The Importance Of Dressing Up For Children

There is one thing which both children LOVE more than anything, something which will always stop the arguing and unites them in simple fun – this is dressing up.

Table of Contents

The Importance Of Dressing Up For Children

It is amazing the power a change of clothes has for anyone – be that an adult wearing a suit heading into the office, once in that suit they may feel powerful and confident, a new pair of heels makes us stand straighter, hold our heads higher and changes the way we walk. Children also have the same when they don a new dressing up outfit – give them a cape, and they can take on the world – they can climb walls, fly and even have superpowers. Give them a mask and they can take on a new identity in seconds – they can be anything they want to be with only their imaginations to limit their creativity.

Dressing up however promotes more than just a fun activity for our children, they are actually learning through play which having fun but there is also more to it.

It can promote:

Language

They will be recreating scenes they’ve had played out around them all the time and recalling language they’ve heard. Playing doctors: they take a temperature, help to mend a boo boo, give medicine and recreate things which we have done to help make them feel better.

They will use the language they have heard for these scenarios – open wide, where does it hurt, hold this here, take this medicine etc.

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Doing up the buttons on clothes, putting on jewellery, doing up shoe laces are all things which help promote fine motor skills as well as hand/eye coordination.

The activities they play out during their role play help with gross motor skill development – dancing like a ballerina, kicking a ball like a footballer etc.

Decision-making and empathy

Playing Mums and Dads for instance requires someone to decide who will play which role, the same for doctors and lots of different role play scenarios.

Empathy comes into play through role play all the time, a doctor wanting to make their patient better, a ‘Mum’ comforting her child

Of course there is also just the FUN element which we all love, and it’s not just the kids who love dressing up and having fun – us adults enjoy joining in to which is why for Harry’s birthday this year we are having a Pirate themed party with entertainers dressing up as Pirates and playing themed games with the children and we will all be dressed up too. Funidelia have very kindly sent us our outfits for Harry’s party and they are just brilliant.

Browsing their website distracted me for quite some time as there is just so much choice from professions, to TV characters, Super Heroes & Villain’s and so much more.

There is also a huge choice for both adults and children with costumes ranging from under £10 to the more expensive elaborate ones which you would wear more often (ones which party entertainers would wear). We knew we were having a Pirate-themed party and therefore needed pirate costumes, so that narrowed down my search.

You are able to narrow down your search even more by choosing who you are looking for, these are the Girls Pirate Costumes for example. As they were for a family party I instantly ruled out the shorter ones as there is no way I want to accidently flash while playing party games. I am really pleased with our outfits, they all fit brilliantly (I did upsize the children’s ones as the party isn’t until October). You can wear the outfits as they come or even add extra accessories which we may or may not do nearer the time – there possibly is no need as the kids will be having too much fun with the entertainers.