Clever rock duo They Might Be Giants branched out to children's music back in 2002. It was a logical step, since the Giants' smart and infectiously fun style – think "Particle Man," "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Doctor Worm" – could easily appeal to kids as much as adults.

Since then, John Flansburgh and John Linnell have become stars of the family genre with albums No!, Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s. All this while still producing "adult" rock and touring.

The two-time Grammy winners' latest effort is Here Comes Science, an album full of sharp educational tracks such as "Meet the Elements," "What Is a Shooting Star?" and "Science Is Real." They even hired a science consultant to make sure they were getting their facts straight.

What sets the Johns apart from other family-friendly acts are their legions of devoted adult fans, many of whom now have children. That makes for a more enthusiastic concert outing than, say, the typical "Animated Character on Ice" show.

The Giants will perform a family show on Halloween at House of Blues, and they're encouraging kids to wear their costumes. "It would be hilarious to see the kids all dressed up," Flansburgh said in a recent phone interview. Here's more from him.

Q: Do you get a lot of fans who are now eager to share the They Might Be Giants concert experience with their kids, who are now also fans?

Flansburgh: It's funny, we just did the Jimmy Fallon show, and his sister brought her kids. It was such a strange experience, because the kids were treating us like they couldn't believe we were real. When you talk to a 4-year-old, and they clearly think you're something related to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny ... she was actually poking me to see if I was real. It was very funny.

Q: Who in the band is the bigger science fan?

Flansburgh: I think everybody in the band is kind of into the same kind of pop science. Linnell probably reads some heavyweight science journals, and I believe he actually owns a telescope. But everyone has their own expertise.

Q: Do you recall any science experiments you did as a kid?

Flansburgh: I barely made it out of high school science alive. My very first experimentation was with caffeine, in trying to get through a physics class. I was at full Fred Flintstone, toothpicks-on-eyeballs level of boredom. ... I would have been very grateful to hear "Science Is Real" then.

Q: The album includes "Why Does the Sun Shine?" which has been a concert staple of yours for years. Did that song help inspire any of the kid music back when you first started performing it?

Flansburgh: That was a cover that became famous as a piece of camp. It's the '50s version of an educational song, and it's kind of awkward and lumpy and prosaic. Definitely the version 1.0. That's actually what makes it so appealing.

Q: I'm curious about the family shows – do you play "Particle Man"?

Flansburgh: That is the one adult song we play most at kid shows. There's probably more kid stuff in our adult shows than there is adult stuff in our kid shows. "Particle Man" has a good groove to it, and an easy beat that kids seem to vibe to.

Q: You're playing Dallas on Halloween. Do you recall any costumes you wore in your younger days?

Flansburgh: I went as James Bond once. And Batman, which seems really generic. Actually, I went as Robin. My brother was Batman.

Q: When was the last time you dressed up for a Halloween event?

Flansburgh: We dressed up a couple of years ago. We all went as ghouls, to play at 1 in the morning for a bunch of drunks. It was either that, or be the sexy nurse.