Do you have a habit of holidays and birthdays sneaking up on you? Where does the time go? We all have the best intentions of pulling together the most clever Halloween costume of the year for our kids. The problem is that those intentions don’t start until November 1st and they fizzle out by Thanksgiving!
Spend an afternoon with your child and have a conversation with them about what they (and you!) would like to reap from Halloween this year. Is the goal simply for your toddler to look adorable? Do you want to wow the crowd with a dynamic family costume this year? Are they studying a particular era in social studies class that interests them? Find all of this out, then head over to Chasing Fireflies to find costumes that truly stand out from the rest.
1. Be Original (kind of!)
On Halloween night the sidewalks will be overflowing with Disney princesses. There is nothing wrong with Disney princesses. This is just an opportunity to take a princess break. Mom and Dad LIVE princesses 364 days of the year… we need a break. Think about last year… what costume stood out to you the most? We bet it wasn’t the 100th kid who rang your doorbell dressed as Queen Elsa. This is the time of the year where you can be anything you can dream of; so open up those imaginations through conversation and play.
Start with a basic idea and build around it. You can allow your children to help you “pretend shop” for inspiration. Don’t let them pigeon hole you though… stay away from the most common costumes (aka: stay out of the costume section at your local Costco!) You want to stand out on the street Halloween night. You want to hear, “oh my goodness, look at…” Just don’t let your little one dictate the discussion. Remember, you are bank-rolling this party, so you get vetoing rights. Steer them in more exciting directions, and engage in conversation with your child, without even shopping. Don’t limit their ideas to the selection in front of their face- let their imagination do the work!
Costume Recommendation
Boys and girls alike will love being a Race Car Driver this year. Is the idea completely original? Maybe not, but he (or she) will surely go from zero to race-ready with their candy bucket in record time with this personalized zip-front satin jumpsuit and awesome championship racing patches. We’re so sure your child will love this costume that it’ll surely take the place of some of their other dress up clothes beyond Halloween.
Be sure to add your little racer’s name for an extra fun touch (maximum 12 characters; all capital letters as shown). If you want to take Halloween to the next level, you can even buy the Kids Personalized Red Stripe Racecar for your child to enjoy on Halloween night. Just imagine your child wheeling down the street in their flashy race car driver costume and personalized ride. Who cares about candy when you’ve got the fastest set of wheels in the neighborhood.
The 2-piece race car driver children’s costume set includes:
- cap
- jumpsuit
SHOP THE LOOK
Ideas:
2. Pull Inspiration from Movies/TV/Storybooks
This may not feel very original, but you can pull together a great family or group costume. How cute would it be to have your little one dress as a mouse and you as a chef, you could be Linguini and Remy from Ratatouille. Your little monster could be Stitch and you could be a hula lady, and be Lilo and Stitch. If you have a family of 5 or 6, you could dress up from the new cast of Inside Out: Joy, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, Fear, and Bing Bong. Maybe you can convince your family to join in on this awesome idea…. wait for it… Downton Abbey. Okay, you will have to up their allowance to get them to agree, but remember the phrase, “If Mama isn’t Happy, Ain’t No body Happy!” Your kids may not get the reference, but you may be able to get your husband on board for either of these ideas: Rocky or A Christmas Story. If your husband really loves you he may agree to either of these themes: Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. If you can make it through the first 1o minutes of the movie Up, you probably love all of the Up characters: Mr. Fredricksen, Russell, Kevin, Dug, and of course The House. Who wouldn’t recognize Wilson from Cast Away?
Ideas:
- Breakfast At Tiffany’s Girls Costume
- Downton Abbey
- Gone With The Wind
- Wizard of Oz
- Grease
- Harry Potter
3. Be Historical
History can be more exciting when you make it come alive with a historical costume. What kid wouldn’t want to be a Pirate, an Egyptian Queen, an Indian Maharani Princess, characters from the Middle Ages such as a Dragon, Knight, or Princess, a 50’s Sock Hopper, Greaser, or a dinosaur. Dinosaurs are educational, right?
Ideas:
- Union Jack Sequin Girls
- Native American Princess
- Golden Cleopatra Girl Costume
- Miss Musketeer Girls Costume
- Cowpoke Childrens Costume
- Lady Liberty Girls Costume
- Guinevere Girls Costume
- Queen Elizabeth Girls Costume
- Hippie Chick Girls Costume
4. Get Inspiration from Everyday Life/Hometown Heroes
What little kid isn’t amazed by a school bus or trash truck? How cool would it be to be a walking Gum Ball Machine? A group of friends could coordinate to be a Human Rainbow. What could be sweeter than a little donut? Mom and Dad could be Krispy Kreme employees.
We can’t forget about our real life heroes: Fire Fighters, Doctors, Police Officers, or Soldiers. You can take the opportunity to discuss what each branch of the military is responsible for, or the difference between a doctor, veterinarian and an optometrist. Please remember to not pigeon hole your child. Remind them (and other family members that may protest!) that careers can, and do, cross the gender line every single day.
Costume Recommendation
The Personalized Astronaut Costume is the perfect salute to heroes, and is sure to excite any space-loving child. Like all Chasing Fireflies costumes, it’s built to last, and will hold up past one long night of trick or treating. The high quality jumpsuit boasts official NASA patches, plus a special commander patch. You can add a unique and special touch by having it personalized with your child’s first and last name, or first initial and last name (as pictured, with a maximum of 12 characters.) It also comes standard with a fun embroidered NASA baseball hat.
The Astronaut Helmet is an absolute must-have to complete this outfit! This amazing, talking space helmet comes with a push-button retractable visor. It is also detailed with an oxygen vent, communication receiver, boom microphone and pressure indicator. (Best fits ages 5+)
These amazing accessories add to the costume (each sold separately):
- astronaut helmet
- astronaut gloves
- astronaut backpack
- astronaut space boot covers
We are suckers for sibling costumes, however, you want to make sure that both kids aren’t wearing the exact same costume. To add some variety into a sibling costume set, we adore the Personalized Space Commander Costume that also comes standard with an embroidered baseball hat and personalized embroidered name on the chest. The polyester jumpsuit also sports the same patches and insignia as the astronaut costume, but gives the duo a different look and feel. He’ll feel like he’s headed off to the space station in 3…2…1…! If your tiny Space Commander is too small to don the astronaut helmet, there are lots of other fun accessories that complete this outfit that goes to infinity and beyond:
- space commander gloves
- space commander backpack
- space commander boot covers
Don’t leave your Space Commander without boots for his trek to the moon, the Space Commander Boot Covers are soft-sided boot covers complete with official NASA logos and patches. They are intended to be worn over shoes, and give the perfect finishing touch to this heroic ensemble (and note they’re sized to coordinate with the costume for easy ordering).
SHOP THE LOOK
Personalized Astronaut Costume | Personalized Space Commander Costume | Astronaut Helmet | Space Commander Boot Covers
5. Get Wild with Animals or Insects
Before your little one gets old enough to really object, you have to dress them as a cute little critter at least once. Let’s face it, they won’t want to meet their friends for a rousing night of Halloween fun dressed up as a fluffy sheep once they turn into preteens. However, a toddler, preschooler or younger child can use this opportunity to spread their wings and explore the animal kingdom through pretend play and costumes. Luckily, Chasing Fireflies has lots of creatures for them to choose from, making the process exciting and easy!
Costume Recommendation
Whoo… Whoo… wouldn’t want to give this little darling extra Halloween candy? This Cutie Hootie Owl costume has it all: giant mesmerizing eyes adorning the hood, velour “feathers” embellishing the bodice, sparkly tulle adds just enough girly fluff, and an attachable set of wings (that includes a handy-dandy thumb hook) to keep your little one flapping all night long. You will not see a cuter bird costume this Halloween. This majestic costume wouldn’t be complete without the sparkly gold shoes (which can be worn all year long).
Play the part in this fabulous “hooted” dress. Giant eyes adorn the hood while the coordinating wings attach to a finger on each hand and fan out dramatically when you raise your arms. They’re also detachable from the dress.
The 2-piece Cutie Hootie Owl girls costume set includes the wings and hooded dress. However, you can’t stop there and the coordinating accessories listed below really complete the outfit and add just a bit more pizzazz to this stunning, exclusively Chasing Fireflies costume.
- Gold sequin choker
- Gold Sparkle Shoes
She’ll be walking on air as she flutters down the streets on Halloween night in the Gold Sparkle Shoes. These shoes are perfect with costumes, or for everyday play. They are quality made, and will transition seamlessly into the perfect pair of Christmas shoes two months later- and will quickly become her favorite pair of shoes!
SHOP THE LOOK
Ideas:
- Little Lamb (mom could be Mary)
- Puppy Dog
- Kitty Cat
- Buzzing Bee
- Peacock
- Eagle (what could be more American than an eagle?)
- Beautiful Snow Owl
- Cutie Hootie Owl
- Flamingo
6. You Can’t Go Wrong with Funny
You can’t beat a funny costume. It may not be politically correct, but what about a Sideshow Circus Family? How funny would Mom look as the Bearded Lady, or a Strong Man Baby. The Breakfast Club: everyone dresses as a breakfast item: a piece of bacon, an egg, a bottle of syrup, a box of pancake mix, etc. Who could forget the Super Bowl commercial of the little boy dressed as Darth Vadar. Your baby could earn you extra candy if you dress them up as a baby Michelin Man…”Who you going to call… Ghostbusters!” How about a baby Sumo Wrestler?
Ideas:
7. Don’t Forget Your Little Furry Friend
Remember fur-children are children too. Nothing is better than seeing a dog walk down the street as a Hot-dog. Heck, scratch everything you’ve already read and design your whole family’s themed costume around your furry pet. You could be a Star Wars inspired family. Your pup can be Princess Leia. The dog may not love you for it, but it would make for great photos.
Ideas:
Halloween is a great holiday to encourage fun through dress up and pretend play. Not only does it help build confidence by dressing in a costume, it can also help foster relationships and personal skills such as knocking on a door, saying “please” and “thank you,” or simply assisting getting your child out of their shell a bit more. This year, we urge you and your child to think about a fun and exciting costume, and look for unique options online. Stay out of the big box stores that limit your child’s imagination to the choices that are directly in front of them. Have a conversation with them, and find out their actual interests (unprompted!). Take some time to explain the Halloween tradition of dressing up, and encourage their thoughts and viewpoints.
Try your best to let them decide- even if it’s not something that you would choose for them. They will cherish the experience and independence that goes along with making a solo decision. Then, jump online to Chasing Fireflies and browse their vast costume selection. You’re sure to find the perfect costume that fits their stage in life- whether it’s yet another Snow Queen, or a Gum Ball Machine!
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Photo Credit: Ashley Sisk | Memoirs Photography | St. John Photography
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