Sensory Friendly Costume Ideas
We're only a month away from the spookiest holiday of the year, and we are in full-on costume prep at our house.
With kids - even those who aren't neurodivergent - Halloween can present all kinds of issues. From itchy fabrics to smelly face paints, there are plenty of things that can cause sensory overload. So right now, before we get any closer to the big night, let's explore some ways to make costumes as comfy and unproblematic as possible so everyone can have a fabulously spooky night of candy collecting with as little wardrobe worry as possible.
For starters, and I'm sure this is a no brainer, let your kids help decide what they want to be. They will be way more excited to wear something they had a hand in choosing than something they feel like they're being forced to wear. Sometimes they come up with really fun costume ideas that would've never crossed your mind. Give them a little creative liberty!
After they've decided on an idea, it's time to do a little recon before purchasing a costume. Obviously, you can check places like Target, Party City, Spirit Halloween, etc.. But pay special attention to the fabrics and possible issues with any store-bought ensembles. If your child has sensory issues, ill-fitting, often itchy fabrics can be a trigger that will lead straight to a Halloween night meltdown. Sometimes, the answer is as simple as layering soft leggings and shirts under the costume, but if layers make your kid uncomfortable, there are tons of other easy options to save the day.
Halloween Onesies
These hooded zip-up options are super-soft, comfy, on-theme, and adorable.
Character Hoodies
Throw on some soft leggings or sweatpants and zip up a fun character hoodie. Super-simple, plus the hoodie can be worn over shirts throughout fall and winter, so they'll get more use than a costume your kid might only wear once. Win-win.
Halloween Pajamas
Skeletons, mummies, and superheroes, oh my!
Regular clothes that can be easily themed with props
The ideas here are pretty endless. Grab a red and white stripped shirt, some comfy blue pants, and a cheap pair of round plastic glasses, and taa-daaaa! Where's Waldo? Use the same striped shirt with black pants, a black sash around the waist, and a pirate hat and get ready to take on the high seas. Black and white striped shirt with black pants and a beanie? Bank robber. Yellow and black striped shirt with leggings and an antenna headband. Hey there, cute little bumblebee. (I swear not all of my ideas are striped shirts. It's just where my brain went for some reason.)
(Where’s Waldo and pirate images and tops are from June & January, the adorable bumblebee is from Simple As That, and the little bandit costume is over at Make It & Love It.
Regardless of what route you take, make sure you do a trial run before Halloween to make sure there are no major issues. If you plan on doing face paint or makeup, I definitely recommend testing that out beforehand, too. You don't want to find out as you're walking out the door to trick or treat that the face paint you bought smells weird or irritates your kid to the point of misery.
Whatever you do, I hope you have the spookiest, most fun Halloween ever. And hey… don’t forget about the parent tax, friends. A portion of that candy belongs to you. You’ve earned it!
