What's the weather inside you right now? Sunny, cloudy, or stormy?" Naming a feeling can help some children step back from it. In our program, this is the lesson "Weather Inside." If it's stormy, you can sit closer, skip ahead, or stop for the day.

Ask "true or made up?" When a monster appears, ask: "Is that true, or made up?" Then talk about how the movie was made: someone drew the witch, an actor played the zombie, a computer made the house move. This isn't about proving the fear wrong. It's about giving your child a way to check what they're seeing. In our program, this is the lesson "True or Made Up."

What to do if your child gets scared afterward

Short answer: Stay calm, take the feeling seriously, and talk about the movie in daylight rather than only at bedtime.

It's common for a scary image to come back later, often when the lights go off. A few things that may help:

• Talk about it during the day. "That witch was really scary. What did she look like?" Drawing the scary character, and then giving it a silly hat, can make it smaller.
• Go back to how it was made. Look up a short behind-the-scenes clip together, if one exists, and see the puppets, actors, or animators.
• Keep bedtime the same. The usual routine, a nightlight, a favorite toy. Skip scary movies in the evening for a while.
• When they wake up, keep it short and warm. "You're safe. I'm here. That was a dream." Long talks in the middle of the night may make it harder to settle.

Avoid "it's not real" on its own. Many children already know that, and the feeling is still there. Accept the feeling first, then help them check it.

If fears spread well beyond the movie, keep going, or start getting in the way of sleep and ordinary days, mention it to your pediatrician.

When is a child ready for a scarier Halloween movie?

There's no set age. Some signs that a child may be ready to move up a level:

• They ask for spookier stories on their own.
• They can say "pause" when a scene gets to be too much, instead of hiding or running out of the room.
• They talk about the last movie afterward with interest, not worry.
• They can tell you which parts were made up.

And some signs to wait: they're still talking about a scene from last year, they don't want to be alone in a room after a movie, or they say they're fine but don't sleep well.

Moving back down a level is fine too. A movie that's too scary this year may be a favorite next year.

“My 6-year-old loves horror and keeps asking for really scary movies. Should I let them?”

Short answer: parents disagree, and your child's reaction is the best guide. True horror films, such as those rated PG-13 or R, aren't made for children this age; the scariest picks on our list are PG, and many parents wait until about 8 for them. Some families choose something a step gentler than they think their child can handle, watch together, and agree on a pause word. Nightmares, fear of being alone in a room, or not wanting to sleep alone are signs to step back. A spooky story or a behind-the-scenes clip may satisfy the interest too.

“The older kids picked a scary movie for family movie night, but my 5-year-old will be there. What do I do?”

Short answer: many families pick a movie from a gentler level for the whole group and save the scarier one for after the youngest is in bed. If everyone watches together, sit next to your youngest, agree that they can leave or ask to pause at any time, and have a quiet activity ready in another room.

“Will watching scary movies with me make my kid braver?”

Short answer: some parents hope so; others say it depends entirely on the child. What may help more is a sense of control: agreeing on a pause, watching together, and talking about how the movie was made. If your child gets frightened, that's a sign to step back rather than push on. You know your child best.

“My kid is scared of Halloween decorations, not just movies. Is that normal?”

Short answer: yes, many young children find masks, moving decorations, and dark yards frightening. Talk about it in daylight, look at decorations together from a comfortable distance, and let your child decide how close to go. Our guide for kids scared of Halloween has more ideas.

What is a good Halloween movie for a 4-year-old?

A good Halloween movie for a 4-year-old is short and gentle, like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (rated G, about 25 minutes), Room on the Broom (about 26 minutes), or Spookley the Square Pumpkin (listed as G, about 45 minutes). Each has one mildly tense moment and a happy ending. Watch together, and agree before you start that your child can say "pause" at any time.

Are there Halloween movies for toddlers that aren't scary?

Yes. Room on the Broom, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest have costumes, pumpkins, and friendly witches rather than real villains. Even so, toddlers react differently, and a single scene, like a dragon or a dark pumpkin patch, may bother some. Watching in short pieces, with you right there, makes it easier to stop if needed.

What Halloween movies are rated G?

Monsters, Inc. is rated G by the MPA, Spookley the Square Pumpkin is listed as G, and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is listed as G on Apple TV. Most other popular Halloween movies, including Hocus Pocus, Hotel Transylvania, and Coraline, are rated PG, usually for scary images or scenes. Many TV specials, like Room on the Broom, aren't rated in the US.

Is Hocus Pocus OK for kids?

Hocus Pocus is rated PG "for some scary sequences, and for language," and many parents wait until around 8 or older. The opening shows witches draining the life from a girl, and the plot is about stealing children's lives. It's also funny, and many older children love it. Our Hocus Pocus page lists ratings from other countries.

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