Kids Halloween Costumes

The best kids’ Halloween costume ideas

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.

Kid’s 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.

Kid's Halloween spider costume

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 in the year 2020 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 heart’s content this October 31st.

Baby Shark kid's Halloween costume

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).

Old person Halloween costume for kids

Image source: Welcome to the Woods

Halloween costumes 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 Halloween costumes 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!

Wind up doll costume

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!

Wicked Queen costume

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.

Edward Scissorhands costume

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 move IT. The white face and memorable red makeup should be easy enough for you to draw on with facepaint – just make sure they’ve got a red balloon to really complete the look.

Creepy clown Halloween costume for kids

Image source: Glam Vapours

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. For more inspiration, like out guide to the best spookily good Halloween cake to bakes, check out our collection of spooky and funny Halloween cards.