I thought my kids would grow out of the dressing-up stage at around five or 6 years of age, but I was wrong.
My kids love dressing up.
They loved it when they were little and they would put on three skirts, two hats, a scarf, and as many pieces of trashy jewelry as they could find. And they still love it even now they are older and they want more sophisticated outfits based around book characters or historical dress.
Dress-ups are great fun! They are a great way to encourage independent play and learning, and they make a great gift!
If you are looking to increase your stash of dress-ups or perhaps you are just starting a collection, here are some useful things to keep in mind…
Make sure the kids can get them on and off by themselves.
You don’t want to be helping kids in and out of dress ups every five seconds, so avoid buttons and ties for little kids, and go for easy on and off items.
Look for items that can be worn by different sized kids.
You want something that can grow with your child, or fit a range of sizes if you have kids of different ages. Elastic waist bands, adjustable velcro, or un-sized items work well..
The best dress ups can be used in lots of ways to become lots of characters.
Look for costumes that are not character specific and you’ll get more use out of them. A nondescript cape can belong to a super hero, or a prince, or a wizard, a long flowing skirt could be worn by a fairy, a princess, or a dancer.
Don’t forget the joy of accessories.
Simple accessories such as hats, bags, glasses, shoes, and jewelry bring so much joy, especially to little ones. They are easy to get on and off and they can quickly add variety to your dress-up collection.
You can find so many great dress-up items at op shops (thrift stores) or in the back of grandma’s wardobe! There are lots of simple costumes you could sew or make, and even more ideas online, but for those of us who are not crafty, or who are time poor, there are so many fabulous dress-ups for sale.
Here are twelve of our favourite dress-ups from Etsy.
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1. This gorgeous phoenix costume could transform your child into a bird, a fairy, an angel…
2. These tail dress-ups are easy to get on and off for small dragons, dinosaurs or imaginary beasts!
3. You can personalise this superhero cape with your child’s initial, that would be a cool present!
4. Choose one of these gorgeous felt crowns – perfect for a king, or a queen, or a wizard… or anyone important.
5. These felt wings could transform your child into any flying creature, and they come in loads of colours too.
6. A vest is easy to get on and off and these construction worker vests are super cool!
7. A simple mask is easy to wear and loads of fun. Choose some of these animal masks for lot of dressing-up fun.
8. These gorgeous, pull on tutus are great for lots of dressing up and dancing!.
9. Kids will love these super cool unicorn sets!
10. A hat is a quick and easy way to change characters and these monster hoods from are awesome!
11. A simple chef’s outfit can be used in lots of different ways.
12. Keep it super simple but super fun with a set of ears!
Bravo! Your posts seem to nail it every time. I agree with you about differnt sizes and can be used to play for more than one thing.
As make dres up clothes I try to keep in ind that kids comes in all idfferent sizes and shpaes tho\’ the same age. Instaed of making a little dress up skirt I make aprons to times; Kids get practice with dressing skills and one size pretty much fits all.
TY for sharing your wisdom.
Malika