Halloween Buying Guide

Although it has origins in several religions, Halloween is largely accepted as a secular celebration of sweets and spooks. As with many other holidays, there is a huge shopping component to this special occasion, from Halloween decorations  to host gifts to safety gear  for small trick-or-treaters. The guides below will help you find anything you need to make All Hallow's Eve an eerily good time.

For more information on making this an eco-friendly holiday, check out our guide on celebrating a Green Halloween.

Costumes

Halloween is all about dressing up--you can get as creative as you'd like or play it safe with something more traditional. Whatever it is that you're planning, the Internet is a great place to find some unique costumes, so make sure you have everything you need: costumes, wigs ,makeup  or face paint  and accessories. The suggestions below are sure to get the ideas flowing!

For tips on choosing a costume or making your own, check out our guides.

Infant Costumes From pea pods to ladybugs to Tinkerbell, learn how to dress up your little one for his or her first Halloween.	Toddler Costumes Your toddler now has the freedom to pick out his or her costume so learn about which choices are best.	Kids' Costumes Check out the hottest new trends for kids, along with some classic ideas.	Disney Costumes You're never too old to dress up like your favorite Disney character.	Teen Costumes Tips for being age-appropriate yet still looking like a million bucks.

Adult Costumes The possibilities are endless, from vampires and superheros to doctors and animals.	Women's Halloween Costumes Is your costume idea on the hot list or the so last year list?	Men's Halloween Costumes Looking for scary ideas or maybe something a bit unusual? Our guide can help you decide.	Plus Size Costumes Don't feel left out this Halloween. Our large selection will make sure you find your perfect outfit.	Period Costumes Let's do the time warp again!

Couple's Halloween Costumes You'll make one heck of a pair this year in your matching outfits.	Group Halloween Costumes Get by with a little help from your friends.	Hot Halloween Costumes Find out what this year's hottest looks are and stay ahead of the curve.	Classic Halloween Costumes You can't go wrong with these tried-and-true favorites.	Superhero Costumes Save the planet from a Halloween costume faux pas--and any villians too.

Fairy Tale and Nursery Rhyme Costumes Make sure you have your happily ever after this year with these fairy tale ideas.	Movie Costumes Take some inspiration from your favorite movies and characters.	Pirate Costumes Arrr, this guide will help ye find the best pirate costume.	Alice in Wonderland Costumes Always popular and now hotter than ever thanks to Tim Burton. Find your madness.	Star Wars Costumes The force will be strong with you if you check out these cosmically cool costumes.

Harry Potter Costumes If you dress up like Hogwarts students this year, watch out for Wrackspurt--it goes in your ear and makes your brain go fuzzy.	Cosplay Get some more use out of that ComicCon outfit this year. No one will be able to say your costume isn't realistic.	Costumes for Pets Who can resist dressing up their pooch or kitty? Learn how to properly dress up your best friend this year.	Halloween Makeup Don't be slapdash with your costume. Makeup can either make or break your look.

Halloween Entertaining

Halloween is a great time of year for parties, not to mention all the haunted houses and slumber parties! However, this is easier said than done: all of this ghoulish entertainment requires you decorate your house to the correct fright level for your theme. Be nice to the kiddies, now. And don't forget the pumpkins, treats, Halloween music ,scary stories  or candy--no party is complete without them. Make sure you check out our How to Throw a Halloween Party and How to Make a Haunted House guides to guarantee that you throw the scariest shindig in the neighborhood.

Haunted House Decorations Stumped on how to make things spooky? Get some ideas on how to turn your kitchen or living room into a hauntingly evil one.	Halloween Party Necessities Don't set one foot inside that party store without checking out the essentials first.	Halloween Crafts Become the next Martha Stewart and find out how to make your own costumes, trick or treat bags, face paints, and more.	Halloween Gifts The perfect time to scare up some presents for your friends. Also find out what scary movies and stories to bring to the party.	Halloween Music Set the mood with these spook-tacular tunes.

Scary Movies

Need to set a spooky mood?  The guides below offer recommendations for truly terrifying motion pictures.

Top Halloween Movies for Adults	Top Halloween Movies for Kids	Horror and Suspense Films	Classic Monster Movies	Slasher Films

Exploitation Films	Foreign Horror Films	Psychological Thrillers	Troma Films

Safety

There are a lot of things you can do to promote a safe, fun Halloween for everyone. Despite what some might believe, the biggest danger comes from the dark, not from poisoned candy or malevolent pranksters. Make sure everyone in your family is highly visible at night so they'll be safe while trick-or-treating. Remember, accidents can happen, even with good lighting: scrapes, bumps and bruises are almost inevitable when small children walk around in the dark. You might want to read up on first aid kits and make sure yours is well-stocked.  Here are some must-have items for staying safe this year:

• Glow Sticks : Glow sticks are fun, kids won't mind wearing them, and they will make children visible to oncoming traffic.
• Reflective Tape : Reflective tape can add some highly reflective stripes to any costumes. These come in lots of colors so you can probably find something to match any ensemble.
• Flashing Lights : Some armbands come with blinking LEDs. These are usually worn by joggers and cyclists, but great for anyone active at night.
• Glow-in-the-Dark Paint : Glow paint doesn't last as long as a glow stick since it needs to be exposed to light for a while before glowing. It still might be fun for the time it lasts!
• Halloween Flashlight : There are plenty of inexpensive and fun Halloween-themed flashlights out there. Some even come with a cord so they won't get lost. Make sure to put in fresh batteries!
• Fun Bandages : Scrapes and cuts hurt a little bit less when you have cool printed bandages to cover them.
• Instant Cold Pack : Falling down on Halloween is no fun, but if it happens make sure you put a cold pack on the injury right away.
• All-Purpose Stomach Aid : In case someone overdoes it on the candy!

If you're planning a party, make sure to take a few basic precautions to ensure your guests' safety without wrecking the spirit of the celebration. This way, everyone can enjoy the party without worry.

Luminaria  Set the mood but still keep your walkway well lit with some well-placed luminarias.	Fish Bowl  Planning on serving alcohol at your party? Tell your guests to put their keys in a fishbowl and then hide it. That way, no one can get behind the wheel without your approval.	Snacks  If you're serving liquor, make sure to also serve plenty of snacks to help balance things out.	Fire Extinguisher  You should always have one handy. On a night with so many lit candles around, you should make sure you know where it is, that it is in working order, and how to use it.

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
NL: Halloween Shopgids
DE: Halloween