Halloween Costumes for Short Children
We always loved Halloween growing up and it continues to be a favorite holiday among many children. Unfortunately for those of us in the LP world, it can be difficult to find a costume that fits well. There are so many selections available for everybody from infants to adults online and in the mall, but they’re built for the average (average height) person! Here are some tips we’ve found from our past experiences:
Infant Halloween Costumes
We loved dressing up our kids when they were less than two years old for Halloween. Many of the infant costumes will be way too long in the feet and legs, but we found that the bunting costumes are great! They don’t have any leg cut-outs so you can just fold over the bottom if needed. Our LP son was a Junior Mint box for his second Halloween — people thought we were crazy but we thought it was hilarious! He was a bit bigger at 1 year old for his second Halloween, but still tiny. We thought the bunting costume was the best thing for him. His first Halloween, he was only 1 month old, 6 pounds, and 18 inches tall. My sister insisted he be a pumpkin (romper costume with feet). We didn’t have the heart to tell her it didn’t work for him as his legs and arms were too short. She just loved seeing him in the costume she picked for him.
For his third Halloween at age 2, we wanted him to be dressed as a 2 year old, and not in a baby-ish costume. Since he had achondroplasia, he always ran warm. So, we had to pick a costume without feet. Our solution was a classic Superman costume with openings for his feet. He was finally sitting up, so a bunting wouldn’t work. He loved the cape and that it wasn’t a costume that required a mask or hood — achons overheat easily.
At age 3, he was walking with assistance from his toy walker. It was a hot, long summer that went into late October. We needed something lightweight, age appropriate, and fun. Superhero again! This time, we found a Batman pajama costume that was cotton and sleeveless with shorts and a removable cape. He was so happy with this one too. Comfort was so important to him, so I’m happy we found a great solution.
As he got older, we had to get even more creative. He’s smaller than the average achon child, but we wanted him to dress like his age. We started to let him choose his own costume while in pre-school. His first pick was the winner and is his standby because he loves it so much — an astronaut costume. The astronaut suit followed the guidelines of what he needed: lightweight, no mask, and no foot coverings.
When your child gets a little older, there is such a large selection of baby costumes that you can probably find one that will fit pretty well and not look too babyish. Our son loved running around in his Batman costume (pajamas!) well after Halloween.
Classic Superman Costume
Open feet, cape included, no mask or hood required. Perfect for an achon child who runs warm — lightweight and easy to put on and take off. Comes in a range of sizes including smaller children’s sizes.
Astronaut Costume
Our son’s standby favorite — lightweight, no mask, no foot coverings. Ticks every LP Halloween box. A classic costume that reads clearly without any accessories and works year after year.
Costumes for Older Kids and Teens
For the older kids, you most likely will need to alter an off-the-shelf costume — separates work better than a jumper-style costume — or make some easy homemade costumes. It may be easier to find a top/shirt that will pair with an existing pair of pants to reduce the need for alterations. I remember a couple of my homemade costumes growing up were: Casper (horrible, I know), a clown, a zebra, a hobo, etc. None of these required an actual mask. It was just some face paint, maybe a headdress/hat, jewelry, props, other accessories, and imagination with clothing. But maybe some older kids/teens don’t even want to dress up for Halloween. Nowadays, we get a lot of teens coming to our house with just a hat or headband, their street clothes, and their bag for you to immediately fill with candy. Party poopers!
Adult Halloween Costumes
With adult costuming, I think the same rule applies as teens. Try to be creative with homemade costumes or using hats and accessories to make up a character with clothes you already have in your size. I’ve never liked helmets or masks that prevent us as LPs from seeing around us. Also, it gets quite hot and sometimes those head pieces can be heavy. Weight on the neck with large head pieces like athletic mascots are a big no-no for those LPs with spine issues. Keep it simple and light, if possible.
Keep On Looking!
We encourage you to look around and early! It’s so much more relaxing to browse online and have the costume shipped to your door. Worst case, you can buy an extra one or two and ship back whatever doesn’t fit — just be sure to check the return policies.
Thousands of costumes in every size, with easy free returns. Filter by size, age, and theme. Order early — selections get picked over fast in late October.
What Halloween costumes have worked well for your LP child or as an LP adult? Share your finds in the comments — this is exactly the kind of community knowledge that helps every LP family at costume time.