It might not feel like the season for plush sweaters and pumpkin lattes, but October is right around the corner. If you’ve got kids excited about their annual candy haul, now is the time to get serious about what they’ll wear. These cute and clever Halloween costumes scream 2026 – and they won’t bludgeon your budget.
Costumes you can make at home
You can’t beat store-bought costumes for convenience, but you don’t necessarily need to spend $50 or more to get the look. Whether you want to assemble a custom DIY outfit or grab a ready-to-wear set, here are some great ways to bring clever costumes to life.
- Transform into a KPop Demon Hunter. Start with a yellow jacket, black or navy shorts, a tank top and sneakers, then add colorful accessories and a purple wig for a Rumi-inspired outfit. DIY KPop Demon Hunters costumes are an easy alternative to licensed versions. If you’re short on time, full official costume sets and wigs are readily available. Amazon has several options in various sizes.
- Make a Minecraft Creeper. This one is practically begging for a cardboard box. Cover a box with green paper or paint, add the Creeper’s black pixelated face and cut out openings for your child’s head and arms. Pair it with a green shirt, pants and sneakers. For a smaller child, skip the box and make a Creeper face for a green sweatshirt or hoodie. Prefer a ready-made option? Pre-built Creeper jumpsuit costumes and inflatable outfits can be ordered from Walmart.
- Go as Bluey — without buying the jumpsuit. A blue shirt and pants, some felt ears attached to a headband and a little face paint can do most of the work. Bingo is just as easy with orange-and-cream clothing. This is also a good costume for a child who doesn’t want anything elaborate or restrictive. If you’re running low on time, Halloween.com has Bluey costumes for toddlers and young children.
- Try the tiny-food trend. Food costumes are still one of the easiest ways to make a toddler look ridiculously cute. Think strawberry, sushi roll, popcorn, cupcake or little carton of milk. Most can be made with a solid-color sweatshirt, felt and a little fabric glue. A strawberry can be as simple as a red outfit with green felt leaves around the collar and black felt seeds. If crafting isn’t on your menu, Target has a pretty sweet selection of kids food costumes.
Family costumes multiply the fun
Matching costumes don’t have to mean everyone wearing the same T-shirt. Some of the best family costumes are little visual jokes that make sense once everyone is standing together.
- Classic nursery rhymes characters. Pick your favorite nursery rhyme and make everyone a player. (i.e. For “Hey Diddle Diddle,” Mom can be the cat, Dad the fiddle, one child a cow and the baby the moon.) It’s silly, unexpected and gives everyone a distinct costume instead of making the baby an afterthought.
- Toy Story crew. Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Bo Peep and Forky give everyone a role. Outfits can be put together using wardrobe staples or bought as pre-packaged family character sets from shopDisney or Party City.
- Space travelers. Mom and Dad can be astronauts, an older child can be an alien and the baby can be the moon. Or turn the stroller into a little cardboard spaceship.
- KPop family pack. The whole family dressing up like KPop Demon Hunters could be especially fun for older kids and parents. Kids can choose Rumi, Mira or Zoey while Mom and Dad take on Saja Boys-inspired looks. Black clothes and pastel shirts work great for DIY, or you can pick up store-bought wigs and accessories to complete the group look quickly.
- Farm stand favorites. One parent as a farmer, one as a sunflower, a child as a scarecrow and the baby as a pumpkin. Easy to recognize, easy to improvise and, unlike some elaborate character costumes, unlikely to become a battle of wills before you even get out the front door.