I just wanted to share a slideshow of the characters that showed up in my Kindermusik classes the last week of October. Costumes are so much fun to wear!
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Costumes are fun to wear because it propels us into the imaginative world of pretend play.
Toddlers begin this process through imitation – watching, listening, and trying to replicate what they see. This expands their repetoire of sounds, movements, and words. The more, the better, because this provides the foundation for the imagination.
Preschoolers use their wide range of sounds, movements, and words, and begin to incorporate what they know about the type of character they choose. Reading books and learning more about their interests really helps their play become more creative and self-directed. At this age, they desire more props and develop creative storylines to add interest to their play. ALL of this helps them become creative and effective problem solvers. As they get older, it also allows them to explore different occupations, such as doctors, hairstylists, and rescue workers, as well as well-mannered knights and princesses.
Even babies enjoy dressing up because they have something new to explore, and experience how different textures and shapes feel on their body, helping them develop their awareness of their body and its relationship to things around it.
So have fun dressing up, and don’t wait for October to enjoy this activity. Most children over 2 years old should have a place for a variety of dress up materials, and can start with just basic scarves that can be used to become most anything! Fly like a butterfly! Stomp like a dinasour! Be whatever you want to be.