7 Children’s Halloween Costume Ideas
Whether your little ones are still toddlers or experienced trick-or-treaters, they love dressing up in costumes. Kids get a kick out of pretending to be someone or something else, and Halloween is the perfect season to play a fun, new role. Younger children are usually willing to go with whatever Mom or Dad chooses, but older kids like to have a say in their costume designs. Whether you and your child pick something fanciful or fearsome, here are some costume ideas to get you started.
The Classics
Vampire
Kids often gravitate to vampire costumes, but parents like them just as much because they’re easy to assemble. A black suit or dress, a cape, a set of fangs, a drawn-on widow’s peak at the forehead and a little makeup are all a child needs to transform into Count or Countess Dracula. Another advantage of a vampire costume is that it doesn’t require a mask that could obstruct a child’s vision. Make the costume special with some white or gray makeup to give your little vampire’s skin the right unhealthy glow.
Skeleton
Everyone has one inside them, but skeletons always look wonderfully creepy for Halloween. For the body, a black outfit with white or glow-in-the-dark bones glued or stitched to it does the trick, but the face is a little more challenging. Don’t wait until the last day of October to practice drawing sunken eyes and hollowed cheeks; go through a trial run soon and find out the best way to paint on a skull’s wide grin.Mad Scientist – If you can find an old lab coat, you have the centerpiece for a fantastic mad scientist costume. Tease your child’s hair into a wild mane, add a pair of lab goggles and apply some biohazard labels to the candy bag, and you have everything you need for a mad doctor in the same vein as Frankenstein and Jekyll.
Cat
Transform your child’s old black leotard and tights into a kitty costume with a pair of ears mounted on a headband and a strip of fabric for the tail. Add a few whiskers and a sweet pink nose with cosmetics, and you have an easy and adorable cat costume. Some modifications to the costume can change it into another creature too. With round ears and slightly different face paint, a cat becomes a mouse. Swap round ears for floppy ones, draw on an eye-patch and turn your mouse into a puppy.
Movies and TV
The Wicked Witch
A pointy hat, green skin and striped tights create the perfect witchy look. Your child will love having her hair teased into a tangle and her face painted a fetching shade of green for the big night. If you can’t find the right striped socks that echo the ones the Wicked Witch of the East wore in “The Wizard of Oz,” try a set of striped legwarmers instead.
Disney Characters
Between them, Walt Disney and Pixar have made some of the most beloved kids’ movies of all time. If your little one dreams of being a Disney Princess or a character from “Monsters, Inc.” for Halloween, look for inspiration from officially licensed book sets that have the exact character design in them. Books are easier to use as costume references than moving images.
Superheroes
A superhero costume always looks great, but you don’t have to stick to the official roster of good guys and villains for Halloween costumes. Your child can create his or her own superhero look and back-story. Superman, Batman and Spider-Man started within their artists’ imaginations, so encourage your child to get creative with unique superhero art.
For more fun, holiday inspiration, check out our Halloween Decor section!
