In a world where Halloween costumes usually mean capes, fangs, and a neon parade of Minions, this year’s breakout star is unexpected, to say the least. She’s not a princess, she’s not a superhero — she’s Anxiety. Yes, you read that right. Forget about clowns, monsters, or whatever viral meme you thought might dominate the trick-or-treating scene this Halloween. Instead, a wave of pint-sized worriers are strapping on an orange scarf, chugging imaginary energy drinks, and taking the streets as Anxiety, the newest member of Pixar's Inside Out 2 cast.
Here’s why kids, of all people, are opting for a costume that practically screams, “What could go wrong?” and why it's somehow perfect for this Halloween season.
Why Anxiety? Because Kids Get It (Way Too Much)
In Inside Out 2, Pixar introduced Anxiety, who is, of course, painfully relatable — especially for kids already dealing with the mounting pressures of everyday life. As child development experts have noted, this sequel brings forward a highly relevant and very real feeling kids are grappling with every day, thanks to the overwhelming influence of social media, academic pressures, and social dynamics that feel like Lord of the Flies on a playground.
In one scene, Anxiety nervously wrings her hands, scanning the horizon for anything that could go wrong in protagonist Riley’s life. The visual representation struck a chord with kids like Layla Kippert, a 10-year-old who found herself nodding along with Anxiety’s neurotic energy. “I felt like the way Riley's brain was acting was really similar to how some of my brain acts,” she confessed. When kids see a cartoon embodying their inner turmoil, well, apparently, it’s time to turn that into a Halloween costume.
For a child with anxiety, going as Anxiety isn’t just a costume. It’s a way of saying, “Look, this is me, but in a way that makes it easier to understand.” And let’s be honest: if Halloween is about embodying your fears, well, Anxiety is the very essence of terror — but now, in adorable orange.
This Halloween, Forget Sugar — Kids Are Opting for…Caffeine?
If Anxiety had a “favorite beverage,” it would definitely be a double espresso — but, for a PG spin, she’s chugging imaginary soda on screen, bouncing off the walls with jittery energy that every adult with a coffee addiction immediately understood. Isla Runge, a six-year-old from Iowa, isn’t even trying to hide her admiration: “She’s cool and orange. She’s funny and silly and goes crazy when she drinks all the soda.” And just like that, the world realizes we’ve raised a generation of tiny caffeine enthusiasts.
Kids have even nailed Anxiety’s look, down to the worried eyes and the endless fidgeting. Parents report that even at Halloween parades, kids dressed as Anxiety seem to channel the character’s nervous energy. “One kid was pretending to keep looking over their shoulder as if something terrible was about to happen,” a parent noted. Call it method acting or a personal connection; either way, Anxiety is quickly becoming Halloween’s least-chill icon.
The Mental Health Costume Conversation: The Good, the Bad, and the Totally Relatable
Now, it’s fair to ask: isn’t a costume that openly embodies anxiety a little too on the nose? Mental health professionals say otherwise. Vicki Bolina, a clinical psychologist, explains that dressing up as Anxiety can actually help open up conversations about feelings that are otherwise difficult to address. In fact, for kids, putting on an “Anxiety” costume can be a way to hint at emotions they’ve been struggling to express.
Think about it: as kids walk around in costumes portraying a feeling that, as the CDC reports, affects at least 10% of kids aged 3 to 17, they’re creating an approachable entry point for parents, teachers, and even friends to have real conversations. Layla, our Arizona Anxiety expert, admits, “I used to just hide [my] anxiety. But if I dress up as Anxiety, I can express my feelings. I feel like [we] have a lot of connection.” Kids don’t have to announce they’re anxious; they’re showing it, in costume form.
For others, Anxiety is just plain relatable. One mom mentioned her three-year-old chose to dress as Joy — but balked when dad said he’d be going as Anger. “She was worried he’d be mad the whole night,” she laughed. Even at three, kids are already learning that it’s okay to feel a mix of emotions. These movies (and their ensuing Halloween costumes) are sneakily working as some kind of therapy for the playground set.
The DIY Pinterest Craze: Orange Scarves, Worried Eyes, and the Perfectly Panicked Look
DIY-ers have outdone themselves this year. Orange scarves, mismatched sweaters, and wide-eyed expressions have been popping up all over Pinterest boards. Tutorials include everything from thrift-store finds to high-concept makeup (for those 10-year-olds dedicated to realism). Anxiety’s “look” is easy enough for parents to throw together with some rummaging and a little imagination, making it ideal for last-minute planners — and, as it turns out, last-minute planners are a little too on-theme for this costume.
And what’s better than watching little clusters of Anxiety characters nervously shuffling around neighborhoods, gripping their Halloween buckets as though they’ll drop any second? If you’re feeling brave, ask one of these kids what they’re dressed up as. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a pint-sized deep dive into mental health that’s somehow both adorable and uncomfortably real.
But Seriously, Is Halloween the Time to Teach Kids About Anxiety?
Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying this holiday, after all? Just because kids are opening up about their feelings in the form of a costume doesn’t mean it’s all heart-to-hearts and after-school specials. Kids dressing as Anxiety don’t necessarily have deep existential intentions. Some just like the character’s goofiness, like Isla, who sees Anxiety as a “silly” character that somehow still resonates with the whole Halloween vibe.
And yet, there’s something refreshing about seeing Halloween costumes go beyond escapism to reflect real feelings — feelings that, honestly, many kids are managing day-to-day. It’s a surprising but healthy choice for kids to make. Halloween, as it turns out, is a perfect time to try on all kinds of characters, even the ones that hit a little too close to home.
Inside Out 2: Making Anxiety Part of the Emotional Mix
Whether they choose Anxiety for her relatability or just for the novelty, kids are engaging in a kind of emotional experimentation that’s part of what made Inside Out 2 resonate in the first place. The film’s creators, in introducing Anxiety, gave kids a new way to understand a big, hard-to-handle feeling.
In one of the movie’s most memorable scenes, Anxiety wrestles with trying to “make Riley a better Riley,” painfully aware of the impossibility of perfection. For kids, there’s a strange comfort in knowing even fictional characters don’t have it all figured out.
Halloween is the time for costumes, yes, but it’s also the time for trying on emotions — the kind that might seem scary but are better understood when we step into them, if only for a night. This Halloween, kids will roam the streets as goblins, ghouls, princesses, and even Anxiety, learning that all these costumes represent something real, something to understand rather than to fear.