3 spellbinding movies to get your kids into the Spooky Season

September has arrived quicker than a witch's broom soaring in the night sky, and you know what that means. It's the start of the Spooky Season, and getting ready for Halloween. And you know what? We love Halloween since there's no more fabulous holiday to express your creativity and appreciate October.

Now, Halloween has many "rituals" or traditions, from costuming, candy indulgence, decorating, parties, the love of bats and black cats, pumpkins, and finally, movies! Seriously, you cannot celebrate Halloween without watching a movie or two or to your heart's content.

But with so many movies to choose from, how do you know which ones to watch with your kids? We're going to give you three fun, kid-friendly movies with plenty of Halloween spookiness that are equally sweet to the parents.

So enter the spellbinding magic of these three movie picks, if you dare.

3 Halloween movies to begin the Spooky Season

The main ingredient of our choices will be witches and all three are pop culture staples.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Starting off the list correctly is the classic Hocus Pocus. Set in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts, the Sanderson sisters return from 1693 to get their revenge on innocent children after their ancestors burned them alive for being witches. Don't get fooled by the Sandersons (Winnifred, Mary, and Sarah), however, as they get their due for stealing precious souls.

It's up to Max, his sister Danni, his crush Allison, and a talking black cat named Binx, to stop the Sandersons from wreaking havoc and despair once again and saving Salem. Needless to say, the witches' potion has dried up, thanks to Max and his support.

As a delightful bonus, Bette Midler, who portrayed Winnifred, done a spectacular job of performing "I Put A Spell On You," which added to Hocus Pocus' magic.

The sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, was released on Disney+ in 2023. It has the same storytelling as its predecessor, with Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising their witchy roles. Sadly, there's no talking cat, but at least there's one.

Where to watch: Disney+

Teen Witch (1989)

In this 1980s movie, a high schooler named Louise discovers she's a descendant of Salem witches from 1692. Following her 16th birthday, she acquires her powers, which leads her to practice magic and cast spells to get everything she wants, including popularity and her dream guy. Louise wonders if her magic is just an icon to succeed or if she truly deserves everything.

With catchy songs, 80s fashion, and Zelda Rubinstein as Louise's mentor, Teen Witch fills in on all the fun factors and makes the perfect early Halloween rom-com.

As the film has a PG-13 rating due to teen material, it's more suitable for ages 12 and up.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Tim Burton brings his stop-motion puppetry to life in The Nightmare Before Christmas. When Jack Skellington grows tired of being the Pumpkin King of Halloween, he sets forth to find something new and different and discovers the December holiday, Christmas. However, Jack attempts to mesh the two holidays together, which isn't necessarily a bad idea, but some people may not like its mystique.

Aside from the masterful puppetry and a 1950s/ Victorian aesthetic, The Nightmare Before Christmas has music composed by the legendary Danny Elfman, who also wrote The Simpsons' theme, and an innocent love between Jack and the ragdoll, Sally.

Where to watch: Disney+