When a family of four includes a baby, the baby's costume decides everything else. A newborn can't tell you a hood is too hot or a seam is scratching, so I always plan the smallest outfit first and build the other three around it. The themes below give two adults, an older child and a baby their own characters, and nearly all of them put the baby in something soft: a footed onesie, a bunting, a bonnet or a decorated stroller. The adults and the big kid get the wigs, makeup and props. Each idea covers the full outfit, so you can shop it, thrift it or sew it.
Baby Costume Rules I Never Bend
A baby's costume has to pass a different test from everyone else's. I check four things before I sew anything, and if a costume fails one of them I change the costume, not the rule.
- Nothing small enough to swallow. Buttons, sequins, pompoms and plastic craft eyes all come off. Use embroidery, stitched felt or fabric paint instead.
- Nothing around the neck and nothing over the face. No ties, cords or loose tulle, and no masks except for a quick photo.
- Nothing bulky under car-seat straps. A padded belly or puffy bunting stops the harness fitting snugly, so take it off for the drive or keep the padding thin.
- No face paint. A baby's skin is sensitive, and they rub everything into their eyes. Rosy cheeks from the hat color are enough.
Overheating is the one parents miss most. Fleece onesies and plush hoods are warm, and an evening that starts outside can end in a hot living room. I dress babies in a thin cotton layer under the costume, so the costume can come off without leaving them in nothing but a diaper.
1. The Incredibles Family Costume With Jack-Jack Baby
Jack-Jack might be the best baby role in any film, because he's a baby in the story too. The adults go as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl in red fitted tops, black leggings, masks, gloves and boots, and the older child takes Violet or Dash. The baby wears a soft red footed onesie with a felt black "diaper" panel stitched on. I'd only put a mask near a baby's face for a quick, supervised photo, then take it off. Keep the adults' emblems flat and the belts slim, since you'll be holding a wriggling baby against that chest all evening.
2. Toy Story Family Costume With Alien Baby
The Little Green Alien is an ideal baby role: a green onesie, blue leggings and a soft three-eye headband, and nothing else to fuss with. One adult wears Woody's checked yellow shirt, cow-print vest, red neckerchief and hat, and the other wears Jessie's white western shirt, red hat and braided wig. The older child gets a white, green and purple Buzz jumpsuit. Make the baby's eyes from felt circles stuffed lightly and sewn onto a soft band, rather than plastic craft eyes glued on, which can pop off and are exactly the size a baby would put in their mouth.
3. Wizard Of Oz Family Costume With Lion Baby
A baby Cowardly Lion is about as cuddly as Halloween gets: a tan footed onesie, a plush mane hood, paw booties and a little tail. One adult is Dorothy in blue gingham, braids and red flats, the other the Scarecrow in patched pants, a rope belt and a floppy hat. The older child is the Tin Man in silver with a light funnel hat. Real straw is a bad idea near a baby, as it sheds into everything and pokes, so I use yellow yarn or raffia sewn down in the Scarecrow's sleeves. A wicker basket with a stuffed dog finishes Dorothy.
4. Peter Pan Family Costume With Crocodile Baby
The crocodile gives the baby the coziest role in Neverland: a green hooded romper with felt eyes, a short padded tail and matching booties. One adult wears Peter's green tunic, brown leggings and pointed hat, the other Wendy's pale blue dress and ribbon. The older child is Tinker Bell, with a green dress, a bun and light fabric wings. Hang the crocodile's ticking clock on the stroller, not the baby; nothing should go around an infant's neck. If the baby will ride in a car seat, keep that tail short or leave it off so it doesn't bunch behind them.
5. Winnie The Pooh Family Costume With Pooh Baby
Pooh is made for a baby in cold October weather: a yellow footed onesie, a short red top, a round-ear hood and soft booties. One parent is Tigger in an orange sweatshirt with black felt stripes, the other Piglet in a pink striped top and pointed-ear hat. The older child is Christopher Robin in a yellow polo, blue shorts and rolled socks. I sew the red shirt as a separate cropped tee so it can come off when the baby gets warm indoors. A clean plastic honey pot doubles as the treat bucket.
6. Monsters Inc Family Costume With Baby Monster
Sulley and Mike are easy for two adults, and Boo is a natural for a preschooler. Sulley wears turquoise with purple felt spots and a horn headband, Mike a lime outfit with one big felt eye, and Boo an oversized pink T-shirt, purple leggings and pigtails. The baby becomes a little purple monster in a hooded romper with soft felt horns and striped booties. Faux fur is warm and looks great on adults, but it's a lot for a baby; it sheds fibers and runs hot, so I'd keep the baby in fleece. Cardboard doors make a fun photo prop.
7. Super Mario Family Costume With Toad Baby
Mario and Luigi suit two parents, Peach suits a big sister or brother who loves a crown, and the baby is Toad. Mario wears blue overalls, a red shirt, white gloves and a cap; Luigi the same in green. Peach wears a pink dress, white gloves and a light crown. Baby Toad wears a white romper, a blue vest and a soft mushroom cap with red circles. I make that cap from fleece with a little batting, not foam, because foam on a baby's head is stiff and gets pulled off. Cardboard bricks and a green stroller cover set the scene.
8. Jurassic Park Family Costume With Dinosaur Baby
A baby dinosaur in a green bunting with soft back spikes and a short tail makes the whole Jurassic Park idea work. The adults are park explorers in khaki shirts, cargo pants, vests, hiking boots and wide-brim hats, with badges, binoculars and a map. The older child is a paleontologist with a bandana and a toy magnifying glass. Skip face paint on the baby and let rosy cheeks do the work. Stuff the spikes with fiberfill rather than foam so the baby can lie on their back comfortably, and cover the wagon or stroller in green fabric with a cracked-egg panel.
9. Star Wars Family Costume With Grogu Baby
Grogu is a baby role with almost no construction: a cream fleece robe with a wide collar, a green ear bonnet, brown leggings and green booties. One adult is Leia in a long white dress, silver belt and side buns, the other Han Solo in a cream shirt, black vest and boots. The older child is Rey in layered beige, arm wraps and three buns. Those big ears are what sell it, so I sew them from two layers of felt with a bit of batting between and attach them firmly to the bonnet seam. A gray carrier makes a good floating pod.
10. Alice In Wonderland Family Costume With White Rabbit Baby
A baby White Rabbit wears a plush white romper, a floppy-ear hood, pink booties and a little red vest that comes off. One adult is Alice in a blue dress, white apron and black headband, the other the Mad Hatter in patterned trousers, a bright waistcoat, a long coat and a top hat. The older child gets the fun part, the Queen of Hearts, with a red-and-black dress, a heart crown and heart makeup. Mount the big rabbit clock on the stroller. Paper roses are cheerful and light, but keep them on the adults; paper and a baby who mouths things don't mix.
11. Addams Family Costume With Pugsley Baby
Baby Pugsley in a black-and-white striped romper is a sweet way to fit an infant into a spooky family. One adult is Morticia in a long black dress, a sleek dark wig and smoky eyes, the other Gomez in a pinstriped suit with a bow tie. The older child is Wednesday in a black dress with a white collar, black tights and braids. The baby needs no makeup at all. Morticia's long hem drags on stairs, and carrying a baby down porch steps in it is risky, so I hem it to just above the shoe. A battery candle is the only prop this group needs.
12. Scooby-Doo Family Costume With Scooby Baby
Baby Scooby wears a soft brown hooded romper with floppy ears, black spots, a blue collar and paw booties. One adult is Fred in a white sweater, blue pants and orange neck scarf; the other is Daphne in purple with a green scarf and a red wig. The older child plays Velma in an orange sweater, red skirt, knee socks and glasses with no lenses. A stroller dressed as the Mystery Machine is a great idea, but keep the cardboard panels on the outside of the frame, leaving the canopy, harness and airflow clear.
13. Sesame Street Family Costume With Cookie Monster Baby
Sesame Street is easy for small children to understand, and the baby makes a perfect Cookie Monster. Dress the infant in a fuzzy blue romper with a hood topped in large fabric eyes and a felt cookie stitched to the chest. One adult is Bert in a striped sweater, green pants and upright hair, the other Ernie in a red-and-blue striped shirt. The older child is Elmo in red with an orange nose detail. Stitch that cookie all the way around rather than tacking the corners, since a teething baby will gnaw the edge. Foam letters make good props for the big kid.
14. Farmer Family Costume With Baby Cow
A farm is about the easiest costume to pull from your own closets: two adults in denim overalls, plaid shirts, straw hats and bandanas, an older child as a patched scarecrow, and a baby cow. The baby wears a black-and-white spotted footed onesie, a soft ear hood, a pink belly panel and booties. Straw hats scratch a small cheek when you hold the baby close, so I'd let one parent wear a bandana instead. A red gingham carrier cover ties the group together, and a plush corn cob is a safe thing for the baby to hold.
15. Beekeeper Family Costume With Bee Baby
A bumblebee baby in a striped romper with soft wings and an antenna bonnet is a classic for a reason. One adult is the beekeeper in white coveralls and a hat with light mesh pinned well away from the face. The other is a sunflower with a leafy belt and a yellow petal headband. The older child is a ladybug in red with dotted wings. Baby wings should be small, soft and stitched flat against the back, so the baby can lie down without them crushing or twisting. Silk flowers on the stroller look pretty, but wire stems need covering with tape.
16. Circus Family Costume With Lion Baby
The baby lion is the star of this circus, in a tan footed romper with a mane hood, padded tail and paw booties. One adult is the ringmaster in a red tailcoat and gold-trimmed hat, the other a clown in patterned overalls, bright suspenders and striped socks. The older child is an acrobat in a sequined top and leggings with a neat bun. Sequins scratch a baby who gets passed around, so keep them on the big kid only. A striped stroller canopy looks like a tiny circus tent, and fabric juggling balls are safe props.
17. Under The Sea Family Costume With Fish Baby
An orange tropical fish in a footed romper with soft fins and a big-eyed hood is a bright baby role. One adult is a mermaid in a scale-print maxi skirt, a teal top and shell clips, the other a sailor in a striped shirt, navy jacket and cap. The older child is an octopus with stuffed tentacles tied around the waist. Blue tulle on the stroller looks like water, but it snags and frays, and loose tulle near a baby's face is a smothering risk, so I gather it tightly and keep it on the lower frame and wheels only.
18. Space Family Costume With Astronaut Baby
The adults go as astronauts in white or silver jumpsuits with mission patches, helmets carried under one arm, and the older child is a neon-green alien. For the baby, I like the moon: a pale gray padded onesie with soft crater appliqués and a round hood, or a white astronaut bunting if that's comfier. Either way, the baby should never wear a helmet or anything enclosing the head. A cardboard rocket on a wagon makes the shared prop, which keeps every bulky piece away from the baby's outfit and still gives you a great family photo.
19. Weather Family Costume With Raindrop Baby
Weather is an inexpensive felt-and-closet theme with four clear roles. One adult is the sun in yellow with a ray headband, the other a cloud in white with fluffy fabric patches. The older child is a rainbow in stripes with rainbow hair clips. The baby is a raindrop in a soft blue bunting with a pointed hood and silver felt drops. A clear umbrella hung with extra raindrops is a fun prop for an adult. Keep that umbrella well away from the stroller, and on a windy night, fold it, since it pulls hard in a gust and is hard to hold with a baby on one arm.
20. Garden Family Costume With Mushroom Baby
The baby mushroom is my favorite in this garden: a cream footed onesie, a red-and-white spotted bonnet and a green leaf bib. The adults are gardeners in denim overalls, plaid shirts and sun hats, with a watering can and a basket of fabric vegetables. The older child is a gnome in a blue tunic, a tall red pointed hat and a soft white beard. A gnome beard made from craft fur sheds, so I cut it from white fleece in fringed layers. Brown and green felt around the base of the stroller makes a little garden bed without touching the wheels or straps.
21. Bakery Family Costume With Bread Baby
A baby loaf of bread is a sweet sight gag: a tan bread-shaped bunting over a normal onesie, a crust-colored hood and brown booties. The adults are bakers in white shirts, checked pants, aprons and chef hats, with a light dust of white face powder. The older child is a cupcake in a pastel top with a pleated skirt and a sprinkle headband. A bread basket works for one quick, supervised photo, then the baby goes back in the stroller or carrier. I'd sew the bunting from brushed fleece in golden tan, which looks like crust and keeps a baby warm outside.
22. Diner Family Costume With Burger Baby
A diner theme gives the baby the burger role, in a bun-colored romper layered with felt lettuce, cheese and tomato. One adult is the cook in checked pants, an apron and a paper cap; the other a server in a pastel dress and white apron. The older child is a box of fries in a red tunic with yellow felt strips. Keep every food layer flat and sewn down all the way around, since loose felt edges curl, catch little fingers and come off. A light serving tray with empty paper cups is an easy prop for the server.
23. Construction Family Costume With Traffic Cone Baby
A baby traffic cone is funny, practical and very easy: an orange footed onesie with white stripes, a soft pointed hat and orange booties. The adults are construction supervisors in work pants, plaid shirts, reflective vests and yellow hard hats, with clipboards and plans. The older child is a worker in overalls with a foam hard hat. Use real reflective vests for the adults, since they help drivers see you after dark. Check the cone hat sits above the eyes and cannot slide down. Caution ribbon on the stroller should stay clear of the brakes and harness.
24. Safari Family Costume With Elephant Baby
A plush gray elephant with floppy ears and a short soft trunk is a cuddly baby role for a safari. The adults are wildlife explorers in khaki shirts, cargo pants, vests and wide hats, carrying binoculars, a map or a camera. The older child is a lion in a golden sweatshirt with a mane hood and felt tail. Keep the trunk short and lightly stuffed; a long trunk flops into a baby's face. Paint a nose and whisker dots on the older child only, and line the stroller with faux leaves and a green blanket for the jungle ride.
25. Penguin Family Costume With Penguin Baby
Four penguins is the warmest theme here, so save it for a forecast that looks bitter. Each adult wears a black sweatshirt or tunic with a white belly panel, black pants, an orange beak headband and black sneakers. The older child wears the same with orange leggings for webbed feet. The baby gets the softest version: a black-and-white footed bunting with a padded hood and a tiny felt beak. Use a different bow tie, scarf or hat on each person so you look like a family and not a printing error. A wagon covered in white fabric and blue felt makes an iceberg.
26. Skeleton Family Costume With Skeleton Baby
Matching skeletons are the easiest classic Halloween look for four, and nearly impossible to get wrong. Each adult wears a black top and pants with white bones, printed or cut from felt, plus black shoes, and simple skull makeup with rounded shapes. The older child wears a bone sweatsuit with light face paint. The baby wears a black footed onesie with a soft white rib cage, a black cap and booties, and no face paint at all. Glow tape looks great on the adults, but it can peel; I'd keep every strip off the baby's outfit.
27. Friendly Ghost Family Costume With Ghost Baby
Friendly ghosts don't need sheets over anyone's head, which is the main thing to get right here. The adults wear loose white tunics over white leggings, pale shoes and white gloves, with soft gray around the eyes and gauzy panels at the shoulders. The older child wears a white hooded poncho with a smiling face on the front. The baby wears a white footed bunting with a rounded hood and embroidered eyes. Embroidered or appliquéd eyes are safer than glued-on felt for a baby. Give one adult a white pumpkin bucket, and decorate the stroller with ribbon and silver stars.
28. Pumpkin Patch Family Costume With Pumpkin Baby
Pumpkin patch costumes are made of warm layers you'll keep wearing after Halloween. The adults are farmers in jeans, flannel shirts, quilted vests and straw hats. The older child is a scarecrow in overalls with patched knees and orange cheeks. The baby is the prize pumpkin in an orange footed romper with a padded round belly, a green leaf collar and a stem hood. Keep the belly padding thin if the baby rides in a car seat, because thick padding under a harness stops it fitting snugly. Put the "prize pumpkin" sign on the stroller.
29. Classic Monster Family Costume With Bat Baby
A vampire, a witch, a mummy and a baby bat bring together the monsters everybody knows. One adult is the vampire in a red-lined cape with slick hair and pale makeup, the other a witch in a long black dress, purple cape and pointed hat. The older child is a mummy in cream sweats with securely sewn fabric strips. The baby is a bat in a black footed romper with fabric wings under the arms and a round-ear hood. I keep bat wings short and sew them from the wrist to the side seam only, so they can't twist around a tiny arm.
30. Goldilocks And Three Bears Family Costume
Goldilocks and the Three Bears gives a family of four exactly the right number of characters, and the baby is, of course, Baby Bear. The older child is Goldilocks in a blue or yellow dress, a white apron and curled blond hair. One adult is Papa Bear in a checked shirt, suspenders and a bear-ear hat, the other Mama Bear in a brown dress and apron. The baby wears a plush brown footed romper with a round-ear hood and cream belly. Three cardboard bowls in three sizes tell the story; the baby's bowl stays on the stroller as decoration.
Wearing the Baby as Part of the Costume
Many parents carry a baby in a front carrier on Halloween, and that changes the costume plan. The carrier covers most of the adult's chest, so any emblem, belly panel or shirt detail will disappear. Move the adult's character detail to the hat, sleeves and back instead, and treat the carrier and baby as one costume.
Ideas that work in a carrier
- A felt cover pinned to the outside of the carrier, such as a pumpkin, a cookie or a burger bun, with the baby's own outfit kept simple
- A parent dressed as something that holds or carries, like a kangaroo with a pouch, a bird with a nest or a baker with a loaf
- Baby's hat as the main detail, since it's the only part of the costume most people will see
Check the carrier straps after you add any costume layer. Bulky fabric between the adult and the baby can loosen the fit, and the baby should still sit high, close and with the face clear. Pin covers to the outside of the carrier, never to the baby's clothes.
Wash every new baby costume once before wearing it. It removes finishing chemicals from new fabric, softens stiff felt and shows you which pieces shed or bleed color while there's still time to fix them.
Start With the Baby, Then Dress Everyone Else
The family costumes that go well with a baby all start in the same place: the smallest person's comfort. Settle the onesie, bunting, carrier or stroller first, then build the adults and the older child around the same story and colors. Try every hat, hood, wing and shoe before the night so nothing blocks the baby's face or slips over the eyes. Stitch every felt piece down firmly and keep makeup to the grown-ups and the big kid. Characters, monsters, animals and food all adapt to different ages and budgets, and the simplest baby version is nearly always the one that lasts all evening.
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