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Parents' Guide to

The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

A not-too-scary headless horseman offers a history lesson.

Movie NR 2006 48 minutes
The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 4+

Based on 3 parent reviews

acephotony
acephotony Parent of 7-year-old
June 15, 2022
age 3+

A Rewarding Halloween Oddity

When my son was 4, he got really into the Headless Horseman (we visit sleepy hollow every Halloween). We couldn’t find any age-appropriate related media (either too scary or quite boring), until stumbling upon this. It is so odd in some ways - the voice acting is bad, animation flat and the story is strange (it’s about a pumpkin some kids pick to enter in a contest that happens to be haunted with the spirit of the horseman’s head but some crooks have also stolen the original copy of the legend of sleepy hollow manuscript and hidden it in the pumpkin so everyone wants it). I have no idea where it came from or who it is for and it’s only on dvd - we literally still own a DVD player only to watch this. But - what a hit! We all really love it. My son is 7 now and it’s still a huge part of our Halloween traditions. It’s not too scary but a little bit, not violent but action packed and the villains insult each other with words that seem naughty but are tame (like “dunderhead”). Also the theme song is so catchy, not kidding we catch ourselves singing it year round. It’s worth hunting down - not much like it out there.
Erica B.
Erica B. Parent of 1 and 3-year-old
May 24, 2019
age 2+

Recommend for the kids.

Since he was about 3, this has been favourite of our oldest who loves all things spooky (bonus points for keeping his baby brother occupied as well.) It's been played so many times we've had to replace our original copy. The animation doesn't compare to the likes of Disney and Pixar and some of the voice acting is overdone - but the kids absolutely adore it.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

It's almost Halloween, and Nick Crane (voiced by Joanna Ruiz) and his friend Kate (Jules De Jongh) are preparing for the school's haunted house. Since they live in the town of Sleepy Hollow, the holiday is loaded with meaning, especially since the manuscript of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has gone missing. As fate would have it, Nick and Kate find themselves solving more than one mystery as the "ghosts come out to roam" on the last day of October.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

If The Magic School Bus ran amok on the Scooby Doo set, THE HAUNTED PUMPKIN OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is pretty much what you'd get. Though there is plenty of educational material in this twist on the Sleepy Hollow tale, it doesn't feel forced or contrived. Even adults might learn a thing or two about the history surrounding Washington Irving's tale.

Even though there are ghosts, they are pretty harmless. Only the Headless Horseman feels frightening in this movie, which is appropriate, since he's the bad guy. But there are no beheadings or slayings -- just a history lesson shrouded in mystery. It's a good choice for families with sensitive kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about legends. What is a legend? What makes it different than a story? Are there any legends told about the town that you live in?

  • How scary was this movie for you and your family? Have you seen scarier movies or shows? How do you usually react to being scared?

  • It is said in this movie that Halloween is a night when "all ghosts get to roam." Do you believe this? What does Halloween mean to you?

Movie Details

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