Witches and puppies are, frankly, a little played out. If the name of your Halloween game is “relevant,” you’ll love these four costume ideas that’ll garner loads of internet love—and leave little doubt what you were scrolling through in 2016.
Ghostbusters
Feeling the Girl Power? Bedeck your tiny apparition-fighters in a blockbuster of a uniform that—score!—also keeps them mightily warm. And it can be done in four simple steps!
1) Find some coveralls or even overalls.
2) Attack the getup with markers, paint brushes or duct tape. (Can we all agree to agree that “artistic prowess” need not be a concern this year?)
3) Fashion “gear” out of anything that squirts, spirals, stretches, or—best yet—can be attached via the aforementioned duct tape.
4) Gently inform the guys in your life that they’re welcome to come play, too. (A few male versions of these characters already exist, maybe you’ve heard of them?)
Presidential candidates
You know those cans of neon orange hair spray, the ones right there in the Halloween aisle? You know how you’re always saying, “What could I *possibly* do with those?” Well, here’s your answer. Spray your kid’s coif within an inch of its life and have him don (no pun intended) a tiny yet important blazer. Insta-Donald.
Your female presidential hopeful can suit up in a similar blazer, but keep her shellacked hairspray toward the blonde or straight-up variety. Bonus: Have your kids design their own campaign buttons with slogans. (Because, let’s be honest, don’t they seem penned by 8-year-olds already?)
Chicago
Looking for that perfect yet gender-nonspecific costume that just screams “Chicago”? Got you covered. Thankfully, the Illinois budget crisis has extended its educationally whimsical reign of confusion into the autumn. And you were worried you wouldn’t have an ironic costume lined up! This one’s the easiest of ‘em all: Dress your kids in pajamas (in case of imminent teacher strikes), glue some broken crayons and pencils to their shirt (because new classroom supplies are the stuff of unicorn stories) and make sure they trick-or-treat directly next to 60 of their closest friends (you say “overcrowded,” I say “cozy”)!
Too political? Take the calmer—and softer—path and wrap your children in pillows and tinfoil.
Who doesn’t love a good Bean?
Olympians
Swim fans? Sure, the Summer Olympics have come and gone, but athletes of the Phelps/Ledecky caliber are worth celebrating all year long. That said, since we don’t actively condone sending your offspring into the night with wet hair (in October!), head back to that hair care aisle and grab some gel for a good ol’ fashioned wet look. And, again, since autumn nights can be chilly, you’ll probably want to skip the swimsuits in favor of warmup gear. Add in a pair of goggles and a ridiculously large amount of gold medals and voilá: a superhero Olympian swimmer, equally perfect for amphibious guys and gals.
