Halloween is just around the corner, and we all know these things can really sneak up on you. Like a ghost. Aaah! So, if it comes down to it and you need some quick costume ideas, here are a few that don’t require you to be terribly crafty or rolling in costume money in order to put them together.

Baby shark

Even the littlest of littles can pull this off if they don a grey hoodie and affix a tiny cardboard fin somewhere along the dorsal line. If you want to be really scary, have the theme song playing on your phone while you trick-or-treat … whether that means the theme from Jaws, or the infamous Pinkfong hit. Shudder.

Bunch of grapes

 For this you will need a pack of purple or green balloons, a green or brown toque for the stem, and a child with the patience of a saint. YouTube tutorials tell you to safety-pin each balloon on to the child’s clothing, but something tells me this costume idea is going to end in a series of loud pops and screams. Attempt at your own risk.

A shadow

I saw this on the internet somewhere, and it would be great for a daytime Halloween party – basically, you put your kid in a dark-coloured Morph suit and put dark clothing on top, so they look like a silhouette of a child. Add things like a black jump-rope or pigtail wig for an extra-creepy effect. Not recommended for night-time trick-or-treating, as your child will be completely invisible in the dark.

Google Home

 All you really need is 4 coloured circles to spin around when someone says “OK GOOGLE.” Make sure to practice saying, “Sorry, I can’t help you with that” for added realism. If you have two kids, dress the other one up as Alexa and have them argue all night.

An emoji

 Pretty easy to cut ‘em out of cardboard, attach straps, and wear like a backpack/front pack. You can even make a series of these and switch out as your child’s mood changes throughout the Halloween festivities. Where’s the tantrum react?

From all of us at PLN, have a spook-tactular Halloween!