October 2026 Movie Guide
Family-Friendly Halloween Movies to Watch in October 2026
Friendly ghosts, silly witches, animated monsters, or just enough spooky to feel like Halloween. Here is what is airing on Freeform, what is streaming on Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+ and Netflix, and 17 family favorites sorted by scare level. Made for Orange County and Los Angeles County families. All TV times are Pacific.
Not sure what to watch?
Choose who is on the couch, then tap the button. Movies you have already checked off get skipped first.
0 of 17 watched this October
Freeform, Pacific Time31 Nights of Halloween on TV
Freeform’s yearly lineup is back with Hocus Pocus, Casper, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Monsters, Inc., Scooby-Doo, Ghostbusters and more. This is the family-friendly part of the schedule, in Southern California time. See Freeform’s official schedule.
Some titles toward the bottom of the schedule, like Ghostbusters, The Addams Family, Cruella (2021) and Haunted Mansion (2023), may be better for older children. Check ratings and your child’s comfort level. All programming is subject to change. Confirm with your TV provider before movie night.
Turn on JavaScript to see the day-by-day schedule, or open Freeform’s official schedule above.
No schedule neededWhat’s Streaming
Prefer to skip the TV guide? Pick a service. Streaming lists change, so check the app before movie night.
Short on timeEasy Picks by Age
Don’t want to sort through the whole list? Start here.
Younger kids
- Spookley, the Square Pumpkin
- Toy Story of TERROR!
- Monsters, Inc.
- Monster High: The Movie
- A Really Haunted Loud House
- Sing: Thriller
- Spidey and the Avengers: Halloween Team-Up!
Elementary age, mild spooky fun
- Halloweentown
- Casper
- Hocus Pocus
- The Haunted Mansion (2003)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Muppets Haunted Mansion
- Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2
- The Book of Life
- Twitches
Older kids and teens
- Ghostbusters, Afterlife and Frozen Empire
- Coraline
- Haunted Mansion (2023)
- The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993), both live action and PG-13
- The School for Good and Evil
- We Have a Ghost
- Wendell & Wild
Ratings are only a starting point. Some kids love ghosts and monsters, and others find even cartoon scares unsettling. You know your kids best.
17 picks with tidbitsFamily Favorites by Scare Level
Check them off as you go. The green tag shows where it is airing or streaming right now, based on the lists above.
Scare level 1 of 3Little Ghouls
Ages 3 to 6. Silly, sweet, and short on jump scares. Two of these are under half an hour, which is a good bedtime-friendly start.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Linus waits all night in the pumpkin patch while the rest of the gang goes trick-or-treating. Gentle, funny, and over before anyone gets sleepy.
Tidbit
It first aired on TV in 1966 and has come back every October since. Charlie Brown getting a rock in his trick-or-treat bag is the line most families still quote.
Room on the Broom
A kind witch keeps making room on her broom for new animal friends, until a hungry dragon shows up. Rhymes the whole way through.
Tidbit
It comes from the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the same pair behind The Gruffalo. Read the book first and let your kid spot what changed.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
A giant rabbit is wrecking the town’s vegetable contest, and two clay inventors are on the case. Monster-movie fun with almost no real fright.
Tidbit
It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Every character is hand-made clay, filmed one frame at a time.
Hotel Transylvania
Dracula runs a hotel for monsters, and a human teenager walks in. Fast, goofy, and packed with monster jokes for kids and parents.
Tidbit
It was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, who also made Dexter’s Laboratory. The slapstick timing is his trademark.
Scare level 2 of 3Family Night
Ages 6 and up. A little spooky, a lot of fun, and the ones most families end up rewatching every year.
Hocus Pocus
Three witch sisters come back to Salem on Halloween night, and three kids and a talking cat have until sunrise to stop them. The one everybody asks for first.
Tidbit
It did poorly in theaters in 1993. Years of TV airings turned it into a Halloween tradition, and a sequel finally followed in 2022.
Hocus Pocus 2
The Sanderson sisters return, and this time a new group of teens has to stop them. Watch it as a double feature right after the original.
Tidbit
It came out nearly 30 years after the first movie, with the three main actresses back in their roles.
Casper
A lonely friendly ghost makes a human friend, and his three rowdy uncles make everything harder. Sweet, with a few sad moments to talk through.
Tidbit
It was one of the first big movies to build its lead character entirely with computer graphics. Casper started as a cartoon in the 1940s.
Halloweentown
On her 13th birthday, Marnie learns her family are witches and follows her grandmother to a town where every day is Halloween.
Tidbit
It started life as a Disney Channel Original Movie and spawned three sequels. Debbie Reynolds plays the grandmother.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas and tries to take it over. It counts for both holidays, so it works all season.
Tidbit
It is stop-motion, directed by Henry Selick from a story by Tim Burton. The songs were written by Danny Elfman, who also sings Jack’s singing parts.
The Addams Family (2019, animated)
The creepiest, kookiest family on the block gets new neighbors who really do not like them. Dark humor, but nothing truly scary.
Tidbit
The family began as single-panel cartoons in The New Yorker in the 1930s, then became a 1960s TV show.
Scooby-Doo
The gang has split up and gets pulled back together to solve a mystery on a spooky island. Expect a few mild jokes aimed at parents.
Tidbit
This live-action version uses a computer-animated Scooby. The cartoon original first aired in 1969, which makes the franchise more than 55 years old.
Scare level 3 of 3Brave Kids and Tweens
Ages 9 and up. Still PG, but with real creepy moments. Check the parent guide first if your kid is sensitive.
Coraline
Coraline finds a secret door to a better version of her life, and the “other mother” has button eyes. Beautiful and properly creepy.
Tidbit
It is made by the studio Laika with stop-motion puppets, from a story by Neil Gaiman.
Monster House
Three kids are sure the house across the street is alive. They are right. A fun pick for anyone who has ever looked at a house a little too long.
Tidbit
It was made with motion capture, where real actors’ movements are recorded and turned into animation. Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis were executive producers.
ParaNorman
Norman can talk to the dead, and his town needs him to stop a centuries-old curse. Spooky, funny, and kinder than it looks.
Tidbit
It comes from the same stop-motion studio as Coraline. The hair on the puppets was sculpted by hand.
Frankenweenie
A boy brings his beloved dog back to life, and his classmates try the same trick with worse results. Black and white, with a big heart. Be ready for a sad opening.
Tidbit
Tim Burton first made Frankenweenie as a short film in 1984. This feature is his stop-motion remake.
Goosebumps
Every monster from the books escapes into a small town, and a teen has to help the author put them back. Good for kids who already love the series.
Tidbit
Jack Black plays R.L. Stine, the author of the real Goosebumps books. Look for the Easter eggs from the original covers.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
A boy moves in with his uncle and finds out the old house, and the uncle, are full of magic and a ticking secret. Another good one for the house-loving crowd.
Tidbit
It is based on a 1973 children’s novel by John Bellairs. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star.
Everything in this group is checked off. Clear your checklist above to start over.
Before you press playMovie Night Tips
A good movie night is mostly picking the right movie for the smallest kid in the room.
Pick for the youngest
- Choose the scare level of your most sensitive kid, not your oldest.
- Open the Parent guide link on the card first. It lists exactly which scenes are scary.
- Watching a scary one with a younger sibling in the room? Preview it yourself first.
Make it an event
- Lights low, blankets out, phones away.
- Let each kid take a turn choosing the movie.
- Do a double feature: one little-ghoul movie first, then the main pick.
When it gets too scary
- Pause it and ask what they think will happen next. Fear shrinks when it becomes a guess.
- Skip ahead, or switch to a lower scare level. Nobody has to finish a movie.
- Keep one easy rewatch ready as a backup.
Simple and funMovie Night Snacks
No baking skills needed. Pair a snack with the movie and let the kids help.
Witch’s brew
- Popcorn in a cauldron, or any black bowl
- Green punch or limeade with gummy worms
Monster bites
- Apple slices with peanut butter for “fangs” (use sunflower butter if there is a nut allergy)
- Clementines with a green stem to look like mini pumpkins
Sweet and spooky
- Candy from the trick-or-treat haul, one piece per movie
- Banana ghosts with chocolate chip eyes
Quick answersCommon Questions
What are the best family-friendly Halloween movies?
For most families, Hocus Pocus, Hotel Transylvania, Casper, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Addams Family (2019) are safe, fun starting points. Little kids do best with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Room on the Broom.
What is a good Halloween movie for toddlers and preschoolers?
Try It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Room on the Broom, or Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. They are the gentlest picks on this page.
What Halloween movies are okay for kids who scare easily?
Stick to the Little Ghouls group and read the Parent guide first. Hotel Transylvania and the Great Pumpkin special are the safest places to start.
Which ones are best for tweens?
Coraline, Monster House, ParaNorman, Goosebumps, and The House with a Clock in Its Walls have the most real chills while staying PG.
How do I find which streaming service has a movie?
Tap Where to watch on any card. It opens a search that shows the services currently carrying that title. Streaming lists change often, so check close to movie night.
What channel is Hocus Pocus on in October 2026?
Freeform is airing Hocus Pocus repeatedly throughout October 2026 as part of its 31 Nights of Halloween. It is also streaming on Disney+.
What family Halloween movies are on Freeform?
Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2, Casper, Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, Scooby-Doo, The Haunted Mansion, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenweenie, Toy Story of TERROR!, Spooky Buddies and several Ghostbusters movies are in the lineup.
What family Halloween movies are streaming on Disney+?
Halloweentown, Twitches, Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2, Frankenweenie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Haunted Mansion, Muppets Haunted Mansion and Toy Story of TERROR!, among others.
Does Peacock have family Halloween movies?
Yes. Peacock’s 2026 family lineup includes Casper, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, The Book of Life, The Addams Family (2019) and The Addams Family 2, both animated, plus Monster Family and the Harry Potter films.
Does Paramount+ have Halloween movies for kids?
Yes. Look for A Really Haunted Loud House, Monster High: The Movie, Monster High 2, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf and Liar Liar Vampire. The live-action Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993) are there too, rated PG-13 and better for older kids. Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2 arrived on October 1, 2026.
Seasonal fun from CARE GroupMore From CARE Group This Season
Three things we are doing this fall for local families.
Kids Halloween Coloring Contest
Open to K to 6 students. Three winners each get a $50 Amazon gift card. Entries are due October 23.
Free Halloween Night Survival Kit
Reserve a free kit for trick-or-treating night. Pickup is October 31, 5 to 7 PM, at Heroes (San Marino) Park in Buena Park. Quantities are limited.
Client Appreciation Photoshoot Giveaway
Enter to win one of 3 free mini photoshoot sessions at our client photoshoot on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8 AM to 12 PM, at Heritage Park in Santa Fe Springs. Entries close Friday, October 23.
Christine Almarines
Real Estate Agent | CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate
📧 christine@carealestategroup.com
DRE #01412944
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County.
Pop some popcorn, turn off the lights, pile up the blankets and let everyone take turns choosing. If you live in Orange County or Los Angeles County, bookmark this page. We will keep sharing seasonal things to do, local events and family activities all year. Happy Halloween.
Schedule and streaming information come from Freeform, Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+ and Netflix’s own published Halloween guides, as of October 2026. All programming is subject to change. Ratings and streaming availability change too. Use the Parent guide and Where to watch links on each card to confirm before movie night. Movie titles belong to their owners and are mentioned for guidance only. This page is not affiliated with any studio or service.