Last Updated on January 24, 2022

(Cheap) Purim costume ideas.

Getting your small child to dress up for Purim might not be as easy as you think.  Small children who are struggling with identity issues now have do deal with parents insisting that they dress up in some strange shiny outfit for a few hours. This can be torturous for them and can result in lots of tears.  Purim is meant to be fun but it can also be a stressful day.

My 2 year old son, back in the day, was willing to wear his denim dungarees but cried and threw a tantrum when we tried to attach a few plastic tools in an attempt to complete his ‘handyman’ outfit.  In the end, he stayed home.

Planning the Purim outfit

There are many things to take into consideration when planning a perfect Purim for your child.

1. What will the weather be like on Purim?

Since my Aliyah I can only remember the sun shining twice on Purim; once on February 28th, 1991 which coincided with the end of the Gulf War and all of Israel were on the streets celebrating another time was during an unseasonal hamsin when the winter temperature soared up into the high twenties.

A Hula dancer outfit may be a cheap costume to put together; a couple of coconut shells and a grass skirt, but it certainly isn’t Purim weather, friendly.

2. Transport to school

Getting your child to school on Purim, presents it’s own set of problems. How will my child manage those butterfly wings on the bus? The Friendly Ghost outfit (a large white sheet) can easily get pulled and torn by an over-energetic 8 year old?

First time in the Israeli school system? On dress-up day schools usually commence at 9:00am instead of 8:00am (they finish earlier too).  Need a vacation day? Your employer is most likely to be okay with you coming into the office a little later on dress-up day.  Check the company’s policy.

3. Costume comfort

Make sure to do a full dress rehearsal at home, including makeup before the day so that any snags can be sorted ahead of time.

Check the seams, zippers, buttons, ribbons and every aspect of the costume for loose threads that can be dangerous, small decorations that could present a choking hazard or fabric that might irritate the skin after a few hours.  Face paints and Purim makeup can cause skin irritation too.

Before you buy, check that the Purim costume has an Israel Standards Approval mark (Hebrew: Tav Teken), a European CE mark an American ANSI or similar safety seal.

• The word for Purim parade in Hebrew is Adloyadah – do you know the origins of the word?
• Knock knock, Who’s there? Vashti! Vashti who? Click here for the punchline and other favorite Purim and Jewish jokes.
• Purim resources

Run out of Purim costume ideas?

So you’ve gone the low budget route for years; Purim costumes made from a cardboard box, the plaid shirt and jeans cowboy outfit, the long white dress that doubles as a brides outfit, a princess outfit, a Queen Esther costume or a fairy outfit.  Your teen is probably very politically correct and is not willing to dress up as a homeless person, a geisha or in blackface, so what is an alternative? Try an inflatable costume!

Some might see the inflatable sumo wrestler or ballerina as body shaming but there are a wide range of inflatable costumes that can be quite fun.  There is PacMan, Minions, unicorns, assorted dinosaurs, sharks, pandas and other creatures as well as a selection of superheroes; the Incredible Hulk, Superman, Godzilla, Ninja Turtles and more.

Where to buy inflatable Purim costumes?

The ‘Stock’ chain has stocks of inflatable Purim costumes or you can order online via www.funidealia.co.il – a website offering one week delivery. Prices of inflatable costumes start at 149 Shekels and go all the way up to many hundreds of shekels – the average price is around 250 Shekels.

For our readers in the USA, Walmart has an inflatable dinosaur costume for $18.  If you are planning a trip to Israel before Purim, your relatives will appreciate you loading one of these into your luggage.

AliExpress has the biggest range of inflatable costumes and prices start at about $12.

Remember if you are buying an inflatable costume you will need to purchase the battery operated air pump as well – about $10.

Whatever you choose to dress up in, have a fabulous Purim.