The Live The Adventure Letter 
Dress up isn’t just for little kids. Older children, teens and even adults enjoy stepping into costumes and getting into character once in awhile. Creating a simple (or elaborate) dress up and drama corner in your home can turn into a great family night activity.
It’s also a wonderful way to sneak in a little bit of “school” without the kids even catching on to what you’re doing! Dramatic play helps boost comprehension skills and more. So let your child go beyond the confines of a favorite or new story and bring them to life.
Want to put together a basic dress-up station or drama corner in your home? Here are a few ideas to get you started. You just might have many of these items lying around the house already!
Adult Clothing & Accessories:
- short dresses (will be longer on children)
- formal or bridesmaid dresses (always a favorite)
- nightgowns
- business or button-up shirts
- jackets
- vests
- scarves
- shawls
- gloves
- heels and “fun” shoes (careful – low heels are best for little kids)
- purses
- handbags
- sunglasses
- old glasses (pop the lenses out)
- neckties and bowties
- necklaces and jewelry
- clip-on earrings
- rain boots
- cowboy boots
Other Clothing Items:
- old costumes (superhero, princess, etc)
- aprons
- rubber gloves/dish gloves
- suspenders
- overalls
- bellbottoms & other fun “decade” clothing
Fun Accessories & Props:
- play money
- old cell phones
- old keys
- play microphone
- capes
- crowns
- princess wands/fairy wands
- fairy wings
- animal masks
- an old broom horse
- feather boas
- pirate stuff
- swords
- hats – both fancy and everyday ball caps
- goggles
- cardboard boxes can be turned into just about anything…
- baskets
- flashlights (Makes a great spotlight!)
- stuffed animals
- wigs
- fake beards
- an old steering wheel
- old or broken musical instruments
- facepaint
Ask your children and family members what they would like to see included in the dress-up box or drama corner. Make it a family effort and everyone will have more fun!
This brings back so many memories! Dresses, shawls, capes, maps and swords were a favorite! 🙂 One other thing that could be a maybe to the list, is sticks! Sticks were made into swords and bow and arrows (the bow and arrows actually worked)! 🙂
My children wore “dress up” clothes more than their own clothes when they were growing up, I think. They all developed
wonderful imaginations, and excelled at Homeschool Speech tournaments, and one of my sons even went on to get a theater degree in college. As a family, we have participated in historical reenactments for many years. I think, in large part, these activities grew out of the “dress up” box . . .