Dress up clothes... Patterns, ideas?

[StormySar]

I want to give my kids (dd1 is 4.5, ds is 3, dd2 is 1) some dress up clothes and accessories for Christmas (the kind that inspire imaginitive play - not dressy clothes

Thing is, I'm at a loss for ideas for my son. My daughters are easy - they're so into the girly stuff.

My son loves police, firemen, trains, trucks, 'bob the builder' and "guy stuff" but i don't really know what to make him for all of this, because most of his regular every day clothes could be used for many of these. What about accessories for the above - what kind of things could I make him that aren't necessarily clothing items but could inspire pretend play?

I'm thinking my husband could make my son a wooden toolbox for his toy tools. i was considering sewing him a toolbelt, butI'm not too sure how long it would last.

[E.V. Lowi]

Animal tails and ears were quite popular for dress up when my kids were young.

[tuffykenwell]

I gave my son a shield/sword and knight hat (what the heck do you call those things??) last year for Christmas and that was a huge hit. Here is a tutorial that I found which might be useful...
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=97106

Also a hit was a crown and cape for being king (and the cape was also useful for various Superhero incarnations as well).

Steph

[wombatclay]

knight hat (what the heck do you call those things??)

A helmet.

Hmmm... a belt would be fun, and multi use, and if it was sturdy it would last a long time. Or just make a bunch of different woven/braided cords (so could be belt, leash, connector for train, rope to "swing on", bandolier, ribbon to tie gift, etc). Maybe different badges? Like a police office badge, a fire fighter badge? Those are sort of "single use" but would transform his normal play clothes into uniforms.

Crowns, shields, swords (if you encourage/allow those) are all pretty easy to make. Rectangles of fabric (a la play silks) can be used for all sorts of things and are easy to make.

Does he (or your girls) have any interest in the "setting" of their imaginative play? If so, perhaps a large piece of cardboard or wood covered in felt with felt shapes they can arrange? So felt "trees" that could be stuck on the board to create a forest, or felt foods and a felt table to create a tea party backdrop, or the pieces of a house that could be "built" by a young builder?

[tuffykenwell]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

A helmet.

I thought of it later that day LMAO...please tell me I am not the only person who forgets everyday words like that <blush>

Steph

[operamommy]

My ds2 adores fire fighters, and one of his favorite things to use are "hoses" that I made him. I got the directions from "Toymaking with Children" - they are just simple wool crocheted cords. Since one is red, it's his fire hose.