Like most years, the top Halloween costumes of 2014 are predicted to come from movies—with Frozen, Maleficent, Ninja Turtles, and Guardians of the Galaxy topping the list. But there’s plenty of great inspiration off-screen too. While you may not think of school as a source of costume ideas, we think these cool educational costumes might just change your mind.
We’ve rounded up 15 favorite Halloween costumes for kids, broken down by educational subject so there’s something for every interest.
Science costumes for kids
Sure, the mad scientist costume is a Halloween classic, but we think dressing as one of the greatest real-life scientists of the 20th century is even better! This Albert Einstein costume is just as easy to assemble and is sure to impress everyone on your trick-or-treating route. Don’t forget to stick out your tongue for a photo opp!
via Patch.com
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity helped further our understanding of space. But if you’re looking for a costume that’s a little more “out there,” how about actually dressing as outer space? The instructions for this solar system costume call for 9 foam balls to represent the planets, but we’ll leave it up to you whether to include poor old Pluto or not.
via All You
For animal-loving kids, nature offers tons of great costume ideas. This cute jellyfish costume even lights up, a perfect opportunity to learn about bioluminescence!
via acasarella.net
Famous artist costumes
Is your child a budding artistic talent? Why not dress up as a famous artist? Or even better, your favorite artwork! We love these clever Frida Kahlo and little Vincent van Gogh and ‘Starry Night’ costumes. Once you’re in character, don’t forget to enter your own masterpiece in the K12 Art Competition!
via Oh Happy Day
via Inhabitots
Literary Halloween costumes
Need some costume inspiration? Look no further than your bookshelf! There’s a whole world of literary costume ideas for kids and adults in our favorite books. Some of our picks are below, and you can find many more ideas at Imagination Soup and Make Create Do.
You could choose a children’s classic like Huckleberry Finn or Mary from ‘The Secret Garden.’
via Scholastic
Or find colorful inspiration in your favorite Dr. Seuss book, like these adorable ‘Cat in the Hat’ costumes.
via Costume Works
These homemade ‘Madeline’ costumes are too adorable!
via Erica Holland
Put a different spin on the literary costume by dressing as your favorite author instead! This Edgar Allen Poe costume is perfectly spooky for Halloween.
via They Roar
Math Halloween costumes
Math may not be everyone’s favorite subject, but we think math can be fun, and certainly worthy of a Halloween costume. Pay homage to a math student’s best friend with this calculator costume.
We love this punny idea for a Halloween (or Pi Day) costume! The link below even has a free printable template so you can make your little pumpkin a pi shirt or onesie.
via Our Everyday Art
Historical Halloween costumes
Like many of our holidays, Halloween has a very long history. So what better way to celebrate than by dressing up as your favorite historical figure? There are plenty of great choices in history, but if you need some inspiration, this site has lots of ideas you can buy or DIY.
Make this creative costume for your little Viking, or adapt it and go as a figure from Scandinavian myth.
Halloween costumes for girls and women can seem a little one-note sometimes. While there’s nothing wrong with pink and princesses, it’s nice to have other options. A Mighty Girl’s costume guide and Take Back Halloween are two sites that offer empowering costume ideas for girls that go beyond what you’ll find in the average costume shop. We think dressing up as a great woman in history, like this creative Amelia Earhart costume, is a great way to inspire girls and learn about history.
via A Mighty Girl
Bonus: Fun costumes for kids
Strictly speaking, Minecraft isn’t an educational game, but it is still one of our favorite learning resources. This homemade Steve costume is easy to make and perfect for your little gamer.
via Morena’s Corner
If real-life, not virtual blocks, are more your speed, try going as one of our favorite educational toys: LEGO!
What are your kids dressing up as for Halloween? Tell us in the comments!
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