Costumes for Kids

One of the biggest joys of Halloween is dressing up in costumes. This is true for adults, but especially for kids who can finally make full use of their imagination to be exactly what they want to be. With so many different costume options and styles on the market, it may be hard to hone them down into something that works. Rather than getting overwhelmed, however, folks should sit back, relax and figure out what type of theme is both fun for the kid and easy to create.

Considerations

The easiest but often the least original way to get a kid's costume is to buy one at the store. Some of the cheesiest are those store-bought things that come in a box with a plastic mask and plastic sheath that serves as the costume's clothing. Other ways to create costumes for kids is hand sewing them, which often takes time and skill that some just don't have. A good alternative is checking out thrift stores, garage sales and old clothes in the closet that can be easily adapted to become a creative costume. Costumes can also be made by combining some of the store-bought items such as a plastic sword with handmade items such as a cloth cape and blindfold with eye holes cut out and things from the closet like a black suit jacket. This simple combination alone turns a kid into an instant Zorro.

Traditional

Yes, a blank white sheet with eye holes can always work as a ghost, but other traditional costumes can be just as easy to make but a tad more creative. Costumes that always work well for kids are witches, goblins, vampires, bats, angels and fairies. Bats, angels and flying demons are particularly easy to create. The kid only needs to wear an appropriate outfit like an all-black suit for a bat or holiday dress for an angel and just add wings. Wings can be made out of painted cardboard with fabric or feathers glued on and elastic bands that fit under the armpits or purchased at a costume shop.

High-Tech

Kids always love electronic things and gadgets, and there's no better way to indulge in that adoration than to hook up a high-tech costume. Robots are fun and popular choices which are not that difficult to make. A cardboard box that fits over the child's torso, with his head and arms sticking out and his legs below, makes for a perfect robot frame. The cardboard can be painted silver with lots of wires, dials, electronics parts and other high-tech looking stuff glued on. Finish it off with silver or black long sleeves, pants and a beret. Characters from science-fiction and fantasy movies and books are other options.

Animals

Animals are one of the easiest costumes to make since the face is the major focus. Face makeup makes up the main ingredient for striking animal costumes. Kids need not slather a full color over their entire visage, but can stick to black makeup to create whiskers, snouts and other animalistic facial features. A plastic headband with two felt or painted cardboard ears attached rounds out the rest of the head. Tails can be easily made by stitching a long piece of felt into a cylindrical shape and stuffing it with foam found at a fabric store. Leave a tab on the tail to hook into the waistband or wear clothing that matches the animal colors.

Warning

Potential hazards should be kept in mind when outfitting a kid in a costume. All masks should have eye holes large enough to provide very good visibility and a mouth area large enough so the kid can breathe. Any dangling or streaming costume parts, like fringe or capes, should be watched all night so they don't accidentally dip themselves into a jack-o-lantern flame. Costumes in general should be flame retardant if they are made from plastics or other highly flammable materials. The subject matter, too, can be a potential hazard, depending on the age of the kid. A third-grader dressed as a hooker or a toddler dressed up as serial killer, for instance, may not go over too well.