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51 Best Kids' Halloween Costume Ideas in 2023
Featuring lots of easy, homemade ideas you can DIY at the last minute.
For the kids who love dressing up and becoming their favorite characters, any costume occasion is a big one. And when it comes time for them to pick a great Halloween costume, they are certainly not at a loss for options. So many big kids' movies came out in 2023, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Little Mermaid, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem — and all of them are filled with great costume ideas. Streaming services like Netflix and video games offer even more grounds for inspiration. And then there are those classic costumes, like pumpkins, witches, pirates and vampires, that are popular year after year.
So, what to look for in a Halloween costume for kids? The experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics say that, for safety, the costumes should be visible at night, so they should have a bright or reflective component (or you can consider giving the kids a Halloween glow stick). In addition, they advise parents to check and make sure that shoes fit well, hats don't cover eyes and costumes aren't too long in order to prevent tripping. They also say to watch out for pointy or sharp accessories (like swords), costumes made from materials that are not flame resistant, makeup that doesn't say "nontoxic" and decorative contact lenses. And, if it's possible, they say to go with face paint over masks.
Still, that leaves a wide berth. These are the best costumes for kids in 2023. You can find cute outfits for the little ones, movie and TV characters for the big kids and even some scary and fun options for the teens and tweens. Looking for more costume inspiration? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:
Even without a new Minions movie this year, Minions are always hilarious — and a favorite character. You can buy a Minions costume, but they're almost easier to DIY.
After Mutant Mayhem this year, there's a whole lot more action on the half-shell going on. Kids can choose their favorite hero: Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo or Michaelangelo. Each one includes the jumpsuit, mask, elbow pads, knee pads, shell backpack and belt (weapons are not included).
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Super Mario Bros.
See Vanessa Craft
There's no doubt that, after the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, everyone is going to be looking to the Mushroom Kingdom for Halloween costume inspiration. And it's a good place to check since there are such a variety of characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and Bowser.
With the Ahsoka show set to premiere at the end of August, kids will be clamoring to be this cool Jedi. The costume comes with the tunic, pants, arm bands, and, of course, her iconic Togruta head tails. She can be the Snips to Anakin's Skyguy.
Expecto patronum! Your little witch or wizard will be all ready for Hogwarts with this outfit, which comes with the robe, sweater, shirt front and tie. You can also go with Harry, Ron or, if they're a Slytherin, Draco.
They can go with a peter-pan-collar dress if they're looking for a classic Wednesday Addams look, or they can update their costume and go with this dress, inspired by the outfit she wore when she did her famous "Goo Goo Muck" dance on the Netflix series. Either way, it's a goth girl's dream come true.
Even if they haven't seen Rise of the Beasts, they probably recognize Optiumus Prime in his shining glory. This costume does the Matrix of Leadership justice, and comes with a jumpsuit, gloves, shoe covers, hood and mask. You can also get a Bumblebee costume.
Duct Tape Skeleton Costume
Mike Garten
If you need a costume at the last minute, this duct tape skeleton can do the trick.
Cut or tear a piece of duct tape the length of the bone and place it on the clothing item for scale.
Draw the bone shape on top of the duct tape, peel the tape off and place it flat onto the cutting mat.
Using an X-acto knife, cut out the bone shape.
Once you have finished cutting out your bones, you can re-stick them back onto the clothing.
Batter Up! If kids want a dose of female empowerment with their trick-or-treating, there's nothing better than dressing up as Dottie from A League of Their Own. The outfit comes with the dress, cap, belt and knee socks.
Perhaps they're feeling the pull of the dark side? If so, indulge them by letting them dress up as one of cinema's greatest all-time villains. The mask has mesh over the eyes so kids can see through, and the cape detaches.
DIY Strawberry Costume
I Am Style-Ish
It's easy to make this DIY strawberry costume with just a few supplies — and the results have a big, adorable impact. It's crafty, creative and cute!
We still have a ways to go before we can return to Hawkins, but if they're still running up that hill, they can re-create Eleven's classic Season 4 look. Just watch out for Vecna.
Naruto is only getting more popular, and kids will recognize this one right away, even without using face paint for the signature, whisker-like marks. The set comes with the jacket, the pants and the headband.
Little Planter Costume
Mike Garten
It's not so hard to transform into the perfect houseplant.
Cut a hole in the bottom of a grasscloth basket wide enough for wearer’s hips and legs to fit through comfortably.
Download the leaf template and trace it onto green paper. Trim and fold in half.
Cut varying lengths of wire.
Create stems by threading wire through green straws, dabbing hot glue as you thread to keep straws in place.
Hot-glue leaves to ends of stems.
Hot-glue stems to inside of basket, avoiding sides. Reinforce with duct tape if necessary once dry.
Cut 2 lengths of green ribbon for shoulder straps. Attach to inside front and back of basket with Velcro tape or safety pins.
With wearer dressed in green; slide basket over head, straps resting on shoulders.
Bend stems around wearer to create a natural look.
Say what you will about Addison from the Disney Channel's Zombies series, she always changes up her look. This alien one from Zombies 3 is even better that then classic Seabrook High cheerleader getup.
Minecraft is all about crafting, but if your real-world DIY skills are lacking, it might be better to just buy this Ender Dragon getup. You don't need to do any mining to make it.
'Jurassic Park' Paleontologist Costume
Sarah Halstead
Blogger Sarah Halstead created this as an adaptive costume to use with her son's wheelchair, but any budding paleontologist will thrill to dress up like Ellie Sattler or Alan Grant — or even the dinosaurs themselves!
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.