15 Best Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids in 2023
Updated: Oct. 20, 2023
Look no further for this year's best Halloween costumes for kids! From scary to sweet, there's sure to be one your child will love.
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Choosing a Halloween Costume for Kids
This year your child might celebrate Halloween by trick-or-treating or simply attending an at-home party (check out our tips for Halloween safety during the pandemic). But one thing’s for sure — they’ll still need an awesome costume!
Be sure to choose a costume appropriate for your climate, something that won’t make them overheat if it’s warm and is loose enough to accommodate layers if it’s cold. If you do plan on trick-or-treating, your child should carry safety lights or wear glow-up accessories such as glow sticks or removable glow-in-the-dark tape so they remain visible to passing cars.
Time any costume purchases right, since kids are prone to change their minds at least once or twice before Halloween, especially if they’re coordinating group Halloween costumes. Consider the rule that any post-buy costume changes must be scavenged or made from things you have on hand. This way any switch-ups involve no money, only creativity and DIY skills.
Best Food-Inspired Kids Halloween Costume
Got a little burrito lover in the house? This cute burrito costume transforms your child into a tortilla filled with all the fixins’, wrapped in shiny foil.
DIY Option: Use thin foam wrapped in tan fabric for the tortilla. Then cut burrito fillings out of felt. Use a hot glue gun to attach the fillings to the top of the “tortilla.” An inexpensive survival blanket would make a good foil wrap.
Best Unique Kids Halloween Costume
If your kid wants to stand out among all the other trick-or-treaters, he or she might love this inflatable tube dancer costume. It comes with a battery-operated air pump and plenty of arm-flailing action. Now they can be everyone’s favorite roadside promotional tube dancer!
DIY Option: Make your own tube dancer with a vinyl tablecloth!
Best Cold-Weather Kids Halloween Costume
This deer onesie costume not only looks adorable, but it will keep your child nice and toasty if they’re trick-or-treating in cold weather. Plus it’s cozy enough to wear as pajamas after Halloween is over.
DIY Option: All you need is a brown sweater, face paint (Google “kids deer face paint” for help), plus antlers made from a headband and some felt-wrapped sticks. Your kids can use the leftover face paint to decorate pumpkins.
Best Kids Halloween Costume for BFFs
You can’t get much cuter than this peanut butter and jelly costume pair. Use it for twins, best friends or siblings! One size fits all, up to size 14.
DIY Option: Cut the bread shapes out of craft foam or reuse cardboard boxes, and use paint to add the PB&J details.
Best Kids Minecraft Halloween Costume
If you have any elementary school-aged kids, you’re likely familiar with Minecraft. The building and creating video game is crazy popular, which is why your child will love to dress up as the main character from the game with this Steve costume. The tunic and mask give your kid the game’s signature block-like look.
DIY Option: Simply paint a paper box to look like Steve’s face and cut out eye holes.
Best Budget Kids Halloween Costume
Can you believe these colorful wings are only $14? Transform your child into a beautiful butterfly or fairy with this set of wings and lace eye mask.
DIY Option: Cut wing shapes out of paper or cardboard, and paint on a wing design of your choice! You can attach the wings by hot-gluing on fabric arm straps.
Best Splurge Kids Halloween Costume
If your trick-or-treater is a Transformers super fan, it might be fun to splurge on this deluxe Optimus Prime costume, which will run you $80. It comes with a full-body jumpsuit that has muscle padding packed into the chest and arms, ensuring your kid is ready to lead the fight against the Decepticons!
DIY Option: If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can try to make your own transformable Optimus Prime costume by using cardboard and paint, like this one.
Best Super Hero Kids Halloween Costume
With the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman this year, many kids and parents will want to honor the actor and character with a Black Panther costume this Halloween. This version comes with padded muscles, attached foam boot tops and a molded plastic mask.
DIY Option: We love this creative DIY Black Panther costume that uses black pajamas and electrical tape!
Best Scary Kids Halloween Costume
If your child wants to be extra-creepy this year, consider this spooky Grim Reaper costume. It includes the hood with attached cape, robe, skeleton mask and skeleton gloves. And, of course, no Grim Reaper is complete without a scythe! We love that the glow-in-the dark elements make your child easier to spot during a night of trick-or-treating. Use matching scary decorations for your home.
DIY Option: Pair a black robe and some glow-in-the-dark face paint. Also, tinfoil-covered cardboard makes a great scythe blade.
Best Funny Kids Halloween Costume
This inflatable costume transforms your child into a gnome riding a snail! Your kid will have the whole neighborhood laughing as they go door-to-door in this getup. The costume fits ages seven to 10 years and includes a battery-operated air pump. The air pump requires four AA batteries and tucks inside a built-in pocket located inside the costume’s legs. You can get inflatable Halloween decorations, too.
Best Classic Kids Halloween Costume
You can’t go wrong with a traditional witch Halloween costume. We love the pretty extras in this purple witch costume including corset details, a buckled belt and full skirt layers.
DIY Option: You may have all you need on hand to create this one — a black dress, striped stockings and a witch’s hat. (If you’re lacking that last one, make a witch’s hat with black cardboard and double-stick tape.)
Best Halloween Costume for Toddlers
Is there anything more adorable than a toddler dressed up in costume? The cuteness is amplified with this adorable puppy costume featuring a soft plush body and Velcro closures for effortless diaper changes. Don’t forget to get a costume for your actual puppy.
DIY Option: Make a puppy costume using a brown hooded sweater with glued-on felt puppy ears.
Best Halloween Costume for Shark-Loving Kids
Shark attack! This sand shark Halloween costume is great for any child going through a shark phase. It’s a simple tunic that they can put on over warmer clothes if needed. Your kid will be delighted to get a matching shark costume for your cat.
DIY Option: Start with a gray hoodie. Cut out teeth from white felt and glue them on the rim of the hood. Use foam board to attach a dorsal fin to the back.
Best Kids Halloween Devil Costume
The devil costume is a classic Halloween choice. Keep the look on the sweeter side with this cute devil costume. The adorably mischievous look is complete with structured wings, a pointed tail and horns.
DIY Option: This is an easy one to create. A red dress plus an inexpensive devil’s horns headband, and you’re done!
