Halloween is creeping up, and there's no better time for a spooky yet fun family movie night. If you're scouring the internet for some frightfully delightful movie night ideas, your search ends here. Treat your family to a spooky outdoor watch party, indulge in some exciting games during movie breaks, and dive into our selection of classic and modern family Halloween movies. Let's get those cauldrons bubbling and have an unforgettable movie night.
Preparing Your Home for a Spooky Watch Party
As Halloween nears, it's the perfect time to throw a spooktacular family movie night. Dramatic outdoor lighting and eerie decorations are the keys to creating the right atmosphere. Illuminate your backyard with orange and black candles or colorful string lights. Hang up some spooky bunting featuring classic Halloween characters like witches, ghosts, and bats. Scattered tombstones and a fog machine can give a haunted mansion appeal to your movie screening space.
You could also get creative with seating arrangements; think big outdoor floor cushions, pop up tents, or picnic blankets. This not only makes the viewing more comfortable but also adds a fun element for the younger members of your family. Set up a projector and a screen draped with spider webs and creepy crawly plastic spiders.
Cozy up With a Spooky Friends Theme
The best family movie nights are those with a cohesive theme. This Halloween, why not decorate your outdoor space with a Spooky Friends theme? This party motif is the perfect blend of classic Halloween symbols and family-friendly fun. Think friendly ghosts, adorable black cats, cheerful jack-o'-lanterns, smiling skeletons, and silly spiders. These playful Halloween creatures and decorations embody the spirit of Halloween without being too frightening for younger family members.
Look for decorations and products featuring cute renditions of these Halloween icons, such as tableware, balloons, window decals, garlands, and yard signs. Pick party favors like stickers, temporary tattoos, Halloween slime, spider rings, or puzzles. Use lots of orange, black, purple, and green to reinforce the color scheme.
Use Themed Tableware & Drinkware to Create a Spooky Table
Food and drinks form an integral part of any family movie night. Make your Halloween movie night memorable by serving snacks and drinks in spooky themed tableware and drinkware. Use a tablecloth with a Halloween pattern as the base for your food display, then add a haunting centerpiece and supporting decorations, like cauldrons full of candy
The treats you serve could also follow the theme. For a Hocus Pocus night, for example, you can serve broomstick shaped breadsticks and a cauldron of molten cheese dip. You can also bake cookies together shaped like your favorite Halloween icons, like bats or ghosts.
Fill Halloween Buckets With Popcorn & Candy
What's a movie night without popcorn and candy? Pop these treats into Halloween-themed bowls or trick-or-treat buckets that everyone can grab from throughout the night. Halloween favorites such as candy corn, chocolate in pumpkin and ghost shapes, "body part" gummies, and other spooky, sweet delights are the perfect accompaniments to your scary movie night. You can even make a sweet and salty treat by making chocolate drizzled popcorn, or mixing candy into popcorn for the perfect movie trail mix.
Set up a S'mores Board
No outdoor family movie night is complete without a special treat, and a DIY s'mores board really fits the bill. A well-stocked s'mores bar is an interactive way to keep the kids (and adults!) engaged during intermissions. Provide a selection of graham crackers, different types of chocolates (including, perhaps, some Halloween-themed spooky shapes), and marshmallows. Don't forget a source of heat — if you don't have a fire pit, a portable s'mores board or grill will do the trick.
Select the Perfect Halloween Costume
Encourage everyone to attend movie night in their Halloween costumes. Choose from a variety of family-friendly Halloween characters like Wednesday from "The Addams Family," Jack and Sally from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," or the Sanderson Sisters from "Hocus Pocus."
The Best Halloween Family Movies
Planning a family movie night for Halloween can be scary fun. Choosing the perfect spooky movie can build suspense even before the actual night of movie watching. But don't be deceived, not all horror movies are suitable for all ages.
Certain Halloween movies might start a love for horror in the youngsters, but on the other hand, some might be too spine chilling for young kids. Here we've compiled a list of family-friendly films that strike a balance between the Halloween spirit and fun entertainment.
Additional Halloween Family Movie Night Activities
To take things up a notch, why not blend your spooky movie viewing with some interactive Halloween activities? Not only does this enhance the fun level, but playing off the film's themes can create an immersive movie night experience. Getting the whole family engaged through relevant games and crafts makes the movie marathon even more memorable.
Halloween-Themed Games to Play During Movie Breaks
If you're working through a Halloween movie marathon, occasionally, you'll need some breaks. These breaks are an excellent window for quick Halloween-themed games.
For instance, if The Nightmare Before Christmas is on your watchlist, consider setting up some themed crafts just as Jack Skellington crafts his own Christmas experience. DIY skeleton decorations, pumpkin painting, or a simple kit are great add-ons to the movie night.
Another unique activity could be a mini costume contest. If the Addams Family is your chosen flick, encourage your family to don their best Uncle Fester or Wednesday Addams costume. It adds to the Halloween spirit and makes the movie viewing even more entertaining.
For fans of Hocus Pocus, a quick round of "Witch's Spell" would be perfect to keep the movie night magic alive. Just like the Sanderson sisters cast their spells in the movie, in this game, each player uses imaginary ingredients to create their own whimsical and hilarious spells.
Here are some additional activities families can try:
Pumpkin bowling: Set up a homemade pumpkin pin bowling lane using plastic bottles or mini pumpkins as pins.
Pumpkin bean bag toss: Set up Halloween-themed bean bag toss buckets or cardboard cutouts for targets. Everyone can try to knock down the pumpkins or toss bean bags into the buckets for some active fun between films.
Halloween bingo or trivia: Print out bingo cards using Halloween words, images, or movie trivia questions. Call out the items for kids to mark on their cards. Or read spooky trivia questions and have everyone race to shout out answers. Offer fun prizes like candy or small toys for winners.
Flashlight tag: For an exciting twist on tag, turn off all lights and hand out flashlights. The "It" player tries to tag others while everyone runs around with flashlights shining. The glow of flashlights adds giggly thrills to the classic game.
Halloween piñata: Fill a pumpkin, witch hat, or other spooky character piñata with an assortment of miniature candy, Halloween trinkets, stickers, and temporary tattoos. Let each child take a turn being blindfolded and hitting the piñata with a stick until it breaks open, spilling out the treats inside for all to share.
Bobbing for apples: This classic game is perfect family fun. Fill a large tub or bucket with water and float several apples inside. Family members take turns kneeling by the bucket and trying to grab an apple using only their teeth, keeping their hands behind their backs. It's silly, messy fun for all ages!
Ultimately, these added activities and games are a fantastic way to amplify the fun of your movie night. After all, Halloween is about more than just dressing up and enjoying sweet treats — it's about coming together with your loved ones to enjoy this special time of year. With these ideas, your Halloween movie night is sure to be a hit.
Get in the Spirit With Family-Friendly Halloween Supplies at Party City
For all your Halloween party needs, look no further than Party City. We offer a large selection of party supplies for every Halloween occasion, from decorations and costumes to candy, crafts, and mor
Stock up on themed tableware, creepy tablecloths, string lights, pumpkin buckets, Halloween piñatas, and more. We have group costume themes and individual costumes for all ages, as well as candy corn, chocolates, your favorite brand name candies, and other tasty treats. Pick up pumpkin carving kits, Halloween crafts and activities to keep kids engaged between films. We take the guesswork out of party planning so you can focus on making memories together.
Shop our Halloween party supplies collection online or find a store near you to make your family’s Halloween movie marathon a frighteningly fun night.
Halloween Family Movie Night FAQs
Which movies should I play for a Halloween family movie night?
When deciding between movies, it's essential to consider age-appropriate content that won't be too scary for younger viewers. A great choice for a family movie night is Tim Burton's animated film, "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Burton is known for his creative and friendly Halloween movies that aren't too scary for young children.
Another great choice is "Monster House," an animated adventure with just the right amount of spookiness. And let's not forget "The Addams Family," a classic favorite where Uncle Fester and the family bring humor to what might be a scary movie.
What food and snacks are good for a Halloween movie party?
Great snacks for Halloween movie night include popcorn, candy corn, chocolates, apple slices with caramel, Rice Krispie treats, s’mores, pumpkin-shaped cookies, and cupcakes. Serve snacks in spooky serving containers like trick-or-treating buckets or Halloween-themed bowls. Offer fun themed beverages like hot apple cider or red Halloween punch.
What are the best Halloween movies for tweens and teens?
Some spooky movies tweens and teens may enjoy include Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, Halloweentown, Monster Squad, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Balance out the fright factor to suit different ages.
What can I do to make the night more memorable?
Beyond the movies, there's a lot you can do to up the fun factor. Consider themed decorations, costumes, and snacks. Kit Kats, popcorn, and candied apples are timeless Halloween treats. Play a game or two, like "bobbing for apples" or "guess the villain," for added laughs. Creating a "campsite" with a fire pit, tent, and a haunted vibe can take the movie night to another level. These Halloween activities are sure to make for an unforgettable night.