It’s spooky season, and our children, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will be exposed to scary content. One of my favorite memories of my childhood is watching scary movies with my dad as a tween.
My dad would usually add a jump scare during the movie when my brothers and I were least expecting. I remember these times with my family fondly as a time of connection, closeness, and shared enjoyment. I loved (and still love) watching scary movies, for both the tension and sense of post-scare relief. If you are a horror enthusiast, you are probably keen to share the thrill of a good scare with your kids. Other parents, meanwhile, are more cautious with their kids drawn to scary content. How do you judge when it's the right time to introduce little scares to your children?
Scary content targeted to children: How will your child respond?
Mildly scary books and movies are targeted to children as young as five, the time when they are better able to distinguish fantasy from reality. But how will your child respond? Some children with more of an anxious-leaning temperament may not easily recover from an extra scare, considering it would be an external source of fear on top of what their mind already provides on its own. Taking steps to face and lessen their own fears is a big enough scare for these kids to conquer. Some children are not as developmentally mature as their agemates, and the lines between fantasy and reality are not as well developed. Scary content would best be delayed to acknowledge their readiness to interpret this difference.
On the other hand, children with more of a penchant towards risk-taking may naturally seek and enjoy scary content. These are the kids who seem unafraid to jump in with both feet to learn a new skill like bike riding, skateboarding, or skiing. They have always enjoyed opportunities to go fast, climb, dive, and gravitate to more thrilling rides at the amusement park. For these kids, a scary book or movie just adds another source of a pleasurable sensation and thrill-seeking to experience more feelings that they enjoy before, during, and after the activity.
Most kids fall in between these two temperaments, and possess a mix of caution and risk-taking. You will know well what your child tolerates in scary content.
What are some benefits of introducing scary content?
As a parent, your instinct may be to try to protect or shelter your kids from experiencing feelings of fear. But navigating a small scare has some benefits for a child’s development. Learning how to successfully experience and resolve an anxious feeling can allow your child to learn potential ways to navigate these feelings in other situations, in themselves, and with the support of parents. It also provides some preparation for kids in handling scares that are unplanned walking through the neighborhood on Halloween night, through social media, video games, or when visiting friend’s homes. Scares can be experienced as a positive emotion for children who enjoy other forms of sensation-seeking. The term “recreational fear” acknowledges that there is an element of enjoyment that comes from exposure to scary content. A recent study (Ţăranu et al., 2025) shows that engagement with recreational fear content is pervasive across child development in a wide variety of activities (like play, games, and media). They found that as children develop, so do their strategies for dealing with scary content and their ability to regulate emotions. Additionally, recreational fears can be a source of positive social experience for children.
What are some downsides of exposure to scary content?
After hearing or viewing scary content, some children could experience some lingering psychological distress (increased anxiety and fear of certain objects or places). Ţăranu et al. (2025) remind us that studies show scary content that is overwhelmingly fear-inducing for a child’s emotional temperament and developmental level can increase anxieties in non-threatening situations, behavioral reactions, and/or sleep disturbance. However, if child-directed, this is limited when age-appropriate content is introduced.
Stages of introducing scary content
Tips for a safe experience and what can parents do if they want to introduce scary content to their children
Dr. Harriet Johnston is a registered psychologist in Calgary. She works at the Eckert Psychology & Education Centre where she provides child, adolescent, and adult assessment as well as solution focused therapy to individuals, couples, and families. She also runs a solo private practice, Cowtown Psychology.
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