The sudden chill in the air lets us know October is here and Halloween is just around the corner.

Each year, children may think they know what they want to dress up as for Halloween, but for whatever reason their parents can’t find the costume.

We have some creative and fun ideas that might help you and your child find a perfect costume, including some craft ideas and local places to shop.

You don’t have to be a Suzie homemaker to create a per-fect homemade Halloween costume for your kids.

Dressing up in a generation costume is one way that you and your kids can learn about history and have some fun making a one-of-a-kind costume.

If your child likes bright and bold colors, one-generation outfit you can’t go wrong with is a hippie costume.

Feeling Groovy — Return to the sixties by making or pur-chasing a tie-dye T-shirt. Tie-dye kits are available at Mi-chael’s, Wal-Mart and a variety of stores. Find a pair of old jeans or purchase some at a thrift store and split the bottom by cutting through the taper with scissors.

With a needle and thread, find patchwork fabric and sew or use fabric glue to them. Allow them to flair out at the bot-tom in a triangular formation. This should create the volume of bell-bottom pants.

Add the finishing touches with a creative hairstyle. For boys, purchase an Afro wig or wear a bandana folded across your forehead. For girls, wear a bandana as a headband or braid your hair and add a flower.

Finish the look with a pair of oversized sunglasses. Many hippies made their own clothes and by making your own costume you’ll discover a new appreciation for a past genera-tion.

If you and your children aren’t into creating a costume, there are several local places to shop for ideas. Here are some suggestions that might help.

Legends, a comic book store on Broad Street, offers a vari-ety of super hero characters, Disney and other costumes. They also boast a variety of accessories, including Spider man gloves and princess tiaras.

Searching at different stores too helps. Walgreens, Kroger and stores that aren’t well known for clothes have a variety of Halloween costumes, masks and funky hair color sprays.

Complete your Halloween costume looks with a treat bag, basket or bucket. If you want a treat bucket with a personal-ity, you can search for one at places like Pier 1 and Big Lots. They carry mini Frankenstein buckets and other Halloween characters.