Halloween Costumes That Would Be Beyond Adorable For Your Baby
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Anyone who says Halloween costumes aren't for babies has clearly never seen how an adorable, tiny human can be made even cuter when donning a witch hat. Even if they're not going out trick-or-treating (or maybe they are, you do you), a costume is still a must. While it's always special when you dress up your kids for Halloween, there's something about those first years and earliest costumes that hit a special note. It's for that same reason, though, that it can feel impossible to narrow down all the great ideas into a single Halloween costume for your baby.
On top of all the Halloween costumes you already know and love, every year there are dozens of new options added to the mix. How could you possibly choose the one that will be immortalized in photos forever? From classic costumes to pop culture portrayals, we've done the leg work for you and rounded up some Halloween costumes that would be beyond adorable for your baby.
Celebrate The King with a baby Elvis
There are countless rock, pop, hip-hop, and country stars to choose from if you want to see your little one as a famous singer on Halloween night. All of them make for an adorable costume, but arguably none is cuter than a pint-sized King of Rock and Roll, complete with a white jumpsuit, a pompadour hairstyle, and a microphone or mini guitar. Dressing your little cutie up as a tiny Elvis Presley is certain to shake up your Halloween any year, but is particularly timely with the release of Baz Luhrmann's movie "Elvis" in 2022.
Whether you put together an iconic Elvis Presley outfit on your own or buy an Elvis onesie for your little one, your baby will be sporting a Halloween costume that's surely worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Your Buzz Lightyear will take Halloween to infinity and beyond
There's been no shortage of "Toy Story" costumes since the very first movie in the franchise premiered in 1995, from Woody and Buzz to Cowgirl Jessie and the occasional Sid. In fact, you might have even sported one yourself over the past few decades. In 2022, the "Toy Story" franchise saw a resurgence with the release of "Lightyear," starring Chris Evans as the voice of the titular character.
This prequel/spin-off to the original film follows not the Buzz Lightyear toy from the first four films, but the character the toy was based on. Yes, the premise of the 2022 movie is a bit confusing and complicated, as Time points out, but that doesn't change the fact that Buzz Lightyear makes for a truly adorable Halloween costume for your little space ranger – not just this year, but to infinity and beyond!
Dress as Baby Yoda, your little one must
"Star Wars" is another longstanding franchise that has inspired countless Halloween costumes, but none is more appropriate for your little bundle of joy than the character that became known to fans as Baby Yoda, more appropriately known as Grogu. Audiences were introduced to Grogu, referred to as the Child, in the first season of "The Mandalorian" in 2019. The baby, which is the same species as the more well-known Master Yoda, became an instant, adorable hit. The collective love for Baby Yoda only grew in the second season of "The Mandalorian" in 2020, then Grogu and his pseudo-adoptive father Mando also appeared in "The Book of Boba Fett" in 2021.
According to GQ, the third season of "The Mandalorian" is slated to arrive on Disney+ in February 2023. The lovable Grogu will of course be returning, meaning that a Baby Yoda transformation is the perfect Halloween costume for your baby.
Knock it out of the park as a Rockford Peach
Dressing your baby as an athlete for Halloween is always a winning costume, and while you could certainly look to the most recent Super Bowl or World Series champions for inspiration, you could also just turn on your television and get inspiration from the Amazon series adaptation of the 1992 star-studded movie "A League of Their Own." Both the show and the original movie tell a fictionalized version of the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
As noted by NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, the Amazon series — co-created by and starring Abbi Jacobson — tells a different story than the original movie and fills in some of the gaps that were present when compared with the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during WWII. One thing that didn't change, however, is the focus on the Rockford Peaches with their adorable pink and red uniforms. Talk about the perfect Halloween costume for your little slugger!
Your baby can be the Top Gun as Maverick
Ever since "Top Gun" was released in 1986, it's had a huge impact on popular culture. As ABC News noted upon the 30th anniversary of the movie's release, "Top Gun" changed the way movies were filmed and promoted (and made Tom Cruise one of the biggest movie stars ever). It has also lent itself to Halloween costumes virtually every year since. So why break it out for your baby now?
In 2022, more than 35 years since the release of the original film, "Top Gun: Maverick" was released and ruled the summer box office. According to CNN, the movie that saw Tom Cruise's return as Maverick was the No. 1 movie on both Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend in 2022. There's never been a better time to scope out some mini aviator glasses and a tiny flight suit for your little one's Halloween costume.
Dress your little wild thing as Max from the Maurice Sendak classic
Your baby is a wild thing, no doubt about it — but are they the wildest thing of all? Maybe even the king (or queen) of all the wild things? Make it official by dressing them as Max from the Maurice Sendak classic "Where The Wild Things Are" for Halloween.
A favorite story of people of all ages — including President Barack Obama, who according to The Guardian, read it for the 2016 White House Easter egg roll — "Where The Wild Things Are" not only offers the opportunity for your baby to dress as the too-cute-for-words main character, but could also work as a family costume. Pick your favorite group of wild things and spend Halloween creating a wild rumpus all around town. The Max costume is easy enough to make out of a white, long-sleeved footed onesie and a paper crown, or visit your local pop-up Spirit Halloween and grab their take on the look.
Dial up the kooky and spooky as Wednesday Addams
If you want to go a bit darker with your baby for the spooky season, look no further than little Wednesday Addams from "The Addams Family" for your little one's Halloween costume. Not only is Wednesday Addams an instantly recognizable look, it's also pretty easy to pull off with a black dress, white collar, and braids. While parents may be most familiar with Christina Ricci's version of Wednesday Addams from the '90s, there's a new Wednesday in town, with the Netflix series "Wednesday" premiering in 2022.
If you're willing to go the extra mile with a Morticia, Gomez, or Pugsley — or maybe even Lurch, Cousin Itt, Thing, or Uncle Fester — having your adorable baby dressed as the spooky and kooky Wednesday Addams could make for the perfect family costume, too. Which version of the characters you choose to go with is up to you.
Join the Multiverse of Madness as Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of characters that make for great Halloween costumes, from Iron Man and Captain America to Black Widow and Captain Marvel — but if you want to add a little magic and sorcery to your kiddo's look, take your cue from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" this year. As the title suggests, the movie offers an entire multiverse full of variations in characters to choose from, but dressing your baby as the titular Doctor Stephen Strange or the enigmatic Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch will make your little one the talk of the street on Halloween.
Choosing either one offers a flowing cape or cloak, which is always a winner with little kids — and who doesn't love pretending to be able to cast spells as a sorcerer or witch on the spookiest holiday of the year? Whether you DIY the costume or pick one up already made, you'll certainly bring the magic to your baby's costume this Halloween.
Halloween is a bunch of Hocus Pocus with your little Sanderson
The beloved kids' Halloween movie "Hocus Pocus," which is getting a 2022 sequel on Disney+ after nearly 30 years since the original film's release, offers a unique take on witches with the Sanderson sisters that's perfect for a Halloween costume. Forget dressing in all black and wearing a pointy hat — the Sanderson sisters wear colorful, flowing dresses and cloaks from the late 1600s.
With the redheaded Winifred, brunette Mary, and blonde Sarah, there's a Sanderson sister for every little witch — so no need for a wig unless you want to add one. This costume choice is especially great if you have a trio of children to dress up together, or you could always dress up the adults to coordinate with your Baby Bruja. Just make sure to remember the book of spells and a broom (or vacuum cleaner) for good measure.
What's a better baby costume than one of the Rugrats?
There are baby costumes and then there are costumes of babies — and what better babies to dress up as than Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" crew? Parents likely grew up with the original "Rugrats" that ran on Nickelodeon for more than a decade beginning in the early '90s and lasting through the mid-2000s, but today's kids may be more familiar with the rebooted series that premiered on Paramount+ in 2021. Lucky for everyone, all the old favorites — Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, and Susie — are all present and accounted for, according to Screen Rant.
Maybe the best part about dressing your baby as one of the Rugrats is that you can probably use clothes you already have with just a few alterations or additions. Whether your baby is a boy or girl and has flaming red hair or is still a bit bald, there's a Rugrats character for you. Make it a group costume if you have multiple kids or with other kids in the neighborhood. With plenty of adult characters on the show as well, this is another costume that easily lends itself to a family affair.
Make it a family affair as the cast of Bluey
Parents and children alike are completely enamored by the Australian children's animated television show "Bluey," and with good reason. The series follows an anthropomorphized family of Australian cattle dogs (the main character Bluey and her dad are Blue Heelers, while her sister Bingo and her mother are Red Heelers) as they have various family adventures, along with their friends who are other breeds of dogs. The series, which has been praised for its depiction of children's imaginative play, successfully crossed over from Australian audiences to American audiences and beyond when it was picked up by Disney Junior and Disney+.
Vulture called "Bluey" "the best kids' show of our time," noting how the episodes resonate not only with kids, but with their parents as well. The huge popularity of the show, along with its lovable characters, make "Bluey" the perfect choice for a family Halloween costume, if that's your thing — but even if you only want to dress up your little one, Baby Bluey is an adorable option.
Keep it classic with a baby jack-o-lantern
If a pop culture costume isn't your jam for Halloween, you can't go wrong with a classic, cute costume for your baby. Nothing says fall, and Halloween, more than a jack-o'-lantern. According to History.com, people have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for hundreds of years, a tradition that originated in Ireland (using turnips, no less) and was brought to America along with the Irish immigrants.
Based on the tale of Stingy Jack, jack-o'-lanterns still offer a spooky element for Halloween, but can be downright adorable as your baby's jack-o'-lantern costume. These days, jack-o'-lanterns are more closely associated with bright orange pumpkins than turnips, making for a super cute (and easy) outfit for your baby. There are a variety of jack-o'-lantern costumes to choose from, whether you want to go simple with a onesie and hat or a little more complex with a poofy hooded romper.
Include your stroller by dressing your little one as a Cabbage Patch Kid
If your little one isn't walking yet, you're going to need a way to transport them on Halloween while scouring the neighborhood for candy. If you'll be pushing your baby in a stroller while they're in costume, why not make the stroller part of the costume?
While you could transform your stroller into just about anything for the big night, a tried-and-true option is to dress your little doll as a Cabbage Patch Kid, complete with their stroller as the box the dolls arrive in after adoption. Cabbage Patch Kids have been around for decades and are instantly recognizable to people of all ages. They also make for a super cute (and super easy) costume for boys and girls. Just dress them in whatever cute outfit they already own, add some freckles and yarn for hair, then create the box to go around the stroller. Voila! Instant, adorable Halloween costume.
If baby wearing is more your thing, try Charlotte's Web
Pushing your baby in a stroller isn't the only option for transporting your little one on Halloween if they aren't yet walking. If you'd rather wear your baby in a carrier and keep your hands free for all that candy on Halloween, you probably want to coordinate your costumes. According to Britannica, the children's classic "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White celebrates its 70th year of publication in October 2022 (having been published in October 1952), making it the perfect inspiration for carrying your baby on Halloween.
If you're crafty, Today's Parent has a tutorial for a spider and web costume that requires cutting, Velcro, and hot glue. If simplicity is more your approach, a little baby Charlotte the spider requires only a black onesie with some extra legs attached, while you can turn the bottom of the baby carrier into a web with a simple bed sheet with lines drawn on it. For an added bonus, another child dressed as Wilbur the pig or his savior Fern will complete the look.