A Halloween costume for a baby or toddler has one real job: it has to survive crawling, a stroller ride, a nap and at least one meltdown. The thirty ideas below are built for that. You'll find animals, foods, little occupations, storybook creatures and a few gentle spooky characters, each planned from the base layer up to the hat, the shoes and a small prop. Most start from pajamas, sweatsuits or rompers you already own, with felt and a bit of cardboard doing the rest, so you can buy similar pieces or make them at the kitchen table.
Making Felt Details Survive Little Fingers
Nearly every costume below relies on felt shapes, and how you attach them matters more than which felt you buy. Babies test everything with their mouths, and toddlers pick at anything with an edge. This is how I attach details on anything a child under three will wear.
- Sew rather than glue wherever you can. A few hand stitches around the edge of a felt shape outlast any adhesive, and they go through the wash.
- If you do glue, use a flexible fabric glue and let it cure overnight. Hot glue stays rigid on soft knits, cracks when the fabric stretches, and lets go in cold night air.
- Give every piece a firm tug before your child puts the costume on. If an edge lifts at all, stitch it.
- Leave buttons, beads, pompoms and sequins off anything a baby wears. If it can be pulled off and fit in a mouth, it doesn't belong on the costume.
- Wool-blend felt can shrink in a hot wash and pucker the garment under it, so I wash finished costumes cold and hang them to dry.
One more rule I never bend: anything that ties, loops or drapes stops well short of the neck. Capes fasten at the shoulders, stethoscopes come off for walking, and ribbons get trimmed short.
1. Baby Pumpkin Halloween Costume
For a first Halloween, the pumpkin is the one I reach for most, because the whole costume can be an orange cotton bodysuit or footed sleeper with snaps that still open for diaper changes. Green felt leaves go around the neckline and a little brown stem on a stretchy orange cap, which also keeps a fuzzy head warm. I skip face paint on young babies entirely; an older toddler can have a touch of baby-safe blush. Orange socks or soft brown booties, and a tiny plush pumpkin for photos. If it's cold, put a long-sleeve cream layer underneath rather than a coat on top, because a coat hides every bit of the orange that makes a pumpkin read.
2. Toddler Bumblebee Halloween Costume
Stripes do the work here, so I spend my effort on them and keep everything else plain. A black long-sleeve shirt goes under a yellow-and-black striped tunic, leggings or a one-piece suit. Wings should be fabric and stitched flat to the back, never wired near the neck; toddlers back into sofas constantly, and long wings snag on strollers and other kids. A soft antenna headband sits fine on pigtails, curls or short hair, though plenty of two-year-olds pull headbands off within minutes, so let the striped body carry the costume without it. A little yellow shimmer on the cheeks only if your child likes it. Black sneakers or yellow rain boots, and a flower-shaped treat bag.
3. Baby Ladybug Halloween Costume
This one suits crawlers because nothing sticks out. Start with a red romper, sweatshirt set or footed sleeper and add large black felt dots. I sew the dots on with a few hand stitches; removable fabric tape is fine for a photo, but felt edges curl and lift once a baby has rolled on them for an hour. The semicircle wings should lie flat so your baby can still lie on their back. A stretchy black cap with short fabric antennae covers the head, with any hair tucked under or peeking out. Two small rosy cheek circles on an older baby are optional. Black socks or red booties, and a plush green leaf as a supervised prop.
4. Toddler Dinosaur Halloween Costume
Dinosaurs are for the stompers. A green hooded sweatsuit, fleece romper or shirt and joggers becomes the body, and soft triangular scales run from the hood down the back to a short padded tail. Keep the tail high enough to clear the ground and floppy enough to sit on; a stiff tail is the first thing a toddler complains about in a stroller. The hood is the head, so hair needs nothing. Felt eyes on the hood are easier than face paint, though a little green on the cheeks is fine. Felt claw covers over green sneakers look great, but leave the soles bare so they keep their grip. A cardboard egg or leafy treat bucket gives small hands something to carry.
5. Baby Lion Halloween Costume
A tan footed onesie or soft two-piece set is the base, and the mane does everything else. I cut the mane from lightweight fleece and attach it to a stretchy hood, then check that no strand reaches the eyes or mouth once the hood is up, because babies chew whatever lands near their face. Small ears go on top of the hood. For an older baby, a tiny brown nose and a few whisker dots in gentle, skin-safe makeup are plenty. Tan booties with felt paw shapes, and a plush leaf for supervised photos. Skip shaggy fur and long tails on a crawler; they bunch under the knees and end up wet.
6. Toddler Little Lamb Halloween Costume
You don't need a store-bought lamb suit. A cream sweatshirt and matching leggings or joggers make the base, and a sleeveless vest covered in fluffy fabric puffs gives the woolly body while the arms stay free. I sew the puffs to the vest in rows rather than gluing them, since pulled-off fluff is exactly what ends up in a toddler's mouth. A white beanie with floppy felt ears and a small tuft finishes the head; tuck longer hair in low braids underneath. A pink nose and a little rosy cheek is the whole face. Black socks and flexible black slip-ons pass for hooves and still walk well. A foam shepherd's crook is sweet, but leave it home if the street is crowded.
7. Baby Teddy Bear Halloween Costume
This is the easiest costume on the list. A brown fleece romper with a front zipper is the foundation, and either its hood already has rounded ears or you add felt ears to a brown cap. A curl or two can show at the front. Keep makeup to a small brown nose and soft cheeks, and only if your baby tolerates it. Brown socks or paw-print booties, then a smaller plush bear to hold in pictures. Fleece runs hot indoors, so if the party is inside a warm house, I'd make the same romper in lightweight cotton instead.
8. Toddler Frog Halloween Costume
Frogs are loud and funny, which suits a busy toddler. A green hoodie with joggers, leggings or overalls is the base. Two big soft felt eyes go on top of the hood and a pale green oval on the belly. I bond the belly with fusible web and then stitch around the edge, because iron-on alone tends to peel off cotton jersey after a wash. Hair stays under the hood, no wig needed. Tiny green cheek dots or a smile line in washable makeup if you like. Green sneakers or flexible rain boots, plus a plush lily pad bag or a toy fly. No long tongues or dangling bits: they get stepped on, and they get chewed.
9. Baby Yellow Duck Halloween Costume
A yellow duck is sweetest on a baby who sits or crawls rather than walks. Use a yellow cotton sleeper, romper or sweatshirt set, then add small fabric wings at the sides and a rounded tail at the back, all of them soft and flat. A yellow cap with embroidered eyes and a short orange felt bill covers the head, and fine hair can show underneath. I always embroider eyes on anything a baby wears; I'd rather not have buttons or plastic eyes anywhere a baby can gnaw. No makeup needed, though a little pink on the cheeks brightens photos. Orange socks or soft booties stand in for webbed feet. A clean rubber duck is the prop, and blue fabric draped around the stroller seat suggests bathwater.
10. Toddler Penguin Halloween Costume
Penguins are a smart pick for an outdoor parade because the base is warm by design: a black hoodie and black joggers with a large white felt belly panel. Short fabric flippers sit under the arms, and the hands stay uncovered so your toddler can balance and hold a bucket. The hood takes round eyes and a small orange beak, with hair underneath. I'd leave face paint off or use the faintest rosy cheek. Orange flexible shoes, socks or felt covers make the feet, and a plush snowball or fish-shaped bag is the prop. Choose a zip hoodie: when your toddler overheats inside, you unzip it instead of taking the whole costume off.
11. Baby Unicorn Halloween Costume
Unicorns can tip into fussy fast, so I keep this one soft. Start with a white, lavender or pale pink footed romper. A fabric mane in a few pastel shades runs along the hood, and a short padded horn sits between two small ears. The horn has to bend, with no beads or hard trims anywhere near it, because a horn is the first thing a baby grabs and pulls toward their mouth. A tiny pastel bow works if your baby has longer hair, and cheek shimmer is optional for an older baby. White booties with soft gold or silver hoof details, a plush rainbow for photos, and a light tulle skirt you add for pictures and take off when it's time to crawl.
12. Toddler Rainbow Halloween Costume
A rainbow costume is mostly a felt project. Start with a white long-sleeve top and blue leggings or joggers. The tunic is sleeveless, made from colored felt arches, wide enough to move in and short enough to stay above the knee. I join each arch to the next with a running stitch rather than glue, since glued felt goes stiff and cracks at the fold where a toddler bends. A white headband with soft cloud shapes sits over pigtails, curls or a simple side part. Tiny pastel stars on the cheeks are enough makeup. White sneakers with colorful laces, and a cloud-shaped bag or small blue bucket. On a cold night, put a white hoodie underneath so the rainbow stays on top where people can see it.
13. Baby Sunflower Halloween Costume
Sunflowers suit an autumn photo session better than a long walk. A green footed sleeper or cotton romper is the stem, and a soft brown cap framed with rounded yellow fabric petals is the flower. Keep the petals light and check they don't flop into your baby's eyes when they lie back. Skip makeup for younger babies; an older one can have a hint of warm peach blush. Green socks or leaf-shaped booties carry the stem down to the toes. A plush watering can or fabric flowerpot makes the prop, and a few removable green felt leaves on the stroller tie it into a family photo.
14. Toddler Strawberry Halloween Costume
Strawberries come together from everyday clothes. A red sweatshirt dress, roomy tunic or red top with leggings is the base, and small cream felt seeds go across the front and back. Felt seeds on a sweatshirt hold best when stitched; fabric glue works but dries stiff, and the seeds pop off a stretchy knit when it's pulled over the head. A green leafy collar should sit below the chin, where it won't rub. A green cap or felt leaf headband makes the top and lets curls, braids or pigtails show. Light pink cheeks are enough. Red sneakers or green rain boots for trick-or-treating, plus a berry-shaped bag. Keep the tunic above the knee so running and wagon rides still work.
15. Baby Bunch Of Grapes Halloween Costume
Grapes are a strong choice for a baby who'll be carried or stay in a stroller all evening, since there's no shape to protect. Start with a purple romper, sleeper or warm bodysuit and leggings. Clusters of light fabric spheres go across the torso only, leaving the arms, back and diaper area clear so your baby can lie down and you can still change them. Use stuffed fabric balls, not balloons: balloons pop, shift, and burst pieces are a real choking risk. A green felt leaf on a soft purple cap, with fine hair showing. Makeup isn't needed, though a little rosy cheek helps photos. Purple socks or cushioned booties keep the color going, and a plush vine is the prop.
16. Toddler Avocado Halloween Costume
The avocado gets its laugh from the shape, so keep the shape simple. A green long-sleeve shirt with brown or dark green leggings goes underneath. Over that sits a sleeveless pear-shaped tunic: light green felt at the edge, pale green in the center and a big brown circle on the belly for the pit. I'd leave the panel unpadded; a stuffed panel looks good standing still but tips a toddler's balance forward, and they hate sitting in it. A small green stem headband leaves curls, braids or a side part showing. Green cheek dots are optional. Brown sneakers echo the pit, and a felt toast treat bag gets the joke across.
17. Baby Popcorn Halloween Costume
Here the stroller or carrier becomes part of the costume, which is handy when your baby won't be walking anyway. A white sleeper with red vertical fabric stripes around the torso is the bucket. The head is a white cap with yellow and cream fleece puffs sewn on firmly and kept away from the face. Hair stays covered, and there's no makeup beyond optional rosy cheeks. White socks or red booties. Wrap the outside of the carrier or stroller in removable red-and-white striped fabric, and keep straps, buckles and openings completely clear. A plush popcorn piece is enough for photos. From across a room, the red stripes alone tell people what they're looking at.
18. Toddler Cupcake Halloween Costume
Cupcakes work on a walking toddler as long as the wrapper stays short. Start with a pink top and leggings, then add a pleated tan felt skirt or short tunic shaped like a cupcake wrapper, with a ruffle of pink fabric above it for frosting. A headband with a padded red cherry and tiny felt sprinkles sits over natural hair. A little pink cheek color and shimmer if your child wants it. Pink sneakers or tan slip-ons for stability, and a small bakery-box treat bag. Keep the wrapper above the knee and leave off loose beads, hard decorations and long ribbons. Ribbons are the thing I'd cut first; toddlers wind them around their fingers and chew the ends.
19. Toddler Garden Gnome Halloween Costume
A gnome is mostly closet pieces, and it photographs best outdoors among fallen leaves. A blue tunic or long-sleeve shirt goes with brown pants and a wide black fabric belt. The hat is short red felt with a soft shape, not a stiff point, because a tall cone gets knocked off in every doorway. A fluffy white fabric beard can attach below the chin, clear of the mouth. Plenty of toddlers won't tolerate anything on their face, so I make the beard last and treat it as optional. Rosy cheeks and a few washable freckles. Brown boots or sturdy slip-ons, plus a foam watering can or mushroom bucket. The layers come off easily for a comfort break.
20. Baby Astronaut Halloween Costume
This one is basically pajamas with patches, which is exactly why it works on a baby. Choose a white zip-front sleeper and add fabric patches in blue, silver and red. The chest control panel is flat felt shapes, never plastic buttons, since anything small and hard on a baby's chest ends up gnawed. A white cotton cap stands in for the helmet, with silver trim kept well away from the face. Hair stays tucked in, and makeup isn't needed. White booties with silver fabric soles. A plush moon, planet or rocket for supervised photos. If your baby rides in a carrier, removable silver fabric over the outside suggests a spacecraft, as long as buckles, straps, ventilation and your baby's face stay fully uncovered.
21. Toddler Firefighter Halloween Costume
Firefighters suit an active toddler because the base is ordinary clothes: a black or navy long-sleeve shirt with matching pants. Yellow reflective-style strips around the sleeves, chest and pant legs do most of the work. I use real reflective tape when I can get it, because it also makes a small child easier for drivers to see at dusk. The hat should be light plastic or foam and snug enough not to slip over the eyes; a loose one gets pushed back up all night. Short hair stays natural, and longer hair goes in low braids or a ponytail. A small smudge of gray makeup on one cheek. Black sneakers or rain boots, and a red bucket or soft toy hose. Skip the heavy jacket and any hard props.
22. Toddler Construction Worker Halloween Costume
For a truck-obsessed toddler, this costume comes almost entirely from the closet. A plaid shirt or gray sweatshirt goes with jeans or tan cargo pants, topped with a bright orange or yellow safety-style vest. The toy hard hat should sit above the hairline without dropping over the eyes; toy hats often run large, so I pad the inside band with a strip of felt. A little washable brown smudge on the face is optional. Sturdy brown boots or supportive sneakers. Toy tools should be oversized with rounded edges, and I'd hand over just one so the hands stay mostly free: a foam hammer, soft tape measure or fabric tool bag. Every piece comes off quickly when your toddler gets warm or wants to sit.
23. Toddler Doctor Halloween Costume
A doctor costume is the one I suggest for school events, because it's comfortable and nobody needs it explained. Blue or green cotton scrubs with a white child-size coat on top. A soft headband or fabric surgical-style cap keeps curls, braids or short hair neat. Skip the face mask; toddlers won't keep it on and it hides the face. A little rosy cheek color is plenty. White sneakers for walking. The toy stethoscope goes around the collar only for supervised photos, then into a small medical bag while moving, since anything looped around a toddler's neck is a hazard. Felt bandages, a plush thermometer and a name badge can decorate the bag without adding anything hard.
24. Toddler Farmer Halloween Costume
Almost everything here is everyday clothing. Denim overalls go over a plaid flannel or soft gingham shirt. The hat is a light straw-look fabric hat with a flexible brim, or a red bandanna headband if your child refuses hats, which many do. Longer hair looks right in braids or low pigtails, and short hair can stay tousled. A few washable freckles across the cheeks. Brown boots, rain boots or supportive sneakers. A plush vegetable, toy watering can or small gingham-lined basket to carry. In cold weather, thermal leggings and a fitted sweatshirt go under the overalls; that's the beauty of overalls, they hide a lot of warm layers. Adjust the straps so the legs don't drag.
25. Toddler Scarecrow Halloween Costume
A scarecrow gives you autumn color without anything frightening. Denim overalls and a plaid shirt make the base, with fabric patches in orange, yellow and brown. Short raffia-look ribbon tied around the cuffs suggests straw; tie each piece tightly and keep it well clear of hands and feet. I use ribbon instead of real straw because real straw scratches and sheds into everything, including the car. A floppy brown hat sits over braids, pigtails or short hair. The makeup is a small orange nose, light freckles and short stitch lines near the mouth, all in washable paint. Brown boots or sneakers, and a plush crow or fabric sunflower to carry. The overalls should be loose enough for layers without sagging at the ankles.
26. Baby Friendly Ghost Halloween Costume
A baby ghost can be sweet rather than spooky, as long as no fabric goes over the face. A white footed sleeper or cotton romper keeps the baby fully covered. A short white cape with rounded edges fastens at the shoulders with snaps or hook-and-loop, never tied around the neck. A soft white cap with two small embroidered eyes keeps fine hair tidy. Skip makeup on babies, or use the faintest rosy cheek on an older infant. White socks or fleece booties carry the floaty white all the way down. A smiling plush pumpkin works as a supervised prop. The classic sheet ghost is not for babies at all: never put a sheet, mask or loose fabric over the face, head, carrier or stroller opening.
27. Toddler Little Witch Halloween Costume
This little witch is about color, not scares. A black cotton dress, or a black shirt and leggings, gets a purple or green tulle overskirt that ends above the knee. Tulle is scratchy at the waist seam, so I put the skirt over leggings rather than bare legs. The pointed hat needs to be soft and light with a flexible brim; a rigid hat jabs the back of a car seat and gets pulled off straight away. Hair can hang loose or go in low pigtails or braids. Purple eye shimmer, rosy cheeks and a few painted stars instead of green face paint. Black ankle boots or sneakers, a foam broom and a purple treat bucket. Skip floor-length capes on anyone riding in a stroller or wagon.
28. Toddler Mini Vampire Halloween Costume
A mini vampire keeps the classic look and leaves out anything gory. A white button-front shirt, black elastic-waist pants and a red satin-look vest are the base. The short black cape with red lining attaches at the shoulders with easy-release fasteners, not a tie at the neck, and stops above the knee so it can't catch on steps. Comb short hair back, or pull longer hair into a sleek ponytail. Pale powder only if your toddler is happy with it, then soft brows and a touch of red lip balm. Leave the fangs out; they're a choking risk, and toddlers rarely keep them in anyway. Black loafers, sneakers or ankle boots, and a bat-shaped treat bag.
29. Toddler Cardboard Robot Halloween Costume
The robot is the classic kitchen-table project, and the box is where it goes right or wrong. A gray sweatshirt and joggers go underneath. Pick a lightweight box that ends at the hips, cut generous head and arm holes, and cover it with silver paper or nontoxic paint. I bind the cut edges with soft cloth tape, because raw cardboard rubs a toddler's neck and underarms sore over an evening. Flat felt buttons and a flexible control panel go on the front. A silver beanie with soft antennae keeps the face and hairline clear, and a little silver cheek shimmer is optional. Gray sneakers on the feet. Keep the box short and easy to pull off; a toddler in a long box can't sit or climb, and cardboard turns soft quickly if it rains.
30. Toddler Storybook Dragon Halloween Costume
The last idea is a storybook dragon, friendly rather than fierce. A blue, purple or green hooded sweatsuit is the base, with soft felt scales from the hood down the back and fabric wings that sit close to the shoulders. The padded tail should be short and high enough to clear the ground. Rounded eyes and tiny fabric horns go on the hood, so the hair needs nothing. Matching cheek dots or a little shimmer for makeup. Flexible sneakers with soft claw covers. A plush storybook or light golden egg to carry. I'd leave off masks and stiff wings; small dragons want to run, and anything rigid on the back stops them sitting down.
Pairing a Baby and a Toddler So the Costumes Belong Together
Siblings read as a pair when they share a scene, not just a color. I settle the older child's costume first, since toddlers often have firm opinions, then give the baby the simplest idea that fits the same story.
- Garden: a toddler gnome with a baby sunflower or ladybug.
- Farmyard: a toddler farmer or scarecrow with a baby duck, or a lamb made on a cream sleeper.
- Space: a toddler cardboard robot beside a baby astronaut.
- Fruit bowl: a toddler strawberry or avocado with a baby bunch of grapes.
- Pumpkin patch: a baby pumpkin with a toddler little witch or friendly scarecrow.
Give each child their own main color inside the theme so photos don't blur into one green blob. Keep the baby's version flat and soft, because the baby spends the evening being held or strapped in while the toddler does the walking.
Puffy Costumes and the Car Seat Harness
Padded bellies, thick fleece suits and stuffed tails all squash flat under a car seat harness, which leaves the straps looser than they look. I dress little ones in the thin base layer for the drive, buckle them in snugly, and add the puffy pieces once we arrive. If the costume is one thick suit you can't split, do the pinch test at the collarbone after buckling: if you can pinch a fold of strap between your fingers, it's too loose.
Hoods with big ears, horns or spines at the back cause a quieter problem. They push a small head forward against the seat, so flip the hood down for the ride and pull it back up when you're out of the car.
Soft Enough to Nap In, Clear Enough to Read
A costume for a baby or toddler has to do more than look cute in one photo. It has to let them crawl, sit and fall asleep without you fixing it every few minutes. Sleepers, sweatsuits and leggings make the foundation, felt adds the character, and props stay small and soft. Before you head out, check that hems stay above the feet, nothing blocks their eyes, and every felt piece survives a firm tug. A comfortable child is a happy one, and a happy one is what you'll actually remember from the night.
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