Top Tips for Choosing Toddler Halloween Costumes
Toddlers are the toughest costume customers we have. They cannot be reasoned with, they change their minds hourly, and they will absolutely take the hat off in the first photo. And yet a toddler in a shark costume is the best thing you will see all October. Here is how to pick one that stays on longer than the walk to the car.
Comfort first, character second
A toddler will wear anything comfortable and nothing that is not. Look for soft polyester tunics and jumpsuits that go over regular clothes, with nothing tight at the neck or wrists. The Toddler Shark Costume is our best example: an over-the-head polyester tunic with an attached tail and a face opening, made to pair with your own pants and shoes, sizes 3T-4T. It is one of the most-ordered toddler costumes in our store for a reason.
Pick an open face, or make the headpiece optional
Masks and tight hoods are where toddler costumes fail. Choose costumes with a headpiece that sits on top of the head or a hood that frames the face without covering it. The Toddler Classic Bluey has a large open-face dog headpiece over a 100% polyester jumpsuit, and the Toddler Darth Vader uses a soft felt-backed fabric headpiece rather than a hard helmet, with a padded jumpsuit and cape (hand wash cold). Whatever you buy, decide in advance that the headpiece is optional. A shark with no fin is still a shark.
Follow their current obsession
Whatever your toddler is watching, singing, or pretending to be this month is the costume. Right now in our store that means Bluey and Bingo, Grogu, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Super Mario. The Toddler Luigi Costume includes the jumpsuit, detachable belly, green hat, and white gloves (mustache not included), and the toddler Mario and Yoshi make a set for siblings. The one caution is timing: a toddler's favorite in September may not be the favorite by Halloween, so order when the obsession has lasted at least a few weeks.
Think about the weather
Late October can be warm or freezing, and toddlers have opinions about both. Tunics and jumpsuits solve this because they layer: a long-sleeve shirt and leggings underneath for cold nights, a T-shirt for warm ones. Keep the base clothes in the costume's color (gray for the shark, blue for Bluey) so the outfit still reads as a costume if the top layer comes off. Skip anything that requires bare arms or legs.
Funny beats fancy at this age
Toddlers get the most laughs from food and animals, and those costumes happen to be the most comfortable, too. The Toddler Hot Dog is a lightweight tunic with a mustard accent for $31.99 at time of writing, and the Toddler Big Eyed Cow is a cow-print tunic with a headpiece that has a nose, ears, horns, and big eyes (toddler size 3-4). Both go over regular clothes and take ten seconds to put on.
DIY for a personal touch
If you enjoy a craft afternoon, a toddler is the perfect DIY subject: they are small, they do not care about accuracy, and a sweatshirt with felt shapes glued on is a complete costume. Our advice is to make the easy parts and buy the one piece that is hard to get right at home, usually the headpiece or the tunic itself.
Plan ahead
Toddler sizes sell out first every year, especially 3T-4T in popular characters. Order in early October at the latest. During our September through December peak, order processing takes 24 to 72 hours, and ground shipping typically arrives 3 to 5 business days after your order ships, per our shipping policy. That leaves time for a trial run at home, which is when you discover whether the headpiece stays on.
Making Halloween special for a toddler
Keep the night short, go early while it is still light, and stop at five or six houses. Take the photo first. Bring a snack that is not candy. And accept that the costume may come off halfway through, which is fine; the picture is already on your phone. Browse everything in Toddler Costumes, with Baby Costumes for younger siblings. Prices are accurate at time of writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most comfortable type of toddler Halloween costume?
An over-the-head tunic or a soft jumpsuit worn over regular clothes, with an open-face headpiece or no headpiece at all. Sharks, hot dogs, and Bluey are good examples.
What size toddler costume should I buy?
Match the clothing size your child wears now (2T, 3T-4T). If they are between sizes or growing fast, size up so the costume layers over a shirt and leggings.
How do I keep a toddler from taking the costume off?
Choose a costume with nothing tight at the neck or face, practice wearing it at home for a few minutes a day before Halloween, and treat the headpiece as optional.
When should I order a toddler Halloween costume?
By early October. Toddler sizes in popular characters sell out first, and peak-season processing takes 24 to 72 hours plus 3 to 5 business days for ground shipping.