As you may be aware, a certain television station recently released its "31 Nights of Halloween" schedule. I was really excited to see what movies made the list, but that excitement soon turned to disappointment. While I love all of the movies scheduled to air, there are a few that don't seem to fit with the theme and (in my opinion) a few too many duplicate showings. 

Since I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to scheduling a month-long special event for a popular cable network, I'm going to hope that this year is a learning year of sorts and that next year's line-up will be much better. In the meantime, I've created my own!

1. Spookley the Square Pumpkin-  The girls watched this a few years ago and loved it. I think it's cute. Definitely not scary, but a good Halloween season movie for the kids!

2. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown- To me, this classic is a must watch during the month of October. Again, nothing scary and it's great for the kids. 

3. The Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman- This was one of my favorites to watch when I was younger. It's got some "spooky" elements to it, so some younger kids *might* be startled a bit, but overall I think it's pretty safe for kids of all ages to watch.

4. Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein- Another favorite from my childhood. Like the one with the Wolfman, this one *might* have parts that startle younger children, but overall is pretty safe for children of all ages to watch. 

5-8. The Halloweentown Movies- Halloweentown, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, Halloweentown High, and Return to Halloweentown; we watch all of them every October in our house. They typically play on the Disney Channel, but I believe they are also available on DVD. These movies do creep R (6) out a bit, but D (10) loves them. 

 

9. The Monster Squad- We watched this for the first time back in July, for Friday the 13th. We all enjoyed it, but R was a little scared at some parts. This movie was pretty innocent but did contain a few jokes/lines that are not  suitable for younger viewers. D did catch on to a few of them. 

10. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial- This isn't really a scary movie, but there is a trick-or-treating scene, so it makes the list. Plus, Drew Barrymore is in it! This is another movie that has some jokes/lines that are not really suitable for younger viewers, but we've watched this a few times and I don't think either of the girls has caught on to any of them. 

11 & 12- Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed- Scooby-Doo is one of my all time favorite characters and I love watching the live action versions, with Matthew Lillard as Shaggy! These movies are not super scary, but there are parts that may frighten younger viewers. 

13. Hocus Pocus- Because it just isn't Halloween without the Sanderson sisters, am I right? The girls have only seen this movie once, so we'll have to make sure to reintroduce it again this year. 

14. Frankenweenie- I've not seen this entire movie yet, but it seems just right for a younger audience.

15. ParaNorman- I've only been able to catch the last half hour or so of this movie, but it's another one I think would be great for a younger audience. Some really young kids might get scared, so use your discretion with this one. 

16. Corpse Bride- This movie is a little weird for me, but the girls think it's hysterical. Definitely not a scary movie, but spooky in a fun way. 

17. Coraline- We watched this movie ONCE and D was so freaked out by it that we haven't watched it since. R has never seen it and has zero interest. I say that makes it perfect for Halloween, but maybe not for kids 7 and under.

18. Monster House- I love this movie! It's weird to think it was released during the summer because it's such a perfect movie for the Halloween season. 

19. Edward Scissorhands- I haven't seen this movie since maybe the early 2000s. It's not scary, but it is kind of eerie. R probably wouldn't enjoy it, but I think D just might.

20. Beetlejuice- This one is a Wigglesworth family favorite. It could be scary for younger children, but it's mostly just zany.

21. Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire- A great family friendly film with just enough spook to get the kids in the Halloween spirit, but not keep them up with nightmares.

22. Practical Magic- I didn't watch this movie until I was an adult, but I love it. It is rated PG13, but D has seen it and liked it. It is definitely a little too much for R to handle though.

23. Casper- There are some scenes in this movie that could startle younger viewers, but it's not likely  to cause nightmares.  Both girls have watched it and loved it. 

24. Ghostbusters- Some parts might be overwhelming to younger viewers, but this is another great classic that the family can watch. 

25. The Addams Family- They may be creepy and kooky, but everyone loves the Addams. 

26. The Haunted Mansion- Some situations in the film may be a little mature, but overall this movie is spooky in a fun way. It's another favorite.

27. Little Monsters- Another "fun spooky" movie from the 80s. Both girls like this movie, but again it's another one with a few jokes/lines that are not suitable for younger kids. 

28. Goosebumps- This one definitely creeped out the girls the first time we saw it, but they liked it enough to watch it more than once. Now, it's just kind of a fun scare for them. 

29 & 30- Twitches and Twitches Too- D just happened to catch these movies on TV one year and she loves them. There are spooky elements to both films, but I think the second is the "scarier" of the two. 

31. Ernest Scared Stupid- This last one was a suggestion from my dear hubby, Matt. I've never seen this movie, but this "Ernest" character was a favorite of many of my friends back in elementary school. I guess we'll be checking it out this year! 

Well, that's my list. I did my best to include movies that were a little scary (for the older kids) and some that were not at all scary (for the younger kids). If there's a  movie that you thought should have made the list (or shouldn't have made this list), let me know in the comment section.