Activity - Dressing Up

Weekly Activity

Dressing up Box


To really see children's imagination in full flight, just put them in a room with a box full of old clothes and things for dressing up in. Boys seem to love dressing up every bit as much as girls, and you could have an argument on your hands as to who gets to wear the feather boa first!
The dressing up box itself can be anything large and robust enough to take whatever clothes and accessories you have. A strong cardboard box, an old suitcase or a
large wicker basket would all be ideal. The important thing is to have all the dressing up stuff in one place. It is equally important that it be easy to get out and then tidy away when the children have finished playing. Finding things to put in the dressing up box shouldn't be a problem. Of course there are a huge variety of dressing up costumes you can buy, some of which are very elaborate and seem to cost a fortune. These are probably best for fancy dress parties when your child wants to create an impression. But thankfully, for dressing up at home, most children will be perfectly happy with a few old cast offs and some fabric that they can adapt to make a wide variety of costumes by using their imagination.

Suggestions of what to include in your dressing up box
	Children love imitating their parents, so before you send your old clothes off to the jumble or the recycling bin, think whether they might find a new lease of life in the dressing up box. Obviously the more unusual the clothes are the better. Mum's old eveningwear, particularly if it's a bit sparkly or has an unusual texture will definitely be popular. Jumble Sales are a good hunting ground for all kinds of interesting old clothes and hats. Fabric shops that sell off remnants cheaply are worth exploring. If you can pick up some lengths of velvet or satin they are ideal as capes for super heroes or cloaks for kings and queens. Don't forget the accessories. Old jewellery like beads and bangles are great fun, but do check that there are no sharp catches and that beads are securely strung. A variety of hats and bags always go down well. Children also seem to love wearing high-heeled shoes. Old cameras and old mobile phones that don't work any more always seem to fascinate children. They seem to prefer them to the toy ones you can buy. If you are short of space then don't despair. It's amazing what children can make out of some old scarves and sarongs. They can wear them as long skirts, capes, and shawls. Add a few hats and beads and odds and ends and see what your children can improvise. Remember you can always make things yourself for the dressing up box. All sorts of things can be made from old cereal boxes and some aluminium foil. Try making some crowns, a sheriff's star, or a fairy wand. An old piece of net curtain sewn onto a hair band makes a bride's veil - add a bunch of dried or silk flowers that have seen better days and you have a bouquet too.

Learning through play Children learn a great deal through this sort of imaginative play. They can use their imagination to enter another world, and learn a great deal about social interaction by acting out different scenarios. If they are playing as a group they learn to share and take turns.
	It is an added bonus that children also learn about the different textures of fabrics through this sort of play, so try and include materials such as velvet, fun fur, tweed and silk and satin etc. Ask your children to describe to you how the different fabrics look and feel. When children are playing with the dressing up box it is best to keep a low profile and stay in the background. Try not to dictate to them what goes with what. The whole point of the exercise is to let them make their own choices and experiment.

Children are more than happy wearing high heels, a construction hard hat and a sheriff's waistcoat - ours are anyway. No fashion victims in our house yet.

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