Halloween is all about creating your own costumes and having a good time. Here are a few surefire tips to prevent last minute costume frustration and the potential for spending a boatload on whatever happens to be left at the store!
Don’t Wait- Mull over your Costume Ideas Ahead of Time
It’s not as though Halloween creeps up on us without realizing it, it’s every year, just like clockwork. Perhaps you’d like to add a few shrunken heads to your Costume, (they can take up to a week to dry properly!). Paper Mache masks are a wonderfully inexpensive costume option, but can take several days to dry.
When trying to decide which costume you’d prefer, take the following items into consideration:
Movement– will you be sitting or standing all evening? Will you be walking long distances (trick or treating) or trying to dance at a Party? It’s important to consider the mobility of your costume. For example, box costumes like a rubix cube aren’t exactly easy to maneuver when you’re climbing in and out of a car all evening.
Bathroom Break Accessibility– sure Little Miss Muffet looks cute in her costume with a fake bench attached to her and a little spider on her shoulder, but how fast can you get her out of it when she needs to tinkle mid-evening?
Visibility- Is your line of vision obstructed? Can your child see his own feet to get up and down stairs safely? Last Halloween we witnessed a very young toddler fall off a deck because he couldn’t see the steps due to the heaviness of his lion headpiece.
Weather-Keep in mind the weather conditions for your area, Dressing like a hula girl is Wonderful . . . in FLORIDA; Not such a great choice in Wisconsin! Also check the forecast ahead for potential rain or winds as well. Rain caked make-up can create a very miserable evening for a child. If your costume is too heavy/warm for the weather, you’ll be chafed and miserable by the end of the night. Worse, if it’s not warm enough, you just might get some frostbite.
It’s All About the Fun
This is one Holiday where you don’t have to take life too seriously. Feel like crawling out of bed and adding a few curlers to your hair, voila! Instant Costume. If you’ve been a Ninja for the last 5 years, mix things up a bit! Go as a Tarantula with a sack of eggs on her back, anything to prevent being a repeat offender.