Halloween is just around the corner

Halloween is just around the corner, and if you’re a procrastinating parent — or just not a very crafty one — finding a costume can be deceptively challenging.
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Sure, your kid has imagined the perfect costume, but can you actually find it this late in the game? How skilled are you at tempering expectations? How much will all this cost, anyway?

In this installment of Mom-Tested, Mom-Approved, we go last-minute Halloween costume shopping and see if it’s possible to find a Maleficent costume for a 6-year-old and a ’50s poodle skirt outfit for an 8-year-old.
First attempt: Halloween specialty shop

There are lots of pop-up stores around town filled with costumes, decorations and other spooky knickknacks. It sounds convenient, but in reality, it’s a million freakouts waiting to happen.

Are your kids scared of anything? Be careful of the skeletons, vampires and bloodstained zombies lurking around every corner. Trying to protect your children from over-sexualized images? Make sure to avoid the ladies costume aisle, where every outfit has the word “sexy” in front of it.
photo Ryan Scott and his 2-year old daughter Willan shop for Halloween outfits at Buffalo Breath Costumes store in San Diego. — Nelvin C. Cepeda

Once you arrive at the child or toddler section, there’s a surprisingly big selection of everything from princesses and witches to superheroes and pirates. There are also fun, out-of-the box costumes like pizza slices, inflatable clowns, gladiators and the party game Twister.

Not only did we find a ’50s-inspired poodle skirt and top, there were also other ’50s options, including a malt shop waitress. Maleficent, however, was sold out.

Once in the dressing room, we discovered that the package sizing was way off (much too big), the material was cheap and smelled a bit like chemicals, and the prices for each item ranged between $30 to $45. We walked out empty-handed.

Meltdown probability: Very high, thanks to the many options, rows and rows of creepy things and pressure to get out of there with something in hand.
Second attempt: Target

There’s nothing to see at Target this late in the game unless you’re looking for accessories like a witch’s hat, fun wigs or hero shields and weapons. The costumes are few and far between, and what’s left are tired options like Little Red Riding Hood or skeletons.

But if you’re looking to stock your candy supply …

Meltdown probability: Medium to low, if you avoid the toy aisle.
photo Legoland's Brick or Treat Party nights on Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. include dance parties where kids, in costume or not, can rock out. — Legoland
Third attempt: Costco

The wholesaler actually has a good selection of costumes, but most of them are geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. You can find cute ladybugs and lions made of high-quality material that will last in a costume box for years to come. But if you’re looking for something specific or something on trend, this isn’t the place for you.

If you’re looking for some good lawn and window decorations, however …

Meltdown probability: Low for children, high for adults pushing around giant carts and making sample stops.
Final attempt: Amazon

With the deadline quickly approaching and armed with a new Amazon Prime membership (two-day delivery!), we turned to the online retailer.

You can find anything on Amazon — anything except a decent child’s Maleficent costume for under $50.

After searching through pages and pages of ’50s options, a felt pink poodle skirt popped up available in a variety of sizes. Plus a matching pink satin jacket and oversize cat-eye glasses. Success! Maleficent? That evolved into a Gothic Witch costume, which is pretty much the same thing without the horns. Right?

Meltdown probability: Low if you keep the screen time short.


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