Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which means a full day of parties, trick-or-treating and school dress-up on the Friday before. Here are twelve ideas grouped by age, with a few you can pull together from the wardrobe, plus a quick guide to ordering online so nothing arrives on 1 November.

Toddlers (2 to 4): comfort first

Little ones need a costume they can wear over normal clothes, with nothing covering the face and nothing that drags on the ground.

1. Bluey or Bingo. A hooded jumpsuit is warm for an evening walk and instantly recognisable to every other kid on the street. Bluey costume: https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/kids-bluey-costume-premium-child-s-heeler-dog-jumpsuit-with.html

2. Little dragon. A Toothless-style hooded dragon suit with wings is soft, cosy and not at all scary. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/kids-toothless-dragon-costume-how-to-train-your-dragon-night.html

3. Friendly lion. A dress with an attached mane and tail does the job with no makeup needed. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/girls-lion-costume-dress-with-mane-and-tail-jungle-animal-bo.html

4. From the wardrobe: black cat. Black leggings and a black top, ears cut from felt and glued to a headband, a little eyeliner nose and whiskers. Total cost: the felt.

Primary school (5 to 10): the big asks

This is the age that comes home with a very specific request. Jumpsuits and dresses with everything attached are the least stressful option.

5. A superhero. Spider-Man, Supergirl, Captain America, The Flash: a jumpsuit with hood or a dress with cape goes on in thirty seconds and survives a full evening of running around. See the superhero range: https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/superhero-costumes/

6. Wizard student. A school robe with house colours and a scarf is a Halloween costume this month and a Book Week costume next August, so it earns its keep. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/harry-potter-hogwarts-robe-costume-kids-wizard-set.html

7. Classic ghost, scary version. For the child who insists on properly spooky, a hooded ghost robe with mask is the one they ask for. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/kids-scream-ghost-horror-costumes.html

8. From the wardrobe: mummy or skeleton. Mummy: white clothes underneath, wrap loosely with white crepe bandage or torn old sheet, pin at the back. Skeleton: black clothes with bones in white electrical tape. Both take twenty minutes.

Tweens (11 to 13): it has to be cool

Tweens want something their friends will recognise, and they are old enough for makeup to do half the work.

9. K-Pop Demon Hunters. The new request this year. A black robe and hat set covers it, and the rest is attitude. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/kids-k-pop-demon-hunters-jinu-costume-black-robe-with-hat.html

10. Scary clown or comic-book villain. A clown tutu dress or a Harlequin-style bomber jacket set, plus face paint from the chemist. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/halloween-costumes/kids-halloween-costumes/

11. Group costume with friends. Witches, pirates, a set of matching skeletons: pick one theme so the group photo works. Witch ideas: https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/halloween-costumes/witch-costumes/ and pirates: https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/halloween-costumes/pirate-costumes/

12. From the wardrobe: zombie school uniform. An outgrown uniform, cold tea for stains, a few rips, grey face paint and dark eyes. Costs nothing and is always a hit.

Budget guide

Under 30 dollars: a wardrobe costume plus one bought accessory, such as a mask, wig, wings or a tail.

Around 30 to 50 dollars: a one-piece jumpsuit or dress with the hood, cape or tail attached. This is where a lot of kids' costumes sit.

Over 50 dollars: deluxe sets with muscle padding, printed detail or several pieces. Worth it for a character they will wear again for parties and Book Week.

When to order online so it arrives before the 31st

Halloween is Saturday 31 October, and most schools hold their dress-up day on Friday 30 October, so aim to have the costume in hand by Thursday 29 October.

Costumes in Australia dispatches from its Melbourne warehouse the same day for orders placed on a weekday before 2 PM AEST. Allowing the usual delivery windows, that means:

• Victoria (1 to 3 business days): order by Monday 26 October to be safe.
• NSW and SA (2 to 4 business days): order by Friday 23 October, or choose Express Post.
• Queensland (3 to 6 business days): order this week and choose Express Post.
• WA and NT (5 to 10 business days): Express Post only at this point, and order today.

If you are cutting it fine, Express Post at checkout is the safer choice, and ordering before 2 PM on a weekday gets it out the same day.

Keeping them comfortable on the night

A late-October evening can be cool. A long-sleeved top and leggings under a jumpsuit keep little ones warm without spoiling the look. Sneakers beat costume shoes for a long walk. A glow stick or a strip of reflective tape on a dark costume makes kids easy to spot on the footpath, and a small torch doubles as a prop.

What we are seeing this year: K-Pop Demon Hunters characters for tweens, Bluey and friends for the little ones, and group themes among primary school friends, with superheroes as steady as ever.

About the author: Nicole is from Costumes in Australia, an Australian-owned online costume shop in Box Hill South, Melbourne, dressing kids, teachers and adults Australia-wide for 15+ years. https://www.costumesinaustralia.com.au/