Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids

BJ Foster

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When I was a kid, I would always get a little anxious around this time of year. Halloween is just around the corner which should be a night of laughter, candy, and community. However, there can also be pressure to come up with a creative costume. Whether you are creative or not, it can turn something fun into something stressful. I know, more often than not, I was the one running around the house trying to throw some sort of costume together at the last minute.

Perhaps your kids are like me when I was a kid. Maybe they are having a hard time coming up with costume ideas or your wife is looking to you to figure out a way to dress up the baby. When it comes to Halloween, having a good costume is what makes all the difference. We’ve got you covered. Here are easy and creative Halloween costume ideas for your kids.

Random Costumes

Rocket Kid – Get two empty 2-liter bottles of soda and spray paint them silver. Connect the bottles together and make a duct tape harness. The bottles should be upside down on your kid’s back like two rocket canisters. Cut red and yellow crepe paper or felt in the shape of fire and attach to the bottom of the bottles.
Mac n’ Cheese – Have them wear a yellow t-shirt. Using yellow construction paper, roll the pieces of paper into tubes, and attach to the shirt. That’s your macaroni. Take hoop or belt and attach a blue poster board. That is the cup.

Movie Character Costumes

Clark Kent – Get a Superman t-shirt and black-rimmed glasses. (If you have been to a 3D movie lately, punch out the lenses.) Dress in a button-down shirt and pants. Leave the shirt half unbuttoned to display the Superman t-shirt.
Oh (Home) – A purple sweat suit with a blue sleeveless t-shirt. Put a purple circle on the blue shirt. Get oversized sweat pants so they can be pulled over the feet. Cut a purple pool noodle and attach as his other legs. Put hair in buns if you have a daughter.
Captain Shmek (Home) – See above for the same structure. Just change the color scheme and add a mustache and a staff to hold.
Inside Out Emotion Characters (Inside Out) – These will probably be popular this year. Just look for a similar outfit as the character and a wig that matches the color of their hair.
Bing Bong (Inside Out) – This is the imaginary friend. You’ll need a brown jacket, pink t-shirt, little hat, dryer duct work with elastic headband painted pink, and striped socks. If you have a red wagon, you could also attach two brooms with cardboard wings for them to pull.
Charlie Brown – This is a good one for a baby. All it takes is a yellow t-shirt with a black felt for the zigzag. Use black face paint or eyeliner to draw his hair.
Minions (Despicable Me) – Overalls with a yellow t-shirt, a yellow skull cap, and black pipe cleaners.
Gru (Despicable Me) – Black shirt and bottom with a striped scarf. Good costume for a baby, too. (The bald factor.)
The Box of Shame (Despicable Me) – This is as easy to assemble as it gets. All it takes is a box, scissors, and permanent marker. Get a box that fits your child’s torso and head. Cut a rectangle opening at the eyes. Write “Box of Shame” in red marker.
Vector (Despicable Me) – “Piranha launcher! Oh yeah!” Get an orange sweatsuit and black-rimmed glasses. (Again, 3D movie glasses are an option.) Add a gun and tape a fish with teeth to the front.
Lucy Wilde (Despicable Me 2) – “Lipstick Taser!” A blue dress or overcoat with a pink polka dot scarf and lipstick tube. Put her hair up with a rubber band or get a red wig to take it up a notch.
Baymax (Hero 6) – A baggy white sweatsuit and black makeup as circles around the eyes with a line connecting them. This also works for a baby. All you need is a white onesie and the black makeup.
Emmet (Lego Movie) – A blue button down, orange pants, and vest. Use duct tape to mark the pants and vest like the character. Attach a rectangular red box to his back (the pièce de résistance).
Wyldstyle (Lego Movie) – Black hoodie sweatsuit with blue and pink duct tape should do the trick. Put her hair in a side ponytail with blue and pink ribbons and add black facepaint freckles on her cheeks.
The Kragle (Lego Movie) – Get a long white t-shirt and use green, red and gray duct tape. With a permanent marker, draw out the label “Kragle.” This might actually take a little skill to pull off.
President/Lord Business (Lego Movie) –

Dad and Kid/Baby Combos

Lion Tamer and Lion – You have a stool, whip, top hat and a red jacket. Dress your kid or baby in a lion costume.
Daddy Warbucks and Annie – If you are bald with a daughter, this is perfect. All it takes for you is a suit, but a tux takes it up a level. Dress her in a red dress with a red wig.
Empire State Building and King Kong – You dress in silver spray-painted boxes and a plunger as the needle. Dress your kid or baby in a monkey outfit and put a Barbie doll on your shoulder.
Wreck-It Ralph – You dress in overalls and an orange shirt. A son can be Fix-It Felix and a daughter can be Vanellope Von Schweetz.