Top 5 Tween Halloween Costumes for 2009

Finding fun costumes for your tweens can be difficult...they are too old for kiddie costumes, too young for more adult costumes. Plus, the prices of some costumes are insanely expensive. Here are 5 costumes to get your tween to look cool and fun at a Halloween party or trick or treating with their friends without breaking the bank!

1. Harry Potter and Friends

The great thing about Harry Potter is that he's growing up, just like your tweens. And even though Harry Potter is a teen now, a lot of tween kids follow the franchise religiously. Boys can dress up as either Harry Potter , Ron Weasley, or Draco Malfoy, and girls can dress up as Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood or Ginny Weasley, just to name a few. If your boy will dress up as Harry, you can purchase plastic glasses without lenses for about a dollar at any dollar store. For both boys and girls, borrow dad's burgundy tie and line the tie with gold ribbon to create the Gryfendore colors. Or, if you have a color printer, you can go online and print the emblem for each Hogwart's emblem and either sew or paste on their robes. And speaking of the robes, you can use an old black sheet, attach some black ribbon and tie it loosely around their necks. To create wands, use construction paper to create the wand and a bit of white tissue paper and a glitter marker for the tip. And voila! You're off to Hogwarts!

2. Twilight

Need I say more? What tween has not seen the Twilight movie and fallen in love with Edward Cullen or Bella Swan? Tweens will have fun dressing up as Edward or Bella, using simple things like jeans and shirts similar to the ones used in the movie for Bella and a dark grey coat and boots for Edward. The Edwards can "white" out their skin by using baby powder mixed with some of Mom's foundation, and, for the full effect, use a bit of glitter to re-create the vampire's glittery skin in the sunlight. They can also dress up as Jacob Black, and the rest of the Cullens. Talk about super-cool!

3. Superhero Costumes

These costumes never get old, as new superheroes emerge and let your tweens fantasize about saving the world. They can either dress up as The Dark Night, Wonder Woman, Transformers, or even better, make their own superhero up. If the actual superhero mask is expensive, you can always make your own using a little cardboard, markers, glitter, and elastic bands to hold the mask in place. Girls can use flesh tone or black leotards and tights and use stickers to decorate their wardrobe. Boys can use black pants and boots to start and pick the color of their superhero and wear capes or masks and cut the fingers out of old gloves for even better effects.

4. High School Musical

Every tween knows the songs, now they can dress up as Sharpay, Gabriela, Troy, Chad, etc. Using a bit of cardboard and markers, tweens can draw the school letters and attach them to a cheerleaders outfit, or a basketball jersey and shorts to re-create the gymnasium scene! Sharpay's can glam out with makeup and Troy's can gel out their hair. Getting a few friends to dress up can make it seem like their in the movie all over again!

5. 80's Costumes

The 80's are back, neon colors and everything. Let your tweens remember how it was for you to dress up like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boy George, Poison, etc. by giving them the opportunity to re-live the 80's. The possibilities are endless and inexpensive. Using glow sticks, neon cardboard, neon nail polish, wigs, cut off old jeans and shirts, and lots of gel, you'll swear you just stepped back into the days of glitter pop and hair band metal!