This subgenre of horror is entirely built around the age of the audience. But otherwise, you can find mixing of nearly all the other tropes normally found in adult horror into this subgenre as well. From That House is Scary in the film Monster House to the many monsters, villains, and tropes found in children’s authors such as R.L. Stine and Alvin Schwartz.
There is a continual debate regarding how much horror children should have and when to have it. But one thing is for sure. Most of people’s love for the genre begins in childhood. And it is often with movies, shows, stories, and art that is specifically geared to that age range… whether it was a Halloween episode of a sitcom or a creepy tale told around the campfire. Children’s horror is important to the genre because it is where it all begins.
Cody Meirick on November 1, 2023