Pirates  Captain Jack Sparrow is back; and pirates are popular for boys  and girls  this year. You can get pre-made Captain Jack Sparrow,  Will Turner  or Elizabeth Swann  costumes, or just send your kids off as general swashbucklers. Watch out for ninjas.	Hogwarts Students  Even muggles love dressing as Harry,  Ron  and Hermione.  You can also get a Hedwig  costume for your little ones. Don't worry about the lack of other character costumes -- there are plenty of robes  and capes  out there, and with the right wig  your kids can be any witch or wizard they want. Broomsticks  and wands  are great accessories.	X-Men  Let your little mutant choose among Wolverine,  Storm,  Beast,  Rogue,  Cyclops,  Shadowcat,  and others.	Star Wars  If the force is strong in your family, look for Jedi robes  and a light saber for your child. Girls might also go as Padme Amidala  or the perennial favorite, Princess Leia.  Boys might choose Luke,  Anakin,  Obi-Wan,  Han,  Chewbaca  or certain  Sith  lords.  Look for little Yoda  costumes for the smallest Jedi in your family. And anyone can go as R2D2  or C3PO!

Hot Costumes for Girls

Dora the Explorer  Dora is one of the top characters right now for little girls. A monkey and a backpack are the only accessories you need!	Kim Possible  The teenage crimefighter is a good pick for girls who have grown out of their Dora costumes.	Disney Princesses  With so many to choose from, your little girl is sure to find one she likes. The most popular ones are Snow White,  Cinderella,  Sleeping Beauty,  Ariel,  Belle,  Jasmine,  Pocahontas,  Mulan,  etc.	Barbie  She's as popular as ever and there are dozens of Barbie-based costumes on the market.

Hot Costumes for Boys

Superman  He's back at the box office so he's even more popular this year than usual.	Spiderman  The two hit movies and the anticipation of a third are more than enough to keep our favorite angsty hero at the top of the list.	Bob the Builder  Can we fix it? Yes we can! Bob is popular with the little ones... but don't suggest him to your teenager.	Ninja  Someone has to keep the pirates in check! (Don't give little kids swords. Seriously.)

Classics for Girls

Witch  Try sorceress  if you're feeling extra-powerful. Don't forget the hat  and broom,  which are often sold separately.	Vampiress  Don't forget the fake blood capsules  and the vampire teeth.  Capes  are a great accessory and will keep you warm on chilly October nights.	Angel  and Devil  Most people pick one or the other, but you can be a little of both  if you want.	Fairy /Princess  You can be a fairy, you can be a princess, or you can be both. (If you want you can be a fairy-princess-doctor-pony trainer.) Wings,  wand  and tiara  are usually sold separately.	Ghost  Spooky and traditional. Don't forget the white face paint.

Classics for Boys

Vampire  The vampire works for boys or girls. As before, don't forget the fake blood capsules  and the vampire teeth.	Mummy  Team up with a sibling or friend dressed as Nefertiti.  Mind your manners and no cursing.	Skeleton  No bones about it, this classic works for boys or girls. White face paint  completes the outfit (for older children).	Frankenstein's Monster  A green makeup palette  and some stick-on bolts  are must-haves for this costume, but you don't need much else.	Werewolf  Aaaaooooooooo. Who can resist this scary beast?

Animals

Mammals Cow,  Horse,  Cat,  Dog,  Bear,  Lion,  Bunny,  Moose,  Pig,  Gorilla	Birds Flamingo,  Parrot,  Penguin,  Chicken,  Peacock	Sea Life Shark,  Fish,  Octopus,  Lobster,  Mermaid,  Seahorse	Creepy-Crawlies Ladybug,  Grasshopper,  Butterfly,  Bumblebee,  Dragonfly,  Spider

Professions

Health Care Doctor,  Nurse,  Surgeon,  Dentist	Public Safety Fireman,  Police,  Prisoner,  Warden,  Sheriff	The Armed Forces Soldier,  Sailor,  Marines,  Air Force	Academia Scientist  (Mad  or Not), Explorer,  Teacher

Hospitality Industry Bellhop,  Chef,  Flight Attendant	Religion Nun,  Priest,  Rabbi,  Monk	Sports Cheerleader,  Football Player,  Baseball Player,  Boxer,  Referee	Miscellaneous Pilot,  Mail Carrier,  Construction Worker

Infant Costumes

The great thing about little babies is that they have no say in what they wear -- so you can dress them up as whatever you want instead of what they want. Most infant costumes are also unisex, so they can be shared between siblings or cousins.  Here are a few of the most popular infant costume categories.

Food Babies dressed as food. What could be better? Try pea pod,  corn,  chili pepper,  banana,  and of course, pumpkin!	Mammals and Birds The possibilities are limitless here. Cow,  lion,  bat,  monkey,  bear,  bunny,  flamingo,  chicken,  and more.	Insects and Sea Life Octopus,  fish,  and lobster  from below the waves; bumblebee,  butterfly  and ladybug  in the garden.	Flowers Sunflower,  daisy,  or just flower  are the way to go.	Classics Halloween classics are always fun. How about a little angel,  devil,  bat,  princess,  ghost,  pirate,  wizard,  witch  or vampire?

External Links

• Feeling ambitious? Check out the winners of last year's Family Fun Halloween Contest. Winning ideas included:
• A surfer
• Jellyfish
• Hot Air Balloon
• The Dollar Stretcher offers tips and ideas for saving money on costumes.
• Robinsfyi has a great list of costumes to make at home.
• Budget101 provides make-up recipes to create scabs and blood, as well as party ideas and fun Halloween games.
• Amazingmoms.com offers the following ideas for "no sew" costumes:
• Tic Tac Toe Board: wear all black, use white tape to create a tic tac tow board on the child's body.
• Sleepwalker: wear pj's and looked dazed.
• Basket of Laundry: cut the center out of a laundry basket, step in basket (may need suspender to keep basket up), drape items of clothing on basket.
• Don't forget the Halloween safety tips; The LA Fire Dept. has a good one to print out.
• Get into the spirit with some spooky Halloween music provided by theholidayspot.com.