Celebrate Halloween with age-appropriate entertainment.
Halloween isn’t just about the candy. When trick-or-treating is over, celebrate the day with some family-friendly Halloween movies. Make it an annual tradition.
To get the best, parent-approved Halloween movies, we consulted several Halloween-loving moms: Jeana Atkins, from Grand Junction, Colo., Robbie Maclauchlan, from Lynchburg, Va., and Laura Hamilton, from Leavenworth, Kan. Here are their picks.
They’re also fun for your nanny or babysitter to watch with your child on a rainy fall day. Maybe they can then plan fun activities or crafts based on the movie, like drawing their favorite character or making a book that tells the story of the movie.
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“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (Not Rated)
This movie is an annual treat for many families. Linus is certain this is the year the Great Pumpkin will appear in the pumpkin patch where he’s waiting. Like all movies featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts friends, this is appropriate for all ages.
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“Spookley the Square Pumpkin” (Rated G)
This movie offers Halloween fun with a bonus message about acceptance. Spookley is a square pumpkin who is teased by the other pumpkins until three spiders teach him to believe in himself. It is a great movie for the preschool set.
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“Hocus Pocus” (Rated PG)
This flick is a favorite for school-aged kids and their parents. “‘Hocus Pocus’ is my favorite Halloween movie,” Atkins says. “The kids watch it over and over. We all cheer Max, Dani and Allison on as the Sanderson witches return from old Salem and chase them. ‘Hocus Pocus’ combines just the right amount of fright with humor to make it a classic family Halloween movie.”
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“Halloweentown,” (Rated G)
This series (which continues with “Halloweentown II” and “Return to Halloweentown”) will introduce you to an alternate world where it’s always Halloween. Marnie, who turns 13 in the first movie, learns from her grandmother that she has magical powers which she must begin using or she will lose them. These movies are suitable for all ages.
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“Casper” (Rated PG)
This 1995 favorite is the story of a friendly ghost who lives with his three troublesome ghostly uncles in a haunted house. It’s based on the comic series of the same name, which was enjoyed by parents and grandparents. The adventures begin when Kat Harvey and her therapist-for-ghosts dad move into the house. As Maclauchlan says, “My daughter really loved this movie. Now I look forward to sharing the fun of Casper with my granddaughter.”
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“Double, Double, Toil and Trouble” (Not Rated)
Featuring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson as 7-year-olds Lynn and Kelly, the duo is out on a Halloween mission to get a magical moonstone from their evil aunt.
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“The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (Not Rated)
This Disney classic is actually two movies in one: “The Wind in the Willows” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Suitable for all ages, many parents will remember watching these movies as children.
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“Twitches” (Rated PG)
This movie (followed by “Twitches Too”) is about twin sisters Alex and Camryn who are separated at birth. The girls are reunited at age 21. Many adventures follow as the girls try to save their mother and learn more about their magical powers. The movies are suitable for school-aged kids, tweens and teens.
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“Mostly Ghostly” (Rated PG)
This R.L. Stein flick features an 11-year old magician named Max and the secret ghost world he enters on Halloween. This movie features a boy as the lead character and is suitable for elementary-aged kids and tweens.
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“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Treat” (Not Rated)
As Mickey and friends try to get to the big Halloween party on time, kids will learn about working together and can practice their counting skills while being entertained by the antics of the Disney gang. Hamilton says, “Both of my kids love this movie and so do their friends. It’s always the right season for Mickey Mouse.”
Article provided by Care.com (www.Care.com), the largest online care destination in the world.
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