Six people means six opinions, six comfort levels and usually at least one child who refuses anything on their head. The themes below each give a family of six its own set of roles, so nobody ends up as a spare background character. I've written each one with the clothing, hair, makeup and props spelled out, and in most of them the base layers come straight from the wardrobe, with felt, cardboard and face paint doing the character work. My rule when I style a big family is simple: the youngest and the most sensory-sensitive get the softest, simplest role, and the teens or adults who like a challenge take the wigs and makeup. Almost every theme here also bends around a stroller, a winter coat or a rainy forecast.
Handing Out Six Roles Without a Sibling Standoff
With six people, the theme is rarely the hard part. The trouble starts when two children want the same character or one teen decides the whole idea is embarrassing. I sort roles in a set order, and it saves a lot of arguing.
- Start with the youngest. A baby or toddler needs a costume that is basically pyjamas plus ears, so pick the role that works as a onesie first and build the theme around it.
- Next, ask who will not wear something on their head or face. Those people get the roles that read from clothing alone, like Velma, Christopher Robin or a ghost tunic.
- Give the makeup roles to people who will sit still for ten minutes and can be trusted not to rub their face. The Tin Man, Anger and Uncle Fester are not toddler jobs.
- Let the oldest child or teen choose between two or three roles that are left, instead of handing them one. Having a say is usually what keeps a reluctant teen in the photo.
- The adults take whatever is left, which tends to be the roles with the most layers.
Before you buy anything, have everyone try their base layer at home and walk around in it for twenty minutes. I've found that is when the itchy collar or the hat that pinches shows up, and it is far easier to swap a role on a Tuesday than on the porch on Halloween night.
1. Addams Family Costume For Six
The Addams Family is the easiest six-person theme I know to pull from a closet, because the whole palette is black, white and grey. Hand out Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and Grandmama. Gomez gets a pinstripe suit and slicked hair, Morticia a long black dress with a centre-parted dark wig and smoky eyes, and Wednesday a black collared dress, two braids, tights and flats. Pugsley only needs a striped shirt and dark shorts. Fester is the role to give the parent who doesn't mind a bald cap: pale makeup over a smooth cap, plus a long coat. Grandmama layers a shawl over a dark dress with a messy grey wig. I'd skip a real candle for props and carry an artificial rose or an old-looking book instead.
2. Scooby-Doo Family Costume For Six
Scooby-Doo works because each character is basically one block of colour, and kids recognise them faster than adults do. Your six are Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby and a masked villain. Fred is a white sweater, blue trousers, an orange neck scarf and brown shoes. Daphne wears purple with a green scarf, a red wig and purple flats, and Velma takes the orange sweater, red skirt, knee socks, bobbed wig and glasses. Shaggy is a loose green shirt over brown trousers with sneakers. For Scooby I use a brown hooded top with floppy ears sewn to the hood and a blue collar, because a headband version slides off a toddler within minutes. Keep the villain's monster mask lightweight and add a magnifying glass and a cardboard map.
3. Toy Story Family Costume For Six
With Toy Story, I look at comfort first and give out roles from there. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bo Peep, Rex and a three-eyed alien cover everything from a full western outfit to a hoodie. Woody needs jeans, a yellow plaid shirt, a cow-print vest, red neckerchief, cowboy hat and brown boots. Buzz is a white jumpsuit with green and purple felt panels and a soft fabric hood rather than a rigid helmet. Jessie wears jeans, a white western shirt, a red hat and a braided wig. Bo Peep gets a pale blue dress, a matching bow, soft curls and a light staff. A green dinosaur hoodie turns any reluctant child into Rex, and the alien is a blue outfit, green hat, antenna and a little green face paint.
4. Super Mario Family Costume For Six
Super Mario gives a family of six a lot of colour with very little sewing. Assign Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad and Yoshi. The brothers wear red or green shirts under denim overalls with matching caps, white gloves, stick-on moustaches and work boots. Stick-on moustaches are the first thing to fall off, so I pack a spare and a little lash glue for the adults. Peach is a pink dress, blond wig, crown and rosy makeup, and Daisy a yellow dress, brown wig, floral crown and orange accents. Toad wears white trousers and a bright vest under a padded mushroom cap. Yoshi is a green hooded onesie with a soft tail. Foam stars, cardboard coins or a question-block treat bucket tie the six together.
5. Wizard Of Oz Family Costume For Six
The Wizard of Oz cast happens to be exactly six: Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda and the Wizard. Dorothy wears a blue gingham dress over a white blouse with braids and sparkly red flats. The Scarecrow is a plaid shirt, patched trousers, straw hat, rosy cheeks and brown boots. Metallic face paint on the Tin Man is the part I'd think hardest about; silver cream paint transfers onto everything, so I set it with powder and keep it to the face rather than the neck. Add silver clothes, a funnel hat and grey sneakers. The Lion gets a brown sweatsuit, a furry mane, whiskers and paw covers, Glinda a pink gown, crown and curled blond wig, and the Wizard a dark suit, top hat and grey hair. A wicker basket finishes Dorothy.
6. Star Wars Family Costume For Six
Star Wars can go heavy and hot very quickly, so I keep this version to fabric costumes and leave the armour out. The six are Leia, Han Solo, Luke, Rey, R2-D2 and a small green Jedi master. Leia wears a long white dress, side buns, natural makeup and white boots. Han is dark trousers, a cream shirt, black vest and tall brown boots. Luke takes a beige tunic with wrapped leggings, and Rey layered cream fabric, arm wraps and three buns. R2-D2 is plain white clothing with blue and silver felt shapes, which is far easier for a small child to walk in than a cardboard dome. The little green master needs a tan robe, an ear headband and soft green makeup. Glowing bracelets beat toy blasters for a crowded street.
7. Harry Potter Family Costume For Six
Harry Potter suits cold weather better than almost any theme here, because the robes go straight over a warm jumper. Hand out Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Hagrid and Dobby. The students all wear white shirts, dark skirts or trousers, striped ties, robes and black shoes. Harry gets round glasses and messy dark hair, Hermione loose curls and a book, Ron a red wig and freckles. Luna is a blond wig, a colourful skirt, an odd necklace and homemade novelty glasses. Hagrid is where the tallest adult goes: a shaggy coat over brown clothes, a long wig, a beard and boots. Dobby wears a loose tan tunic, beige leggings and big fabric ears. I keep the wands short and blunt-ended so they stay decorations.
8. Inside Out Family Costume For Six
Inside Out is a theme where colour does nearly all of the identifying. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear and Anxiety each get one shade. Joy wears a yellow dress, a short blue wig and yellow flats. Sadness is a pale sweater with blue trousers, a blue bob and glasses. Anger takes a white shirt, red tie, dark trousers and red face paint, which I'd only give to someone happy to sit still for it. Disgust wears a green dress, scarf and green wig, and Fear purple trousers, a patterned vest, a bow tie and tall purple hair. Anxiety gets an orange striped sweater, loose trousers and an orange wig. If wigs are a fight, coloured knit hats in the same shades still read as the group.
9. Winnie The Pooh Family Costume For Six
For a family with a baby or a toddler who hates anything tight, Winnie the Pooh is my first suggestion. The roles are Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit and Christopher Robin, and most are soft separates with ears. Pooh wears yellow trousers, a red top, bear ears and brown shoes. Piglet is pink leggings, a striped top, pointed ears and pink sneakers. Tigger is an orange striped sweatsuit with round ears and a tail, and Eeyore a grey hoodie with floppy ears and a tail that snaps or pins on so it can come off. Rabbit wears yellow with a long-eared headband. Christopher Robin is navy shorts, a yellow polo, rolled socks and loafers. A honey-pot treat bucket is the only prop you need.
10. Peter Pan Family Costume For Six
Peter Pan has one role for every temperament, from the child who wants to sparkle to the one who wants to be the villain. Choose Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Smee and the crocodile. Peter wears a green tunic, leggings, a pointed cap and brown boots. Wendy needs a long blue dress, a blue ribbon and a curled ponytail. Tinker Bell is a green dress, a bun, sheer wings and shimmer. Hook wears a red coat, dark trousers, a curly wig and a feathered hat, and I always make his hook from stuffed fabric because a plastic one ends up in someone's eye. Smee is a striped shirt, blue shorts, red cap and round glasses. A green crocodile onesie with a painted snout and tail goes to whoever wants to crawl.
11. Alice In Wonderland Family Costume For Six
Alice in Wonderland looks complicated but almost nothing in it needs building. Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and a card guard make your six. Alice is a blue dress, white apron, black headband, blond wig, striped tights and flats. The Hatter takes a bright jacket, patterned trousers, an orange wig and an oversized hat; I add a strip of elastic under the hat brim so it stays on when he bends. The Queen wears a red and black gown with a crown and heart-shaped lip makeup. The White Rabbit is white clothing, a red jacket, ears and a cardboard clock. The Cheshire Cat wears pink and purple stripes with ears and a tail. The guard just needs a tunic with one large heart.
12. The Incredibles Family Costume For Six
The Incredibles is the theme I suggest when a family wants to look like one unit in photos, since five of the six wear the same red suit. Assign Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack and Frozone. Red long-sleeve tops and leggings become the suits once you add a felt emblem in black, yellow and orange. Felt glued onto stretchy fabric pops off the first time someone bends, so I stitch the emblems on or use iron-on adhesive. Add black eye masks, gloves, briefs over the leggings and black boots. Style the hair to match each character, and put Jack-Jack in a red footed romper. Frozone stands apart in a white and blue outfit, silver cap and blue-tinted glasses. Use soft fabric masks so everyone can see the kerb.
13. Sesame Street Family Costume For Six
Sesame Street is a safe bet for small children because the characters are friends rather than anything scary. The roles are Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar, Abby Cadabby and Bert. Elmo is a red fuzzy hoodie, red trousers and an eyes headband. Cookie Monster wears blue with big fabric eyes and carries a cookie-shaped treat bag. Big Bird gets yellow clothing, feather trim, striped leggings, a yellow headpiece and orange shoes; I'd use fabric fringe instead of real feathers if anyone in the family has allergies. Oscar wears green with shaggy trim and a light silver hoop for the bin. Abby is a blue fairy dress, pigtails and wings, and Bert striped clothing, green trousers, a tall yellow headpiece and heavy eyebrows.
14. Classic Monster Family Costume For Six
A classic monster lineup is the easiest way to let each person pick their own costume and still look like a set. Go with a vampire, a witch, a mummy, a friendly ghost, a werewolf and a Frankenstein-style creature. The vampire wears a dark suit, a red-lined cape and pale makeup. The witch takes a black dress, purple cape, pointed hat, striped tights and buckled shoes. For the mummy, stitch the fabric strips onto a cream sweatsuit at a few points; wrapped bandages alone unravel by the third house. The ghost wears a white poncho with soft grey makeup, which is far safer than a sheet over the head. The werewolf is brown layers with furry ears and whiskers, and the creature a green face, dark jacket and flat-top wig.
15. Circus Family Costume For Six
Circus roles are good for a family with a show-off or two. The six are a ringmaster, a clown, a strongman, an acrobat, a lion and a magician. The ringmaster wears a red tailcoat with gold trim, black trousers, a top hat and boots. The clown gets bright overalls, a striped shirt, a colourful wig, rosy face paint and shoe covers that only look huge, since real clown shoes trip children on steps. The strongman wears a striped top, black leggings, wrist cuffs and a curled moustache, and carries a foam barbell. The acrobat is a sparkly unitard with a high ponytail and star makeup. The lion wears tan with a soft mane and paw slippers. The magician is a black suit, cape, top hat, white gloves and a few trick scarves.
16. Safari Family Costume For Six
Safari is one of the cheapest themes here, because the two guides need nothing more than khaki. Make two people guides and the other four a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and an elephant. The guides wear khaki shirts, cargo trousers, wide-brim hats, neck scarves and hiking boots, with binoculars and a folded paper map. The lion is a tan sweatsuit with a soft mane, whiskers and a tail. The zebra is striped black and white clothing with round ears and a short mane. For the giraffe, I cut felt spots in uneven shapes; perfect circles look like polka dots from across the street. Add small horns. The elephant wears a grey hoodie with big fabric ears and a soft trunk. Slip-on shoes help the little ones.
17. Under The Sea Family Costume For Six
Under the Sea keeps six very different roles together through a shared colour range of blues and sea greens. Pick a mermaid, a sailor, an octopus, a shark, a jellyfish and a sea turtle. The mermaid wears a scale-print skirt, a fitted top, a long wavy wig and pearl-look accessories, with flat sandals or flats, never a tail that binds the legs. The sailor is white trousers, a navy shirt and a cap. The octopus needs a purple outfit with stuffed fabric tentacles sewn around the waist. The shark wears a grey hoodie with a fin and soft felt teeth. The jellyfish carries an umbrella hat trimmed with ribbons, which looks wonderful but needs a dry evening. The turtle is a green sweatsuit with a padded shell. Bubble wands are the props.
18. Weather Forecast Family Costume For Six
If your family likes making things more than buying them, a weather forecast theme is a good project. The six conditions are sunshine, rain, snow, rainbow, cloud and wind. Sunshine wears yellow with a ray headpiece and golden makeup. Rain gets a blue raincoat, boots, a cloud hat and dangling felt raindrops, which happens to be the one costume that improves if it actually rains. Snow is white layers with a snowflake cape. Rainbow is a striped dress or sweatsuit with bright hair clips. The cloud is grey clothing with batting secured to a poncho, and I stitch the batting down because glue lets go as soon as it gets damp. Wind wears pale blue layers with ribbon streamers. Keep every dangling piece above the ankles.
19. Crayon Box Family Costume For Six
A crayon box is cheap, quick and hard to get wrong, which is why I recommend it to families who are short on time. Pick red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple so each person owns a colour. Everyone wears a matching long-sleeve top and trousers under a felt or poster-board crayon tunic with black wavy lines at the top and bottom, no brand logos needed. Poster board creases at the waist when kids sit, so felt is the better choice for anyone under about eight. Make the pointed hats from cardstock with elastic under the chin. A stripe of matching colour on each cheek and matching sneakers finish it. A big cardboard box frame is fun for the photo on the porch, but leave it there.
20. Breakfast Food Family Costume For Six
Breakfast food gets a laugh at every door, and nobody has to learn a character. Dress the six as bacon, an egg, toast, a pancake stack, orange juice and cereal with milk. Bacon is a red tunic with wavy cream felt stripes over red trousers. The egg is a white round poncho with a yellow centre, white leggings and yellow shoes. Toast wears a tan foam tunic with a brown crust border; craft foam is fine here because it is flat and light. Pancakes are stacked felt circles over brown clothing with a yellow butter square on top. Orange juice wears orange with a cup-shaped hat and a striped straw. Cereal is a white tunic covered in colourful felt loops with a pale blue milk-carton cap. Keep every piece soft.
21. Farmers Market Family Costume For Six
A farmers market works well for families who'll be outside at a pumpkin patch or a fall festival, since nothing in it minds a bit of mud. Make two people farmers and four people produce: a strawberry, a carrot, corn and a pumpkin. The farmers wear denim overalls, plaid shirts, straw hats, painted freckles and brown work boots, and carry small baskets. The strawberry is red with black felt seeds, a leafy collar and a matching cap. The carrot is orange with a leafy headband. Corn is a yellow tunic with a stitched kernel pattern and green felt husks. The pumpkin wears a rounded orange tunic over leggings with a vine headband. I'd use reusable produce bags as candy bags; they're lighter than a bucket for small hands.
22. Garden Family Costume For Six
A garden theme lets six people each wear something different without losing the thread. Choose a gardener, a sunflower, a rose, a butterfly, a bumblebee and a ladybug. The gardener wears overalls, a checked shirt, a sun hat, gloves and waterproof boots, and carries an empty watering can. The sunflower is a green outfit with a big yellow petal headband. That headband is the piece I'd test at home first, since large petal rings flop forward over a child's eyes unless the petals are stiffened with interfacing. The rose wears red with a layered petal collar and green tights. The butterfly, bee and ladybug each need wings and antennae, so make the wings the same size and they'll read as a set in photos.
23. Space Crew Family Costume For Six
A space crew doesn't need identical suits; silver accents and deep blue layers are enough to make six people look like one mission. Make two astronauts, then add an alien, a robot, the moon and a rocket. The astronauts wear white coveralls with homemade mission patches, silver belts, light helmets and white boots. The alien is bright green with an antenna headband and metallic makeup. The robot gets silver clothing, a cardboard chest panel and a geometric headpiece. I cut the chest panel short of the hips so the wearer can still sit in the car. The moon is a grey round tunic with soft crater shapes over grey leggings. The rocket wears a silver tunic, a pointed hat and red and orange ribbon flames. Glow bracelets make sense after dark.
24. Dinosaur Park Family Costume For Six
Dinosaur park is the one I give to families with two or three dinosaur-mad kids, because the parents get to be the easy part. Dress two adults as park rangers and the other four as a T. rex, a triceratops, a stegosaurus and a pterodactyl. Rangers need khaki shirts, cargo trousers, caps, badges and hiking boots, plus a map or toy binoculars. The T. rex wears a green hooded jumpsuit with soft teeth and a padded tail. The triceratops gets a brown outfit, a fabric frill and soft horns. The stegosaurus needs felt back plates on an earthy sweatsuit. The pterodactyl wears grey with fabric wings sewn between the arms and sides, and a pointed hood. I keep tails short enough that they don't drag on steps.
25. Firefighter And Dalmatian Family Costume For Six
Firefighters and Dalmatians share a red, black and white palette, which makes six people look planned even if the pieces came from different drawers. Make three firefighters and three dogs, or shift the split by age. The firefighters wear dark trousers, red shirts, reflective-trim jackets, plastic helmets and black boots, with name badges and a coiled grey fabric hose. Reflective trim is worth having on everyone after dark. Each Dalmatian wears white with irregular black felt spots, floppy-ear headbands, a black nose and a fabric tail, plus a red collar to tie them to the crew. Babies and toddlers are better in soft spotted pyjamas than a full suit. Red bucket-style treat pails suit the theme.
26. Construction Crew Family Costume For Six
I like a construction crew for families who'd rather reuse clothes than buy costumes, since jeans and plaid shirts carry most of it. Give the six roles of supervisor, architect, carpenter, painter, road worker and equipment operator. Start everyone in jeans or work trousers, then add bright safety vests, plaid shirts, utility belts and plastic hard hats. The architect carries rolled paper plans and wears glasses. The painter gets white overalls with felt paint splashes rather than real paint, so nothing rubs off on the car seat. The road worker wears an orange vest and carries a cardboard traffic sign, the supervisor a clipboard, and the operator yellow and black. Tuck long hair under the hats and finish with work boots.
27. Candy Shop Family Costume For Six
Candy shop is a theme with no characters to get right, which takes the pressure off children who worry about looking wrong. The six are a candy maker, a wrapped candy, a lollipop, a jelly bean bag, a chocolate bar and cotton candy. The candy maker wears striped trousers, a bright jacket, a bow tie and a top hat. Wrapped candy is a vivid tunic with sheer fabric gathered at the shoulders. The lollipop is a swirled circular board strapped to the torso, and I'd make that board from foam board rather than cardboard because it's lighter and doesn't fold in a crowd. The jelly bean bag is a mesh tunic full of soft shapes, the chocolate bar a brown tunic with a silver fabric wrapper, and cotton candy pink clothing with tulle around the shoulders.
28. Fairy Tale Royal Court Costume For Six
A royal court is the theme I reach for when a family has both a child who wants a gown and a child who wants to be a monster. Assign a king, a queen, a prince, a princess, a fairy godparent and a friendly dragon. The king wears a velvet-look tunic, cape, crown and boots, and the queen a long jewel-tone gown and crown with flats. The prince is fitted trousers, a decorated jacket, a sash and tall boots. The princess gets a full-skirted dress she can actually run in, with curled hair. The fairy godparent wears a pastel robe, star headband, wings and a light wand. The dragon is a green or purple hooded jumpsuit with fabric scales, soft wings and a padded tail. Hem every child's skirt above the shoe.
29. Pac-Man Family Costume For Six
Pac-Man gives you exactly six roles: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and four ghosts. Pac-Man wears a round yellow tunic over black clothing with a yellow cap and yellow sneakers. Ms. Pac-Man uses the same yellow base with a red bow, red lips, red boots and a small beauty mark. The four ghosts wear red, pink, cyan and orange poncho tunics with scalloped hems. Put the big white and blue felt eyes on the chest, not over the face; kids need to see where they're stepping. Matching leggings and coloured caps or wigs finish each ghost. Round treat buckets decorated as pellets are a nice touch. I add reflective tape around the tunic edges, which keeps the graphic look and helps drivers see six moving shapes.
30. Minecraft Family Costume For Six
Minecraft is all about the block shapes, so the headpieces matter more than anything else. The six are Steve, Alex, a Creeper, an Enderman, a pig and a sheep. Steve wears a turquoise shirt, blue trousers, a square dark-hair headpiece and grey shoes. Alex is a green shirt, brown trousers and orange block hair. The Creeper wears a green sweatsuit with pixel felt squares and a boxy hood. The Enderman is all black with a tall rectangular headpiece and purple eyes, a role that suits the tallest teen. The pig is pink with square ears and a snout headband, and the sheep white fleece with a grey square hood. When I make box heads, I cut the eye opening wider than seems necessary, because cardboard blocks side vision badly.
The Repair Bag I Pack for Six Costumes
Six costumes means six chances for something to come loose, and it nearly always happens a few houses in. I carry one small bag for the whole family so nobody has to go home early.
- Safety pins in two sizes. They fix a dropped hem, a sliding cape and a tail that has come unstitched.
- A small roll of double-sided fabric tape for felt shapes that start peeling off stretchy tops.
- Spare elastic or hair ties for hats and headbands that keep sliding back.
- Makeup wipes and a little setting powder for face paint that starts to smear or transfer onto collars.
- A spare moustache or spare ears if your theme relies on one small piece to make the character read.
- Plain dark or neutral layers that can go under a tunic when the evening turns cold.
On cold nights, I plan the warm layers from the start rather than adding a coat at the door, because a coat hides the whole costume. Thermal leggings and a long-sleeve top fit under most of the tunic and onesie costumes above. Gloves already belong to the Mario brothers, the firefighters and the Incredibles, and a knit hat in the right colour can replace a wig on a child who gets cold ears.
Let the Smallest Costume Decide the Theme
Six people in one theme works best when every person has a role that belongs to them. Of all the ideas above, the characters, the classic monsters, the food groups and the DIY concepts all give you that, and most include an easy option for a baby or toddler. Before you settle, I'd think about the weather, how far you'll walk, bathroom trips and how much each person tolerates wigs, hats or face paint. Reuse closet basics wherever you can and spend on one accessory per person that sells the character. And let the kids pick their own roles within the theme; a child who chose to be Eeyore will keep the ears on far longer than one who was told to.
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