Halloween is one of my favorite times of year for many different reasons (including but not limited to binge eating mini candy bars). Dressing up in random costumes, pumpkin and fall beers, watching my wife paint/carve pumpkins (I do not have an artistic bone in my body, but my wife is exceptionally creative), and going trick-or-treating with my daughter make me smile just thinking about this time of year.
With that being said, my favorite part of Halloween are the movies and television specials that are available for kids. Growing up I used to plan out my October based on when the networks were airing the yearly Halloween events. Here are a few family-friendly Halloween movies and TV specials to enjoy with your family.
5. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
To me, “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” put the world on notice that it is Halloween. Watching Linus convince the audience of the Great Pumpkin transports me directly back to when I was in my youth wearing a pirate costume. This one is a classic and never disappoints.
(Re-airing on ABC on 10/30 at 8pm; available on Amazon instant video for $9.99)
4. DreamWorks Spooky Stories
At first glance it looks like this is just DreamWorks capitalizing on Halloween, but it is much more than that. The stories are quite entertaining with just enough scary elements to keep adults engaged without giving children nightmares. My three year old loves this collection.
(available on Netflix instant stream)
Click to the next page for the next picks!
3. Curious George: A Halloween Boofest
My wife and I have always loved Curious George, a trait that my daughter inherited. The story is an age appropriate mystery for children 3-8 years old, so older kids may not find it as interesting. While watching this with my daughter, I found myself more interested in watching her reactions than watching the movie. Parents, if your kid is watching this, feel free to surf the internet or Facebook on your phone. The children will never notice.
(available on Netflix instant stream)
2. Toy Story of TERROR!
While we may not get another feature length Toy Story movie anytime soon, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang encounter there own scary adventure in “Toy Story of TERROR!” The scary elements are just enough for this to fit the mold of a Halloween special, but the truth it is is great to watch anytime of year. My daughter loves this one and just like the movies and other Toy Story shorts, I seem to enjoy it possibly more than she does.
(airing throughout October on the Disney Channel,Disney Junior and ABC family; check your local listings)
Click to the next page for the final pick!
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
This was mentioned in Mike’s post regarding the Top 11 Films for Your Halloween Season and I can’t disagree. My relationship with ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is different than many people’s experience in that I did not watch it until I was in my late 20s. Ever since then, I have wanted to jump in a Delorean, go back in time and smack myself in the face for not watching the movie sooner. The songs are wonderful, the stop-motion animation is fantastic and whimsical and Jack Skellington may be my favorite Tim Burton-created character of all time.
My only complaint I have with this movie is my three year old is not ready to watch the whole thing. Many scenes would certainly give her nightmares while keeping her up at night and I value my sleep. I will say she will be ready to watch the scene when Jack first discovers Christmas Town and sings “What’s This?” this year before Santa visits her house. Aside from that scene, I may have to be patient and wait a few years before showing her this one.
(available on Netflix instant stream)
Which Halloween movies or specials do you like to watch each year?