5 amazingly active Halloween costume ideas

In our family, we go big for Halloween. My kids start thinking of costume ideas before school ends for the summer (even if they never seem to commit to anything until a week or two before the big day).

This year, they’ve come up with some pretty cool costume ideas, all of which happen to be quite active. I love that because Halloween is a million times more fun when kids can keep up with their friends. That gigantic robot costume might look super cool, but if your child can hardly walk from one house to the next because it’s so big and cumbersome, it might be worth reevaluating.

And so, inspired by my active children, I’m suggesting five fun and active Halloween costume ideas that will let your kids run from house to house without falling over and are sure to be a hit with even the pickiest costume connoisseur.

1. Superhero

Boys and girls have long loved the exciting freedom and power of dressing up like Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Thor, and Power Rangers for Halloween. (As a former Wonder Woman, I can confirm this to be true.) But the superheroes of comic book and television fame aren’t the only ones around. My littlest son has decided he’s going to dress up as a superhero of his own invention this year: Flip Man. Flip Man, in case you didn’t know, travels by acrobatics and kicks anything that gets in his way with his lightning-bolt-emblazoned shoes. So whether your kids have a favourite superhero or want to invent a new one of their own, it doesn’t get much more active than a crime-fighting, magic-doing, acrobatic superstar costume.

2. Real-life hero

One of my cousins is a paramedic. When we get together for family dinners, he’s always a big hit with the kids. They want to hear about his ambulance, about how he helps people, about how the siren works, and more. Kids instinctively love police officers, firefighters, nurses, paramedics, and all the people who make their world a safer place and they love to imitate them. Don’t forget about teachers (a little gym teacher costume would be adorable!), crossing guards, astronauts, and explorers, too. All of these careers require that their practitioners be physically literate.

3. Animal

Something my daughter said about her costume choice this year made me realize how active an animal costume can be. She has decided to be a bat and her main request about the costume was that it must (absolutely, positively must!) include shorts for the time while she’s at school. Why? Well, because bats need to hang upside down on the monkey bars, of course. She’s nothing if not authentic. Bears climb, monkeys swing, insects fly, snakes slither, and frogs hop. Any animal costume is going to have an inherent element of activity. And we’ve even got a fun activity that you can do with your little monkeys and bats to help them develop balance and coordination (it would be a great idea for a Halloween party if you happen to be throwing one this year).

4. Circus

Compelling colours, amazing tricks, and death-defying feats combine to create so many wonderful and active circus costume ideas. Acrobats, tightrope walkers, and trapeze artists are all excellent choices for active kids. And don’t forget the clowns! Some of the greatest circus props like diabolos, devil sticks and juggling balls are perfect accoutrements for fanciful clowns to bring with them as they trick-or-treat.

5. Athlete

Whether you’ve got a sports fan who loves a particular player, or a child who enjoys a certain Olympic sport, the possibilities for active costumes inspired by the sports world are endless. This year my oldest son has decided to dress up as an Olympic gymnast. He’s always doing flips and splits and backbends in the schoolyard, so I love that he’s decided to use his body’s strengths to his advantage by dressing the part. And I know lots of little hockey players, soccer superstars, dancers, and tennis prodigies who would probably love to do the same.

And don’t forget to check out our active Halloween Pinterest board where you’ll find lots of fun, active costume ideas and a whole bunch of other great ways to keep active this Halloween.