Of my three kids, only one of them is a huge fan of dressing up, but a huge fan she has been since she was a toddler. My oldest daughter is one of those kids who from ages 2 through six or so spent more time in a costume - always of the princess variety - than out. She went through phases of favorites - for many months, a Snow White number I found at Target (not one of the authentic Disney Store get ups but a flimsy knock off) was her favorite to the point that while it was covered with chocolate milk stains and spaghetti sauce splotches, I was afraid to wash it for fear it would fall apart. One day I noticed it was permanently damp and had a slightly rancid odor and I had no choice but to wash it on gentle, cold cycle, in a lingerie bag and it still, sadly, didn’t make it. I think my daughter was four at the time and she repeatedly asked about the Snow White costume’s where-abouts - “In the wash,” was my reply for many days until she moved on to Sleeping Beauty. Phew. I even had to make a “no costumes outside” rule as the bottoms of all the costumes were getting muddy; she would literally tear off her clothes upon entering the house so she could get back into her princess attire.
Flash forward to my dear princess girl at age 9 this year. She shuns pink, hates skirts, and is dressing as a hippie for Halloween this year. She basically looks like a hippie all the time - barely a costume is required here as she loves tie dyes, corduroys, and hair as long as she can get it - every day. How I long for the princess years!
Along come my next two kids who absolutely could not care less about dressing up at any time. My oldest must have gotten all of the dress up genes. My younger daughter and son not only never enjoyed dress up for every day play, but Halloween dressing up has always been a bit of a challenge. When each of them were age three on their respective Halloweens, no costumes at all were worn. I have photos of each of them crying in my arms in these years. I think my son wore an orange shirt with a bat on it for trick or treating and called it a day the next year.
This year my son is five and there is a Halloween parade at school where the parents come and take pictures and then in addition to trick or treating, our neighborhood has a big block party with a parade, games, music, food, etc., so needless to say, Halloween is kind of a big holiday for us. My son does not want to be anything for Halloween. Fine by me, but I had a hunch that when it came to the day and he was the only one without a costume, he would probably feel self conscious and get upset. I think the deal with kids who don’t love dressing up is that they don’t want to be the center of attention - they want to stay under the radar, but still join in on the fun (hmmmm - sounds like me!). He has agreed to be a soccer player - basically throw on his soccer uniform. He’s happy and we don’t need to buy a costume - it’s a win win.
Look around your house, keep it simple and no stress. Other low key ideas for kids who don’t like costumes:
Sports player or fan: Hockey, football, tennis, baseball, etc. Your child can wear any uniform you have in the house or their favorite team’s jersey or t shirt, cap, any other attire you have. Carry appropriate sports equipment for the player option - baseball bat, tennis racquet, etc. You can add a foam finger for the fan for extra fun.
Baby: PJ’s, blanket, sippy cup or baby bottle.
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Pirate: Cut off an old pair of pants, white shirt, bandana around the head, eye patch if you have one.
Cowboy: Jeans, plaid shirt, bandana around the neck.
Road: Black Sweat Suit. Using wide white tape, make a dotted line down the middle of the front and back to look like a road. You could draw or print out road signs from your computer and pin onto the road.
American Flag: Blue Sweatshirt/Red Sweat pants. Cut stars out of white contact paper and stick to shirt. Put white tape stripes down the pant leg.
Autumn Leaves: Brown, Black or other “Autumn” colored Sweat Suit. Safety pin silk leaves (from craft store - or you could try real leaves - could get tricky). Carry a rake and collect candy in a lawn bag.
Crayon: Sweatsuit in a crayon color. Use black contact paper or construction paper and cut out letters to spell “CRAYON.” Stick to the clothes running vertically.
If you have a non-costume lover in your house, what have they worn for Halloween?
