Halloween is now seen as the unofficial kick-off to the holiday season. A day filled with treats, tricks and cool costumes, what’s not to love?
Halloween is also a great time to get your kids, especially young girls, interested in STEM. It’s critical for girls to learn STEM at an early age in order to ensure that they have a competitive advantage in some of the more rapidly growing fields, like engineering and computer science. Currently, women are occupying only a very small percentage of these jobs.
Want to incorporate STEM into this year’s Halloween festivities? Check out our fun do-it-yourself STEM inspired Halloween costume below.
DIY Marie Curie Costume
This Halloween, why not break tradition and instead of becoming a princess or fairy, dress up as a notable woman in STEM. While these costumes might not be available at your local retailer, they are super easy and fun to make at home together!
Try dressing your daughter up as 1800’s chemist Marie Curie! Marie Curie is a Polish and French chemist known for pioneering research on radioactivity in the early 1800’s. She discovered Radium and Polonium, and wrote several books based on her research. She was awarded two Nobel Prizes for her discoveries in 1903 and 1911. All you will need is:
Marie Curie is a Polish and French chemist known for pioneering research on radioactivity in the early 1800’s. She discovered Radium and Polonium, and wrote several books based on her research. She was awarded two Nobel Prizes for her discoveries in 1903 and 1911. All you will need is:
- A long, high collar, black dress with long sleeves
- Chemistry accessories: beaker, test tube
- Water with fluorescent food coloring
- Wig or up-do hairstyle
To become Marie Curie, put on your long black dress. Forget about a lab coat, which Marie Curie rarely wore. Toss your hair into a slightly frizzy bun or feel free to get a similarly styled wig. Grab your beaker or test tube, fill it halfway with water and add a few drops of fluorescent food coloring.
Marie Curie is known to have worked with radioactive materials and it would be fun (and safe!) for children to pretend their beaker was filled with radium or polonium. To enhance your child’s STEM skills, discuss measurements while filling up the beaker or test tube. Research the uses of Marie Curie’s discoveries, radium and polonium.
There are other great, historical women in STEM you and your child can learn about. It’s important for girls to be involved in STEM education because they are at the prime age for exposure, retention, and application. Incorporating STEM into fun activities like making your own costume is a great start!
To give your kids a STEM edge, go to www.thesylvanedge.com and sign up.