If your audience is mostly preschool and elementary kids, you need Halloween movies for kids that feel like the season without sending anyone to their parents in tears. These five are all rated G or PG and lean on friendly monsters and silly ghouls over real scares.

1. Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. is rated G and is about as safe as a monster movie gets. The monsters are the lovable kind, and it plays well to parents too.

2. Coco

Coco is rated PG and built around Día de los Muertos, so it works for a late October screening or a night on November 1 or 2. It’s colorful and full of music. It also has some emotional moments, so it lands best with kids who are a little older.

3. Scoob!

Scoob! brings a familiar gang to the big screen with a PG rating. Scooby-Doo has always been spooky in the goofy way, which is exactly the right level for this crowd.

4. The Addams Family 2

The Addams Family 2 is animated and rated PG. The humor is dark in a cartoon way, and kids who already know the family will be happy to see them again.

5. Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is the moodiest pick here. It’s a PG stop-motion film with skeletons and a gothic look, so save it for an older elementary crowd rather than the preschool set.

A few tips for a young audience

Start as close to dark as you can and keep the runtime short, since little kids fade fast on a school night. Put blankets and seating up front so they can see over the grown-ups. For more planning ideas, see our Halloween movie nights page.

Want one of these on a big screen this October? Send us your date and we’ll check what’s open.