Halloween can be an extremely overwhelming holiday for many kids, especially if they have sensory differences.
There's just so much sensory input that comes with Halloween, from the itchy costumes and sugary treats to spooky Halloween imagery and sounds and the constant ringing of doorbells. It's no wonder that so many kids experience sensory overload during Halloween.
But there are things you can do to help make the experience a bit more sensory friendly if your child is wanting to participate. And tackling any issues with costumes is the perfect first step.
So if you're looking for tips and strategies for making sensory friendly Halloween costumes, then you're in the right spot. Let's dig in!
How to Make Your Child's Halloween Costumes Sensory Friendly
Whether you are buying a costume or making your own, there are lots of things you can do to make your child's costume more sensory friendly.
As you'll soon see below, the main theme of the tips below is to personalize the costume and tailor it to the needs and comfort levels of the child.
1. Use comfortable clothes as a base layer beneath the costume
Putting a physical barrier between your child's costume and their skin is a great starting point. That might mean wearing a long sleeved shirt or leggings underneath.
The goal with this particular tip is to make your child feel more comfortable. And wearing something underneath that they're already familiar with can make a huge difference.
Using comfortable layers underneath is also a great way to avoid any itchy fabrics or scratchy tags. But be mindful that you don't make the costume feel bulkier or more restrictive. After all, adding additional layers may make the costume uncomfortable, cause your child to overheat, or make it harder to move in the costume.
2. Remove tags
Speaking of scratchy tags...I highly recommend removing all tags from the costume as many kids find them bothersome and annoying. So, cutting out the tags can be a great way to prevent scratching or itching and make the costume more comfortable.
3. Choose the fabric and materials carefully
Another way to make sure a costume is sensory friendly is to choose soft, breathable, and comfortable fabrics. You'll want to try to incorporate fabrics or materials that your child is already familiar with or prefers (e.g., cotton or fleece are great options).
Some other things to consider when it comes to the fabric and materials of the costume include:
- Visibility (e.g., costume covers the eyes)
- Elasticized bands around wrists, ankles, or waist that might feel restrictive
- Bulkiness or weight (more on that in a later tip)
- Freedom of movement (you want to make sure your child can move comfortably in it)
- Laundry instructions (i.e., it's easy to wash before wearing)
You'll also want to carefully consider the costume's accessories and/or masks, which we will discuss more below.
4. Avoid masks, hats, and/or face paint
For many kids, masks, hats, and/or face paint can be uncomfortable. For example, masks can sometimes have a weird smell. Or they can feel like they are pulling your hair or skin.
Hats, for instance, can feel restrictive or they might be too loose and constantly fall down.
As for face paint, it can feel slimy, itchy, or tight on the skin. Even the application of face paint can be a sensory nightmare for many.
So it can be best to pick costumes that don't require a mask, hat, or face paint. Instead, you could wear the costume without these extra accessories or opt for alternatives, such as a headband.
But, if your child wants to wear a mask, a hat, or face paint, definitely practice wearing it prior to Halloween. That way your child can become more familiar with how it fits or feels. See the next tip for more info.
5. Practice wearing the costume prior to Halloween
It can be helpful to have your child try on the costume several times before Halloween. Doing so is a great way to make sure it is something that they will feel comfortable wearing.
Practicing can also help you troubleshoot any potential challenges like a scratchy tag to cut out, a seam that is less bothersome when they wear their favorite shirt underneath, or whether or not it needs to be hemmed a bit.
6. Wash or clean the costume before wearing
If you are buying a costume, then it's a good idea to wash or clean the costume before they wear it.
Especially since many store bought costumes and masks can have a weird smell to them or they might have stiff, scratchy textures. Giving them a wash before Halloween is a way to soften up the fabrics, remove funky odors, and reduce potential sensory triggers.
7. Consider the weather conditions
This tip is a big one if you live in a climate like I do where you might have to wear your winter jacket and snow pants underneath your costume (or swap that cool mask for a toque and scarf) in order to stay warm. In this case, you might have to pick a costume in a larger size to accommodate the layers you'll need underneath.
Or, if you live somewhere warm, then you might have to plan to remove parts or pieces of the costume to keep the child comfortable and to prevent overheating.
8. Aim for costumes that are easy to get on or off by themselves
You want to make sure costumes are easy to put on and take off. That way if your child needs a quick break or has to go to the bathroom, it's easy to change out of.
So, opt for costumes that can slide off or on really quick. Look for costumes that use zippers, Velcro, or elastic waistbands instead of buttons or ties.
9. Consider the accessories carefully
It's always best to keep things, such as accessories, simple and minimal. For instance, you could try to reduce the number of accessories or choose ones that are easy to handle. Doing so is a great way to reduce sensory overload or reduce the risk of losing or misplacing an accessory.
For example, some costumes come with things that make noise or light up. So, if your child is easily overwhelmed or bothered by lights and sounds, then you might want to avoid those kinds of accessories.
Some other types of accessories you might want to avoid: capes, bow ties, wigs, hats, masks, jewelry, or weapons.
10. Consider the length of the costume
Since most store-bought costumes are generic sizes, they often don't fit well or are they are completely shapeless. As a result, it's important to consider the length of the costume. These questions might help:
- Will it be a tripping hazard?
- Will it get caught on something?
- Is the hood too large? Does it end up sliding down and covering their eyes?
- Can they wear their regular shoes with it?
You can always do a quick hem on the costume if needed, but it is definitely important to make sure the costume fits your child well. Speaking of fit...
11. Go up or down a size based on sensory preferences
If your child finds tight clothing comfortable and calming, then consider buying a smaller size costume so it fits a little snugger.
Or, if they hate the feel of tight clothing, then go up a size. By the way, you might also have to go up a size or two to accommodate additional layers and/or depending on the weather, as was discussed earlier.
The point here, though, is to choose a costume that allows for freedom of movement and feels comfortable to your child.
12. Wear a compression vest or weighted vest underneath
Similar to the point above, if you buy a larger costume size, then your child could wear a compression vest or weighted vest underneath, if that is something that your child finds comforting and regulating.
13. Use ear protection or headphones as part of the costume
If your child is sensitive to noises and sounds, then you might find it helpful to incorporate ear protectors into the costume.
For example, your child could wear them underneath the hood of a costume. Or you could turn the band of the ear muffs into cat ears or a unicorn horn. You could also cover the ear muffs with fabric to make long dog ears or cover them with elephant ears made from poster board. The possibilities are endless!
14. Provide other sensory tools like chewelry or fidgets
You can also incorporate other sensory tools into your child's costume. For instance, if your child's costume has a zipper up the front, then you could attach a chewable toy to the zipper pull for your child to chew on.
Get creative and try to think of ways to incorporate some sensory toys or tools like plush toys, fidget rings, chewelry, and so on.
15. Look for costumes that have built-in stimming or fidgeting components
Some costumes already have features that provide opportunities to stim or fidget. For example, reversible sequin fabric (or mermaid fabric) is awesome for stimming with. But maybe the costume has some zippers to fidget with or buttons to press as well. Maybe it includes a light saber that is great for visual stimming.
16. Make a costume from regular clothes or incorporate their regular clothes
You can buy all sorts of onesie pajamas or even regular two piece pajamas these days that can double up as a Halloween costume. These options are usually made from soft, comfortable fabrics and make great alternatives to traditional costumes.
You can also build a costume around items your child already wears or feels comfortable in. For instance, their favorite black pants and a striped shirt could make for an easy mime costume. Or you could make a cardboard costume that can slide on over top of their regular clothes.
17. Line plastic helmets with fabric
If your child wants to be an astronaut or fire fighter, for instance, then they might want to wear a helmet. The problem is those helmets are often hard, cold, ill-fitting, and uncomfortable to wear.
However, you can make them more comfortable for your child by hot gluing strips of fabric inside the helmet where the helmet would rest on your child's skin.
Alternatively, if your child likes to wear anything with a hood, then they could wear their favorite hooded sweater (with the hood up) underneath the helmet. Or skip the helmet entirely (see the previous tips about accessories).
18. Keep the weight of the costume in mind
Your child might feel more comfortable in a costume that is lightweight and barely noticeable (cue the classic white sheet as a ghost costume).
Or maybe your child likes the deep pressure that comes from heavier costumes.
Regardless, it's important to keep the weight of the costume in mind when picking the costume out with your child. You want something that feels comfortable, allows for movement, and doesn't feel too restrictive.
19. Have a backup plan & offer sensory breaks
Kids change their minds all the time so it's good to have a backup costume just in case. That might mean a different costume, removing certain elements of the costume or wearing only a certain part of the costume, opting for a fun Halloween themed shirt, or skipping the costume entirely (see the next tip).
You should also plan for sensory breaks during Halloween events at school or in the community as a way to prevent sensory overload and reduce the likelihood of experiencing a meltdown.
20. Skip the costume completely and opt for a fun themed t-shirt instead (aka keep it simple!)
Finally, feel free to skip the costume completely and keep it simple. Remember, your child doesn't have to wear a costume to participate in Halloween events.
Instead, they could simple dress in orange and black, wear a Halloween themed shirt, or even wear clothing with their favorite characters on it.
Tips & Strategies for Sensory Friendly Halloween Costumes: A Quick Recap
Whew, that was a lot! Here's a quick recap for the skim readers (yes, I'm looking at you):
- Use comfortable clothes as a base layer beneath the costume
- Remove tags
- Choose the fabric and materials carefully
- Avoid masks, hats, and/or face paint
- Practice wearing the costume prior to Halloween
- Wash or clean the costume before wearing
- Consider the weather conditions
- Aim for costumes that are easy to get on or off by themselves
- Consider the accessories carefully
- Consider the length of the costume
- Go up or down a size based on sensory preferences
- Wear a compression vest or weighted vest underneath
- Use ear protection or headphones as part of the costume
- Provide other sensory tools like chewelry or fidgets
- Look for costumes that have built-in stimming or fidgeting components
- Make a costume from regular clothes or incorporate their regular clothes
- Line plastic helmets with fabric
- Keep the weight of the costume in mind
- Have a backup plan & offer sensory breaks
- Skip the costume completely and opt for a fun themed t-shirt instead (aka keep it simple!)
I hope you found these tips and strategies for making sensory friendly Halloween costumes helpful!
And, speaking of helpful, be sure to grab one of these free Halloween social stories or these free trick-or-treating social scripts to prepare them further for the upcoming Halloween events.
