The best costume this Halloween might already be folded in a dresser drawer. With a hoodie, a pair of pants and a few minutes with paper and tape, kids can show up as a walking joke that grown-ups will groan at and other kids will instantly get. Here are five punny costumes built from clothes you already own.

Smart Cookie

Start with a tan or light brown sweatshirt and matching pants. Cut a dozen circles from brown paper or felt to stand in for chocolate chips, then attach them with double-sided tape or safety pins. A pair of play glasses and a book tucked under one arm sell the "smart" half of the joke. Bonus points if they carry a real cookie.

Ceiling Fan

This is the easiest costume on the list. Grab a plain white or gray T-shirt and tape on a sheet of paper that reads "Go Ceiling!" in big marker letters. Add pom-poms, a foam finger or a scarf in "team" colors, and have them cheer at the ceiling all night. A couple of face-paint stripes take it over the top.

Couch Potato

Brown sweats do most of the work here: a brown hoodie and joggers make a surprisingly convincing spud. Tape a few dark paper spots on the front for potato "eyes," then pin a small throw pillow to the back. Slippers, a TV remote and a bag of chips complete the look of a kid who has no plans to get up.

Smarty Pants

This one is all about the pants. Take an old pair of jeans or khakis and cover them with stick-on name tags or paper cutouts showing A+ grades, math problems, tiny lightbulbs and alphabet letters. Name tags peel off clean, so the pants survive the night. Pair them with a button-down shirt and a pencil tucked behind one ear.

Hot Dog

A dog-ear headband turns any kid into a pup, and two brown socks clipped to a plain headband work just as well. Add sunglasses, shorts and a beach shirt, then finish with a paper fan or a towel draped around the neck. On a chilly night, layer it all over a red or orange hoodie to keep the theme and keep them warm.