Dress Up Games for Girls in Real Life: Creative Play
If you Google dress-up games for girls, you’ll get oodles of online experiences from dressing up virtual models for a fashion runway to PBS characters in virtual clothes. And it’s a good thing. It’s fun and you want your children to know their way around a computer.
But something your kid needs, like deep down to their bones needs, is interactive, pretend play in real life. Now’s the time to encourage their imaginations and all-out creativity that will serve them well in life.
They’ll be happier, their brains will be sharper and they’ll be better at their jobs, whatever that may eventually be. Whether they’re throwing on a princess dress and fighting the evil Count Reynard or pretending they’re Marie Curie, their ideas of the world are expanding.
Treasure Hunt
Get out your paper, make a map and go searching for some treasure. If you make this a regular thing, maybe invest in a chest that looks like it belongs to a proper pirate.
You can write up some rhyming clues and pretend there are dangerous pirates out there ready to take you down to keep you from getting the treasure first. Your child will love the clues and the pretending, and soon she’ll be drawing her own maps and making up her own stories.
While you’re at it, why not tell her tales about the infamous lady pirates Ann Bonny and Mary Read? You can read about them online or purchase one of the several picture books where they are mentioned.
Your girl can strap on a sword and hunt for treasure, and learn a little history while she’s at it.
Speaking of History …
Generally, let your child take the lead when it comes to dress-up, but sometimes tell them stories about interesting people throughout history. Make sure to pepper your tales with brave and daring women who accomplished amazing things: Amelia Earhart, Nellie Bly, and yes, Marie Curie.
When you tell her about Marie Curie, do a simple experiment like one from 30 Science Experiments for Preschoolers, or Google more advanced ones if she’s older. She can pretend to be a scientist and you can be her faithful assistant.
Have A Ball … Literally
Throw a ball for her and her friends. Put some music on and have a dance party. With our reasonably priced princess dresses for toddlers and girls, your girl can be the belle of the ball.
Have cups of water and refreshments, and take lots of pictures.
Generally, the girls will let their imaginations take over and come up with their own scenarios, but be ready to step in if one girl is being excluded or their energy starts to flag.
It’s good to have back-up activities for when they tire. Pretend that the cook has become ill and soon the Princess of Austria is arriving, but there is so much more food to serve her. Oh, no! What will you do?
The other guests will cheerfully pitch in to decorate fabulous cookies for her Highness.
Use garbage bags with holes cut out for their heads to keep their clothes clean. Use sparkly sugar crystals and sprinkles to up their princess cookie decorating skills.
They can take turns being members of the Austrian royal family, or whoever you choose as your illustrious guests, and sample the castle’s wares.
They can end the party by watching a Disney movie while they’re waiting for parents to pick them up.
Dress-up can be a great way to spend quality time with your child, but also a wonderful way for her to use her imagination when she’s playing by herself.
Have fun and make some marvelous memories!