Toddler-Approved Halloween Movies For a Scary Good Family Time

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I love Halloween, and before I became a mom Halloween was all about blood and gore and endless marathons of scary movies! But ever since we welcomed Aria into the world, I had to tone down my enthusiasm for Halloween by, like, 99 percent! I can't wait until she's old enough to appreciate the fine art of applying fake blood, but until then, as much as I love Halloween, I'm not about to give my toddler nightmares and scar her for life the way I scarred myself for life by convincing my mom that "It" was an appropriate movie for an 8-year-old because it's about a clown...

Here's a list of kid-friendly Halloween movies that are still entertaining for adults. Or, at least, that will send you trick-or-treating down nostalgia lane.

It's the Great Pumpkin,

Charlie Brown

Short film, Suitable for all ages

Loveable Peanuts character Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the elusive Halloween symbol to appear.

Toy Story of Terror!

Short film, Suitable for all ages

When Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys stop at a motel, Mr. Potato Head goes missing. As the gang looks for him, they find themselves caught up in a mysterious series of events. It's almost a spoof of classic horror film tropes that provide the suspense but not the scares.

Spooky Buddies

G, suitable for ages 3 and up

In a race against a no-good hound, the Buddies and their new friends, Pip, Zelda, Rodney, and Skip, must stop Warwick the Warlock and save the world from his dastardly deeds.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of

the Were-Rabbit

G, suitable for ages 3 and up

The characters from a series of animated shorts, Wallace and his dog, Gromit, make their feature debut here. After starting a pest control business, the duo soon lands a job from the alluring Lady Tottington to stop a giant rabbit from destroying the town’s crops. Both Wallace and the stuffy Victor vie for the lady’s affections. If Wallace wants to please his pretty client, and best Victor, he needs to capture that pesky bunny.

Monsters, Inc.

G, suitable for all ages

Monsters Inc. is the largest scare factory in the monster world, and James P. Sullivan is one of its top scarers. Sullivan is a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots, and horns. His scare assistant, best friend, and roommate is Mike Wazowski, a green, opinionated, feisty little one-eyed monster. Visiting from the human world is Boo, a tiny girl who goes where no human has ever gone before.

Coco

PG, suitable for ages 3 and up

Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Hotel Transylvania

PG, suitable for ages 3 and up

When monsters want to get away from it all, they go to Count Dracula’s Hotel Transylvania, a lavish resort where they can be themselves without humans around to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula invites creatures like the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and others to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter, Mavis. However, an unforeseen complication unfolds when an ordinary human unwittingly crashes the party and falls in love with Mavis.

Frankenweenie

PG, suitable for ages 3 and up

Young Victor Frankenstein is a science nerd and outsider at school, but he does have one good friend: his dog, Sparky. But then, tragedy strikes and Sparky shuffles off this mortal coil. Victor is heartbroken, but his science teacher gives him an idea of how to jolt old Sparky back to life. The experiment is successful, and all goes well until Victor’s fellow students steal his secret and use it to resurrect other dead animals – with monstrous consequences. Also good for older kids with whom you could have an ethics debate about bringing dead pets back to life...

The Addams Family (1991)

PG-13, but we say okay for ages 3 and up

When a man claiming to be Fester, the missing brother of Gomez Addams, arrives at the Addams’ home, the family is thrilled. However, Morticia begins to suspect the man is a fraud since he cannot recall details of Fester’s life. With the help of lawyer Tully Alford, Fester manages to get the Addams clan evicted from their home. Gomez realizes the two men are conspiring to swindle the Addams fortune and that he must challenge Fester.

Images: IMDB

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