The Dress Up Box

A young child's imagination knows no bounds and one of the best ways to encourage make-believe play is through a Dress Up Box. In the classroom, I have used a box covered in brightly covered paper; for my oldest granddaughter, I used an old leather suitcase that I would cart around in my motor home each time I visited her. It's important to note that you should stock your Dress Up Box with adult-sized clothing items. When you are a pre-schooler, it's not that much fun to wear something that fits

Keep a large variety of dress-up items in your box because you never know what will strike a child's fancy. I found some of my best items at local thrift stores but my granddaughter's favorite item was a pair of silver high-heeled sandals that belonged to my mother. For little girls, you should have at last two dresses (yes, they will drag on the floor, that's perfect), a couple of pair of sparkly shoes (high heels, if possible), a crown of some kind, a hat, some old jewelry (long necklaces preferred), an adult purse, and a long piece of silky fabric. I don't know what it is about silky fabric but most children will either use it as a wrap or spread it on the floor to "set the stage" for dress up.

Little boys can get just as excited about dressing up as little girls. For their dress-up box, I would definitely have a pair of men's dress shoes, a hat, one or two ties, an old wallet, and some type of jacket. And don't forget the silky fabric. Little boys like to spread fabric on the floor also.

Pretending and playing "make believe" are not just cute things that children do. Pretending and playing "make believe" are benchmarks for one of the developmental stages that children must go through for proper social and emotional growth. Some children reach the "make believe" stage sooner than others but all of them must go through it. The dress-up box can be an important prop in getting your child excited about this type of play.