Ideas for making children's animal costumes?

Question

I need help in making cost-effective, easy and simple animal costumes for 7-9 year olds. Any ideas?

Answer 1

A sweatshirt and sweatpants in an appropriate color for the animal. Like gray for a mouse or elephant. Then face paint or a simple plastic mask or rubber nose.

Family fun has a bunch of costumes.  Here is a mouse.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-cra...

Best of luck.

Answer 2

I once saw cardboard toilet rolls used as dragon skin...paint them green and tape them on. I'm sure they could be used as crocodile scales...

Again face paint is a winner. With that they barely need costumes. If that's too time consuming use masks.

For ears use a hairband with ears stuck on.

e.g. FOR A LION: Yellow leotard, face paint, hairband with ears stuck on, tail pinned on, yellow tights.

Answer 3

My sister is a youth minister at her church and was looking for the same thing. She went on Ebay and found a costume purchased it and since has been making them on her own. She said it was very cheap and once she saw how the other was put together she has been able to make many different costumes and puppets.

Answer 4

Face paint should become your best friend.

Then for the rest of the outfit. Have them wear something that is one color. For an animal with a tail, sew a long piece of fabric to the seat. For something with special ears ?(like an elephant. Get a headband and attach  Ear shape pieces from felt onto it.

If it is a bird you can make a beak out of construction paper or felt again (The same is true for an elephant nose).

Neatly attaching felt over the tops of shoes can make them look like the appropriate animal feet.

Paint the felt  (or anything else) to to get the desired affect.

Hope that helps...