While adults may enjoy Halloween, let’s be real – this holiday is all about the kids. Going door to door trick-or-treating and seeing your friends in their spookiest getup is a beloved childhood tradition, and these memories will be with them long after all of the candy is eaten.
Whether trick-or-treating goes ahead this year or not, your little ghouls can still dress to impress with some of these awesome alternative kids Halloween costumes. Alternatively, if you want to make something that the whole household can get involved with, be sure to check out our other blog full of family costume ideas for Halloween.
But without further ado, onto the best kids Halloween costumes that we reckon will go down a treat (or trick – whatever you prefer!)
Halloween costume ideas for kids
Whether you need a great spooky idea, something appropriate for school, or just a last-minute costume you can make with what you’ve got in your house, here are some Halloween costume ideas for kids of all ages.
Wind-up doll
This is a creative idea for a kid’s Halloween costume that doesn’t need a lot of preparation – so great for last minute parties! For the classic wind-up doll, draw a key onto stiff cardboard, cut it out and paint it gold, punching holes for some string to hold it on. Then pick out a doll-appropriate outfit – a fluffy pink dress, or shorts with stripy socks and a button-up shirt. Put your little spook’s hair up into neat ponytails or slick down to look painted-on, then draw on some bright red round cheeks, overexaggerated eyelashes, and thin curved eyebrows.
You can easily make this costume spookier – just add some white face paint before the cheeks, and draw on some creepy ‘cracks’ with black eyeliner. Perfect for if you need a kid’s Halloween costume that will work during the day at school, and then for trick-or-treating later on!
Image source: Artisticaly
Wicked queen
Take a leaf out of Angelina Jolie’s book and create a spooky-yet-stylish take on her costume from the 2014 film Maleficent – little girls will love sweeping about in the dramatic cape and high collar, and the iconic horns will make a statement while you’re trick-or-treating!
Image source: Amazon
Edward Scissorhands
Channel the iconic look from the 1990 film – this is a cute, spooky costume that’s bound to get some big smiles (and maybe a few extra sweets) from grown ups on the trick-or-treat route. Create Edward’s costume yourself with black clothes and some belts, or you can always buy an official costume. Just make sure you don’t send your kids out with real scissors taped to their hands! Recreate the look with cardboard, metallic paint and some pushpins.
Image source: Bored Panda
Creepy clown
A classic clown outfit always looks cute on a kid – but if you want to up the scare factor, choose a design that’s a little closer to Pennywise, the dancing clown from the hit movie IT. The white face and memorable red makeup should be easy enough for you to draw on with face paint – just make sure they’ve got a red balloon to really complete the look.
Image source: Glam Vapours
Barbie
Not every outfit needs to be scary, so if your child absolutely adores the empowering 2023 box-office hit or is obsessed with the dolls and toys and wants to get all dressed-up this Halloween, there are countless Barbie outfits to choose from. Another great part about this idea is that you can probably also easily pull something together without having to buy an official costume by either making your own Barbie box from cardboard or simply wearing an all-pink outfit!
Image source: Amazon
Halloween costume ideas for babies and toddlers
Children’s Halloween costumes for babies and toddlers usually stay on the cute and cuddly side of Halloween – so here are a few non-terrifying but still adorable options aside from the usual witch/pumpkin/black cat options.
Spider-child
Dress up your little one as a Spider-Man or Woman – and no, we don’t mean the costumed Marvel superhero. Get inventive and create a spider costume for your little one using some spare black tights, filled with stuffing and sewn onto a matching black onesie. This kids Halloween costume is especially effective if your child hasn’t reached the walking stage yet – those extra four legs somehow look extra spooky when they’re crawling about on the floor.
Image source: Anna Silk on Pinterest
Baby shark
We know as soon as you read those words, you heard the infernal, impossibly catchy tune in your head. And while any parent probably knows the curse of Baby Shark, the fact is kids still love those colourful little sharks – so pick up an official Baby Shark costume, and your little one is sure to be delighted. And those teeth look appropriately sharp for Halloween – so let them sing and scare to their hearts’ content this October 31st.
Image source: Party Delights
Little old me
Less scary, but one Halloween costume for kids that they’re bound to love is turning them into their future aged selves. Dust baby powder in their hair to make it grey, and let them pick out a grandparent-appropriate outfit – bonus points for house slippers, or fake dentures. If your little one is still not too steady walking, turn their walker into a zimmer frame! You can even make safe, temporary wrinkles – get your little ones to scrunch up their faces and apply diluted PVA glue. Once it dries, dust with face powder and boom – instant wrinkles. (Ah, if only real wrinkles peeled off at the end of the day).
Image source: Welcome to the Woods
Dinosaur
If your little one thinks dinosaurs are super cool, and probably a little bit scary, then dressing them up in a dino costume could be perfect! Plus, given that these prehistoric creatures come in all shapes and sizes, it’s an easy outfit to get right if you’re making it yourself – all you need is a green-toned onesie (or matching hoodie and pants) and once you’ve added a tail and some spikes, you should be done. The only thing left is to get your little one practicing their best roar to really get into character!
Image source: Homemaker’s Habitat
Pumpkin
A true symbol of the Halloween season, your toddler will look super gourd in a bright orange pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) outfit. And if you’re hoping to make it yourself, there are lots of tutorials online that will be able to help you achieve the perfect pumpkin look – for instance, check out Heather Handmade’s instructions. The plump pumpkin shape is adorable, but you can also opt for a simpler onesie/t-shirt option if you’re struggling.
Image source: Elliotts Fancy Dress
Whether you enjoy a virtual Halloween get together, or a pumpkin trail you can enjoy safely as a family, make sure your kids are the best dressed there with our inventive kids Halloween costume ideas.
Of course, you don’t need to have a little one with you to dress-up, which is why we’ve also pulled together our thoughts on the best Halloween outfits for adults. After all, grown ups can also have some skele-fun!
For more frightfully fun articles, including boo-tiful Halloween cake inspiration and cheap Halloween party ideas, head on over to the rest of the thortful blog.
And if you’re really planning on going big this October 31st, be sure to check out our collection of spooky and funny Halloween cards.
