Reyne Rice, Toy Industry Association Trend Specialist, has kindly agreed to share her view of what's hot for Halloween 2008. So, without any further ado, here are the hot Halloween costume trends for 2008.
Q: What costumes will be ‘hot’ for this year for children (boys and girls)?
Superheroes and Celebrities will continue to be hot for kids this season. Princesses and Fairies will also be hot for girls, as they are perennial favorites. Disney's release of the first in a series of four Fairies DVD's will be released this October, appealing to the magical world of Fairies. This is the first time Tinkerbell has ever had a voice and is sure to be popular. Disney is also re-releasing a remastered Sleeping Beauty DVD this Fall.
For Superheroes, Batman and Iron Man proved big winners during the summer Blockbuster movie season, and will be strong again when Fall DVD's are released, allowing kids to re-enact their favorite scenes. Other Hot movies included Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, with new characters like Wall-E and Star Wars Clone Wars characters also entering the landscape. Last year's favorites, Transformers and Spider-Man still have a strong following from avid fans.
For celebrities, Hannah Montana, High School Musical characters and the Camp Rock team, including the Jonas Brothers appeal to tweens and teens. Japanese anime characters also hold appeal for the older set, along with characters from favorite social networking sites. Younger kids still love their favorite TV and book characters and their younger age-appropriate social networking sites also have favorite characters, such as Neopets, and Club Penguin.
Q: What trends influenced this year's top picks?
Celebrities, Blockbuster movies, favorite TV shows and other pop culture and current events generally tap into the desires and aspirations of kids, tweens and teens. Japanese anime characters, video game charactersy and favorite book and DVD characters are often favorite places for kids to determine their costume of choice. A new source of inspiration this year includes social networking sites such as Neopets, Club Penguin, Webkinz, Chaotic, Pirates and Cars.
Q: What are some Halloween safety tips?
Ensure that your kids are in a safe area, and are accompanied by adults. Kids should wear reflective lights, and carry a flashlight, if they will be trick-or-treating during dusk or evening hours.
For more information on Halloween costume trends, Halloween safety and other toy related news please visit the Toy Industry Association website.