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  5. 23 Adaptive Halloween Costumes to Buy or DIY

23 Adaptive Halloween Costumes to Buy or DIY

By Brooke Bunce and Nicole Harris
August 11, 2015
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Credit: Courtesy of Target
Every kid deserves to flaunt their best ensemble on Halloween. Get inspired by these adaptive Halloween costumes to buy or DIY, which cater to children with mental and physical disabilities.
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Mr. Rogers

Credit: Courtesy of Mary Evelyn Smith

"My son is a huge fan of the classic Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television show. We built the Neighborhood Trolley from scratch and dressed him in a cardigan and tie just like Fred Rogers!" — Mary Evelyn Smith, mom of Simeon, age 2, of Columbus, OH

  • Read more about how the costume was made here.

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Doctor Who

Credit: Courtesy of Tresa Edmunds

"We love Doctor Who for its optimism and creativity, which are values I want to instill in my child. I also love this costume because Doctor Who's time machine (the TARDIS) is famous for being bigger on the inside, just like my little guy." — Tresa Edmunds, mom of Atticus, age 7, of Sacramento, CA

  • Learn how to make the Doctor Who costume here.

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Magical Unicorn

Credit: Courtesy of Target
BUY NOW

This adaptive Halloween costume from Target is “sensory-friendly,” since it was made with flat seams and no tags. Your child will love the attached wings, shiny horn, and glittery details!

  • RELATED: 19 Cute Toddler Halloween Costumes
  • Ā 

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The House from Up!

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan McCubbin

"We got bored building different types of transportation around our daughter's chair, so we attached a foam house to the back of it and had her be Mr. Fredrickson [from Pixar's Up!] with our son Cade as Russell." — Ryan McCubbin, dad of Peyton, 14, with brother, Cade, of Morrison, CO

  • RELATED: 17 Cute Baby Halloween Costumes

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Pizza Delivery Truck

Credit: Courtesy of Phil Weaver

"Jack loves pizza, especially from Cicero's [the family's local pizza joint]. They were kind enough to provide a shirt and some boxes for their only delivery truck!" — Phil Weaver, dad of Jack, age 6, of Santa Clara, CA

  • Read more about the pizza truck costume here.

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Pretty Princess

Credit: Courtesy of Target
BUY NOW

Calling all princesses! This pretty hot pink Halloween costume—complete with a sparkly crown—will transform your daughter into royalty. Not only is the costume friendly for those in wheelchairs, it also has a convenient back opening for easy dressing. 

  • RELATED: Check Out Lego's Awesome New Minifigure in a Wheelchair!

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Flower Garden

Credit: Courtesy of Kathy Eastman

"The flower costume, grown with '100 percent love,' was a big hit everywhere we went and several people wanted their picture taken with it." — Kathy Eastman, mom of Addison, age 9, of Lincoln, NE

  • Read more about Kathy's other wheelchair costumes here.

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Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan Weimer

"For Halloween, my oldest son wanted to be a dragon rider and fly Toothless from his favorite movie How to Train Your Dragon. These costumes for one day of the year—and really any day they want to rock 'em—bridge the gap of excluding kids in wheelchairs and do that in an epic way!"— Ryan Weimer, dad of Keaton, age 9 and Bryce, age 3 (next slide), of Keizer, OR

  • Check out Ryan's nonprofit costume organization, Magic Wheelchair

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Gronckle from How To Train Your Dragon

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan Weimer

"My wife made this blue furry Gronckle costume in a day to go with his big brother's Toothless costume. In these costumes, my kids become rock stars and the wheelchairs disappear!" — Ryan Weimer, dad of Bryce, age 3, and Keaton, age 9 (previous slide), of Keizer, OR

  • Check out Ryan's nonprofit costume organization, Magic Wheelchair

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Ice Cream Truck

Credit: Courtesy of SpiritHalloween.com
BUY NOW

We all scream for ice cream with this adaptable Halloween costume. The boxy facade fits comfortably over your child’s wheelchair. Bonus points if she actually has sweet treats for friends and family! 

  • RELATED: 14 Funny Baby Halloween Costumes
  • Ā 

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Credit: Courtesy of Amanda Ridding

"Nickolas is obsessed with ninja turtles, and when we were thinking of Halloween, the Shellraiser was the perfect idea. Making Nick's walker or wheelchair into part of his costume is why Halloween is one of our favorite times of year!" — Amanda Ridding, mom of Nickolas, age 5, of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

  • Learn how to make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume here.

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Elmo Sweatshirt

Credit: Courtesy of HalloweenCostumes.com
BUY NOW

For a child with a sensory disorder, choose a costume that resembles clothing he’s familiar with. This soft Elmo sweatshirt, for example, might provide the comfort he craves. 

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Bat Mobile

Credit: Courtesy of Laura Shuler

"Gavin loved being Batman and driving his Batmobile around the neighborhood on Halloween. My husband and I love building his costume each year! We work hard on spreading the mission of inclusion, and building these costumes for us really helps to put Gavin right with the other kids in our neighborhood." — Laura Shuler, mom of Gavin, age 11, of Jacksonville, NC

  • RELATED: The 31 Best Family Halloween Costume Ideas
  • Ā 

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Cinderella's Carriage

Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Dickson

"Spina Bifida and walking long distances is hard on my daughter's body, so I wanted to create something fun for her with her favorite princess, Cinderella. I hand-painted and cut out each side of the carriage from cardboard. She loved it!" — Jessica Dickson, mom of Chloe, age 5, of Sunbury, PA

  • RELATED: Parent and Child Halloween Costumes
  • Ā 

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Little Shark

BUY NOW

With no tags and flat seams, this adaptive Halloween costume from Target is sensory-friendly. The shark getup is extra comfortable with plush construction, and it also features fins and a hood with detachable teeth. A well-placed flap allows easy access to the abdominal region.

  • RELATED: 25 Pregnant Halloween Costumes for Growing Bellies
  • Ā 

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Under the Rainbow

Credit: Courtesy of Amber Bobnar

"I try to design Ivan's costumes around something I know he likes, then just make them as big and over the top as possible. As we walk down the street trick-or-treating, the neighborhood kids come out to walk with us because they love Ivan's costumes!"— Amber Bobnar, mom of Ivan, age 10 of Watertown, MA

  • Learn how to make the rainbow costume here.

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Wizard of Oz

Credit: Courtesy of Jason Hurst Photography

"As a family, we try to make Tucker feel involved by doing a family theme that uses his wheelchair. We try to choose themes that people will really enjoy so that people are excited to see us each year and give him such amazing support and attention."— Jason Hurst, dad of Tucker, age 14, of Statesboro, GA

  • RELATED: Our Favorite Halloween Pregnancy Announcement Ideas
  • Ā 

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Mario

Credit: Courtesy of Cassie McLelland

"Caleb was 5 years old and Mario Kart was his favorite Wii game at that time. His younger brother Benjamin was Luigi. MarioKart was probably the hardest costume I have made for Caleb; it's also my favorite."— Cassie McLelland, mom of Caleb, age 9 of Mansfield, TX

  • Read more about the Mario costume here.

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Pirate

Credit: Courtesy of Target

With this pirate adaptable Halloween costume, your child will conquer the seven seas! Dressing in the costume is a cinch, thanks to the back opening and wide leg openings. Traditional pirate details, such as a triangular hat and striped pants, make the hunt for buried treasure even more fun. 

  • RELATED: 17 Free Printable Halloween Coloring Pages
  • Ā 
  • Ā 

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Hello Kitty Car

Credit: Courtesy of Casey Arledge

"Kinley was born with Spina Bifida. For Halloween, our family made a costume that turned the focus away from Kinley's wheelchair and instead to a fun, creative, Hello Kitty car costume with a beautiful, happy, and capable toddler girl behind the wheel. Her smile says it all!" — Casy Arledge, mom of Kinley, age 2, of Circleville, OH

  • Learn how to make the Hello Kitty car costume here.

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Dracula

Credit: Courtesy of Cheryl Clatworthy

"Every year we try to make it feasible for my son to participate in the costume parade at school and trick-or-treat around the neighborhood like all the other kids. Gabriel played the part very well, trying to scare all the girls! In whole it cost about $50 to make, using a lot of stuff we already had around the house, including a reinforced dolly that stood in for his usual Dynamic Stander."—Cheryl Clatworthy, mom of Gabriel McInturff, age 13, of Mogadore, OH

  • Read more about Cheryl's other wheelchair costumes here.

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Astronaut

Credit: Courtesy of SpiritHalloween.com
BUY NOW

This adaptable Halloween costume transforms your child’s wheelchair into a rocket ship. Your astronaut will be ready for take off (AKA trick-or-treating)!

  • RELATED: Spooky Halloween Snacks and Treats
  • Ā 
  • Ā 

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Wild Kratts

Credit: Courtesy of Cassie McLelland

"Caleb loves the Wild Kratts show on PBS. He was Chris Kratt (one of the Kratt brothers) driving the Createrra. I made the vehicle from cardboard to fit around his wheelchair." — Cassie McLelland, mom of Caleb, age 9, of Mansfield, TX

  • Learn how to make the Wild Kratts costume here.

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1 of 23 Mr. Rogers
2 of 23 Doctor Who
3 of 23 Magical Unicorn
4 of 23 The House from Up!
5 of 23 Pizza Delivery Truck
6 of 23 Pretty Princess
7 of 23 Flower Garden
8 of 23 Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon
9 of 23 Gronckle from How To Train Your Dragon
10 of 23 Ice Cream Truck
11 of 23 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
12 of 23 Elmo Sweatshirt
13 of 23 Bat Mobile
14 of 23 Cinderella's Carriage
15 of 23 Little Shark
16 of 23 Under the Rainbow
17 of 23 Wizard of Oz
18 of 23 Mario
19 of 23 Pirate
20 of 23 Hello Kitty Car
21 of 23 Dracula
22 of 23 Astronaut
23 of 23 Wild Kratts

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23 Adaptive Halloween Costumes to Buy or DIY
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