It’s that time of year again. The time that our children have to come up with THE costume. If yours are anything like mine, on November 1, they are saying “Next year for Halloween, I think I’ll be. . . . ” My daughter Amanda never runs short on creativity in coming up with her costumes. I don’t know if it’s her creativity or my frugality, but between the two, we usually end up making her costume. My very favorite was when she was four (or five?), and she told me she wanted to be a “girl superhero.”
I took an old baby blanket, attached some ribbon with the no-sew adhesive glue stuff, and made a cape. I bought a navy T-shirt and leggings and attached the A for “Super Amanda” to her shirt (although this led to a few guesses that she was Alvin, and this was even before the Chipmunks movie). She wore classes, so I attached her felt mask to her glasses frame. A bow matching the cape string for her ponytail and a dog temporarily playing the part of sidekick Shadow rounded it out.
How about trying a costume based on your children’s favorite literary character this year?
Scholastic Parent and Child magazine is a great resource in general, and especially right now if you are strapped for a creative costume idea for your child.
They offer step-by-step instructions for 6 easy costumes to make at home. Check out these ideas:
- Captain Underpants
- Angelina Ballerina
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- and three more!
Check out their article for all the facts and pictures of each of the costumes.
Would you like to win a set of Halloween themed books targeted to your child’s age (U.S. shipping addresses only)? Just leave a comment here. Tell us about a creative costume you’ve come up with, or if you don’t get creative, tell us what your child is going to dress up as this year. We’ll draw a winner on October 22, so that you’ll get your books in time to enjoy for the season!
Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years.
they were a ladybug, and a cow last year.
My daughter is going to be a witch. She always wanted to be a witch, so I got a costume at a consignment sale. We then made her broom to be like the broom in the book Room on the Broom. She’s even got a “fish bowl” hanging off of it!
We’re dressing our ds up as a pirate because he soooo loves to say “AAAARGH” and splash around in the bath! : )))
leahita[at]gmail[dot]com
My son is going to be a skunk this year.
My creativity no longer takes precedence. My son has spoken, and he wants to be Batman.
My 4 year old daughter gets to choose her costume this year. And she wants to be Cinderella from the Disney books we read over and over and over and over……….
My son is going to be Harry Potter.
My three daughters are going as the Power Puff girls
[email protected]
The past few years I have made costumes for our 3 kids. Last year they went with a Star Wars theme, but my favorite was the year they went dressed as Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. So cute!!!
My son was once invited to a last minute Halloween party and I didn’t have a costume so I cut a neck and armholes in a large green trashbag and decorated it with trash. It sounds awful, but it was really cute!
I can’t sew worth a darn so that limits my being able to make costumes but my kids are going out this year as a horse and a dinosaur 🙂
My 4 year old son is going to be a pirate and I also found a pirate costume for my 1 year old son. I think they are going to look so cute together. Thanks
My almost 2 year old daughter is going to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz…I’m sewing her costume 🙂
i would love the books! i teach, and my youngest is going as a hippie this year…patched jeans, tie-dye scarf in her hair, peasant blouse, and a sign made from a pizza box & a yardstick, that says
peace
love
candy
I’m not generally very crafty but one year I made an Indian costume out of felt and it was awesome.
This post actually reminded me that I lent it to someone…..now, if I could only remember who that was!
I am not talented enough to sew so I always buy the costumes at Party City. My daughter is going to be a lady pirate and my son hasn’t decided yet.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
we pass down the costumes.
My child wanted ONLY to dress up as a “blue princess” this year – not Cinderella or Snow White but a “blue princess.” After many trips to find a costume at thrift stores & new ones, she finally decided last night to be Mini Mouse.
I’m thrilled!!!!!
My lovely and wonderful wife of more than 38 years always goes in character – she is a witch.
Thank you for this great contest and prize!
my daughter is going to be Hannah Montana.
I’ve been obsessing about what my baby will be for Halloween for the past two months now. I really wanted him to be a cuddly monster but couldn’t find any monster costumes anywhere and didn’t think I could make something that fancy. Finally I resigned myself to the idea of him being a rockstar, thinking I could make him something for that. We went shopping yesterday to buy the supplies and before we could, we found an awesome monster costume. I am so excited now!
My children are going to be Batman Dark Knight and Wonder Woman. It’s pretty cute to see my little superheroes!
I’m not creative, so my son will be a lion
My girls are going as a witch and “FANCY” i am thinking she means fancy nancy
My son is going as Spiderman.
My daughter has 2 costumes to wear this year, one for a halloween party and one for halloween. she is going to be a ballerina with tutu, and a pink butterfly superhero! Great giveaway, thanks.
Unfortunately, I’m not very creative. My 10 year old son is going as the grim reaper, 9 year old son is going as a zombie doctor, and 6 year old daughter is going as Sleeping Beauty.
The most creative costume I made was a “transformer”. The costume was at the request of my son who was into the toys (long before the current movie). It was a hawk tranformer and I made it so the costume actually transformed. If I do say so myself, the costume was quite cool 😉
My son is going to be Commander Fox clone trooper and My daughter is going to be a punk rocker.
My 18 month old will be the crackerjacks Sailor and my 3 year old is still deciding what to be.
we’re getting a group together to dress as a bunch of flowers
My daughter couldn’t decide between her cheerleader uniform and her karate uniform. This year she is going as a YELLOW BELT CHEERLEADER.
My son is going to be Buzz Lightyear. I wonder if he will ever be anything other than a superhero or some sort… 🙂 Thanks we love books, [email protected]
My 8 yr is going as a commando, 4 yr old is a knight, and 2 yr old is a super hero.
When my daughter was 1 I made her a bag of jelly beans costume! It was sheer netting that I made my own “super sweet jelly beans” label for and put her in and filled with balloons. It tied at her neck and had a big bow!
My daughter is going to be cleopatra this year.
My oldest is going to be spider man and my youngest is going to be buzz lightyear!
My sons are Wolverine and a baby dragon this year!
My son wants to be a ghost this year, so looks like we’ll be cutting an old sheet up!
I am dressing up like a storybook character and so is my daughter.
My son is dressing up as Bumblebee The Transformer and my daughter is dressing up as Mulan.
My daughter (age 7) is going to be a cactus.
My youngest will be a monkey. It’s too cute!
My son will be dressing up as Donald Duck this year. Thanks for the chance.
I have four year old triplets. The boys are dressing up as the incredible hulk and spider man and my daughter is going to be a princess.
son will be a turtle
I have 9 grandchildren and we are going to have a variety of Barbie,Transformers,Spider Man,Princess,
Ladybug and I forget all the others but I will get pictures. Thank you for the chance.
My daughter is going to be a fairy.