We love watching TV together and connecting over fun shows that lean into the kids’ interests. And if you’ve been around for a fall season, you probably know we LOVE Halloween season – October is big in our house! For us, it’s not the spooky Halloween we love – it’s the dressing up, dancing around and having fun… leaning into that everyday magic that a season of wearing costumes and enjoying crisp autumn air brings. There’s such a joy and wonder when you view holidays through the eyes of little kids so we try to lean into that and embrace the whimsy, wonder, and magic of the season while they’re still little. Naturally, we have several kid-friendly TV shows and movies that we’ve come to enjoy throughout the Halloween season.
One thing in particular that we love to do is on Halloween night is we go trick-or-treating, come back home to something fun to eat (this year it will be pizza shaped like a jack-o-lantern) and watch a Halloween show while we eat our dinner and then dump all the candy into one big pile to go through together, sort, and divvy out.
Each family’s answer to how much screen time is the right amount for them will vary based on their kids’ ages and temperaments, family schedules, and more. BUT, if you’re open to family screen time (which I assume you are since you’re reading this post), here are our favorite toddler-friendly Halloween shows and movies that you may love across three platforms: Netflix, Disney+, and Youtube.
Netflix
Mighty Monsterwheelies: This is a new Netflix series released this year and it has been on repeat in our household. William is obsessed. Think Paw Patrol type helper heroes mixed with vehicles and classic “monster” characters: friendly monster themed cars help their community face various issues while focusing on common themes like problem-solving, working together, and being brave. There are 26 episodes in season 1 and each episode lasts around 13-14 minutes. This show is not scary and is super toddler-friendly. Both my 3.5y and 1y sons love it. You can check out the trailer here.
A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween: If you’re already a Cory Carson fan, you’ll certainly love this Halloween special. This mini-show is 21 minutes long and features your favorite Cory Carson characters while Cory and Chrissy adventure around town trick-or-treating on a hunt for a King-sized candy bar. Each of the show’s could-have-been scary moments are punctuated with humor and silliness in a way that doesn’t make the show scary at all. You can see the trailer here.
Super Monsters Save Halloween: This mini-show is 24 minutes long and follows the Super Monster kids (the pre-school children of the most famous monsters) while they work to help a friend get into the Halloween spirit and face their fears. This is, again, a show with nothing actually scary in it and it focuses on being a good friend and being brave. This (along with the rest of the Super Monsters shows) are a fun show to watch together. You can check out the trailer here.
Watching these shows on Netflix will require a subscription. Subscriptions start at $6.99/month. You can explore a membership at Netflix.com.
Disney+
Mickey and Friends Trick or Treats: The classic gang of Mickey characters are off trick or treating in this special stop-motion film. They visit the scariest house in search of the best candy, but Hazel the Witch picks “trick” and casts a spell on them! Mickey and friends must work together in this 23 minute special to undo the spell before it’s too late. This neat show is not too scary for toddlers, but has enough fun elements to keep older kids and parents entertained too! This show is actually one we watch even outside the Halloween season. The stop-motion animation style seems to be captivating for my two little ones. You can find this Disney+ title here.
Mickey’s Tale of Two Witches: This sweet 48 minute special focuses on two witches (Minnie and Daisy) who must work together to pass tests to become “real witches”. Along the way they defeat a ghost, work on teamwork, and become better friends. You can find this Disney+ title here.
Spooky Buddies: If your kids LOVE puppies and kitties like mine do, this fun “talking animal” movie will be a hit. This one is an actual movie length at 1 hour, 33 minutes and focuses on teamwork and friendship. Sprinkled with humor and adorable puppies, this one is a good one for a full family movie night. You can find this Disney+ title here.
Watching these shows on Disney+ will require a subscription. Subscriptions start at $10.99/month. You can explore a membership at DisneyPlus.com
YouTube
Danny Go! Halloween: If you’ve never experienced Danny Go! videos before, then prepare for some FUN! The original music that fills any Danny Go! video is fun and catchy for the whole family and encourages kids to get up and move. I love screen time that gets my kids up and moving, dancing, and laughing. Danny Go! videos regularly check all of those boxes. Danny Go! has several shorter Halloween videos that are wonderful, but he also has put together a compilation video that lasts 21 minutes and is full of great get-off-the-couch Halloween fun. It’s appropriate (and fun) for the WHOLE family. Get ready to groove and check out the Halloween compilation video here.
Super Simple Songs Halloween: The whiplash my 1 year old looks like he is about to get from whipping his head around so fast whenever he hears the opening jingle of a Super Simple Songs video is wild. Super Simple Songs has entertaining music and simple animations on their videos. The songs are easy for little ones to remember and there isn’t an actually scary element in any of their productions. It’s all incredibly kid-friendly. Their Halloween compilation video is 51 minutes long (!) and you can catch the video here.
Bonus: The Super Simple Songs website has tons of amazing resources: crafts, printables, parenting and teaching resources, activity and stem guides, and more! It’s a GREAT resource for those fall, winter, spring, and summer school breaks.
Hey Bear Sensory Halloween: The joy of dancing fruit and veggies! We love Hey Bear Sensory and their Halloween special is no different! They have a new 2024 Halloween Dance Party video they are broadcasting live right now that you can catch here. They also have a Halloween video from a few years back that is awesome too (here).
No subscriptions needed for these videos on YouTube! We love a good free show that is as wonderfully entertaining as it is budget-friendly! You can always subscribe to Youtube Premium to avoid ads for $13.99/month, but it’s certainly not needed to enjoy these shows. We simply use the ads as a patience-practice with the kids (and do a bit where we shrug and just say “gotta pay the bills” when the ads start playing).
Let me know what you think!
I truly hope these shows bring joy to your family during this fun-filled Halloween season.
Let me know how it goes – I’d love to connect, hear if these shows were a hit with your family as much as they have been with ours!
Follow me on socials, comment on the social media post letting me know which one you loved, and even pop into my DMs to reach out – you can find me @appmanda on all platforms!