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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:
Costumes for Babies | Costumes for Toddlers | Family Costume Ideas
Crayons
These DIY crayon outfits are perfect to wear to school, because they're mostly just real clothes. Kids can pick their favorite color be it red (with a matching shirt/pants/sock combo), green (shirt/pants/socks) or blue (shirt/pants/socks), then DIY the stripes with electrical tape. The hats can also be crafted from construction paper using this template.
The Little Mermaid
If you can head to your grotto of thingamabobs, you might be able to pull off this homemade costume inspired by Disney's The Little Mermaid. It just needs a purple top, some green scarves for the skirt, and a shell necklace, plus a hair scarf for a belt or a wig if you want to go all out.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros, either the film or the game, makes for a great group Halloween costume, because you can get outfits for so many characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi and Bowser, among others. But you can also easily DIY your own plumbing, Piranha Plant-fighting brothers with a red shirt or green shirt, store-bought hats and mustache sets, blue suspenders and white gloves. (A Fire Flower is optional!)
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Ash Ketchum
Pokéfans will delight in how easy it is to transform into Pokémon champion Ash Ketchum. You just need a red trucker hat, a blue vest and a pair of lime green gloves (cut the fingers off for even more authenticity). This trainer also made a DIY Pokéball out of a baseball, and has a Pikachu plush for another prop (though we suppose Gengar would also be Halloween-appropriate).
RELATED: The Best Pokémon Halloween Costumes
Wednesday Addams
There are so many directions to go in for an Wednesday-inspired getup: 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 a black tulle dress inspired by the outfit she wore when she did her famous "Goo Goo Muck" dance on the Netflix series. But if they want to go with her school uniform from the series, they can try this combo of striped blazer, collared shirt, black dress and knee socks, plus a possible wig.
Minions Costume
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.
Get the tutorial »
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Hi, Barbie! This is the exact costume they need to fight patriarchy. You can add in a Ken, but, as the movie tell us, he isn't necessary.
Best Kids' Character Costumes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Costume
Best Kids' Character Costumes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Costume
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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New Star Wars Costume
Ahsoka Tano Costume
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.
RELATED: The Best Star Wars Family Costumes
This costume? Totally suss. These astronauts come in a rainbow of colors, but it's up to you to figure out if they're an imposter or crewmate.
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For 'Transformers' Fans
Optimus Prime Costume
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
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.
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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.
Classic Star Wars Costume
Darth Vader Costume
Classic Star Wars Costume
Darth Vader Costume
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
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!
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For 'Stranger Things' Fans
Eleven Costume
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.
RELATED: The Best 'Stranger Things' Halloween Costumes
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.
