Simple Halloween Costumes For Kids
Fun, Affordable, and Totally Kid-Approved
Fun-filled, budget-friendly Halloween ideas — these creative kids’ costumes prove simple can still be spooktacular.
Simple Can Be Spectacular
October moves fast. It’s full of new school routines, fall sports, and if you’re not careful the weeks leading up to Halloween may wiz by you before you’ve locked down the costume plan. But fret not! Napa Kids has rounded up a series of unique kids costume ideas that are easy, creative, and budget-friendly that will take their spooky look from good, to contest ready.
What Makes a Great Costume, That Kids Actually Want to Wear?
Not all costumes are made equal, and not all kids want just a costume … they want an experience! The number one thing to remember is the act of costume planning and preparing can be just as much fun as the main event; and the more they can get involved in the decision-making or creating, the more invested they are in the theatrics of it all. Think of if as pretend play with one glorious night to prepare for … it’s show-time!
What do we mean by having kids participate? Well, we’re talking about affordable and DIY Halloween Costumes, of course. For the bigger kids, it might be planning and/or sourcing DIY costume materials and using a (low-heat) glue gun to create a vision together. For the littler kids, they can help face-paint, make accessories, choose footwear … dare I suggest add the glitter? And for the littlest kiddos, exposure is your secret weapon. Let them see / touch / wear / play with their costume and get comfortable with it well before Halloween night. The more secure they feel in and around it, the more fun the big night will be.
Things to keep in mind:
Comfort matters: Costumes that move and play well, work well.
Affordability: Ideas made from items you likely already have at home can be just as rewarding as buying new.
Creativity: Add your kids’ personality with small details to make it a “Wow!” for them.
Eco-friendly: Leverage local costume exchanges, thrift shops, and clothing/materials already in your home.
Pro Tip: Keep a costume bin year-round that they can interact with. Their dress-up favorites often become Halloween inspiration.
Costume Ideas & Image Gallery
K-Pop Demon Hunters: The costume enhancement that will make it POP
It’s all about the hair.
Rather your dress-up goal is Rumi, Zoey, or Mira, the devil is in the details. We found two great kid-safe hair color options if a wig isn’t in the cards this year.
First up is Ooly’s Hair Doodlers Hair Crayons which claim to work on both dark and light hair. Check out Fresh Monster’s tips on how to best apply hair chalk, particularly on dark hair. Another option if you don’t mind the color lasting longer, is Piggy Paint’s Purple Hair Color + Conditioner which comes with high reviews, but is said to work better on lighter hair colors.
If hair color isn’t your thing, purple sparkly hair tinsel might be worth a try. They have both tie-in and clip styles that might be just enough POP to make their eyes light up.
“We’re gonna be gonna be golden” — or purple / pink / black (hair)!
2. Wicked’s Elphaba: Going for the green costume upgrade
Body Paint Takes This Witch To Queen Status
Two fabulous character options this Halloween, but only one is green certified. Letting your child take Elphaba to the next level with kid safe, non-toxic face paint will make this a costume to remember.
We love these gentle face paints for year round play: Ooly Body Doodlers Face and Body Crayon
Tip: If your kiddo feels inspired, let them apply the face paint themselves! They can experiment with it days or weeks ahead to test it out, and as an added bonus there are numerous educational benefits to letting kids of all ages explore in this way! Such as:
Boosts self-confidence and emotional expression
Improves fine motor skills and creativity
Exploration of non-verbal communication and self-identity (as a concept)
Sparks imaginative play as kids transform into different characters
Whether you have a Glinda or an Elphaba — or both! — a bit of paint and sparkle is sure to kick things up a notch!
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s DIY Costume
Baby’s First Iconic Look
So simple, so iconic, so adorable! Audrey Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, epitomizes a free-spirited nature that can be captured so naturally on a kid. Interested in hearing the best part? You may already have all the pieces on-hand to create this classic (and nobody needs to know: last-minute) costume!
Checklist:
Black dress
Bejeweled hair piece or clip
Large, dark sunglasses
Costume jewelry
Black gloves
“I’m not going to let anybody put me in a cage.”
4. Glow-in-the-Dark Skeleton DIY Costume (All Ages!)
Custom Skeleton Glow Costume For Friends & Families Alike
This costume idea gets the whole family laughing every year! Even if it’s not used for the big night, it offers weeks of creative planning and play leading up to Halloween. I’ve seen siblings and families working together, playing together, laughing together, and once you flip the tunes on, dancing together! Don’t take our word for it, try it for yourselves.
Checklist:
Plenty of glow sticks
Masking tape
A favorite, cozy jumpsuit
Check out this tutorial from our friends at Hello, Wonderful
5. Pixar’s Coco
A Sweet and oh-so Simple Halloween Costume Using Items Already in the Closet
We all fell in love with the musical minded Miguel in Pixar’s 2017 animated movie Coco. This movie has become an autumn tradition in our home — and a solid character costume for Halloween! The beauty is in the simplicity.
Checklist:
Red hooded sweatshirt
Face paint (check out our fav non-toxic one from Ooly here)
Dark pants
A guitar
Don’t have a guitar on-hand? Don’t fret! Here’s a DIY beginner-friendly cardboard guitar by Collective Gen that does the trick (and if they pull a sudden Motley Crew move, a broken guitar won’t ruin the night).
6. Sweet DIY Lamb
This Adorable DIY Lamb Costume May End Up Being A Fall Staple
Kids dressing up as baby animals never gets old! Don’t spend a fortune on a packaged plastic version, just grab a hooded sweatshirt or vest and get to gluing! This would work great for middle or high school aged kids too.
For the preschool up to Kindergarten aged kiddos, they’ll become obsessed with this costume if you let them help. Let them make a mess with the cotton balls, and then let them help you as you hot glue them onto the hoodie. They’ll be so impressed with what “they have made” that you’re biggest issue will be making sure it lasts until Halloween night.
Checklist:
Black jumpsuit
Hooded sweatshirt or vest (swing by your local thrift shop or Target if you don’t have one you’re ready to sacrifice to the Halloween gods)
Black felt squares or construction paper
Face paint (or eyeliner) for that sweet little lamb nose
Glue gun
7. Flower or Succulent Pot
Now Here is a Costume We’re Rooting For
Truly, it doesn’t get sweeter or more simple than this. This DIY Flower Pot / Succulent Pot Cardboard Costume can be whipped up at the (very) last-minute, and it doesn’t take an artist to ensure it’ll turn out!
Checklist:
Cardboard
Exacto knife / good scissors
White paint / white out / white marker
Green lounge wear
Elastic / String / Rope / Ribbon + glue gun to make it wearable
8. DIY Jellyfish Costume / Octopus Costume
A Rain-ready Costume for Ocean Loving Kids
This is a very simple, and very fun costume that can be put to use after Halloween … it’s an umbrella after all! We’ve seen them as Jellyfish in pinks and purples, as well as Octopi in deeper hues. Want to turn up the fun even more? Add battery powered lights to the umbrella ribs and you have a fantastically glowing under-the-sea Halloween costume that is low-effort, high-reward.
Checklist:
Clear dome umbrella (we found one here)
White and black construction paper
Ribbon
A tutu or ruffle bottom only adds to the fun
Bonus: For the bigger kids, feed them some fun Jellyfish (or octopus) facts that they can share with their friends and neighbors. The added layer gives them ownership over the costume and makes it even more exciting.
9. A League Of Their Own / A Baseball Team
Need a Great Group Costume?? It’s Playoff Season!
A League Of Their Own is a wonderful movie that girls have been capturing in their Halloween costuming for decades … but that doesn’t mean it’s overplayed! It’s become a classic because of team nature and the strong message it sends out. What’s also great about this costume is the whole family can be on the team!
And it doesn’t have to be a character costume - baseball costumes are always a hit! It’s extra fun when you incorporate a ball as a prop, and the kids can take a pause to toss the ball around a bit. It’s interactive and fun!
“Play ball!”
10. Toddler 80s Workout Costume
We Can’t Stop Staring At This Baby Workout Costume
Oh, the 80s will never get old when it comes to dressing up. This just may be the adorable costume you’ve been waiting for! With a few adjustments, this works for boys and girls and honestly, who doesn’t want metallic exercise wear in their closets year-round anyways?
Checklist:
Leotard
Tights / pants
Tall socks
Sweatbands
THIS retro lunchbox with all of its faux boombox glory ($22)
“Exercise? I thought you said Extra Fries!”
Quick Tips for Busy Parents
Start with what’s already in your closet. Say it with me again so they can hear it in the back: simple kids Halloween costumes are the key to success!
Don’t skip the face paint and glitter … this can be a very divisive opinion, but if you’re going for one big night of FUN you can’t skimp on the glam!
Let kids personalize (at least) one part of the costume because it keeps them invested in the finished product and they’ll be proud to show off what they’ve helped create.
Shop local!
We have several local direct, small business, non-profit, and retail chains to choose from in Napa. Here are a number of great resources so you can shop and support our local families:
Small Business & Local Options: Community Projects Thrift (costumes and accessories), Napa Library (costume exchange), Juniper Station (curated costume and accessory selection), Nextdoor’s Buy/Sell Page, Napa Mom’s Classified Pages, Facebook Marketplace, Consign and Design (costumes and accessories)
Big Box Stores: Target, Michael’s, Dollar Tree, Marshall’s, Spirit Halloween, Walmart, CVS
It’s Show Time
From one parent to another, please remember to be gentle with yourself and know that Halloween is about fun and joy, not perfection. The best costumes aren’t the most expensive or elaborate ones, they’re the ones your kids feel most confident and invested in. Now, go have some laughs this Halloween season and get to creating this years’ “only you” costume!
Have a favorite DIY or last-minute costume? Tag us @Napa_Valley_Kids or share your look using #NapaKidsHalloween — we’d love to feature local families in our next round-up!