How to Find a Halloween Costume in Another Bizarre Year

You can find costume retailers like Party City and Spirit across the country, and they have pretty good online selections. Here you’ll find the pop culture characters your kids probably want to be, as well as the classic costumes from movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas or The Wizard of Oz. There are a bunch of whole-family costumes, too, if that’s your thing.

These types of costumes tend to be pricey, but they’re easy. If your kid doesn’t want to be a specific character, Party City has a selection of $10 kids costumes. Super cheap fast-fashion sites like Shein, though rightfully criticized, have a bunch of adult options at a price they’re actually worth given the quality.

Consider checking TJ Maxx for cheaper options, too. Target and Walmart have a small Halloween section to choose from, as does Amazon. If you just want A Costume, you can find one almost anywhere in October.

There are many kids who use wheelchairs or walkers, and have varying sensory or medical needs. None of them should feel left out on Halloween. Thankfully, a few stores, including Target and Walmart, now offer adaptive costumes for all ages. (I maintain that you are never too old to dress up.)

Wheelchairs become part of the costume with kits like this Incredibles car, Cinderella’s coach, or the Mandalorian’s Razor Crest ship. Amazon also has wheelchair covers, and thankfully many are better and less expensive than we saw last year.

Adaptive costumes are designed to be easy to get in and out of and comfortable for the wearer. The Disney Store has a Cinderella dress and Incredibles outfit to complete wheelchair sets, plus others like a Buzz Lightyear costume. All of them have discrete front openings for medical access, too. There’s no reason anyone should have to suffer on such a fun holiday.

As easy as it is to buy a costume that comes with all the accessories, my favorite Halloween costumes are the ones I’ve made myself. There have been years I went too hard and spent way more money this way, but you can do it cheaply.