Chances are, your kid announced their Halloween costume choice sometime around July 4th, changed their mind fourteen times since then, and will probably pivot again the morning of October 31st. But right now, there’s still plenty of time to lock something in and stick with it–and the 2026 trends that are popping up are pretty fun.

Gone are the days when “witch” or “ghost” would cut it. No, no. Your seven-year-old now wants to be a character from a Netflix show you’ve never heard of, or worse, something that went viral on TikTok last Tuesday. It seems we now require a PhD in pop culture just to keep up with our kids’ Halloween costume picks.

So buckle up, because I’ve done the research (read: fell down several internet rabbit holes) to bring you the hottest kids’ Halloween costumes for 2026. Some of these will make perfect sense. Others will leave you googling “how to make a Squishie costume” at 11 PM while your kid insists it’s THE costume they simply must have.

Pop culture and entertainment

KPop Demon Hunters

Still going. If anything, stronger than last year. The ladies of HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys have only gotten bigger, and now the brands have caught up, which means costumes and accessories are everywhere instead of something you cobble together from a dance recital bin. Rumi’s braids remain the top request, and there’s a decent chance your child has already choreographed a full routine in the living room.

The upside for group costumes is real. Multiple band members means siblings and friends can each claim a character without a standoff over who gets to be the main one.

Kpop Demon Hunters costumes

Zootopia 2

Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde came back to theaters last November and never really left kids’ minds. The rookie-cop duo is ideal sibling or best-friend territory, which makes it one of the easier “two kids, one theme” solutions of the year. A bunny cop and a sly fox, done.

If your crew runs bigger, the wider Zootopia cast gives you room to expand the group without anyone feeling shortchanged.

Toy Story 5

Woody, Buzz, and Jessie are back after the fifth movie hit theaters in June, and the timing means the whole gang feels current again rather than nostalgic. Jessie’s cowgirl look is a standout for a reason. It’s bright, instantly recognizable, and lets your kid actually walk and see, which is sort of important.

This is also a strong pick if you’ve got a range of ages to costume, since the cast is numerous enough to hand everyone a role they’ll happily accept. Hopefully.

Wednesday Addams

Wednesday isn’t going anywhere. The braids-and-black-dress combo stays in heavy rotation, spooky enough to feel like a costume, tame enough that nobody wakes up with nightmares at 2 AM. It also happens to be one of the lower-effort looks on this list, which counts for a lot by late October.

Video games

Minecraft everything

The movie kept this one at a full boil, and the blocky world is still dominating requests. Steve, Alex, and the ever-menacing Creeper are the usual suspects, but the Chicken Jockey has emerged as the quirky pick for kids who want to prove they’re extremely online.

The costumes are essentially cardboard and enthusiasm, which is either a fun weekend craft or a small disaster in your living room, depending on your tolerance for glitter-adjacent chaos.

Super Mario Bros. (Still going strong)

The Mushroom Kingdom crew keeps showing up, and with so many recognizable characters, it’s a natural fit for duos and groups. Overalls, a fake mustache, and you’re most of the way there. This is the low-drama family theme that delivers, year after year.

Viral trends

Labubu (Yes, Still)

The little nine-toothed monster you finally learned to identify last October has not gone anywhere. If anything it dug in, migrating from backpack charms to purse charms to water bottle handles to, now, a costume your kid will insist is different this year even though it is the exact same feral-cute gremlin. The look is still a fuzzy top and bottom, animal ears, and a heavy hand with the blush.

The saving grace is that all that fuzz doubles as an actual warm layer, so for once the trend and the weather are on the same team.

Squishie Dumplings

Another viral favorite bubbling up from the internet, these squishy little characters are pure Gen Alpha comfort content. Expect the costume to look like a soft, roundish blob with a face, which is somehow both adorable and completely baffling to anyone over the age of twelve.

The classics (with a twist)

Sports Heroes

This is shaping up to be a bigger sports year than usual, with the Winter Olympics and the World Cup both landing in 2026. Expect more little athletes than the average Halloween, and the beauty of it is that most kids already own a jersey. Add a few accessories and you’ve got a costume with almost no lead time.

Superheroes

New Marvel and Spider-Man movies mean capes and masks are everywhere again this year. With Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day fueling the fire, superhero households can let each kid pick a hero for an instant team costume. It’s recognizable, it’s readily available, and there’s a good chance a mask is already wedged under a couch cushion somewhere.

Astronauts and Space

With the Artemis II mission putting space back in the headlines, astronaut and outer-space looks are having a moment. It’s the rare costume that’s equal parts cool and cozy, since a puffy suit doubles as a warm layer when the trick-or-treating drags past dark.

Beloved kids’ shows

Ms. Rachel

If you have a little one, you know Ms. Rachel. She’s a parent favorite too. This costume is beautifully simple: overalls, pink top, headband. Done. Your toddler is happy, you didn’t have to sew anything, and other parents will immediately get it.

Some costume companies are even selling ready-made versions, which is the kind of market recognition that tells you this trend has serious staying power.

Sesame Street

The funding may have been pulled, but Sesame Street is here to stay. We’re all feeling a little protective of Big Bird and the gang right now, so expect to see more Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch costumes this year as parents channel their support for educational programming into Halloween nostalgia. Your kid gets to be a beloved character, and you get to make a subtle statement about the importance of public television. Win-win.

Bluey

If your house has been taken over by the Australian cattle dog family, you’re not alone. Bluey costumes are everywhere because the show has achieved that rare feat of being genuinely enjoyable for both kids and parents. Whether they want to be Bluey, Bingo, or even Bandit, these costumes are easy enough to DIY but there’s no shame in going the BIY route either.

Fair warning: your kid will probably spend the entire night trying to get you to play keepy-uppy or some other game they learned from the show. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Peppa Pig

For families who love jumping in muddy puddles, Peppa and George are household names. The costumes are refreshingly simple—red dress with pink tights for Peppa, or blue for George—plus those iconic pig snouts that you can craft from cardboard and craft sticks. The real challenge isn’t the costume itself, it’s dealing with your kid speaking in a British accent for the entire month of October. You’ve been warned.

PAW Patrol

Still an easy preschool win. Rather than dressing every sibling as the same pup, mix it up with a favorite character paired with something a little different. A Skye look next to a little dinosaur makes for an especially cute sibling combo and cuts down on the “I wanted to be Skye” tears.

Gabby’s Dollhouse

With the movie out this year, Gabby and her cast of cats have climbed the toddler charts. The costumes rate high for comfort and recognition, which is the exact combination you want when the wearer is three and has opinions about waistbands

Nostalgia picks

American Girl Dolls

This one’s for the millennial moms. American Girl is marking its 40th anniversary with a re-release of the original historical dolls, and Felicity, Kirsten, and the gang are stirring up serious childhood memories. It’s a sweet, DIY-friendly costume, and a rare chance to be more excited than your kid about their Halloween look.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

With the latest Mandalorian movie out in May, expect more Mandos and Baby Yodas making the rounds. Store-bought versions are easy to find, and if you don’t have a sibling to draft as Grogu, a Grogu toy prop works and doubles as a plaything your kid will drag around long after the candy’s gone.

However this year’s costume chaos shakes out, we’re all winging it right alongside you. May your face paint wash off clean and your candy bucket stay full.

A version of this story was originally published on August. 19, 2021. It has been updated on August 29, 2025.