Just like my dad did when I was a kid, I’ve spent the vast majority of my kids’ lives trying to get them into movies, and it’s safe to say I’m making some progress. My wife and I make a big deal out of “Friday Family Movie Night,” and try to keep things on theme, which is especially exciting with Halloween quickly approaching at the time of this writing.
I’ve been looking for some great horror movies to watch with my kids in the lead-up to Halloween, but I’ve quickly found this to be no easy task when the members of the audience range in age from 3 to 7 years old. That being said, I have learned a thing or two, tried some failed experiments, and put together a list of lessons I’ve learned so far about everything from fun Halloween movies to the time of day in which to show the kids the more frightening flicks.
A 'One Size Fits All' Approach Will Get You Nowhere
With each of my kids being of different ages and temperaments and levels of obsession with Halloween (my son checks on the outside decorations every day before and after school), I have to think of multiple action plans to introduce them to horror movies. What might be too scary for my 3-year-old is too boring for my 7-year-old, and what’s too tame for one is too extreme for the other.
What I’ve been doing is gauge the situation with something light like Hocus Pocus or Ernest Scared Stupid so that I know where each of my kids stand with what some would consider classic Halloween movies. Then I go from there and work around their respective schedules. However, this isn’t a problem for my son because he’s a horror hound in the making.
A PG-13 Movie From 1988 Isn't The Same As One From 2023
Speaking of my son, he became obsessed with Killer Klowns from Outer Space after seeing animatronics based on the classic B-horror movie at Spirit Halloween at the start of the season. It was all he would talk about for a couple of weeks before I decided to show it to him. It was PG-13, and so I thought it wouldn’t be that extreme.
Let me tell you, PG-13 movies from 1988 are a lot different than those in modern times. There’s the scene where one of the alien clowns punches a guy’s head clean off his shoulders, pies melting humans into piles of bones, and people being wrapped up in cotton candy cocoons. He loved it, but now I’m questioning my parenting choices.
Trailers And Movie Clips Have Become My Best Resources
Some people prefer to go into a movie completely blind, having not watched a single trailer or clip before diving into some classic horror movie. Well, that doesn’t fly when checking out some beloved horror flick with the youngins. I’ve been going into these movies with a game plan that involves trailers and movie clips to see if my kids are going to be able to handle what’s coming their way.
As much as I would love to throw them into the deep end with Day of the Dead's zombie walk opening sequence, I need to prep them ahead of time with clips and trailers. We tried this out with my son before Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and it helped us set expectations. Now, I’m not going to do this for something like The Sixth Sense or other twist-heavy films, but you get the picture.
Watching Horror Movies During The Day Is Your Best Bet
I know this goes against conventional wisdom of watching horror movies in the dark of night to add to the experience, but come on, we’re talking about kids here. We’re talking about the same folks that aren’t upset when you purchase tickets to Sing 2 only to find out it’s a screening where the lights never go dim. If my kid is going to enjoy some mildly terrifying movie more in the day and not be a mess at night, this is the route I’m going to take.
... Unless You Want A Bed Full Of Scared Kids Come Night
However, you could live your life dangerously and turn on a marathon of all the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies at sundown and see how long it takes for your room to fill up with terrified kids thinking Freddy Krueger is in their closet or under their bed. This could happen with something as harmless as The Nightmare Before Christmas or Halloweentown as much as it could with Night of the Living Dead or Hellraiser, so be careful.
But like I said earlier, every kid is different, and you could have someone like my son who isn’t scared of slasher movies or the skeleton with red eyes in the front yard but will freak out if a tree branch rubs against his window.
Like Parenting, Patience And Empathy Is Key To An Introduction To Horror
Patience and empathy has been key to this experience, much like parenting in general. I’ve had to start, stop, and start again multiple movies the past couple of years for one reason or another. Whether it’s because one kid is too scared or another is bored, or there’s too much sugar in their bloodstream causing all kinds of hyperness, an 80-minute horror movie can quickly turn into a three-hour epic before you know it.
I’ve had to straight up turn off a handful of movies over the years because it was too much for the kids, resulting in me holding off until they go to bed to finish. When I get frustrated, I remember that little boy (me) who had his first asthma attack because of the It miniseries back in the day.
On A Side Note, What Was I Doing Watching Some Of These Movies So Young?
As a kid, I watched a lot of movies in general, but I have a ton of memories of staying up way too late on a Friday or Saturday night with various horror flicks with my older brother. Candyman, Pumpkinhead, the Child’s Play movies, and others like The Lost Boys were in constant rotation, especially during Halloween when channels would run hellacious marathons all month.
In my attempt to find horror movies to watch with the kids, I’ve been looking back on my own childhood and wondering what kind of effect spending my nights with classic horror villains at such a young age had on me. The jury is still out on this one.
All in all, it has been a fun and educational experience trying to figure out which scary movies to watch with my kids, one that I’ll continue to fine-tune in the months and years to come. I mean, I have to get them ready to see an upcoming horror movie in an actual theater at some point, right? Time will tell.
