How to Spot a Homeschooler by Our Halloween Costumes
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While Halloween can be a divisive subject among homeschooling folks, I have to tell you: I love it. Not the scary, horror-filled side of things, but the spooky, whimsical, dress-up-in-a-costume, carving pumpkins, and eating caramel apples parts of Halloween. (Confession: my husband and I are those parents who wear Halloween costumes while taking our kids trick-or-treating.)
Looking back on my own days as a homeschooler, one of my favorite Halloween memories was when my best friend threw a Halloween party in high school, and I got to help plan it. Now, take whatever pop-culture-inspired images you conjured up from the phrase “Halloween party in high school” and promptly delete them. Why? Well, this was possibly the most “homeschool-y Halloween party” there ever was.
The music included instrumental scores from the Harry Potter films (thank you, John Williams) and a variety of Danny Elfman compositions. As guests arrived, costumes such as Jane Austen, SPAM email, Arwen, and the Dread Pirate Roberts appeared in the lineup.
After everyone arrived, we ran around in the woods behind her house in our costumes, roasted s’mores, threw sticks into the outdoor fire, talked and laughed, and played games like Scrabble and Apples to Apples.
It was “weird and unsocialized” for a high school party by some standards, I guess. In reality, it was full of wholesome fellowship, nerdy debates, and teens who felt comfortable just being themselves. It was an event that was full of playfulness and authenticity. This kind of party remains my favorite, into adulthood.
And as a lifelong member of the homeschooling community (in one way or another), I can look back at this event and pull out some common threads among the many homeschoolers I have known, and the ones I currently know.
And these threads are easiest to spot, symbolically, by observing our choice of Halloween costumes. So… you guessed it:
This edition of How to Spot a Homeschooler is: How to Spot a Homeschooler by Our Halloween Costumes!
Other Articles in Our “How to Spot a Homeschooler” Series
If you’ve read other posts in this series, you know the goal is to observe and discuss some of the fun and funny ways that homeschoolers sometimes stand out—for both good fun and, errr, more “eccentric” reasons. The point isn’t to stereotype, my friends, but to give you a wink across the internet about this weird, wonderful, diverse tribe of which we are all a part.
For any given topic, I always love to read your comments on ways you can spot one of your own homeschoolers, so please leave a comment!
So far in my How to Spot a Homeschooler series, we’ve talked about topics like:
- How to Spot Homeschoolers by Things You Find in Our Houses
- How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress
- How to Spot a Homeschooler by the Things We Say
And more! Today, we’re tackling a sometimes taboo subject—Halloween!
(And if you don’t celebrate it, keep reading. I see you!)
How to Spot a Homeschooler by Our Halloween Costumes
The Historically Inspired Halloween Costume
Listen, the fine line between play and education is often blurred for homeschoolers; sometimes it is almost impossible for us to discern the difference between a chance to dress up for Halloween and a chance to express what we’ve learned about history. History is awesome, and getting to express what we’ve learned about it through creative costuming is the ultimate homeschool activity!
I have known many homeschoolers to totally nerd out about attention to detail when it comes to creating a historically accurate costume, whether it be of a Viking, medieval princess, Revolutionary War soldier, or ancient Egyptian. Plus – total homeschool honesty- it’s possible that a homeschool mom encouraged us to choose something from history for our costume so we could pair it with the recitation of a speech or poem. She may have even encouraged (*cough* bribed) us by splurging on a cool costume accessory…like a realistic-looking sword or historically accurate hat.
So yes, the odds are high that the child dressed up as Paul Revere or Queen Elizabeth I is a homeschooler (especially if they share a historical fact when asked about their costume!)
The Creative and Frugal Halloween Costume
If you’re here reading this, you know that homeschoolers are expert rebels. We do it all our own way, and “color outside the lines” in pretty much all areas of life: schedules, priorities, interests, etc. So when it comes to Halloween costumes, why would we be any different? (I suppose you could say we are predictably unpredictable!)
Most homeschool families I know also already have a large collection of costume pieces at home, which may have been collected from each sibling over previous Halloweens, scored at Good Will just for fun, or handmade by family members—often a little of each!
And (yes I know it’s a stereotype, but that’s because it’s true), we can also be a frugal bunch. Many of us parents cut corners to do this homeschool thing, so if we already have costume pieces at home (and we do), we may tell our kids: “Honey, just use your imagination! It’s educational!” So naturally, many homeschoolers combine pre-existing inventory at home, along with a love of originality, to color outside of the lines with their Halloween costume invention. We have the ability and enthusiasm to get creative (and possibly kind of weird) with these costume inventions.
This could look like coming up with costume ideas for imaginary creatures, grammatical concepts, and literary devices. We may dress up as a rainbow on vacation, a unicorn cat, an abstract painting, or an unread text message. I think this is something most kids have a natural tendency towards, but many homeschool families lean into creativity even more. Plus, there’s a lot less risk that kids will made fun of for “weird” costumes in a homeschool setting.
And this is probably a good time to mention that we don’t save our creative costume designs for Halloween. Oh no. We dress up all year long, just as we please. In fact, that’s one way you can sometimes spot a homeschooler by how we dress.
Popular Characters… From a Previous Decade
One thing I really love about homeschoolers is their awareness of previous decades, and this is sometimes paired with an unawareness of current trends. As homeschool parents, we share classic media and/or the media that we loved as kids with our children, and it becomes part of our kids’ inner world, too–right alongside the media of today that they take in.
Homeschooled kids have the opportunity of growing up in a world of media that spans a few generations, instead of just one, and this is part of our unique, almost timeless, quality (another post for another time). But one way it comes out is in the characters we celebrate and, therefore, the Halloween costumes we choose!
So maybe that’s why you can also spot a homeschooler wearing a Halloween costume of a famous figure, movie or book character from a previous decade. It’s a natural part of our constant self expression!
Hobbits, Harry Potter, and Jedi, Oh My!
One thing I know to be true about homeschoolers is that we are often more fluent than most in the worlds of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the epic stories, quirky characters, or the irresistible appeal of the hero’s journey. These are timeless tales, full of battles between good and evil, that draw in many people—homeschoolers or not.
However, as I mentioned, many homeschoolers today are just as exposed to the beloved stories of previous generations as they are to modern media, which might be another reason their love for these sagas burns just as brightly as if they were new.
I also believe homeschool parents prioritize introducing the stories we love to our kids. We have more time to do this than many, and we are able to make it a special part of school for our children (that may not feel like school at all!) The special memories we create around introducing stories we love to our kids may make these sagas even more meaningful to each new generation of homeschoolers.
Whatever the case, as a former homeschooler and homeschooling mom, the people who love these fantasy worlds are my people. And it’s not just a generational thing. I meet homeschooled kids and teens all the time who are just as well-versed in these literary and cinematic worlds—and just as “nerdy” about them—as I am!
And so, while homeschoolers might not be the only kids sporting Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings costumes this Halloween, you can spot them perhaps by their unbridled enthusiasm for such fantastical characters as these.
We Don’t Wear One
Okay, let’s be real. Halloween is not celebrated by all, and this is particularly true in the homeschool community. As a Christian myself, I have many homeschooling, Christian friends who don’t celebrate Halloween due to the holiday’s pagan origins.
While I personally am fine dressing up, letting my kids trick-or-treat, and watching films like Hocus Pocus, I am aware that this isn’t the choice for every family. And that’s okay! And also, you know I can’t leave you out of this article!
So one way you can spot a homeschooler by their Halloween costume? They don’t wear one!
Just as we homeschoolers sometimes refuse to participate in other social norms, Halloween can often go on the list with the rest. My husband grew up not celebrating Halloween. His family was one of the ones who turn off the lights and play a game of “hide and seek” (minus the seeking) with eager trick-or-treaters.
However, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have fun. He also recalled the way they’d score discounted Halloween candy after October 31st. I know many homeschool families who don’t celebrate Halloween also take advantage of the costume sales after the holiday–you know, to add to the costume inventory that we homeschoolers pull from all year long!
And then, of course, there’s a middle group. We are not to forget “Fall Fests” AKA “Trunk or Treats” AKA “Light Parties.” These events are the evangelical alternative to the darker Halloween, borrowing many of its fun traditions (costumes and sweet treats) and incorporating aspects of ministry and evangelism. But these are not (not, not, not) to be called “Halloween.” There is candy, there may be costumes, and it may happen on October 31, but we call it something else.
Sidenote: let me tell you, if you have young kids and don’t “Trunk or Treat,” you’re missing out. Best candy and most wholesome fun for your time, plus less burnout!
And what about costumes? Sometimes these alternative events encourage costumes, but often they will be in the form of fancy dress, dressing as your favorite Bible character, or dressing as someone from a favorite book. And while not all evangelicals are homeschoolers, they represent a significant part of our population.
So, if you are invited to a “Light Party” by a child dressed as Paul the Apostle, odds are fair that you’ve spotted a homeschooler by their Halloween costume …or rather, lack thereof.
What About You?
What do you think? Do you see yourself (homeschool parent) or your homeschoolers in any of these costume ideas… or lack thereof?
The great thing about Halloween, or anytime you get to wear a costume, is that it gives you a chance to express some side of yourself that may not always be seen. When it comes to homeschoolers, we are fortunate enough to get to wear costumes and express ourselves all year long!
So whether you’re dressing up as a knight from the Crusades, an obscure literary character, or abstaining from costumes altogether, Halloween (and its alternatives) offers us an opportunity to express our creativity, our curiosity, and our love for learning. And as homeschoolers, it’s just one of many ways we get to embrace being a little quirky and unapologetically ourselves.
Are your homeschoolers dressing up for Halloween? Tell us about their costumes in the comments!
Katie Gustafson has been a member of the world of “weird, unsocialized homeschoolers” for a long time–first as an alumnus and now as a homeschooling mom to a fiercely fun little girl! She’s very into anything creative, especially writing, dancing, and painting. She’s also particularly passionate about literature and owns more books than she will probably ever be able to read. However, she reassures herself with the belief that, in the event of a digital apocalypse, she’s cultivating a much-needed physical library for future generations. Katie is happy to contribute articles to Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Hip Homeschool Moms and Sparketh. She also has a personal blog on writewhereuare.com.