With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to present to you 31 movies to watch every day this month to prepare you for the holiday. This will be an ongoing theme, as Halloween is my favorite holiday, and next year I plan on doing more mature scary movies. Feel free to recommend any you love, maybe next year you'll see yours on the list. Now, without further ado, 31 kid movies to watch this October!
1. Hocus Pocus
Rated: PG
This movie is a cult classic, and I doubt I really have to tell you about it. If you are a part of the minority that hasn’t seen it, please, please, go do yourself a favor and watch it right now. If you have seen it, it’s still worth a re-watch.
2. Casper
Rated: PG
Casper the friendly ghost! This movie never failed to make me smile when I was down as a kid, and no shame I still watch this year-round. He just has that beautiful energy!
3. Monster House
Rated: PG
Now, I remember when this movie first came out. My dad brought it home from Blockbuster—did I unlock a memory?— and the graphics were just too good for 2006. It was something I’d never seen before, and I had to sleep with my parents that night. Years later, the storyline is still good and I recommend this movie every year.
4. Nightmare Before Christmas
Rated: PG
This movie is another cult classic. The story combines two of the best holidays, in my opinion, for a spooky yet sweet story. The visual execution is also phenomenal, but that’s just my artistic geek speaking.
5. The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Rated: Not Rated
The Peanuts Gang raised me when nobody else would. I have a special place in my heart for Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the crew and the love grows fonder for this holiday-themed short. Though only 25 minutes, day 5 of October countdown should have a glimpse of childhood.
6. Halloweentown
Rate: TV-G
This movie has had 4 installments, but the original reigns superior to me. I just remembered it’s a Disney movie, and therefore on Disney Plus… Excuse me while I just relive my childhood.
7. Beetlejuice
Rated: PG
I remember ordering this movie from Netflix in about 4th grade after seeing a musical performance at Universal. The movie’s graphics spooked me a bit—go figure— but was by far one of the best movies I’d seen. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite movies.
8. The Little Vampire
Rated: PG
I watched his movie with my cousin one year in a cabin and it instantly became our movie. It’s a cute and heartwarming story with a little Halloween action due to the vampire.
9. Edward Scissorhands
Rated: PG-13
This movie isn’t necessarily a Halloween movie, but I included it due to the director being the king of Halloween: Tim Burton. Plus the movie just has Halloween vibes, and it’s again a very moving story. Also, don’t tell anyone but I had the biggest crush on Edward. Then again, who didn’t?
10. The Addams Family
Rated: PG-13
I watched the show as a kid, religiously watched this movie, and got excited about the animated reboot. For this, though, I’m recommending the original. They’re creepy and they’re kooky.
11. Twitches
Rated: PG
Watching this movie as a child low-key feels like a fever dream, but once realizing my friends also watched it we quickly bonded. My best friend and I agreed we’re the twitches in an alternative universe. I’m the moon sister if you were wondering.
12. Gremlins
Rated: PG
Even though it’s more of a Christmas movie, I always looked at it as a Halloween one due to me being scared of it as a kid. My brother showed me it when I was around 5, and I never forgave him for that nightmare fuel.
13. The Corpse Bride
Rated: PG
As I’m writing this, the song “Die, Die, We All Pass Away,” is playing in my head. Do you think there’s ever been a Corpse Bride themed wedding? Should I make future arrangements with Edward?
14. Goosebumps
Rated: PG
I saw this movie with my cousin and mom. It was a nice nostalgia moment to see an actor from my childhood acting with characters from one of my favorite book series as a kid. If you don’t watch the movie, do yourself a favor and watch the show or read one of the books. Night of the Living Dummy is my ultimate favorite, Slappy is so creepy!
15. Mostly Ghostly
Rated: PG
Just found out as I’m doing research for this article that there’s a reboot that was made in 2014? I’ll definitely be checking it out, but I’m talking about the 2008 version right now. I saw it when it first premiered on Disney, and I’m due for a re-watch. I was always jealous of Max, I want to find ghost friends in my basement!
16. Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular
Rated: Not Rated
I saw this movie a few years back, and I absolutely loved it so much I begged my mom to buy it. Again, I was extremely jealous of the main character, wishing I had my own Scary Godmother Witch who would take me to a Halloween party at her house where I’m introduced to a bunch of cool monsters. Anyone else?
17. The House With a Clock in its Walls
Rated: PG
Again, I saw this movie because of Jack Black. I was in awe with the visuals and really enjoyed how the director, Eli Roth, chose to bring the story to life. Though it’s not really a Halloween story, it made the list due to the characters you come across in the film.
18. ParaNorman
Rated: PG
I saw this movie in theaters with my Girl Scout Troop. It had jokes I really appreciated at that time and an unlikely alliance I found refreshing. I’ll be giving this movie another watch this year.
19. Frankenweenie
Rated: PG
This movie reminds me of a PG version of Pet Cemetery. I saw it around the same time I saw ParaNorman, and it hit me right in the chest. At the time I didn’t have my best friend in my life yet—my cat— but I could only imagine the love the townspeople and Victor had for their animals.
20. Toy Story of Terror
Rated: TV-G
Though it’s short, I still enjoyed it. The Toy Story franchise is what I grew up on, and they’re by far my favorite movie series. Even their shorts never fail to entertain me, and this one is no exception.
21. Coraline
Rated: PG
This movie should be rated R. Remember when I said Monster House scared me? Yeah, well this movie takes the cake.
I can now watch Monster House with no fear, but this movie? Nope, that spider woman still gives me nightmares. Tried to see it last year with my friends, and I just couldn’t do it. I recently got the book, so we’ll see how that goes.
22. E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
Rated: PG
Again, this movie isn’t really a Halloween movie...but come on, let it slide. It’s an adorable alien! I blame this movie for my love of riding bikes with baskets and jellybeans.
23. Ghostbusters
Rated: PG
If you were able to read the name without singing the song, I’ll give you five dollars. For the rest of you, congratulations you are a person of taste. No, but really, I make so many references to this movie and none of my friends understand.
Please watch this movie, so we can bond over it. You won’t regret it!
24. Ghostbusters 2
Rated: PG
Okay, I know what you’re thinking, but I really need you guys to watch this movie! I’ve always wanted to be a Ghostbuster, so thinking about going as them this year, but I need three more people. Anyone?
No? Okay, that’s fair.
25. Hotel Transylvania
Rated: PG
Any movie where monsters are doing humane things always makes me laugh. It’s like when a cat likes to be tucked in or a dog’s howls sound like “I love you,” it gets me every time. This series is really adorable and I recommend it if you need something wholesome.
26. Alice in Wonderland
Rated: PG
Live actions are always so much creepier. I saw this movie 10 minutes after I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid in theaters, and I immediately asked my mom for an Alice costume. Again, this may not be a Halloween movie, but it sure has the feeling of one. You can’t tell me that caterpillar didn’t spook you a little.
27. Coco
Rated: PG
I am not alone with the opinion that this movie is gold. I watched it the other night, and I still love it so much. It’s not Halloween, but it is the Day of the Dead, which is a very cool celebration that I encourage you to learn more about it.
28. The Twilight Zone
Rated: PG
My mother watched the show with me growing up and insisted it was scary to her as a child. It’s hard to believe now, but I found it just as enjoyable. This show and movie is a good look at film history. I’ve yet to watch the new show that came out in 2019, but I have high hope.
29. The Haunted Mansion
Rated: PG
This movie is priceless! It still makes me laugh and reminds me of pre-school when we’d watch it during snack time. This movie has beautiful family relationships, so I suggest watching this with your family.
30. Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare
Rated: Not Rated
Don’t lie, Scooby-Doo has never failed us. These movies are the reason I have journals filled with “mysteries” on what the weird stain on the laundry room floor is—spoiler alert, it was bleach— or why I wanted a van just so my friends and I can paint it like the Mystery Machine. Though all the Scooby movies could be on this list, this one is my all-time favorite.
31. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Rated: PG-13
And finally, the movie you’ll be watching on Halloween is this one. I think it’s very fitting, whether you plan on going Trick-Or-Treating or staying indoors, this movie should help you stir up your own scary stories.
So what do you think of this list? Are there any you haven’t seen before or ones you’d add to the list? Sounds off in the comments, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter so you can stay up to date on future uploads! P.S, if you have any scary stories, feel free to DM or email me, I’d love to hear them!
