6 Ways to Help Your Littles Decide What to Be for Halloween

Helping your toddler or child pick out their Halloween costume can be quite a feat. With all of the back and forth and constant changes that littles want to make, it can be really hard to get them to settle on one option. However, there are some ways to help them make up their minds. Here are six ways to help your littles decide what to be for Halloween.

1. Think About the Things They Love

An excellent way to get kiddos to decide on a Halloween costume is to think about the things they love. What are their favorite shows, books, games, etc.? Talk to them about these interests and see who their favorite characters are. Are they huge Elmo fans? Maybe they have a favorite princess? Do they love Mario? If you talk to them about the things they like, you’re more likely to help them decide what to be.

Make sure you shop early enough so that you have their costume for the beginning of October (Halloween events run almost every weekend), but not so early that they will change their mind a bunch of times. In addition, consider finding costumes in favorite colors and fabrics—and have them try on the costumes.

2. Encourage Them to Try on Costumes

While it can be a pain to have kids try on clothes, have them try on the costumes anyways. There is nothing worse than having them pick a costume and having them dislike how it feels once it’s too late. While a situation where your kids really dislike their costumes on the big day is sometimes unavoidable, having them try on the costumes can mitigate some of this risk.

Kids can be super sensitive to fabrics and shoes, so make sure they’re comfortable. Sometimes they might not like how it looks once it’s on. 

3. See If Friends Want to Do a Group Costume

One thing that could help get your kids to pick a Halloween costume is to arrange for a group costume with friends. Kids will be more likely to dress up if it’s with friends, and they’ll be less likely to change their minds. Kids tend to talk about what they’re excited about, so it’ll be the buzz of their friend group for a while.

Participating in a group costume can also help your child feel more confident. Being part of the group and finding their place can help kids feel much braver because there’s strength in numbers. In addition, think about how cute the pictures of the group will be and the super-fun memories that will be made. Take it a step further and arrange to trick-or-treat with the group, too!

4. Help Them Think About Where They’ll Wear the Costume

Another great way to get kids excited about their Halloween costumes is to remind them about where they’ll be wearing them. Usually, there are events that you can attend in costume leading up to Halloween. School parades, community Halloween parties, church parties and of course trick-or-treating are all places they’ll most likely wear their costume. This can be really exciting for kids to think that they get to dress up multiple times. This excitement can often encourage them to pick a costume. You’ll also want to think about helping them pick something that can be adapted to the rules of different Halloween events. For example, some places won’t allow masks or pretend swords, etc. So, keep that in mind and let your child know ahead of time so they aren’t disappointed or feel like they need to change costumes because of certain rules.

5. Let Them Be Part of the Buying Process

One of the best ways to help your kids pick their Halloween costumes is to let them help you shop for them. Take them to the store, let them browse Amazon or let them look at Pinterest. If you have younger kids and you want a little more say in their costumes, consider loading a few costumes into your shopping car on your phone or computer. Then let them look at the smaller list and select from there.

Another fun way to get them excited about their Halloween costume is to let them pick their own accessories. Maybe they’d like a special container for their candy, or they want a certain shield, some special makeup, etc. Listen to what they’d like the most and consider letting them pick a thing or two to go with their costume.

6. Tips for Picking Baby’s Costume (Since They Can’t)

If you have little ones who aren’t old enough to pick their costumes, lucky you, you get to pick! Here are a few tips for picking a costume for a baby or young toddler. The first thing to think about is the weather. Baby and toddler Halloween costumes probably need to be warmer unless you live in a super hot climate. So, keep that in mind as you pick—long sleeves and pants are great for this. 

Another great option is to use a neutral-colored baby romper as a base for the costume and add accessories to dress up the look. This means that the costume will be all one piece and generally warmer than some of the thin costumes you can buy for Halloween. 

If it’s okay with your pediatrician, you might also be able to apply a little bit of makeup to your baby (think cat noses and whiskers, not a full glam face). This can dress up a neutral outfit and take it to the next level of cuteness! In addition, you can always add accessories. Items such as swaddle blankets, hats and bows can be bought or even DIY’d to fit the costume choice you’ve made for your baby or toddler.

Halloween costumes for kids can be complicated. Hopefully, these tips make the decision process a little easier on you and your child. And, if they decide at the last minute to wear another costume that you have in your dress-up closet, it can be disappointing but consider letting them do it. You can only trick-or-treat for a few short years, and they should enjoy it!