As a child, dressing up can mean much more than putting on a costume. Choosing mascot costumes is a way to dress in as a widely-recognized figure, while also being able to put your own spin on the idea and perhaps support your favorite team as well.

Farm Animal Costumes

Many farm animals serve as mascots and make great costumes. Consider dressing up as a cow, which is the mascot of Williams College athletics, or a ram in support of the St. Louis pro football team. If you’re a fan of the Denver Broncos, dress as a horse while wearing a jersey or hat in support of the team.

Human People Mascots

Dressing as a human mascot offers another opportunity to be creative. You can dress as an Atlanta Brave, a Pittsburgh Pirate or a Dallas Cowboy. Support the University of Texas–El Paso by dressing as a Miner, the mascot for the school’s athletic program.

Bear Mascots

Bears are some of the most common mascots. Dress in support of the Chicago Bears, or support a particular bear family; the University of Montana’s mascot is the Grizzly Bear, and the mascot for Bowdoin College in Maine is the Polar Bear.

Bird Costumes

Birds make another popular subset of mascots. The Philadelphia and Boston College Eagles are two of the most common mascot birds, but consider the Louisville Cardinal, the Atlanta Hawk or even the Philadelphia Penguin of the National Hockey League.

Insect Mascots

Mascots based on insects can either be scary or delightful. Consider the Florida Gator, the Georgia Tech Buzz (a yellowjacket) or one of the most unique mascots around, the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. Consider going a bit obscure and dressing as a gila monster zencart, which is the mascot of Eastern Arizona College.