No Halloween season is complete without watching at least one scary movie, but depending on the age of your kids, your level of “scary” might need to vary. From toddlers to teenagers, here’s a movie for every age group.

Pooh’s Heffalump Movie. Toddlers definitely can’t watch traditional scary Halloween movies, but what toddler doesn’t like costumes and candy? Help your littlest ones celebrate by watching Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood gang plan Halloween activities with their new friend, Lumpy the Heffalump. The Gobloon is a little scary—a monster that supposedly catches residents of the Hundred Acre Wood every Halloween and turns them into Jack-o’-lanterns—but (spoiler alert) the mysterious figure the friends assumed was the Gobloon turns out to be Kanga. Rated G.

Monsters, Inc. Preschoolers are the kids who are most likely to be afraid of the dark, so showing them a "behind-the-scenes" look at what goes bump in the night with Monsters, Inc. is great for this time of year. Not only will they love the wisecracking Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and bumbling Sully (voiced by John Goodman), but they’ll see that monsters really aren’t that scary. Rated G.

Hocus Pocus. This is practically a Halloween classic, so if your elementary school-age child hasn’t seen it yet, this is the year to watch it. The witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, are more silly than scary and the brother and sister at the center of the movie struggle with fitting into their new school after moving from Los Angeles to Salem, a theme most kids can relate to. Plus, if this was a movie you watched as a kid or teenager, you’ll love sharing the memories with your kids. Rated PG.

The Goonies. It may not be a movie that is traditionally associated with Halloween, but going on an adventure to find a pirate’s treasure seems pretty appropriate for this time of year. Preteens will appreciate seeing kids not much older than them taking the lead, and parents who grew up with this '80s classic will see the family dynamics in a whole new light watching the movie as an adult. Rated PG.

Gremlins. While the namesake monsters in this movie are definitely too scary for younger kids, this is a great movie for teenagers that offers a little scariness (and a little grossness), but nothing that will cause nightmares. Plus, every teenager needs to know the meaning behind, "never, ever feed it after midnight." Rated PG.

 

Jennifer Gilbert has been writing professionally for more than 10 years, with topics including everything from parenting to candy manufacturing. She, her husband and two kids live in the Chicagoland area.