Halloween Movies for Children

As an 8 year old, my bother, 6, and I ventured into a video rental store with my father and were immediately taken with the cardboard cut-out advertisements for the recently released to video Freddy Krueger movie. We begged and pleaded with my father to please, please, please rent it. We promised we wouldn't be scared and we wouldn't think it was real. He insisted that is was not appropriate for kids our age, but in the end, we turned out to be persistent little buggers. We got our way.

As soon as the movie was over, it was bedtime. And that's when my brother and I realized that we were far too scared to sleep. After all, Freddy comes to get you in your dreams. I spent a sleepless night in a terrified ball on the floor, refusing to lie on a bed (Freddy could be under there!) And so we discovered my father was right all along. It was too scary for us.

So parents, let that be a lesson to you: no matter how much they beg, don't allow your children to terrify themselves this Halloween (or any time they need a horror movie fix). Instead, avoid scared-sleepless nights and give kids the option to choose from some of these kid-friendly scary movies.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown- Is the legend of the Great Pumpkin real or make believe? Find out when Linus does when you and the kiddos settle to watch this must-see Halloween classic. This movie is not rated.

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie, a Halloween movie that replaces lessons of blood, gore and death with that of friendship is particularly well suited for very young children. It includes the spooky new character, the Gobloon, who can turn Pooh and friends into Jaggedy Lanterns if he catches them. Rated G.

Casper- This PG rated movie weaves a tale of a budding friendship between Kat, daughter of a "Ghost Therapist," and Casper, the world's most famous friendly ghost.

Addams Family and/or Addams Family Values- They're creepy and they're kooky! They're America's favorite freaky family! Bubbling gooey dinner plates; Thing, Lurch, Cousin It, and Uncle Fester; beds of made of nails; and the dreaded normal-kids summer camp. Both movies are full of spooky Halloween material without being bloody or scary.

Hocus Pocus- Before Sarah Jessica Parker's infamous role on Sex in the City, she played one of a group of friends who have to stop 17th century Salem witches that have been conjured up by pranking kids.

The Witches- Anjelica Houston makes a convincing Grand High Witch. After catching a boy hiding out and eavesdropping during their secret witch convention, she turns him into a mouse. But he just can't let becoming a mouse stop him from trying to save the world from these witches!

Tim Burton has made so many movies with spooky characters that he gets his own category here.
Corpse Bride- The 2005 animated movie is a musical number about a man, Victor, who accidentally marries the "Corpse Bride," who died on her wedding day. Victor, who was supposed to marry another woman, has to figure out how to let down the Corpse Bride gently. Children will love the imaginative dancing, drinking, singing skeletons and worms.

The Nightmare Before Christmas- A bit scarier than the Tim Burton movies listed here, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows a "Halloweentown" resident who moves into Christmas Town and tries to spread holiday cheer but doesn't understand that scary Halloween-ish gifts aren't what people expected to find under their trees.

Edward Scissorhands- Sure, it could be classified as a Christmas movie too, but the pale, scarred face and razor sharp digits of Edward Scissorhands is good material for Halloween, too.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- It's all about candy! No deaths, no monsters, no chainsaws will be found in this movie, just miles and miles of candy factory wonderland.