My 15 Favorite Nerdy Family Halloween Costumes

Mayur Gadge via Pixabay

Every year, October arrives with a hint of autumn and the promise of falling leaves, instilling in me the desire to drink hot apple cider and wear oversized sweaters. I also face a yearly challenge: Picking a Halloween costume to make from the many, many nerdy things that I enjoy. My husband and I have always loved dressing up in tandem—whether as something historically nerdy, like Emperor Justinian and Theodora, or something more contemporary, like Dustin and Eddie from Stranger Things. Now that we have a child, it’s gotten both easier and harder. I love having a plethora of options that incorporate a third person, but it also makes all the options more difficult to choose from.

Thankfully, my kiddo is still young enough that I can pick a family Halloween costume that leans into my and my partner’s interests. (If he was old enough to have input, I think our son would insist we all dress as garbage trucks or Teletubbies.) Last year we had the great joy of dressing as Vizzini, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik from The Princess Bride (with our tiny tot portraying Andre the Giant’s Fezzik), but I know that all too soon I will be more subject to the whims of whatever he’s currently into. I hope that it will be something nerdy, but kids like to pick odd things!

Thus, here are my 15 favorite themes for family Halloween costumes. I do want to acknowledge that some of these ideas feature a traditionally male and female costume pairing for the grownups, simply because I originally started this list for me (a woman) and my partner (a man). That said, I hope this list sparks fun ideas for everyone, and I’m a firm believer in dressing up however you want, as whoever you want, regardless of gender norms!

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender

If you have a cute bald baby, I’m pretty sure there’s a parenting rule that you must use that opportunity to dress them as a tiny Aang. If the weather is chilly, an adorable Appa costume is also acceptable. Otherwise, there are a variety of other characters to choose from! If you have a spare cabbage in the fridge, maybe that’s your sign to dress as the cabbage merchant. Maybe you can convince grandpa to join in as Iroh. Maybe you can convince your kids’ classmates’ parents to let all the children dress up as students from the Fire Nation school!

2. Barbie

The 2023 film gave us many unique and memorable outfits for both Barbie and Ken, so pick some favorites and go to town! The fact that there are canonically multiples of each makes it wonderfully meta.

3. Batman

While you could certainly pick Batman, Robin, or any of the many iconic villains, dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Wayne with a tiny baby Bruce would be so much fun. If your baby already has a Batman onesie, just toss that on them, dress up like you’re going out on the town (don’t forget the pearls!), and you’re good to go.

4. Disney

The Parrs from The Incredibles are a go-to family costume, but Gravity Falls would be a fun show to pick from too. Otherwise, you can practically throw a dart and assemble a family costume from any of Disney’s movies or TV shows.

5. Dungeon Adventurers

Dungeons & Dragons–style costumes can be as simple or complex as you want. If you want to be a recognizable adventuring party, you could choose some characters from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves or Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon). A tot as the halfling Chilchuck? Adorable!

6. The Legend of Zelda

Link, Zelda, and Navi is a fun group costume for parents with a little one. Other ideas would be the various colors of Links from Four Swords, different iterations of Link and Zelda, or any of the characters from the newer Switch games. (If you somehow have the time and energy as a parent to make some of those gorgeous outfits the nonplayer characters have, I’m quite jealous!)

7. The Lord of the Rings

While your kids are still short, it would be a shame to skip doing a family costume where they’re Hobbits. A lot of the costume possibilities are also great for the unpredictable weather of a Minnesota October—cloaks can easily be added and removed, and honestly, dressing as a band of Hobbits would just be really comfy.

8. Peanuts

A group costume as Charlie Brown and friends is easy enough to throw together with some cheap T-shirts and some face paint for Snoopy. A baby as Woodstock the bird? Classic and simple!

9. Pokémon

From the characters to the pocket monsters themselves, the possibilities are almost endless. A classic would be Ash Ketchum, one of his traveling companions, and your kid as a Pikachu! Jessie, James, and Meowth would also be pretty recognizable, or you could dress as any of the gym leaders, the games’ player characters, or other Pokémon.

10. Power Rangers

One of the easier franchises to find a store-bought costume for—and if you’re adventurous, there are over 20 iterations of the franchise to choose from! The villains are also iconic. It would be a lot of work, but Rita Rupulsa, Goldar, and a putty would be quite fun for a family of three.

11. The Princess Bride

As noted, last year my partner and I dressed as Inigo Montoya and Vizzini, and our tot was Fezzick—too cute! Another fun family idea is Wesley, Buttercup, and then bundling your kid in faux fur as a Rodent of Unusual Size.

12. Spy × Family

Pretty straightforward, but Loid, Yor, and Anya would be perfect for a family costume, especially if you have a dog you can give a bowtie to like Bond. Extra points if your dog is floofy!

13. Star Wars

Anakin and Padme with a baby Luke or Leia will work amazingly if you have a younger baby. Otherwise, there are a great variety of characters to pick from. My pick would be to dress up my toddler as a Jawa!

14. Super Mario Bros.

A toddler as a Koopa would be adorable! Personally, I’d pick Waluigi for myself, but there’s also Mario, Luigi, Wario, Princess Peach, and so many more. I’ve also seen some fun Mario Kart–themed costumes.

15. Transformers

Definitely a more difficult option on the list, but this series has dozens of characters to choose from. If you’re up for the challenge, grab some cardboard boxes and start engineering!

Do you have a favorite family theme from Halloweens past? Share it in the comments!