The post The Most Popular Halloween Costumes for Kids in 2026, According to the NRF first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
Halloween costumes may change with the latest movies, shows, and internet trends, but some characters return year after year. The National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween survey shows that familiar superheroes and classic Halloween characters remain particularly popular among children, even as technology plays a bigger role in how families shop and find costume ideas.
According to the NRF’s annual consumer survey, 4.6 million children in the United States are expected to dress as Spider-Man for Halloween in 2026. Another 2.3 million are expected to choose a superhero costume, followed by 2.2 million dressing as a princess. Witches and ghosts round out the top five, with 1.6 million children expected to choose each. The figures come from NRF’s 2026 survey, conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics among 7,889 consumers from September 1–9, 2026.
Spider-Man Is the Clear Favorite
Spider-Man stands out from the other children’s costume choices in the 2026 NRF data. An estimated 4.6 million children plan to dress as the Marvel superhero, putting the character well ahead of the broader superhero category at 2.3 million.
The result is notable because Spider-Man is not simply part of a general superhero trend; the character has a long-running presence across comics, films, television and games. However, the NRF survey measures consumers’ reported Halloween plans, not the reasons behind those choices. It therefore supports the character’s popularity but does not establish that a particular movie, game, or online trend caused the result.
For technology-oriented families, Spider-Man also illustrates how established entertainment characters can remain relevant across different media formats. A character that exists in comics, films, animated programs, and video games can reach children through several forms of entertainment without a costume trend originating on a single platform.
Superheroes Still Rule Kids’ Halloween
Superheroes, as a broader category, rank second in NRF’s 2026 children’s rankings, with 2.3 million children expected to wear superhero costumes. The distinction between Spider-Man and the general superhero category is useful. NRF lists Spider-Man separately, so the two figures should not be added together or treated as mutually exclusive measures of every superhero costume. The survey reports individual costume categories, not a complete count of every child choosing a superhero-related character.
The broader popularity of superhero costumes also fits a longer-running pattern in NRF’s Halloween research. In 2025, Spider-Man ranked first among children’s costumes with 2.3 million children, while 1.5 million planned to dress as their favorite superhero.
The 2026 figures show that both categories remained prominent, although the reported numbers changed substantially from the previous year’s survey. Because these are survey estimates of planned costumes rather than retail sales or a census of children, read them as indicators of consumer intent rather than exact counts of costumes eventually worn.
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Princesses Remain a Halloween Classic
Princess costumes rank third among children’s choices in the 2026 NRF survey. The organization estimates that 2.2 million children will dress as a princess this Halloween. Princess costumes also appeared near the top of the 2025 ranking. NRF reported that 1.9 million children planned to dress as a princess that year, placing the category second in the children’s list.
The year-to-year presence of princess costumes reflects a broader pattern in NRF’s Halloween research: some costume categories are remarkably durable. In an October 2025 analysis, NRF noted that the most popular Halloween costumes tend to remain relatively stable from year to year, although major pop-culture moments can occasionally introduce new choices into the rankings.
A costume near the top doesn’t necessarily mean it is part of a short-lived trend. Some categories are familiar enough to remain popular even as specific entertainment franchises come and go.
Witch and Ghost Costumes Keep the Classics Alive
Two traditional Halloween choices complete the 2026 top five. NRF estimates that 1.6 million children will dress as witches, while another 1.6 million will dress as ghosts. Both costumes also appeared in the 2025 children’s rankings. That year, NRF estimated that 1.7 million children planned to dress as witches and 1.6 million as ghosts.
The continued popularity of these costumes matters because neither depends on a particular technology platform or current entertainment release. They are recognizable Halloween archetypes, which makes them relatively independent of individual pop-culture cycles.
For parents looking for a costume that doesn’t depend on the latest franchise, these categories also show why traditional Halloween themes remain relevant. The NRF data shows that classic choices continue to compete with character-based costumes for children’s attention.
Are Kids Moving Away From Pop-Culture Costumes?
The 2026 data does not support a simple conclusion that children are moving away from pop culture. In fact, Spider-Man and the broader superhero category rank first and second in NRF’s children’s rankings. At the same time, princesses, witches, and ghosts demonstrate that established costume themes remain highly visible.
The more accurate interpretation is that Halloween costume preferences contain both elements. Recognizable entertainment characters can become popular choices, but traditional costumes can maintain their appeal alongside them.
NRF’s 2025 research shows how quickly a pop-culture moment can affect the rankings. Its 2025 analysis reported that KPop Demon Hunters reached ninth place among children’s costumes, while Addams Family-inspired costumes appeared among both children’s and adults’ choices. NRF described these as examples of newer pop-culture influences entering rankings that are otherwise relatively stable.
This suggests that major entertainment releases can influence Halloween choices, but the effect should not automatically be assumed for every new movie, television series, or game.
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Why Technology Is Becoming Part of Halloween Shopping
While costumes remain familiar, how consumers find them is changing. NRF reports that online searches were the leading source of Halloween costume inspiration in 2026, cited by 32% of consumers. Retail stores and costume shops followed at 26%.
AI tools are also becoming part of the shopping process. NRF reported that 47% of consumers were using AI platforms or tools to support their Halloween shopping in 2026. The most common reported uses included brainstorming or generating ideas during planning (34%) and asking for recommendations or ideas during product research (32%). For technology readers, this is one of the survey’s more interesting findings. The underlying costume preferences may look traditional, but the discovery process is increasingly digital. Someone deciding between a superhero, princess, witch, or ghost costume can now use search engines, online retailers, and AI tools to explore ideas before buying.
NRF also reports that 49% of consumers began their Halloween shopping in September or earlier in 2026. That suggests Halloween shopping is increasingly treated as a longer planning period rather than something reserved for the final days of October.
How Much Parents Are Spending on Halloween in 2026
Children’s costumes are part of a much larger Halloween economy. NRF expects total Halloween spending in the United States to reach $13.5 billion in 2026, compared with a record $13.1 billion in 2025. Children’s costumes alone are expected to account for approximately $1.5 billion in spending in 2026. NRF also reports that 71% of Halloween shoppers are expected to purchase costumes, representing about $4.4 billion in total costume spending.
NRF says consumers are nevertheless paying attention to value. Among shoppers who encounter higher-than-expected Halloween prices, 31% say they plan to comparison shop, 26% plan to look for coupons or sales, and 34% intend to seek products they can reuse or repurpose.
That combination of digital discovery and price awareness helps explain why Halloween shopping is increasingly connected to technology. Consumers can compare products, research alternatives, and generate costume ideas before deciding what to buy.
Related: 10 Easy Halloween Costumes for Couples on a Budget
What These Trends Mean for Halloween 2026
The 2026 NRF data points to a Halloween that is both familiar and increasingly digital. Spider-Man and superheroes lead the children’s rankings, while princesses, witches, and ghosts show that traditional costume themes remain important.
At the same time, consumers are using online search and AI tools to discover products and ideas. NRF’s findings show that technology influences the shopping journey even when the final costume is as traditional as a ghost or witch.
For parents and technology enthusiasts alike, the broader takeaway is not that one type of costume has replaced another. Instead, the 2026 data shows that established Halloween preferences and newer digital shopping habits can coexist.
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