Why is October the scariest month? Because kids have 31 days to decide what they want to be for Halloween. Why is that frightening? Because the average kid needs 32! Fortunately, you now hold in your hands a sure cure for a spell of indecision. The following links offer a haunting variety of great costume ideas, many of which can be assembled in minutes from props and clothing you already have tucked away in closets.

Have your little monsters peruse our complete costume ideas, from a sweet mouse to a mean queen to a walking, talking playing card. With our costume handbook and a little creativity, any parent-child team can pull off a memorable costume. That's not so scary, is it?

For even more costume ideas from FamilyFun, be sure to check out the Crazy Costumes page, and Costume Finder, all part of FamilyFun's 2001 Countdown to Halloween. And if you already have a fantastic costume, enter it in the FamilyFun Costume Contest.

TRICK COSTUMES

Bubble Bather
This squeaky-clean costume, which FamilyFun reader Julie Sikoryak made for her five-year-old daughter, Nicole, won first place in their neighborhood costume contest. Our favorite feature: bubbles made from small balloons.

Jack of All Treats
Have your kid pick a card, any card, from an entire deck. Now bet him (odds are in your favor) that with a little help, he can become this card trick on Halloween.

SWEAT SUIT COSTUME

Li'l Gray Mouse
From the tip of its big ears to the end of its gray tail, this costume will make your kid feel like the big cheese on Halloween.

Spaghetti & Meatballs
FamilyFun reader Kelly Wright of Waukesha, Wisconsin, made this saucy costume for her 11-year-old daughter, Carol. All the neighborhood kids ate it up!

LAST-MINUTE COSTUMES

Mystic Dancer
We can see the future now: your daughter will join a caravan of musical wanderers on October 31st. The key to this costume is the layers: the more the merrier.

Workman
Here are the blueprints for an easy costume for Bob the Builder wanna-bes.

Spa Princess
Going door-to-door can be a taxing enterprise, so why not let your 'tweenager combine work and relaxation with this spa costume?

Soccer Star
If you have a soccer fan under your roof, this costume will be a winner.

Blackbeard
Looking for some swashbuckling fun this Halloween? Let your child pillage the back of your closet for this creative pirate costume.

The Farmer Rings the Bell
Crossing the neighborhood can be a long haul for little farmhands. So here we've used a wagon--pulled by a plow-mom--to make the harvesting of treats an easy job.

WINGED COSTUMES

Fanged Fly
This larger-than-life bloodsucking fly will be the buzz of your Halloween party. His bulging eyes are made from mirrors, available for $2 each at auto supply stores.

Fancy Fairy
Who doesn't believe in fairies? With this costume, a beautiful fairy will magically appear on your doorstep.

CAPED COSTUMES

SuperKid!
It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's a supertrick-or-treater! In this creative costume, your hero will be collecting candy faster than a speeding bullet.

Mean Queen
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the wickedest queen of all? Your child, of course, dressed for Halloween as bejeweled royalty.