Best Halloween movies for kids on Netflix

Kelly Ferguson thought she was signing up for a simple babysitting gig on Halloween night. Well, it turns out she was recruited into a secret society of babysitters who need to be sheltered from wicked monsters. How's that for a scary Halloween? Now, she just has to figure out how to defeat  the Boogeyman known as "The Grand Guignol." Rated PG. 

This dark fantasy film based on the children's book of the same name by JA White follows Alex Mosher, a boy from Brooklyn who loves to write scary stories. After his parents express concern for his mental health, he swears to never write another one before deciding to burn his self-penned collection of scary yarns, which he calls his ‘Night books’. However, after sneaking out of his apartment to destroy his story collections in the apartment building’s furnace, Alex becomes prisoner to a witch who insists that he must write her scary stories or, you know, she’ll kill him. Together with another captive called Yazmin, Alex must figure out how to escape the evil witch’s clutches and return home.

Moving to a new house is not without its challenges, but could you imagine what it would be like if said house is being ambushed by underground beasts? One teen soon finds out that only ones who are able to stop this madness are the gnomes. Talk about an intersting move! Rated PG. 

Taking the phrase ‘haunted house’ to a new literal extreme, in this computer-animated adventure, a home is possessed by the soul of an angry human spirit, and it’s up to three kids to save their neighbourhood. Featuring voice work from Steve Buscemi and Maggie Gyllenhaal, a script co-written by Community creator Dan Harmon and executive producers credits from Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, it’ll amuse the adults in the room as much as the kids. Rated PG.

Based on the dark children’s books, this goth-tinged kids fantasy follows the orphaned Baudelaire siblings – that’s Violet, Klaus and wee baby Sunny – as they attempt to outwit their scheming caretaker, the evil Count Olaf. Jim Carrey uses his leftover Grinch energy in assuming the role of Olaf, making for a film that’s fun, frightening and thrilling in equal measure. Rated PG.  

When the Sands family inherits a creepy castle in Romania, no one is more stoked than monster-obsessed 14-year-old Hunter – but he gets a bit more than he bargained for when a lab accident transforms his nerdy sister into a werewolf. What’s a boy to do?! Rated PG. 

Gabi and Spencer are ghost hunters who have one problem: they’ve never seen an actual ghost. That could all be about to change, though, when they go to investigate a spooky mansion, Geist Manor. However, together with Spooky the dog, they soon realize that the supernatural isn’t the only thing they’ll have to contend with when they visit this haunted house.

This horror comedy starring Adam Sandler is definitely one for older kids given it contains some crude language, sexual references and jokes not suitable for youngsters, but if you’re in the market for an old school comedy then it delivers. Sandler plays kind hearted Hubie, a local busybody who is the victim of bullying in his hometown of Salem in Massachusetts. As the official Halloween Helper, he is responsible for monitoring the city for any weird goings on during trick or treat season. And with a new suspicious neighbor, an escaped convict on the run and people disappearing mysteriously, Hubie has his hands full this Halloween.

In this charmingly animated children’s anime, a young girl named Okko goes to live at her grandmother’s rural Japanese inn after her parents die in a car accident, where a cadre of friendly ghosts help her grapple with her loss. It sounds heavy, but it’ll teach kids about grief while also entertaining them – and maybe make the adults watching along shed a tear or two. Rated PG.

Perfect for your teeny monsters this Halloween, Spookley the Square Pumpkin is a story that's more heartwarming than frightening. He and a few pals learn to accept and embrace his different looks from the other pumpkins in the patch. Rated G. 

Attending your first Witches' Ball is a big deal. Luckily, young Beatrix is ready for her debut. Rated PG. 

Grumpy nerd Melvin tries to cancel Halloween, but best buds Harold and George have a plan to stop him – with the help of a certain diaper-wearing superhero. Rated PG.

That’s Pac as in Pac-Man, who, as we all know, is highly skilled at eating mean ghosts. But what happens when the evil Dr Pacenstein attempts to swap bodies with him? Rated G