This post was originally published in March 2018 and last updated in October 2021. All October posts are part of the Countdown to Halloween!
Is there anything cuter than kids in Halloween costumes?
Perhaps I'm biased now that I have an adorable niece and nephew to help dress up for Halloween, but this was a question Sheila from Red Shoes. Red Wine. and I pondered a while back at a blog conference. Neither of us has kiddos, but we both LOVE costumes - esp. cute kid costumes.
So, naturally, we decided to start our own Pinterest board for kid costumes and invited our friend Cheyenne from Sense and Serendipity, who does have adorable kiddos, to join too. We've been pinning up a storm.
I'm working hard to find clever costume ideas for kids - not just the run-of-the-mill costumes you can pick up at any box store come October 1. Sure, they take a bit more work and time to make, rather than buy...but they have SUCH a big payoff. And I think dressing your kid in clever Halloween costumes from the start is the easiest way to instill the love of October 31st in them.
I mean, just look at my first costume:
Y'all, my mom MADE that Care Bear costume for me when I was just two years old. I'm convinced it is, subconsciously, one of the reasons I love Halloween so much.
So with that in mind, today I'm sharing some of my favorite clever Halloween costumes for kids I've found so far.
13 Clever Halloween Costumes for Kids
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Just a bit of soft cotton with color-coordinated clothing turns your baby into an adorable fluff of cotton candy. (The only kind worth trying, in my opinion!)
The Boy Who Lived is always an excellent Halloween costume choice, whether you're not even one-year-old...or 100 years old.
My favorite costumes are always those you make on your own. Sure, you probably won't find Curious George's Man in the Yellow Hat on the shelves of your local costume shop, but this would be ridiculously easy to put together!
Want to brighten up your Halloween? Why not go as a rainbow? I love the sunshine headband as an extra touch. Add a pair of solid-colored leggings and shoes, and you're all set!
We can argue later about whether music icons, such as Willie Nelson, are appropriate for kiddos' costumes. I live in Texas, Willie is a musical icon, and this costume is too stinkin' cute. End of story.
I find toddler gnome costumes inexplicably adorable. I don't know if it's the little hat atop their heads or their huge, cheesy grins...but they make me go "Awww!" every time.
This wagon bubble bath would be great for a Trunk or Treat event!
This adorable black cat costume is super easy - and affordable - to recreate yourself!
I love this DIY mermaid costume because it repurposes a dress into an adorable - and unique - Halloween costume.
A weatherman in a storm - such a great way to use a trashed umbrella.
This is such a fun, clever take on Alice in Wonderland.
I had a coworker who dressed as a jellyfish once, and it was the coolest costume I had seen in a long time. This one is easy but has a serious wow factor.
Dressing as a mini Queen of England is just the cutest!
Which Halloween costume for kids is your favorite?
Share it in the comments! And if you're looking for more ideas, be sure to follow our Costumes for Kids board over on Pinterest.
