Every kid remembers the Halloween they did not just wear a costume. They were someone.
Think about the difference. A kid in a store-bought vampire cape gets a handful of candy and a photo. A kid who walks, talks, and laughs like a vampire gets a reaction at every door. Neighbors remember them. Their friends talk about it the next day. The costume comes off on November 1. The character sticks around.
That is the part most Halloween plans skip. The costume is only half of it. Becoming the character is a skill, and it is one kids can start learning in a week or two. Not a talent they are born with. A skill, taught by people who do it for a living.
So this year, start with the character, not the costume. Ask your kid who they want to be. Then pick one class that builds that character. Here are five ways in.
1. Acting: become the character from the inside out
If your kid already has a character in mind, acting is the fastest way to bring it to life.
Carolyn Mortensen runs a musical theater workshop built on real stage experience. She has been in 14 theater productions and played Sophie in Mamma Mia and Wednesday in The Addams Family. Kids ages 6 to 15 learn acting, singing, and dancing in a group. A kid who has learned how Wednesday stands, how she talks, and how she looks at people does not need a single extra prop to pull it off.
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2. Improv: stay in character when things go off script
A costume is planned. A Halloween night is not. Someone asks your kid a question they did not expect. The doorbell rings early. Their friend goes off script. Improv is what keeps the character alive through all of that.
Ivy Sunflower teaches creative storytelling through acting and improv. Kids ages 6 to 12 build characters, play theater games, and practice saying "yes, and" to whatever comes next. No experience needed. The point is not a polished performance. It is the confidence that comes from making something up in front of people and watching it land.
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3. Invent your own character: worldbuilding and writing
Some kids do not want a store-bought character at all. They want one that is theirs, with a backstory, a world, and a reason for being the way they are. That is worldbuilding, and it goes further than any costume, because the kid made the character from nothing.
Audley brings two decades of writing experience, including commission work focused on character development, to one-on-one sessions for ages 10 to 18. Kids start with a simple idea and build a world bible for their story, the same kind of foundation big writing studios use. A kid who shows up on Halloween with a character they wrote, in a world they built, is not wearing a costume. They are introducing someone.
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4. Design the character: character design and art
For the kid who draws their character first, design is where it starts. The shape of a jaw, the accessories, the posture. Every choice tells the audience who this person is before they say a word.
Carina Iamunno is a character design and storytelling artist with a BFA in Computer Animation and a specialization in visual development. In one-on-one sessions for ages 13 to 18, students design their own characters using shapes, accessories, and the hero's journey to build the character. A teen who designs their character on paper knows exactly how to play them in person.
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5. Singing: perform as the character
Some characters sing. A musical theater role, a pop star, a villain with a theme song. Singing in character is a different skill from singing in a lesson, and it is the one that turns a Halloween performance into a show.
Gabe Toth is a musician and educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience and nearly 40 years of performing. In one-on-one sessions for ages 10 to 18, he helps young performers build pitch, breathing, resonance, range, and expression, adapted to each student's voice and favorite music. A kid who can sing a song as their character has something nobody else at the party can do.
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How to put it together
You do not need all five. You need one class and a costume.
If your kid already has a costume, pick the class that matches the character. A Wednesday costume plus acting. A made-up hero plus improv. A pop star plus singing.
If your kid is starting from scratch, flip it. Start with the class that invents the character, worldbuilding with Audley or character design with Carina, and build the costume around what they create.
Halloween is October 31. That leaves a little over two weeks, which is plenty for one or two sessions, and enough for your kid to walk into the night as someone, not just dressed as someone.
Questions parents ask
What if my kid is shy?
Start with the class that feels safest. One-on-one sessions with Audley, Carina, or Gabe give your kid the whole session with no audience. Improv with Ivy is a group, but the whole point of improv games is that there is no wrong answer, and shy kids often come out of it faster than anyone expects.
Does my kid need experience?
No. Every class above welcomes beginners. Carolyn's workshop, Ivy's improv, and Gabe's singing all adapt to the kid in front of them. Audley starts from a simple idea. Carina starts from the basics of design.
What ages are these classes for?
Musical theater is 6 to 15. Improv is 6 to 12. Worldbuilding is 10 to 18. Character design is 13 to 18. Singing is 10 to 18. Each class page lists the exact range.
How do live online classes work?
Every class is live on video. Your child joins from home, learns in real time with the instructor, and gets feedback during the session. Each class page lists the exact time, length, and what to have ready.
Can we combine two classes?
Yes. Every class is booked separately. A common combo is acting plus improv for a kid who wants the full performer toolkit.
The costume comes off. The character stays.
On November 1 the costume goes back in the closet. What stays is the confidence of having been someone else for a night, the voice they found, the world they built, the scene they improvised. That is the real Halloween gift, and it is one a costume alone cannot give.
