Halloween Monster Costume Ideas for Kids (and a Free Quiz to Find Yours)
Quick answer: The easiest Halloween monster costumes for kids use things you already own: a fuzzy sweater, a bath towel cape, paper plates, felt scraps and a bit of face paint. To pick the right monster, take our free, 2-minute "Which Halloween Monster Are You?" quiz right here on this page. It matches your child to one of five friendly monsters and shows a costume idea to go with it.
Halloween is Saturday, October 31, so there is still time to put a costume together this week. Here is how to do it without a big shopping trip.
What is the easiest Halloween monster costume for a kid?
Start with a base layer in one bold color: a hoodie, pajamas or a sweatshirt. Then add three things: eyes, teeth and texture. Googly eyes or paper-plate eyes on a headband, a row of white felt triangles for teeth, and fuzzy fabric, yarn or crinkled tissue paper for texture. That is a monster. Friendly monsters work best for young kids because they can see, move and carry a treat bag without help.
Which monster are you? Five friendly monsters and the costume for each
Our free quiz sorts kids into five original monsters. Each one has a quick, no-sew costume:
- Fuzzy Fizzle (the cuddly, kind one). Wear a fuzzy sweater or fleece, add yarn "fur" on the arms and one big paper eye on the chest.
- Roary Rumble (the brave, loud one). Go with a dark hoodie, felt spikes down the back and a big felt mouth with zig-zag teeth. Practice the roar.
- Silly Squiggle (the giggly, wiggly one). Pick bright mismatched socks and sleeves, pipe-cleaner antennae and a crooked smile in face paint.
- Moonbeam (the dreamy, gentle one). Use a pale or silver shirt, a cape made from a bedsheet, foil stars and a cardboard crescent moon.
- Sneaky Shade (the quiet, curious one). Wear all black or dark gray, a hood, two glow-in-the-dark eyes and soft sneakers for sneaking.
Take the free monster quiz
Ready to find out which monster your child is? Answer six quick questions below.
How do you make a monster costume with no sewing?
- Pick the color. Use clothes your child already likes wearing, because a comfortable kid is a happy trick-or-treater.
- Add the face. Paper plates, felt or craft foam cut into eyes and teeth, attached with fabric tape or safety pins on the outside of the clothes.
- Add the texture. Yarn, tissue-paper fringe, cotton balls or strips of an old T-shirt.
- Make it safe. Choose face paint over masks that block vision, keep hems off the ground and add reflective tape or a glow stick for walking after dark.
What are the best Halloween read-alouds about monsters and feelings?
Monster stories are a gentle way to talk about big feelings, because a monster can be silly, grumpy, scared or sweet, just like a kid.
- Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda: a lift-the-mask book that lets children try on feelings like happy, sad, angry and silly. It pairs well with the quiz, because kids can talk about why their monster feels the way it does.
- Who Said Boo?: a rhyming Halloween read-aloud, illustrated by Ross Collins, with lots of noises to act out.
- Watch Anne's Halloween read-aloud on video, for a cozy bedtime read the night before trick-or-treating.
Tip: After the quiz, ask, "When does your monster feel brave? When does it feel shy?" It is a fun, low-pressure way to talk about feelings.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good last-minute Halloween costume for a kid? A monster. A hoodie, a few felt shapes and some googly eyes take about 15 minutes and cost almost nothing.
Is the monster quiz really free? Yes. It takes about two minutes, needs no sign-up, and does not collect any information from kids.
What age is the quiz for? It is written for children roughly ages 4 to 9. Younger kids will enjoy it with a grown-up reading the questions aloud.
What are good Halloween books for toddlers and preschoolers? Look for short, rhyming books with sounds and repeated phrases, such as Who Said Boo?, plus feelings books like Glad Monster, Sad Monster.
About the author
Anne Miranda is an award-winning children's author whose books include To Market, To Market (a Golden Kite Honor book), Beep! Beep! (a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner) and Glad Monster, Sad Monster with Ed Emberley. She writes rhyming, read-aloud-friendly picture books for young children.