Dress Up box

[creations]

At what age did you introduce a dress up box for your LO?

What would you say are the 'top' items that no dress up box should be without?

And, did you make your LO's dress up box non-gender biased?

[speechie]

As soon as he was on his feet we played dress up.
nick loved our hats, gloves, my scarves, high heels, daddy's tie,
Plus we have the usual, firefighter outfit, police, chefs apron, cowboy hat and boots, etc etc.
Love it!

[aisling]

Yup about 1.5 years old here and all types for all genders. Friends come to play now and they do a fashion show with made up get ups, like construction worker fairy  or army man nurse.  They go down the runway for all the adults.  Even our 15 year old niece participates as the announcer and squeezes into a few get ups as we have loads.

Fairy wings, lady bird/bug wings, butterfly wings and antenae, tiara, feather boa (that was mine from a striptease work out at the gym I did! ) Magic wands, wizards and witches capes and hat.

Dracula teeth and cape, Frankenstein mask, zombie mask, wolf man hands

Superman and batman cape. Chef hat and apron

Darth Vader mask, storm trooper mask, darth vader costume, Indiana Jones whip and hat, king tut hat with cobra

Army shirt, army hat, drinking canteen, walkie talkies, spy gear

Cowboy hats,  construction hat and tool bags, fireman and policeman hat, nurse and doc kit and scrubs.

Various foam weapons, purses, glitter wig, doodlebopper antennae, cheerleader pompoms, ballet tutu

I have them in three laundry hamper bins stored away in the closet downstairs. I buy or bought most at 2nd hand shops, charity, hand me downs, pj's, sales after Halloween and the craft and dollar store.

[creations]

Ooh great!
Aisling I want to come to your house

[amayzie]

I think aisling's house would have LOTS of fun things on offer!! We don;t have one yet- but we had one as children. We LOVED it and played LOTS of 'adventure games'.. we are now both into acting! We LOVED capes- mum made these big silky capes from a dress she'd had. they were great. My sister LIVED in this horrible green dress that was a 'princess dress'  i mean LIVED in it!!!! I'm wondering if there's a case for less specific 'costumes' IYKWIM- but a collection of clothes and outfits, hats and belts etc that can be created into 'fireman' and 'doctor'? Does that make sense?

[Papaya]

Creations, I just started making one for F this week! It's going into next week's toy rotation

So far I just have mostly 'real' clothes that she can experiment with putting on - so hats, scarves,  loose teeshirts (a couple of sizes too big), some socks. Also some fabric she can use as a cape etc. I'm trying to find a small apron...it'll slowly build up I'm sure

[amayzie]

Have you seen these? http://www.silkplayground.com/ play silks- i like the concept HEAPS- but not the price.. i found some silky lining material on sale for $3 a metre or something and bought a metre in each rainbow colour... thought that idea might be a nice addition to dressing up box....

[Papaya]

ooo, they are gorgeous! Bit out of my price range for a dress-up box though

[amayzie]

yes.. hence the $3 silky liner material... not as fancy... but do the job!

[aisling]

Have fun ladies! Oh and btw, it is a bit messy, even now I'll come downstairs and see a trail of costume dress stuff on the floor and have to crack the whip to clean it up!  It's worth it though there have been hours of fun in this house with dress up at all ages. Xx

[amayzie]

We LOVED ours- can i say that again?

[Papaya]

Right, will be off to the fabric shop this weekend to look for cheap liner material! Will have to find some shoes she can play with inside as well - she LOVES to shuffle round in mine but they generally have to stay outside.

[aisling]

Yes you can say that and us too Katy, just loved it. As we got older, we started doing talent shows and skits for all the relatives so many don't memories, my cousins and I still reminisce about those days.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Love these ideas!!  I need to get on this one. 

[speechie]

nick spent most of yesterday in his dad's high school baseball pants. Lol, belted tight and baggy around the ankles.
I wanna come play at Aislings house!

[creations]

Creations, I just started making one for F this week!

parallel lives

We were given two shop bought outfits (hand-me-downs from my cousin's kids).  A fluorescent jacket road worker type one with a hard had which he loved, our road was up for 8 weeks being re-surfaced and we went out often to just look at the big diggers and trucks.
Mostly I just put any old box or lid or anything on his head and tell him it's his hat he likes that.  He also does a great Darth Vader impression when offered any of those plastic box/trays that fruit and veg comes in form the supermarket.  He shoves his face in the tub and makes the Darth snoring kind of noise - has no idea who Darth is of course.

I do want to get a decent collection of stuff together.  I don't really have anything of my own that would make dress up clothes.  I think I'll do a whip around charity shops and keep an eye out for interesting things to use.

I saw some props in the local £1 shop, sheriff badge, handcuffs, gun with holster that sort of thing but no outfit and I don't think he would understand those props yet.  I think he would enjoy just having a cape, hat, that sort of thing.

Katy, great idea about the silks.  I'll be using that idea.  And I agree that a good dress up box would have non-specific type stuff to use the imagination and turn into a variety of things.  I'm sure we will end up with a collection of 'real' costumes too though.

Aisling, luckily atm DS is really into helping with the laundry.  He will drag huge bedsheets to the laundry basket and then transfer them into the washing machine, he also helps with the nappy wash, so I think very little direction will get dress up clothes cleared up.  I only hope he stays so keen (but some how doubt it!).

In terms of safety, at 17 months are we past the point of worrying too much about long ribbons or belts now?  I really can't imagine DS accidentally strangling himself but so far I still only let him have the long cord extension on his pull along toys if I am around to keep an eye...over cautious? (says the mother who lets him stand on the scramble bug instead of ride it!)

[aisling]

No, I was too.  I worried about the belts, scarfs and ropes for sure, you never know, so some things keep for older like 3 yrs. I'm not usually paranoid and did not babyproof my house, but strangulation in freaky situations you hear about and it is always such a shocker for something so easy to just put away, kwim?

[amayzie]

Also- if there aren't those sorts of things that are risky then you can have a lower level of supervision IYKWIM.. he can play more independently... 

[creations]

Ah good to know it's not just me that worries about strangulation.  yes the shock stories you hear about are, well, shocking!  It's amazing what mischief LOs can get themselves into.
The extension cord we have for his pull along (and also use it on a large digger truck) I never leave him with but both my mum and DP do leave him with it and I'll discover the toy put away (In play boxes DS has full access to) with the cord still tied on.  Makes me so worried.

I'm going to make sure it's all stuff that I am happy for him to play with independently.

I saw some of those blank face masks in a £1 shop the other day.  Do you think they would be safe?  They just have the elastic that goes around the head.  I was thinking I could paint on a few different things like a tiger face or pirate face etc.

[Papaya]

I would be more worried about elastic than a scarf tbh...maybe that's just me...my scarves are pretty small though, more the decorative kind than the keep-you-warm kind!

I bought my "silks" today, a metre each in seven colours for the grand sum of 6 AUD Katy, did you hem the edges of yours?

[creations]

I would be more worried about elastic than a scarf tbh...

Yeah, maybe I'll replace it with two short ribbons to tie.

[amayzie]

Well- i am planning on hemming the edges as the material i have is really fray prone... so at some point in 'The Future' i intend to.. but i haven't yet.. and the point that the sewing will happen is not in the forseeable future.

Did you see this for a cape idea? http://www.maubys.net/2010/06/flying-fat-quarter-fun.html Goes around the arms rather than the neck... also reduces strangulation risk!

[creations]

WRT hemming the fray prone fabrics.
You'd have to try a bit out carefully but here ballet ribbons are usually burned with a cigarette lighter to stop the fray.  It's kind of satin ribbon and I assume there is enough acrylic or other plastic in there that melts rather than goes on fire.  You just put it in-out the flame briefly a couple of times.
Depends if you like sewing or want to try for a fast solution.

Hey the arm cape is a good idea.  Could be an adult shirt or floaty dress chopped up and modified too.

[amayzie]

Hey- I found this website and thought it looked good!

http://www.childhoodbeckons.com/2012/08/our-guide-to-dress-up-play.html

[creations]

Thanks for sharing Katy.

I'm always amazed by how much time some parents have to produce such great blogs and photos of their kids.  I can't even keep up with uploading photos off the digital camera!

I like the low hooks to hang stuff up on.  Good idea.