I joke that we basically had a prenup that family Halloween costumes would forever be a part of our lives. For the past twelve years, my husband has shown his love supporting my Halloween obsession and listened to almost non-stop couple Halloween costume ideas.

When we had children, the fun further expanded and family Halloween costumes became part of the fun!

We go all out every year! I keep a list of Halloween costume ideas all year, and on July 5th I’m allowed to bring them up and let the family decide on our favorite. We get to work early sometimes DIYing pieces, sometimes ordering items so each detail is covered.

This year, my boys actually chose the theme! It took me just a minute to get excited about it. I’ll share why later. But I know they won’t be little forever, and this cute idea was one we should do now.

So without further adieu, it’s time to share the Whiting Family 2021 Halloween Costume reveal…

Peter Pan Family Costume

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We’re off to Neverland this year and celebrating Halloween with a Peter Pan family costume! I have to admit it took me a bit to get on board with it, but let me tell you why what ultimately won me over!

Why A Peter Pan Costume Theme

My oldest son loves audiobooks, he’s been addicted since age three! Here’s how we helped create audiobooks for kids obsession, in case you’re curious! This past year yielded even more time at home which meant more audiobook listening. He absolutely fell in love with this Peter Pan Audible Original. He listened to it about a dozen times!

A cute Peter Pan Halloween Costume with a family dressed as Tinkerbelle, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee.

I remember him telling me it would probably make a great movie too, and I smiled thinking how little he knows about just how many Peter Pan movies have been made. He’s also oblivious to what a classic character he is. We decided to spend our next family movie night introducing him to Disney’s Peter Pan.

Why I was hesitant

Admittedly, Jacob nor I have watched it since we were children. As we watched together as a family, we were a bit shocked by several racist elements and slurs used throughout the movie. Neither of us remembers realizing these specific issues as young children. So when my son mentioned how great it would be to be Peter Pan for Halloween I instantly became the teeth-baring emoji.

He was so set on it, and not long after this time, I read this article that really made me appreciate Disney owning up to issues in movies. I noticed the disclaimer the next time my boys asked to watch the movie. It made me feel a lot more comfortable focusing on why my kids wanted this costume so badly and what it would mean to them. The last thing we’d ever want to do is participate in is cultural appropriation with a Halloween costume. After the update and hearing my son’s plans for who he wanted each of us to be, I decided we could lean into the Disney Peter Pan costume idea respectfully. I’d encourage anyone planning this costume to do so too!

Disney Magic Halloween Costume

We are huge Disneyland fans! We go at least once a year, usually around Halloween thanks to our Discount Disneyland Tickets hack. We even had the chance to attend the Oogie Boogie Bash this year! Peter Pan and Tinkerbell play a huge role in multiple pieces of the park. At the start of most Disney movies, you’ll see Tinkerbell tap her wand. I know these characters represent a lot of joy and magic via audiobook and Disney magic.

A mom dressed as Tinkerbell with her two boys dressed as Peter Pan and Captain Hook characters in Peter Pan family costumes.

How a Little Boy Won His Mom Over

Let me tell you when your son is growing up at lightning speed and asks to be in a cutesy little boy costume, it’s hard not to get excited with him!

I feel like it’s a popular costume choice, and I love doing something a little different and unique. But when I realized we could add in a huge twist, I was so excited about the challenge!

Mom dressed as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan Costume on her son.

Also, I assumed I’d rock a women’s Wendy costume (hello comfy pajamas or a cute dress like this one)! But when your sweet kindergarten son says “Mom will you be Tinkerbell with me? We could have a Tinkerbell and Peter Pan costume picture together!” there’s just no way you say no to that cute request! And yes, I totally cried the day our photographer, Chrissy Blake, delivered this picture!

Boy’s Peter Pan Costume

There are so many ways to pull off a boy’s Peter Pan costume! You can DIY one out of green felt. A green polo shirt and green pants work great. We even have a DIY Peter Pan Hat tutorial we used from a Never Grow Up-themed birthday.

But I wanted really cute, and really easy and ordered this boy’s Peter Pan costume from Shop Disney. It can sell out there! So be sure to check out their Amazon listing too.

A boy modeling a Peter Pan Costume with palm trees behind him.

All his Peter Pan costume dreams came true! And these pictures have meant the world to this little boy!

Captain Hook Costume (Kids)

I was so shocked when my three-year-old got super excited and begged me to buy him a Captain Hook kids costume! Make that a toddler Captain Hook costume! We turned to Shop Disney for this costume. Which once again, sells out, and you can also find it on their Amazon listing here. Either way, don’t forget the pirate hat and the hook and sword to complete the costume!

As cute as he is as a tiny villain, I was so sad he was about to break my favorite tradition to dress my little ones in animal costumes for as long as I can.

In true toddler fashion, he let us know as soon as the costume arrived that he would not be wearing it. I’m glad he changed his mind, but I went into a tailspin of Plan B. We decided to get to work on a Peter Pan Crocodile costume. And when we flipped back to a Captain Hook Costume, we got creative and combined the two!

Captain Hook and Crocodile Costume

I saw a little boy wearing a Captain Hook top with crocodile legs to an Oogie Boogie Bash a few years ago, and I could not believe how clever it was! I decided we needed to come up with our own version.

Boys in a Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Crocodile costume.

Luckily, we already had a crocodile tail blanket on hand! It was a great place to start! It’s stuffed with pillows and towels. And yes, we dragged it all over Encanto Park just for the shot!

Three years ago we had a Jurassic Park family costume. My baby grew out of the hatching baby dino and is now almost into his older brother’s dinosaur costume. The head is huge on the costume, and it worked so well to use a safety pin to pin it to the crocodile blanket. We could add the crocodile by his side, or pin it to his legs to look like he’s being eaten by the crocodile. It made a fun twist that had me excited for the full Peter Pan family costume!

Tinkerbell Costume (Adult)

Tinkerbell Costume DIY with Tinkerbell blowing confetti at the camera.

Tinkerbell Costume Tutorial

When I was a kid I actually didn’t like Tinkerbell very much. She seemed mean, and immature, and I never understood her. But I grew up to realize the Disney version is told from Wendy’s perspective. And I think Tink may be misunderstood! She ultimately saves the day, she’s endlessly loyal, and she easily shares her pixie dust and magic!

I did a DIY Tinkerbell costume, and it was easy! My dress is several years old, and I’m so glad I’ve held onto it! It’s from J.Crew if you want to try to search eBay or Poshmark. I added this wig to try to shield my natural brunette hair. My star wand came from Amazon, and the fairy wings are the child’s wings from Shop Disney.

My favorite detail was picking up the largest white pom poms I could find from the craft store and safety pinning them onto a pair of flats. It completed the Tinkerbell costume!

Smee Costume

Last but certainly not least is Mr. Smee! Our boys thought this would be so funny for Dad to try to emulate the short, stout pirate. They laughed, even more, when they challenged him to figure out how to get a belly. The secret? It’s a pillow with a white pillowcase folding in half!

But those sideburn stickers steal the show!

We bought all the rest of his costume elements off Amazon. Here are the links:

Smee Glasses / Striped Shirt / Smee sideburns / Smee Cap /

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A picture of a family from behind holding hands modeling a Peter Pan Family Costume.

I know we have many years ahead of superheroes, action movies, horror characters, puns, etc. as my boys grow up. But I’m really grateful for at least one more year that my oldest wanted to be something so cute! I’m even more grateful his little dreams came true, and we could make a Peter Pan family costume happen!

Photos: Chrissy Blake