Trick or READ!
2014
Next to the candy, the fun of Halloween is all in dressing up. For kids and grown-ups alike, Halloween is a day to try on a different or future life—or simply get goofy. Here are some ideas for easy costumes inspired by great kids’ books. Read the book before making the costume to familiarize your child with the story line and get them excited; then, read it again in character for the full experience.
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The Day the Crayons Quit
You’ll need: Solid-colored matching shirt and pants, black felt, scissors, party hat |
Is your little one a happy green or a brilliant yellow? Let her express herself just as the crayons do in The Day the Crayons Quit. Use black felt to make the crayon name as well as black shirt and pant cuffs with the trademark crayon squiggle. A matching party hat tops off the look. Get a whole group together for your own box of crayons! |
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Rosie Revere, Engineer
You’ll need: White shirt and tights, a red and black striped skirt, red shoes, red bandanna, pencil |
If Rosie Revere could build a cheese-copter, you can surely make this costume! Pair a white shirt with a red and black striped skirt to mimic her signature dress. Top off the look with a red head scarf and a pencil for sketching blueprints. Voila! Your little Rosie is ready for her next adventure. |
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Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
You’ll need: Suit and bow tie, top hat, face paint |
While some children love tea parties, others live to tumble down hills. Mr. Tiger is the perfect alter-ego for the kid who loves both. Use black face paint for tiger stripes, or get ambitious and paint an entire black and orange tiger face. With a suit, bow tie, and top hat, Mr. Tiger will tackle trick-or-treating in style. |
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A Balloon for Isabel
You’ll need: Graduation cap and gown, DIY porcupine headband, a balloon |
Isabel wouldn’t rest until she found a way to pop-proof all the porcupines, so be prepared to DIY-til-you-drop for this costume! A graduation cap and balloon are must-haves, but the true test is in the porcupine spines: we suggest hot-gluing popsicle sticks to a headband, and sticking gumdrops or colorful pom-poms to the ends to achieve Isabel’s colorful look. |
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Harold and the Purple Crayon
You’ll need: Blue footie pajamas, purple crayon |
Wouldn’t you love to be Harold for a day and walk around drawing the adventures you want to have? Send your little one on an artistic adventure this Halloween with just some comfy footie pajamas and a crayon (find a large novelty crayon or make one from felt or foam). |
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Amelia Bedelia
You’ll need: A long blue or black dress, black tights, black shoes, a white apron, black hat or headband, craft flowers, and a pie (optional) |
Introduce your little one to silly Amelia Bedelia for a good laugh and a good costume — just don’t “spot” the dress the way she does, or someone will be in for some chilly trick-or-treating! A pie might be tough to carry around while trick-or-treating, but it makes the perfect snack to come home to afterwards. |
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Curious George
You’ll need: Brown hooded sweatshirt, brown sweatpants, brown and peach fabric/felt, a banana |
Who doesn’t love this mischievous monkey? For a fun—and comfy—costume, turn a jump suit into a monkey. Use fabric or felt to make rounded monkey ears to pin or stitch onto the hood. Create a monkey tail that can be pinned to the sweatpants (a brown feather boa makes for a fluffy tail, or craft one out of a piece of long brown felt). A banana is a delicious final touch! |
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Adults can underscore the importance of reading to children by selecting a costume that copies the style and look of the character in a children’s book. One year I read that Family Literacy Day was going to be on November 1st, the day after Halloween.
Our company encouraged us to wear a costume on Halloween Day. I had in my closet a dress with huge printed white flowers. Since I am very short, I had never worn it. (It had been given to me by a relative.) Still, I realized that the large flowers were just the sort of thing that Ms Frizzle would have on one of her dresses.
I also had a pair of heeled sandles, into which I could slip a real white flower. I cut two flowers from the ones in our garden on Halloween morning. I took those to work, wearing my Ms Frizzle style dress. Before going to the afternoon costume party, I put a flower in each of my shoes.
I was not sure that everyone would know that I was supposed to be Ms. Frizzle. Yet that was not my biggest concern. I wanted to encourage literacy. Consequently, I pinned to my dress a small sign that said “Family Literacy Day, November 1st.”