Whether your child is dressing up for a fancy costume party or just adding accessories for an entertaining afternoon, their outfits don’t need to be elaborate or expensive. Here are some quick and easy costume ideas for kids that you can often make with clothes and accessories you already have.

Animal Vibes

With thousands of animals to choose from, the hardest part will be narrowing down which animal your child wants to be! Here are the basic elements to any animal costume, and you can tailor it to suit your needs:

• Solid-colored top and bottom
• Construction paper and tape
• Headband
• String or ribbon for an easily removable tail
• Optional: Matching socks for hands, eyeliner or face paint for drawing whiskers or noses.

Once your child has decided which animal they’d like to be, you can assemble the elements with some construction paper and tape. Cut out ears, a tail, and other distinct markings (a white belly or spots, for example). For a quick dress-up day, tape will do just fine. If you want to parade around all day, you may want to invest in some quality ears and a tail (but you don’t have to).

Real Role Models

Children love to emulate their role models, and many of them can make quick and easy costumes too! For ideas, head over to our Strong Women page to read about some amazing women who inspire us every day. If you want to make a costume representing one of these positive role models, here are some tips:

• Taylor Richardson - A basic astronaut suit will do, but you can also use a pair of plain pajamas and some creativity. Make a space helmet with an old cardboard box and prepare for blastoff! You can read more about Taylor, her activism, and her dreams of spaceflight here on our blog.
• Simone Biles – As a gymnastics superstar, dressing like the indomitable Simone Biles only takes a leotard and some tights. Add some rhinestones or glitter for a truly dazzling effect.
• Kamala Harris – Dress like the first female VP in a solid powersuit and fancy necklace. For kids, look for a blazer, dress slacks, and some edgy sneakers to complete the look.

Sports Star

If your kid plays a sport or participates in some other athletic activity, chances are good you’ve already got a costume prepped and ready to go. Here are some basic sports outfits that can be used as costumes on the fly:

• Football jersey and shorts, helmet and padding optional
• Soccer shirt, shorts, and long socks
• Ballet or gymnastics leotard, tutu, and tights
• Blazer and tan leggings (for the horse kids)
• Swimsuit and flip flops
• Polo shirt, skirt, and tennis racket

A lot of sports gear can also be found on the cheap at a thrift shop, so there’s no need to buy a brand new outfit just for a costume. To complete the look, consider sweatbands, leg warmers, goggles, or other accessories that correspond with your chosen sport. Or, kids can mix and match to make a wacky new sport of their own!

Basic Classic Costumes

If you want to bring it back to basics, these costumes have been popular nearly as long as the Halloween tradition itself. Here are some classic costumes with examples of how to put them together on the fly:

• Princess. Grab a sparkly dress and a tiara and you’ll be ready for the ball.
• Cowboy/Cowgirl. Giddy up, partner! Add a cowboy hat and bandana scarf to an outfit of jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, and you’ll be ready to rustle those cows.
• Train Conductor/Engineer. With a pair of overalls and a red bandana, you’ll be all aboard the costume train!
• Pirate. Try pairing a striped shirt with loose black pants for this costume. Add an eyepatch and a black hat for added effect.
• Robot. Put those extra shipping cardboard boxes to use. One large square will suffice for the body, and you can paint it any way you wish.
• Baby/Sleepover. Even big kids want to pretend to be little again sometimes. Simply wear a matching PJ set or onesie, and carry around a soft blanket as an accessory.
• Witch/Wizard. Wear whatever outfit makes you feel your spookiest (black dress, robes, etc) and add a witch or wizard’s hat. Voila! Instant magic.

Dress Like Your Favorite Doll

If you’ve already got a Lottie Doll at home, why not try to recreate one of her iconic outfits? Our dolls are designed with kids in mind, which means they wear outfits that real-life kids can enjoy. Here are some personal favorites with simple ways to replicate them:

• School Days. Navy jumper, white shirt, white knee-high socks.
• Kite Flyer Finn. Khaki cargo shorts, gray and white raglan shirt, navy fleece vest.
• Fossil Hunter. Khaki cargo shorts, blue collared shirt, brown boots, olive vest, magnifying glass.
• Walk in the Park. Jeans, orange tank top, red long-sleeved shirt, gray coat, red rainboots.

If you don’t have all the elements to perfectly recreate your favorite dolls’ outfits, that’s okay. Dressing up is all about getting creative, but most of all – it’s about having fun!