Baby Bats: 19 Kid-Friendly Gothic Films and Cartoons
Spooky Saturday morning cartoons, mischievous monsters and friendly ghosts for the next generation of storm clouds
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Saturday morning has always come with a certain kind of magic.
Cartoons flicker on before the house fully woke up. In some lucky houses, ghosts, witches and strange little families moved across the screen with enchanting whimsy, inviting viewers inside a strange world all their own.
For parents looking to expand children’s programming beyond the usual rotation, this watchlist offers something with slightly more depth. Stories where the unusual is not something to fear, but something to enjoy.
This haunted curation spans generations, including familiar classics alongside newer programming that approaches the strange with the same sense of curiosity.
The Addams Family (1964-1966)
A gothic cult classic reimagined time and again, this eccentric family treats the macabre as perfectly ordinary, where love is constant and black monochrome is part of the charm.
The Munsters (1964)
A family of friendly monsters navigates suburban life with cheerful confusion; a case study in fitting being far less interesting than being yourself.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1978)
A group of curious teens and their easily spooked dog chase ghosts through creaky mansions, only to discover that the real mystery is usually hiding in plain sight.
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971)
Inside a very strange castle, a parade of monsters, sketches and musical numbers unfolds with the kind of silliness that feels slightly unhinged in the best way.
Beetlejuice (1989-1991)
A deadpan goth girl befriends a striped-suited troublemaker, turning the afterlife into a series of very questionable adventures.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
A trio of resurrected witches attempt to reclaim their power, leaving a trail of chaos and confusion in their wake.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Pumpkin King wanders into Christmas Town and accidentally launches a holiday experiment.
Casper (1995)
A lonely ghost finds friendship in a haunted house, and accidentally becomes every millennial goth girl’s first crush.
Harry Potter (2001-2011)
A boy finds out he’s a wizard and enters a world where every answer seems to come with a new question.
Coraline (2009)
A curious young girl finds a secret door to another world where everything is brighter, stranger and just slightly off.
Monster High (2010-2017)
Teenage descendants of famous monsters navigate high school drama where individuality is celebrated and every ghoul arrives dressed for the occasion.
Frankenweenie (2012)
A devoted young inventor revives his dog with a bolt of lightning, only to realize some experiments attract more attention than expected.
ParaNorman (2012)
A quiet boy who can speak with the dead is left to fix a centuries-old problem when the adults around him refuse to listen.
Hotel Transylvania (2012-2018)
A monster-only getaway promises total privacy, until one very uninvited human arrives and changes the entire itinerary.
Coco (2017)
A music-loving boy crosses into the Land of the Dead, where family history and memory shape the path back home.
Super Monsters (2017–2021)
The young children of legendary creatures attend school together, learning to manage their powers in a world that feels just strange enough.
Vampirina (2017-2021)
A vampire girl starts over in a human world, learning that being different is less of a problem than she thought.
The Witches (2020)
A young boy uncovers a secret society of witches with a particular dislike for children and a very specific plan to deal with them.
Wednesday (2022 on)
A deadpan teenager arrives at a school for outcasts, where her particular brand of curiosity quickly turns into a full investigation.
Part of the magic of these stories is that they don’t rush to explain themselves.
They leave space. For curiosity. For imagination. For the independent realization that the unfamiliar is not something to avoid, but something to explore.
For parents, it becomes a different kind of introduction. Not just to new characters, but to a way of seeing things that feels a little more open.
Press play. Let them settle in.
Consider it an invitation into a wonderfully unusual world.
Which will you show your kids first? What did you love watching as a kid? Tell us in the comments and subscribe to receive our free monthly digital issue to your inbox including a first look at dark feminine culture, the chance to vote on next month’s stories and a preview of upcoming giveaways.
