Parents! Dress up is important! Did you know those Halloween costumes can be repurposed all year round for your little one? That’s right! You can reuse that $20 costume to amplify your sweet kiddo’s learning!
Dress Up and Learn!
Now you may be wondering how that pirate or fairy costume could ever be used as an educational tool, and that is exactly what I am here to tell you about. Basically, every item used in costume dress up for Halloween can easily be applied to basic development for your child, learning to put the costume on and take it off is key to self help abilities. Zipping, buttoning, even velcroing are all fine motor skills coming into play; the best part is the child is not even aware how beneficial to their education it is to play in a costume!
Life Skills
Dressing up is more than just a gross and fine motor amplifier, this simple act of imagination is also building up so many life needed skills. Cognitively your child is learning new skills every time he gets into character. A little girl dressed up as a doctor, asking her teddy bear patient if it hurts, is building her socialization skills and communicative skills. Reenacting what the child has experienced is increasing the child’s sort and long-term memory recollection abilities. Not to mention, it is extremely adorable.
Imitation is Key
Reenacting everyday roles shows just how much a child sees in the world around them. Dressing up as a police officer, firefighter, or even a doctor lets the kids explore the roles or the world, enhance their understanding and open the door to new vocabulary words they typically wouldn’t hear. Such as, “Put the hose on! Turn on the water, Quick!”
So this year, instead of throwing out or donating those costumes, toss them into your child’s toy collection!
Here is a short list of costumes that can easily become educational. However, remember that every costume is beneficial to growth and development, so if you do not see your child’s costume listed do not get discouraged.
Dress Up Play For Everyday
- Police Officer
- Doctor
- Scientist
- Chef/ Baker
- Pirate
- Princess
- Fairy
- Superhero
- Ballerina
- Construction Worker
When they find the dress up game they love the most, you can buy them toys that go along with the play. We reviewed this awesome digger for our little construction guy!
I never thought of this before but you are so right. I love our children using their imaginations and learning fine motor skills while playing. Thank you so much for sharing this. God Bless
Those costumes cost too much to just throw them away. Thanks for the article!
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