The Magic School Bus x Bill Nye Costumes
If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we need to trust science. Science has taught us that masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing are effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (and other respiratory transmitted diseases). Medical professionals are using science to guide treatment of patients who have fallen ill to the virus. Scientists are studying the virus, conducting research, and creating vaccines that will protect us in the future. Science is doing it’s best to keep us safe and save lives. But for science to work, we ALL have to do our part!
I’ve always been a DIY costume fanatic, but this year I wanted our costumes to serve a bigger purpose. I’ve elicited the help of my husband and dogs to help communicate that SCIENCE IS REAL! We dressed up and got our photos taken so we could share this important message with you.
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Ms. Frizzle Costume
If you watched TV in the 90’s you probably recall watching The Magic School Bus on PBS. The show follows Ms. Frizzle and her class on adventures in the Magic School Bus. They travel through time, space, and even the human body, learning important lessons along the way. If you remember, Ms. Frizzle’s fashion sense was as eccentric as her lesson plans! Her dresses always seemed to magically match the lesson of the day and I thought she would be the perfect character to convey our message.
I created a pandemic-edition dress I’m sure Ms. Frizzle would approve of. It’s covered in viruses, masks, beakers and other pandemic-centric designs. I completed the look with an orange wig, statement earrings, and pill-pusher pumps (I used to be a pharmacist haha!).
Check out my Ms. Frizzle Costume blog post to get the step-by-step instructions and watch a video of the process!
Bill Nye Costume
My husband dressed as Bill Nye The Science Guy. If you have followed Bill Nye since his show in the 90’s, (yes I watched A LOT of PBS!) you’ll know that he’s literally THE science guy! He’s on a mission to promote scientific thinking all while making science entertaining and accessible. Sounds like a perfect match for our scientific agenda!
Bill conducts his experiments in a recognizable attire that usually includes a lab coat, dress shirt, khaki pants and a quirky bow tie. My husband used his own white dress shirt and khaki pants for this costume. All we had to do was find a blue lab coat (that fit the Bill!), a gray wig and a fun bow tie. Since we wanted him to look extra science-y, we added safety goggles and a name tag for good measure.
The Magic School Bus and Liz the chameleon
Last but not least, our pups! Penny is THE Magic School Bus and Frankie is Liz the chameleon (Ms. Frizzle’s class pet). I found the school bus and chameleon pet costumes at Target last year. As soon as I saw them in the store, I immediately thought “Magic School Bus!!” and saved them for this year. I think it was worth the wait! I added googly eyes to the school bus costume to make it look more animated, like the one in the show. I covered the chameleon eyes (originally green) with white and black felt to make them pop and look more cartoony. Luckily our pups are seasoned pros and got into these costumes without a flinch! Frankie even performed his signature “squirrel” trick!
I did a quick search and unfortunately these pet costumes are not available at Target this year. If you are interested in similar costumes for your human kids, I found this school bus and chameleon costume.
Science Rules and it’s REAL!
As for props, we kept things pretty simple. I brought along this mini decorative globe (because this pandemic is a global issue) and speech bubble props I made previously for a photo booth. The speech bubbles were cut using my Cricut machine. The white area is made out of dry erase vinyl so I could easily write and wipe off our messages.
Have a fun and safe Halloween!
I hope our silly costumes have served as a friendly reminder that science is real! We all have to keep doing our part to end this pandemic and save lives. We also want to remind you that even though Halloween may look different for you this year, there is still joy to be found in this holiday. Dress up your family and pets, dance and take photos, watch old episodes of The Magic School Bus on Netflix, eat lots of candy, but most importantly, make memories and stay safe. Happy Halloween friends!
Photography: Sarah Eichstedt Photography
Studio: Creative Space Studios
Head back to my blog for other DIY ideas!