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Halloween has to be my favorite holiday – and pretty much everyone else’s, I’d say. Who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up?
I think I’ve come full-circle when it comes to costumes. As a kid, they were cute – think Disney characters. Then when I got a bit older, the outfits became more out-of-the-box and creative. Then came the 20’s and I hit the Disney circuit again but with a shorter hemline (sorry mom and dad).
And now, as cool Aunty Mich I’ve gone back to creative or just plain funny. Which leads me to my favorite type of creative costume idea – the group or family costume!
I think Neil Patrick Harris and his family do it best; we can all learn a thing or two from those costume geniuses.
I’m starting with my guide for groups or families of three – I grew up with 2 close cousins and we did everything together – we were the ultimate trio. We dressed up as the 3 amigos, the 3 ninjas (it’s a 90’s classic, look it up), the 3 chipmunks, you name it!
Whether you’re going to a halloween celebration or a dress-up party, try these ideas on for size
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A League of Their Own costume
Under $200 – okay, we’ve gone down the movie-memory-lane theme now. A League of Their Own is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I love it as much now as I did when I watched it as a youngen. It has stood the test of time with its beautiful themes of friendship, sisterly love, and trail-blazing women. I particularly love this as a costume idea for parents with a little one. One parent is a member of the legendary Rockford Peaches, the little one is manager Jimmy (made famous by Tom Hanks), and the parent who draws the short-straw, well you have to go as Kit’s catcher’s mitt. This costume needs to be bought separately, but it is well worth it for the photos and memories.
Hotdog, ketchup and mustard costume
Under $150 – this one is for a family of 3 and a dog. You can’t have hotdogs without ketchup and mustard, so here’s where the adults can play the part of the world’s favorite condiments, and the human and four-legged babies of the family can be the hotdogs. It’s silly and fun, and will make you want to travel over to Manhattan for a quick curb-side ‘dog. The ketchup and mustard costumes come together in a pack, but you’ll need to buy the mini hot dog and canine hot dog costume separately.
Rock, paper, scissors costume
Under $50 – I have a tendency to always go rock when it comes to this universal game we’re all taught as kicks. There, I gave away my secret. This rock, paper, scissors costume is the perfect complementary costume for a pack of 3 people, big and small. You basically just pull the costume over, so it will adapt well for adults and kids alike. I think the only trouble you might have is choosing which one you want to be. I already chose rock, you better get in quick!
S’mores costume
Under $75 – three otherwise ordinary ingredients melt together to create the ultimate fire-side group snack, the s’more. The best part in my opinion is the marshmallow, so if you have a cute little one, or a friend you’d just love to squish in the middle, this is the dress-up outfit for you. This s’mores costume comes as a three-pack for, but if you have a very small little one you’d like to make into the marshmallow, that’s an easy DIY job with a white onesie or pillowcase. For families of 4, you can get 2 sets of this costume to make sure there’s a gram cracker on either side!
BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) costume
Under $50 – sorry to any of our vegetarian or vegan friends, perhaps bypass this suggestion and go straight to the next one. The best thing about being a friend or family group of 3 is that so many good things come in threes, and this sandwich combination probably wins in the savory stakes (refer to the s’mores costumes for the winner in the sweet stakes). Again, this BLT costume can be worn over basics and are one-size meant to fit all. For a family with a little one, they probably can take the tomato pull-over by default, and the taller of the trio – probably dad – has crispy bacon written all over him. If you’re a family of 4, this can be adapted to include mayo, which is an easy DIY white outfit.
3 Amigos mariachi costume
Under $200 – I haven’t watched it in a really long time, but 3 amigos was a childhood favorite of mine and my cousins. It was me, my cousins Julian and Joanne who would pretend we were Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short in the 80s classic. Yes, we do need to be mindful of the tone of our costumes nowadays, quite rightly, but I feel that this one with a little one, is simply a family mariachi band. This costume doesn’t come in a package of 3, however you can get however many adult costumes and kids-sized costumes to make the trio.
Milk, Cookies and the Cookie Monster
Under $100 – let’s detour from the movie-themed outfits for a second and go back to the food-themed costume ideas. Earlier I talked about creative and funny costumes, and this one definitely ticks those boxes. We have the adults in cookies and milk costumes, because they go so perfectly together. Then, the pièce de résistance, in comes baby as the famous Cookie Monster…cookies and milk be warned. The cookies and milk costume comes in a package, but the cookie monster deluxe costume will need to be bought separately, and to size.
HERO GIFT: The 3 Spider-mans from No Way Home
Under $200 – you’ve seen the memes, and you’ve hopefully seen the 2021 Marvel blockbuster starring Tom Holland, Zendeya, AND (here’s the twist)…the 2 other Spider-mans played by OG Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. You know I love nostalgia, and even though I love the modern Spider-man, arguably the best version, I have a soft spot for the Tobey-era Spider-man which is what I grew up with. So, when he and Andrew’s Spider-man appeared in Spider-man: No Way Home, it was the movie gift that kept giving. This is why this is my pick for best costume for 3 – you simply get 3 Spiderman costumes and there you have it – a creative and very cool family costume. If you need a toddler or baby-sized costume, there’s one available as well, and if mom prefers a more female-form fitting version they are also available.
