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How to design mascot costumes for kids’ events and festivals

A mascot is a great addition to any event. That being said, mascot costumes for kids shouldn’t be designed the same way you would create one for a sports team or corporate event. Here’s what you need to know about designing mascot costumes for kids:
Make sure that it has a big, wide grin
Your mascot should seem energetic, fun and happy. Otherwise, your mascot could accidentally scare the kids instead of entertaining them. A key factor that will determine how approachable your mascot is will be its facial expression. That’s why your mascot should always have a huge grin on its face.
Give the mascot a pair of cartoon-like eyes
A pair of big cartoon-like eyes will make your mascot feel like a live action cartoon character; kids love cartoons. Even if the creature that you are modeling the mascot after normally has smaller — or even nonexistent — eyes, you should do this. Remember that you’re not making a realistic model of an animal, but rather an entertaining character that kids will find engaging.
Use bright colours
Mascot costumes for kids should have bold, bright colours. This infuses your mascot costume with positive energy that the kids will gravitate towards. Dull colours on the other hand, will make your mascot costume feel boring and gloomy.
Consider including attire that will support your event goals
Your mascot costume’s attire can create a unique connection with the kids. For example, if you plan on handing out event hats, shirts or wrist bands out to every kid at the event, you should have your mascot wear one as well. This will immediately make the kids feel as though the mascot is a part of the event that should be engaged.
Use what you already have for the design
If there is a creature or character that is already related to the event that the kids will be attending, then you should — and must — use this information to your advantage. This will allow your mascot to better connect with the kids, as it fits perfectly into the theme of what they already were expecting in the first place. For example, if you are creating a mascot to entertain kids during one of Canada’s many fish festivals, then you should definitely consider creating a mascot designed to either look like a fish or a fisherman/woman; if you are creating a mascot for a grade school event, then your mascot should be modeled after the one that the school already has.
Consider letting the kids design the mascot themselves
Assuming that they’re old enough to draw a decent picture, allowing the kids to design the mascot themselves is a great way to get them involved in the design process and ensure that they’ll love it. For example, you could hold contests throughout a town or school where all of the kids draw a mascot based on your desired criteria/ For example, if you wanted your mascot to be a fox, make this a requirement. You could even leave the selection of the mascot up to the children by allowing them to vote for the winner. This has proven to be a successful approach to designing mascot costumes for kids and adults, as this was the exact approach used to create Pachi, the porcupine mascot for the 2015 Pan Am games.
Make a mascot that kids will love and remember
Mascot costumes for kids should be endearing to every child at your event. Following the tips discussed above will help you ensure that every child — and child at heart — absolutely loves your mascot costume.
Do you need a costumes for kids? Hogtown Mascots specialize in serving clients across North America with custom mascot costumes. Come to us with an idea or design and we’ll do the rest.