Halloween Costumes for Pre-teens

I agree costumes for older kids are inappropriate. Have you tried putting a costume together by clothing and makeup or a mask. Have them help you make their own.

I have 2 daughters now 11 and 14. Here are some of their costumes for the past few years:
1. A Q-Tip - she wore all white and made a hat and shoes covered in cotton.
2. A traffic light - she wore all black and pasted on a red, green and yellow circle (my daughter just got her drivers license)
3. "cloudy with a chance of rain" - wear all blue, attach cotton puffs in forms of clouds all over the clothes, carry a water bottle and when someone asks what she is, she said "partly cloudy...with a chance of rain (and spry the water bottle in the air to "rain" down)
4. Static cling - pin/sew socks, underwear (not theirs of course) fat granny underwear is best - dryer sheets etc to clothes. Also if they have long hair, make it stand straight up (just use a hair glue) and put a sock or two in their hair as well.
5. "I've been framed". make a "frame" out of cardboard - and fasten it around their head (we put shoulder rests on it) and they wore black with white tape stripes.

Does that help?

B.
Family Success Coach

Remember adding blood to any pf the characters can become.. a Vampire or Zombie Version if your kids want to be "Scary"...
Character from the Wizard of Oz
Pippi Longstocking
Character from Harry Potter
A military person
A talk show host with a microphone
Press person with a pen and paper, Press name tag
A Witch
Vampire
Fairy
Doctor
Dentist

Have you tried Family Fun for ideas? Here's their website - http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-kids-costumes/

Good luck.

I found some cute food puns that would be good for either one? : wear a black shirt with the letter 'P' and draw black around one eye= black-eyed pea...or...wear white with a yellow circle and devil horns= deviled egg...or...dress like a puppy and wear scarf, mittens, etc.= chili dog...or... tape Smarties candy all over legs= smarty pants.
Good luck and have fun!

We always hit up the local goodwill/thrift stores for ideas. It's a little close to halloween, so this option might be hit or miss. Just be careful with used headgear. Our local one carries new items as well.

Also, google home made or hand made costumes, see what you have then pick up what you need to complete the costume.

This year my 11 yr old is going on as the headless horseman. I bought his costume on Ebay for $25. My youngest is going as a figure skater, found a beautiful sparkly red outfit at goodwill for $7.99 and bought a red sequined, feathered mask for $5. And I think I spent too much this year, but last year was cheaper.

I know a girl one time that was a sack of groceries!! Her mom cut a whole in the bottom of the paper bag for her head, then her mom glued empty boxes of cereal, egg cartons, soup cans. etc to the paper bag!!

You could look at places like value village, but Walmart has many costumes under $20. For girls you could look at what they have for boys, or you could get accessories, like horn for the devil, and then find a dress at a thrift shop that is less sexy.

Pirate: wear a white button down shirt and black belt tied around it with a vest, lots of beads and hoop earings, black pants or long-ish skirt with boots. She can tie a bandana around her neck or hair too. Viola!

Sushi: wear a white t-shirt, white pants and belt a stuffed fish or red pillow around her mid-section. Easy!

What about doing the Grease Bobby sox thing, go to the thrift/vintage store and find a poodle skirt for her with a plain white t-shirt and saddle shoes or black mary janes with cute white socks and he can wear jeans with the cuffs rolled up, converse sneakers (most kids have anyways) a white t-shirt and find him a leather jacket at the same store you got the skirt or you can find a letterman's jacket if you want him clean cut .... OH and don't forge the comb(s) for the boy's pocket if you go the greaser route.