Magic Tree House Character Costume Ideas

The ‌Magic Tree House‌ series of children's books by Mary Pope Osborne has become extremely popular since the first book was published in 1992.

The two main characters, siblings Jack and Annie Smith, are many kids' favorite book characters, which makes them great inspirations for Halloween costume ideas. Dressing up as Jack or Annie is also a very easy last-minute Halloween costume to DIY since the children usually wear typical casual clothes. You'll need to craft some key accessories to make it clear who the book character costumes represent.

Two recurring adult characters in the series, Morgan Le Fay and Merlin the Magician, require more elaborate costumes. They're great additions for a ‌Magic Tree House‌ group costume or a family costume idea.

Jack, the older sibling of Annie Smith, has short brown hair with a deep side part. He wears red glasses and carries a reporter-style notebook and pencil inside his red backpack.

The backpack and notebook complete this fun costume, as they are often mentioned in the ‌Magic Tree House‌ stories. Pull out the pencil and notebook to note observations if you really want to play the part of Jack.

Jack's clothing is most often regular, straight-leg blue jeans and a solid-color T-shirt. In several book cover illustrations, he wears a plain white T-shirt or a yellow one with green cuffs. His footwear varies, but chunky white tennis shoes are ideal.

Try thrift stores if you don't already have these Jack Smith Halloween costume essentials.

Annie Smith has medium-length, midblonde hair with bangs, often in two braids. Her most commonly illustrated outfit is a plain white round-neck T-shirt and straight-leg khaki shorts that end just above the knee. Annie is sometimes shown wearing overalls or blue jeans similar to Jack's.

Copy these basics for your little one's Annie Halloween costume. To replicate Annie's typical footwear, pull white athletic socks all the way up and wear chunky white sneakers.

There are several accessories for Jack and Annie to bring to a Halloween party to help identify them as favorite storybook characters. One is the mysterious "M" medallion that Jack and Annie find in the first ‌Magic Tree House‌ book. Craft a palm-size disc from thick cardboard, paint it gold and draw a large letter "M" on it with a marker.

You could turn the medallion into a brooch or necklace instead of carrying it around.

Another accessory should be the book about Pennsylvania that helps Jack and Annie magically return to their hometown of Frog Hollow. Craft a book for Jack or Annie to carry by covering a cereal box with paper and decorating it to resemble a hardback book about Pennsylvania, complete with a picture of Frog Hollow.

Consider crafting a replica of the blue leather bookmark with a letter "M" on it, which recurs throughout the book series. Use blue felt or cardstock and draw the "M" with a marker as an easy Halloween DIY.

Morgan Le Fay is revealed to be the mysterious "M" in book four, and she becomes a recurring character thereafter. Book illustrations show her with long white hair in a center part with a braided rope headband around her crown. She has a long, Grecian-style dress with a flowing skirt, a decorative band down the front of the skirt and an amuletlike belt.

Morgan Le Fay's signature is a long cape of green feathers fastened with a circular gem brooch.

Depending on your sewing and crafting skills, you might be able to create a similar DIY Halloween costume while referring to illustrations of the storybook character. Otherwise, look for medieval, fairy tale or Renaissance costume dresses and glue green felt feather shapes to a costume cape.

Merlin the Magician appears in Book 29 and becomes a regular character in the later ‌Magic Tree House‌ books. As Merlin is a classic character, it should be easy to find the essentials for wizard cosplay in a Halloween store, or you can follow tutorials for DIY options.

You need a full-length robe or tunic and a long, hooded cape. Merlin has long white hair and a long white beard and the essential tall, pointed wizard's hat with stars on it. He also carries a tall, wooden staff.