Get the cauldron bubbling for a movie night with this list of fantastical witch movies for kids
When it comes to the magic of Halloween, few things are as synonymous as witches. So when you want to cue up a little movie for a cool October night, turn to the witches to entertain. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite witch-themed movies we think most kids will love. While we included the conventional suggested rating, we’ve also added a spell-binding rating system of our own: one cauldron (sweet) to five cauldrons (super scary).
Naturally, you know your children best and what is not-at-all scary to one may give another one nightmares for weeks. Use your best judgment when choosing any scary movies to watch with your kids.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Before he made Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki directed and co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of the book about a young witch trying to support herself with a courier business. This is a sweet and refreshing view showing witches as something other than evil.
Rated G
1 cauldron
Watch it on HBO-Max
The Witches
The 2020 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book is about a boy and his grandma trying to thwart a coven of witches who turn children into mice. The movie is family-friendly, but the witches are kinda freaky when they transform, and the idea of someone turning little kids into mice might freak out the younger crowd.
Rated PG
2 cauldrons
Watch it on Prime Video
I Married a Witch
This 1942 movie starring the vampy Veronica Lake is big on charm, albeit of another era. The black and white film’s plot involves a 17th-century witch who comes back to life for revenge. To wreak havoc in the life of the descendant of the man who doomed her to death, she casts a love spell on him, with some comedic results. While the movie isn’t scary, it’s packed with antiquated gender stereotypes tinged with the misogynistic idea that women, even witches, live to serve men. Still, it’s a gentle movie scare-wise and has some beautiful witchy scenes.
No rating
1 cauldron
Watch it on HBO Max
Hocus Pocus
Ah, do we have to tell you the plot of this movie? Just in case: it’s the story of the Sanderson Sisters, Salem witches who come back to life on Halloween night thanks to a young boy. It doesn’t have too many truly scary scenes, though the famous boooook is made of human skin, and there are other spooky moments. The cauldron rating is low, but be aware that the humor and some of the innuendos (including some vague sexual ones) will go over the heads of younger kids. And get ready for the long-awaited sequel, which comes to Disney+ at the end of September!
Rated PG
2 cauldrons
Watch it on Disney+
Related: 17 Witch Books for Kids That Are Only a Little Wicked
Bewitched
This 2005 movie is campier than it is scary, the premise being the 1964 Bewitched sitcom is about to be made into a new TV series and a very witchy leading lady comes out of seemingly nowhere. Younger kids won’t find this particularly funny, but it’s an easy rom-com watch for tweens and teens. Starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.
Rated PG-13
1 cauldron
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
The Craft
This gothic teen’s dream movie might be the ultimate witch movie. It’s rated R, and it’s packed with scary scenes, like snakes crawling out of sinks and people levitating against their will. Outcast teens discover their powers so there is an underlying message of empowerment albeit under the guise of pure evil.
Rated R
5 cauldrons
Watch it on Paramount+
Nightbooks
The premise of the 2021 Netflix movie about a boy who is held prisoner by a witch sounds a little scarier than it is. The boy, Alex, writes scary stories, and the witch demands a new story every night. He’s trapped until he meets Yazmin, who knows everything there is to know about the enchanted apartment building. There are plenty of scary scenes, including creepy masks, not to mention the whole idea that your neighbor is a creepy witch and can hold you hostage. Fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Stranger Things will love the general aesthetic. Based on the 2018 book by J.A. White.
Rated TV-PG
4 cauldrons
Watch it on Netflix
Halloweentown
A late ‘90s made-for-TV movie about a generation of witches trying to save their town from evil. Not scary, but a fun Halloween watch, especially with tweens. Whip up some pumpkin spice cookies and settle in for an October evening movie.
Rated TV-G
1 cauldron
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
Related: 11 Pretend Potions for Kids You Can Create Today
Bedknobs & Broomsticks
When it comes to witch movies for kids this Disney classic from 1971 takes a lighter approach to witchcraft with a heroic twist: three kids join an apprentice witch on a quest to find the missing ingredient to a spell to be used to defend Britain during WWII. The musical, starring Angela Lansbury, doesn’t have any scary scenes though Nazis and WWII are frightening enough. It’s overall fine for younger viewers but be warned: it’s a long movie!
Rated G
1 cauldron
Watch it on Disney+
Teen Witch
Not surprisingly, this 1989 rom-com is probably best suited for older tweens and teens mostly due to the subject matter: it’s very teenage love quest related and some scenes include a sex ed class. Some parents might find this inappropriate for younger kids, or their younger kids just might find it boring. Scary scenes-wise, it’s quite low as the witch is the teen protagonist trying to cast a love spell for herself. If you’ve got a witch-loving tweenager who doesn’t like jump-scares, this is the movie for them.
Rated PG-13
1 cauldron
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
Practical Magic
Based on the novel by Alice Hoffman, this one is best for teenagers not because of scary scenes, but because there are lots of hetero-love interest scenes including one not-revealing-but-clearly-nude scene with Nicole Kidman, it’s not that appropriate for younger kids (and tweens will just be embarrassed). The plot is perfectly witchy, though, and teenagers may enjoy the idea of the two witch sisters and their aunties who are outcasts in the little town they live in.
Rated PG-13
3 cauldrons
Watch it on HBO Max
Into the Woods
Any lover of Grimm’s Fairy Tales will adore this movie witch movie for kids! A witch who requires a baker and his wife to find magical items hidden within classic fairy tales. There are a few jump-scares but it’s not too gruesome of a movie. Best for slightly older kids. Oh, and did we mention Meryl Streep plays the witch?
Rated PG
2 cauldrons
Watch it on Prime Video, Disney+
Related: Your Guide to Halloween Time at Disneyland with Kids
Twitches
Rated TV-PG
A 2005 Disney-made-for-TV movie following two teen witch twins (twitches) who were separated at birth and raised apart. When they meet on their 21st birthday, their quest begins. This one is low on gore and jumps scares, and it’s a comedy, so it should be good for kids of a wide age range.
1 cauldron
Watch it on Disney+
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Rated PG
Four curious kids go through a magical wardrobe into the land of Narnia, where they discover they are part of an epic prophecy that they are destined to defeat the White Witch and end the 100-year winter. Easy-peasy, right? The White Witch, beautifully played by Tilda Swinton, isn’t about to go quietly and tries all manner of trickery, witchery, and evil magic to stop the children. The 2005 Disney movie captures the magic of the beloved C.S. Lewis book, but there are a few scary, sad, and violent scenes, so kids under 8 may find this movie too much. It’s on par with Into the Woods, scare-wise.
2 cauldrons
Watch it on Disney+
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Rated PG
Although Cate Blanchette playing a good witch and Jack Black playing a warlock is reason enough to watch this film, it’s actually an excellent addition to any Halloween movie night. Heavy on special effects, it’s one of those enchanting, witchy movies they’ll want to watch more than once just to take it all in. When ten-year-old Lewis’ parents die in a car crash, he moves into a strange mansion with his uncle—the warlock mentioned above. It turns out there’s a magical quest Lewis is just in time for—find the clock hidden in the house that can end the world before the evil warlock Isaac Izard does. A few scary scenes, plus the concept of parents dying, may make this a little much for younger kids, but the silly humor takes the edge off. Based on the novel by John Bellairs.
2 cauldrons
Watch it on Prime Video
