Friday, January 2, 2009

Teach Creativity by Making a Kids Halloween Costume

By Susan West

The air gets crisp and the leaves turn color. Its fall! And every little kid anxiously anticipates the eve of the greatest candy haul of the year, Halloween! Yes, actually "Trick or Treating" is fun. But, the preparation is just as, if not more enjoyable. This is the time of year where kids are really allowed to be kids. Let your little one choose their kid's Halloween costume. It's the one night of the year where they can feel grown-up while acting very much like a kid.

Let's face it; life could get a bit hairy if Jr. or little Suzy was allowed to dress themselves every day. It takes practice to understand that "pants ARE important," or "one-armed monsters are not allowed at the dinner table." But on Halloween . . . a kid can truly be a kid. This does not mean that a kids Halloween costumes need to be obscene. There are many children's Halloween costumes that are "just scary enough." Just the option of choosing their very own costume will be exciting to Johnny or Suzy.

Children love make-believe and dress-up. What better time to enjoy this than at Halloween? Even though some have misgivings about the holiday, celebrate it for what it is; a time to pretend. If your child's Halloween costume choice is Count Dracula don't worry. Ignoring the notion of monsters or ghosts does not do your child any favors. Teach them that it's ok to face a monster. That monster could be either a kids Halloween costume or a personal fear. Addressing a fear is one thing, and celebrating it is another. It's widely debated whether participating with Halloween costumes is considered "celebrating." That decision is up to you. Regardless of your position, you have to admit that dress up is fun for children and that is exactly the purpose of a childs Halloween costume.

What ever movie happens to be out right before Halloween is sure to be seen on a kids costume or ten! You may need to get a bit creative if you want to avoid the "Halloween costume rut." Why not do a whole family theme? Mom and dad can be the escaped convicts and little Suzy and Johnny can be the police? How cute is that?!

With Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean running as some of the most popular costumes, it can be difficult to come up with new and improved creepy costumes for kids. Using siblings, parents, and very kindly and gently using pets, as additives for a costume get up can make a simple theme go much farther. There's nothing wrong with one child dressing up as a pirate while the other one dresses up as a complimentary parrot. A willing parent can dress up as a prisoner about to walk the plank in tow. All of this make pretend is healthy, and the more the family gets into together the more the kids are going to get out of it.

Whatever your budget, you should be able to find or create something suitable for your child. You don't need to break your bank to make your son or daughter a Halloween costume. An old white shirt of yours tied at the waist with a jaunty red sash, accessorized with some black leggings and some inexpensive tall boots, plus some skillfully applied makeup with an eye patch, makes a perfect pirate costume. Of course, you can also find ready-made costumes in every dollar range online, should you not want to make something yourself.

If you do happen to buy your child's costume, start looking at least a month before Halloween makes its appearance. And even though children tend to change their minds a lot, you can impress upon your child the importance that this is a decision he or she will have to make for good once the costume is bought. Regardless, the perfect costume will make for the perfect day and make you a hero to your children, even after they have taken off their own superhero costumes. Edited by Glinda Zuladra - 16463

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