Halloween Movies for Kids, Part 2

For children in elementary school, there are a lot of movies available, but it can be tricky to decide which ones are appropriate for your child. After all, you don't want a movie that's too scary, but you don't want one that's too young either or they won't be interested. Here's a list of movies that Bean enjoys. I'll try to make a note of which movies are a little scarier and which are good for most ages.

Mickey's House of Villains - Mickey and pals throw a Halloween bash at the House of Mouse, complete with old Disney favorites and new ones too.

Casper - Casper the Friendly Ghost meets some new friends. An "afterlife therapist" and his daughter move into Casper's home to remove the ghosts, but the ghosts don't want to leave. This movie may be slightly scary for young children. Casper Meets Wendy is less scary, but somewhat annoying.

Scary Godmother: A Halloween Spooktakular & The Revenge of Jimmy - These two films show that monsters are just people too, and that you just can't stop Halloween!

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein & the Wolfman - Alvin, Simon and Theodore get mixed up with Frankenstein's monster and bitten by a wolf in this hilarious double feature.

The Magic School Bus: Creepy, Crawly Fun! - Educational and fun, the kids in Ms. Frizzle's class learn about sound, bats, and spiders in this Halloween flick.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - While I don't generally watch Mr. Toad, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow as sung by Bing Crosby is not to be missed.

The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow - Two school kids try to escape from the Headless Horseman and keep him from reclaiming the pumpkin containing the original Legend of Sleepy Hollow manuscript. Catchy music and simple animation make this a fun film.

Under Wraps - A mummy comes back to life on Halloween to search for his lost love. A young horror movie buff and his two friends try to help the mummy, dubbed "Harold", in his search.

The Halloween Tree - Unfortunately, this movie is only available on VHS, but it is a wonderful retelling of Ray Bradbury's classic story, with Leonard Nimoy as the voice of Mr. Moundshroud.

Halloweentown & Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, Halloweentown High, and Return to Halloweentown - A fantastic series of 4 movies about a family of witches. The stories follow the misadventures of the oldest daughter, Marnie. The grandmother, played by Debbie Reynolds, tries to encourage the family to learn about their ancestry and use their magic. These films are one of my favorites.

The following movies, while some of my favorites, can be a little dark and scary at times. If you haven't seen them, I would recommend watching them first to make sure they are appropriate for your family.

When Good Ghouls Go Bad - When Danny and his dad move back home to Walker Falls, Danny discovers that Halloween is cursed and everyone is afraid to celebrate. This movie may be better for older children.

Hocus Pocus - I love this movie! The Sanderson sisters have been brought back to life for one day, but to stay, they must cast a spell to reclaim their youth. Only Max, his sister, girlfriend, and an immortal cat named Binx can stop them.

Tower of Terror - A fun movie based on the story created for the Disney Parks ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The Haunted Mansion - Another ride-based movie. This one features a family trapped in a mansion full of ghosts and the hi-jinx they undergo to escape.

The Little Vampire - A campy story about a family of vampires and the little boy who helps them find redemption.