Kids Halloween costume ideas based on personality and interests

Don’t Just Buy a Halloween Costume. Choose One That Feels Like Your Child.

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October is on the horizon and all the stores are beeping, bopping and boo-ing with Halloween decorations, candies and, of course, costumes. Whether you are buy-from-the-store-and-be-done-with-it parent or a this-my-chance-to-create-my-own-costume parent, the choices of Halloween costume ideas seem to be endless.

What if, instead of asking, "What is the trending costume this year?"

You asked, "What would my child love to be?"

A great Halloween costume doesn't have to be the most elaborate one on the shelf. It should be the one that makes your child light up because it feels like them.

How DO You Choose a Halloween Costume That Feels Like Your Child?

I know that is the first question on your mind. There are 3 key points that should give you your first clue. When going through these points though, you need to keep in mind that you will still come up with more than one ideas. But these ideas will be better aligned to your child's personality than walking into a store and going for the most popular, most elaborate or most scary kids Halloween costume you can find.

It will also narrow down your choices so you (and your child) are not overwhelmed and unable to decide.

1. It starts with knowing their Interests

This is probably the easiest answer for you because this is what they are constantly talking about. 

Are they into dinosaurs? or Fairies? Perhaps Construction vehicles? or Outer Space? Maybe they have their favorite character of the moment.

Your kids Halloween costumes are typically inspired by their current interests. But remember, this is just the first step. You still need to go through Steps 2 and 3, to find the final answer.

2. Let us now focus on their Personality

This boils down further into two categories. 

For one, you want to consider whether they are artistic, adventurous, animal-loving or fascinated with science. Again, we are talking about growing individuals, so they are likely to have more than one sides to their personality. 

And that brings us to the second category - are they silly, dramatic, quiet, or imaginative? Do they enjoy being the center of attention, or do they prefer a softer approach? Whether your child is outgoing or shy, can make the difference in your choice of creative costumes for them.

3. Their Comfort Matters

One of the main aspects that many parents overlook when shopping for Halloween costumes, is the comfort and ease. 

Is the fairy costume made of scratchy material? Is the fireman costume too restrictive? Is the mask making breathing or seeing through it, difficult?

When looking for costumes, pay special attention to matters such as overheating, bathroom accessibility, uncomfortable shoes. These can make for a very uncomfortable evening for the child, and can also cause other issues such as rashes...leading to a less than fun Halloween evening.

Kids Halloween Costume Ideas based on their Personality

Now that you have distilled costume ideas based on your child's interests, personality and comfort, let us look at some possible choices for them...and remember, some of these options might coincide since your child has more than one interests and hobbies.

If your child is curious, inquisitive and an explorer

There can be many versions of a child with an exploratory bend of mind. If they are curious about space, think 'astronaut'; if they love animals, perhaps a safari ranger. Similarly they could be a 'paleontologist', a 'pirate' or a 'mad scientist'.

If your child is an animal lover, an artist, or...

you can create unique Halloween costumes such as safari ranger, veterinarian, or dress them up as their favorite animal or bird or butterfly or even a caterpillar. Once you understand their personality and their interests, you will find it so easy to come up with a costume idea that they will fall in love with.

Similarly for the Little Artist - consider painter, rainbow or a famous personality like Picasso or Monet. For an imaginative storyteller or a fantasy world lover, you could make them a dragon, a robot, a wizard or Count Dracula. 

You may discover that your child does not want any of the regular costumes and is looking for something completely different - for example, make them a chess piece; a photo frame or a vending machine. Let them get imaginative and come up with their own creative Halloween costume ideas.

The idea is not to find or make costumes that you would not typically get at a store, instead we are talking about finding a costume that showcases your child's interests or their hobbies. This approach helps lower the overwhelm and makes choosing a costume fun so that your child can enjoy the spirit of Halloween.

Even more importantly, when you find them a costume that they feel is a part of them, they will wear it far beyond Halloween - it can become an integral part of their pretend play.

Does Your Kid Not Want a Typical Halloween Costume?

This again goes back to the beginning where you think about their personality. Not every child wants to be a fairy, a pirate, a pumpkin, witch or superhero.

Some kids do not enjoy the silliness that is an intrinsic part of Halloween. 

Don't force them. Don't insist on dressing them up. They will start to associate Halloween with an uncomfortable annoyance. Get them a clown hat, a Halloween t-shirt or a simple mask.

The goal isn't to convince your child to love Halloween. It's to give them a way to participate that feels comfortable to them.

Costumes that Live Beyond Halloween

The biggest dilemma for parents is how much to spend on a one-evening costume. Most of the time, the Halloween costume ends up in the depths of your child's closet the day after Halloween. Your child will either outgrow the costume by next year or will have discovered a new interest.

But you don't have to limit the wear of the costume to that one evening. 

These costumes are the perfect way to add to the pretend play getups. This is another reason to choose a costume that coordinates with their interests. If your child loves spending time in the kitchen, buying them a chef costume that they can also wear when playing in their toy kitchen doesn't seem like a waste of money.

A child who loves to explore space, will absolutely be thrilled to wear his astronaut costume while pretending to land on the moon (aka the dining table).

Throw a Halloween-themed birthday party. Give all the kids another excuse to put on their costumes. Add a magic show at the end of the party, and you'll end up with a bunch of super-excited and happy kids.

What to Look for When Buying Kids Halloween Costumes

We touched briefly on the subject of comfort when looking for the best costume idea.

There are a few different issues you want to keep in mind. And these would vary based on where you are located, how elaborate the Halloween celebrations are and your child's unique personality.

1. COMFORT - can your child comfortably walk, sit and stand in the costume?

2. SAFETY - are there loose pieces, obstructed vision or trip hazards?

3. WEATHER - will they need layers underneath?

4. DURABILITY - Will it survive more than one wear?

5. BATHROOM FRIENDLY DESIGN - Can your child actually get in and out of it independently?

6. REUSABILITY - Could pieces become part of their dress-up collection?

7. CHILD'S APPROVAL - Most important of all: Do they actually like it?

Let Your Child Have the Final Say

To reiterate that last point - Your child doesn't need the costume you think is cutest. They don't need the costume every other child is wearing. They don't need the trending costume of the year.

They need the opportunity to express themselves.

Just as we don't want our children's rooms to look like someone else's Pinterest board, their Halloween costume doesn't have to look like everyone else's either.

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