5 Easy Last-Minute Halloween Costumes for Kids
No time to prep your kids' costumes this Halloween? No problem! Here are five easy-peasy ones you can get done with just a few crafting materials or easy-to-find clothes in an hour or less.
1. Puppeteer
Your kid can pretend to be the master of their puppet theater by pairing homemade stick puppets with a long-sleeved black top (or sweater, if it's chilly). The top can help them fade into the background, so the puppets are front and center, in the style of "Sesame Street" and "Bob Baker Marionette Theater" puppeteers.
The puppets are very easy to make. Just cut paper out of whatever shapes you choose, decorate, add googly eyes and sticks and you're done! Bonus points if your kid can come up with a story and put on a spooky puppet show!
2. Mother Nature
All you need for this costume is to head outside together and pick up natural objects like leaves, twigs, etc. to make a nature crown. Start by gluing the natural objects to a headband made from a piece of thick paper — a cut up paper bag is perfect. Pair it with a brown or green dress or shirt and pants combo, and your kid will be ready to be one with nature.
To give your nature crown a more colorful look, decorate it with paper flowers made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners.
If you'd like to take the costume further, make four smaller nature crowns to wear as bracelets and anklets and create a host of no sew stuffed animals to fill your animal kingdom.
3. Superhero (or Supervillain)
All you need for this one is an old t-shirt, scissors and some imagination, and you'll get a cape and matching mask for your kid to decorate as they wish. Finish the ensemble with a shirt, leggings or tights and maybe some colorful undies on top of the tights.
4. Arthur
The world's most famous cartoon aardvark is easy to bring to life with jeans, sneakers and a white collared shirt under a yellow sweater. For Arthur's ears, glue some cardboard circles to a headband. Top the ensemble off with black, round glasses. Find full instructions on our PBS-themed costume collection.
5. Frida Kahlo
Help your kid embody the groundbreaking artist with a flower crown, self-portrait, iconic unibrow, some paintbrushes and a colorful blouse.
To make the flower crown, make a headband as if you were making the nature crown from the Mother Nature costume above, but decorate it with paper flowers made out of colorful tissue paper. Next, ask your kid to make a self-portrait of themselves. You can use the opportunity to talk about what features of their face they love and why. To finish, have your kid don a colorful top or blouse, help them paint on a unibrow to match their eyebrows and head out with their self-portrait and paintbrushes (or crayons).
Bonus points if your kid wants to create art in costume to emulate Frida Kahlo!
For even more kids costume ideas, check out PBS KIDS for Parents.
