Taxi Driver Costume Inspired by Maxi the Taxi Dog {Plus, a Giveaway!}

Halloween is sneaking up quickly! Do your kids have costumes yet? I've partnered with Playing Forward to share a little taxi driver costume that we put together and give you a look at their newest augmented reality app, Maxi the Taxi Dog!

Every year I find myself getting closer to Halloween before we finally settle on costumes and then frantically try to piece them together before trick-or-treating. This year I decided to get an early start and had some inspiration from our kids' new favorite app, !

Maxi the Taxi Dog App

The newest app from Playing Forward, Maxi the Taxi dog is based on the Adventures of Taxi Dog series published 25 years ago. It's a 3D storybook that really comes to life with an augmented reality feature! Our kids are two and five, and neither of them are confident readers yet, but you can choose to have the story read aloud in the app. You can even choose a male or female voice! Just swipe left to get to the next page and follow along with the adventure.

The storyline follows Tupa, a museum worker who has a fear of the dark. Maxi helps him overcome this fear while also learning some things himself! I love the social and emotional aspects of this story. I want my kids to learn kindness from a young age. Tupa's boss is not very kind in the story, and it helps us start a conversation about being nice to others.

Our kids think the coolest part of the app is the augmented reality. They love seeing Maxi the Taxi Dog pop up on our couch or the kitchen table! While I love to read to my kids, sometimes it's nice to get something done while they listen to the app tell them the story of Maxi the Taxi Dog. Plus, it's so interactive which I love!

This awesome app is available for just $1.99 from the Apple Store or from Google Play!

Taxi Driver Costume Inspired by Maxi the Taxi Dog

Our kids have been loving Maxi so much that we thought it would be fun to make a Halloween costume inspired by his life! We always seem to have cardboard boxes around, so with that and a little paint and tape we put together this simple taxi driver costume.

We started with a cardboard box and I cut a windshield and sides to make it easier for small bodies to hold up. This was all eye-balled without specific measurements. Then, I bought some yellow paint and black Duct tape and got to work!

The box needed two coats of paint to fully cover it. I purchased a sample jar which runs around $5 and have a little left over. After that, we started to add details. The wheels, grill, headlights, and windshield are just cut from cardstock. The detailing was done with black Duct tape and Crayola markers.

I did want to do the signature taxi checkerboard stripe, so I remembered how to weave paper from elementary school and made this little accent. The word TAXI is written in electrical tape which we always have on hand because my husband is an electrician!

Once the outside was complete, it was time to figure out how to keep the costume up. I made straps by doubling up the black Duct tape so it stuck to itself and then taping that into the box. Basically, we made suspenders that are permanently attached to the taxi. They're not the prettiest but they are functional!

We grabbed one of our stuffed puppies who looks a little like Maxi the Taxi Dog, and there you have it! It was so simple and affordable to put this taxi driver costume together. It turned out so cute!

If you think your kids would love Maxi the Taxi Dog, don't forget to today! Playing Forward also has a HUGE giveaway going on right now for a family fun weekend in New York City. The grand prize is A STEAM-powered weekend of play and exploration in Manhattan for a family of four!