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Home › Articles › Your Children › All Dressed Up!

All Dressed Up!

A Box Full of Imagination

By Jennifer M. Paquette

Pages:  1  

You don't have to spend a fortune to jump-start your child's imagination. Ellise Gasner, a preschool teacher and mother of eight in Toronto, says it's not difficult or expensive to build a dress-up box.

Since little kids don't care where their dress-up clothes come from, Gasner says secondhand stores are her dress-up secret. "Buy skirts, high heeled shoes, funny hats," she says.

Younger Than 2
Even toddlers need to "do it themselves," but not with a whole outfit. Gasner's 18-month-old "puts on old dance skirts and necklaces, and she's happy," she says. Always supervise jewelry play tiny beads and clasps easily come loose.
 
Ages 2 to 4
This inquisitive age demands a feast for the senses. Gasner recommends colors and textures "and always something that can be made into a cape," she says. Make sure everything is easy to wiggle into and out of. Pull-on skirts and wrap-around fabrics will grow with your child.
 
Ages 4 to 6
Girls this age want to look like Mom, in "heels, dresses ... gloves, purses and wigs," says Gina Cohen, a spokesperson for Value Village stores, which offer many types of dress-up clothes. For the "manly" equivalent, Cohen recommends "ties, a briefcase, dress shirts." Don't be surprised if boys prefer skirts, though at this age, they're "trying on" many roles.

Dress-up goes Shakespearean as kids stage mini-plays for the whole family. Gasner suggests multi-purpose items, such as large bandanas and scarves, which double as pirate sashes and kerchiefs, or belts to carry tools or non-realistic toy weapons. For fashion-conscious kids, "stylish is key," Cohen says. Include "embellished jeans, funky hats and platform shoes," she says.

"[Dress-up is] imagination at its best ... it really lets their creativity flow," Gasner says. For different age groups at home, Gasner has several dress-up boxes. "It's a fun afternoon activity," she says.

When dress-up is over, Gasner packs it in so her kids look forward to next time. "I try not to leave it out or they just destroy it all," she says.

If something wears out, though, it's always fun to shop for a replacement or for new additions to help your dress-up box continue growing with your kids!

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