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’s 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 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 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. Like I said, 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 light weight, 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. It’s 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.
Costumes for Older Kids/Teens
For the older kids, you most likely will need to alter an off-the-shelf costume (usually separates work better than a jumper like 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 head dress/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 just homemade costumes or using hats and accessories to make up a character with clothes you already have access to that are 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 awful to be running around town the weekend before Halloween trying to find a small costume that will fit your dwarf child after everything’s been picked over. 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 (be sure to check the return policies).
Online Halloween Costume Shops
Be sure to check out Amazon’s Halloween Shop!