Surely you’ve seen your kids gravitate toward costume play. There’s a reason for this: young minds are drawn the experience of being something else, if only for a short time. In fact, child experts, teachers, psychologists, and day care workers all highly recommend keeping a stash of dress up clothing and props so your kids can jump into new roles and circumstances any time they like.
Here are some of the benefits and why you should encourage your kids to play dress up.
1. Dress up play builds imagination
Children have vast imaginations, better ones than adults. This is because of all the things they don’t know. They aren’t stuck in any habits or patterns, so their minds can wander in any direction.
Dress up play takes them out of the normal. It puts them in imaginative, exciting and downright odd situations for them to explore. They don’t need a faraway planet to explore space, just a colander for a spaceman’s helmet. A wooden spoons becomes a pirate’s sword on a ship; a towel becomes a superhero’s cape.
2. Dress up play makes relationships stronger
When your kids throw on their costumes and pretend to be someone else, they’re building empathy skills. They’re forced to consider how their character would feel, how they would act, and how they would respond to different situations. Would the dinosaur run away, or fight back? Would the princess have tea or cast her magic spells?
These empathy skills stick with them when dress up play is over. They’ll better understand how other people are behaving, making it easier to work with others. It also teaches them to avoid actions that make other people suffer or feel poorly.
3. Dress up play teaches practical skills
Dress up play puts your child in situations that aren’t usual for them. They have to work their way out of these situations by learning new skills and techniques. For example, they might not be fond of climbing trees, but the adventurer they’re playing doesn’t mind, so he learns. Your daughter might not have steady hands, but she’ll get a lot of practice when she’s pouring tea.
4. Dress up play lets them explore parts of themselves
Dress up play allows kids to explore other roles and behaviors, especially ones they wouldn’t perform as their “normal” selves. They get to express little niche characteristics and try them out for a while.
For example, let’s say your daughter pretends she’s a farmer. Through roleplay she decides that the crop maintenance isn’t her favorite, but she does like tending sick animals, which sets her on a path to be a veterinarian. In this case, she used dress up play to experiment.
5. Dress up play enhances their communication skills
When your child pretends to be someone else, they have to put themselves in the shoes of that character. That includes their character’s language. They have to speak like a fireman, scientist, or brave knight. This forces them to experiment with words and modes of speaking that aren’t yet natural.
Written by Doodle Pants Team
Doodle Pants is an exciting collection of stylish toddler leggings for girls and boys, wild animal prints, and charming original characters. Little ones (3 months to 3T) can squiggle and wiggle with ease thanks to a roomy seat, stretchy ribbed cuffs and a comfortable elastic waistband. They’re made with thick, flexible material that holds up and is easy to wash. Whether running havoc on the playground or dressing up for an impromptu dolly tea party, these are the perfect pieces for a frolicking fun time.
For more information, visit http://www.doodlepants.com.
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