Halloween can be a stressful or challenging time for families with children in wheelchairs … but it doesn’t have to be! I always loved being challenged to come up with a costume that incorporated Ben’s wheelchair. Kids are in chairs because it’s a necessity but that doesn’t mean they will ‘sit out’ (pun intended) at Halloween. There are some great costumes that will make use of the wheelchair.

When the trips were 2 years old, we went with a Sesame Street theme - Abby Cadaby, Elmo and of course .. Oscar the Grouch! Oscar provided an obvious way to use Ben’s chair: his trashcan. I built the can with a simple cardboard box, creasing it every few inches to give the appearance of ridges, and a can of silver spray paint. And he wore his custom-knitted Oscar hat from my mother-in-law. Isn’t he CUTE??

Then the following year at 3 years old, Benjamin went as an army soldier with a tank. My husband is in the Army and we had child-size camos and the Gerlach name patch. I looked at military tank photos and built one out of cardboard boxes. it took a bit of planning, cutting, folding .. but once the design was in place and built, a bit of spray paint and a cutout star turned it into a tank.

Take a look at our friends The Taverniers and their son Sean, I mean ELVIS in his pink cadillac! So creative.

There are so many great costume ideas on Pinterest or other sites. But if you’re more of a buyer than a DIYer, that is totally fine! Companies now are providing adaptive costumes for wheelchairs.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the options at Target. They have a large selection in their Hyde and EEK line such as a mermaid costume, flying witch or princess carriage.

There are even foundations like Magic Wheelchair that build very elaborate costumes for wheelchairs. Check out some of their custom costumes here. To be eligible, your family can apply on their website.

Halloween is such a fun holiday that ALL children should be able to enjoy – hopefully you have some fun options here. Or, if you wanted MORE inspiration, just google ‘wheelchair costumes’ and look at the images. So many creative families out there!

Happy Planning and Happy Halloween!

Be well,

Elizabeth