Costumes

Creating a Costume Collection

Pop guns, tricornered hats, and red and blue jackets was all it took to transport these boys to the Revolutionary War. It doesn’t take much to inject excitement in their learning. They marched, they recited famous lines like, “Stand your ground! Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”  (Capt. John Parker on the Lexington Green) Of Pediatricians and Patriots – Cultivated Learning

Plato wisely said, “Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.”

We have found that dramatization is a fun way to extend, expand, and solidify children’s learning. Heather Haupt wrote in the introduction to Go TOGETHER: Explorers and Settlers,

“The great educator, Charlotte Mason, wrote often about the art of narration. This is simply listening closely and then relating back in your own words what was read, or what was heard. For the active child, including dramatization allows the whole body to become involved in the process. This movement-rich approach is essential for kids who can’t seem to stop moving. Beautiful things happen when we learn to work with their need to move rather than suppressing it.”

Below is a list of items to start to collect for your dress-up box. You can pick up a lot of items at the thrift store or at yard sales. There are simple DIY crafting ideas to turn sweatshirts/pants and other clothing into costumes on Pinterest as well as in the GO TOGETHER curriculum. Send links to some of the fancier (and pricier) pieces to the grandparents for Christmas or birthday gift ideas. Most grandparents love to give these kids of gifts – especially the stick horses, pop-guns, hats, and historical outfits!

Children have always enjoyed dressing up in costumes and engaging in dramatic roleplaying. Your child’s brain goes into high gear when she puts on a costume and becomes someone else.

Just a few items are really all you need. Even just a tricornered hat, a mop cap, a racoon tail hat, or a cowboy hat can enchant and transform your children! Do not be overwhelmed with this list, just a few pieces will really get them started!

• Silk scarves can be capes, dresses, togas, tunics, belts, head scarves, flags, fires, rivers, etc! Play silks can be purchased, or you can just collect from thrift stores
• Hats are perhaps the easiest way to transform your child into another time and person. For early American history consider a tricornered hats here, here, or here (can use a pirate hat). For the girls: white bonnet, or white mop,
• Vest (optional) These can be used for both boy and girl costumes and if it is generic enough, can also span many different genres of make-believe play
• Jacket (optional).  You need some blue and red jackets for the War for Independence.  I let my kids use my good blue and red jackets. Though if you use not so great ones you can add gold braid for the generals. A cape made from a silk scarf or even an old cut skirt can add a lot!
• Plain brown/black shoes
• Basic items for girls
  • Long solid color skirt, elastic or wrap style is optimal so it can grow with your child
  • simple solid colored blouse
  • apron
  • shawl
• Basic items for boys
  • long sleeved solid colored shirt
  • Knickers (pants to the knee) Can be sweatpants pushed up or old pants cut to below the knee. Optionally, you can add some ribbon to tie bottom of the pant leg.
  • A pair of suspenders
  • Brown work apron (masculine looking)
  • Long white stockings (big girl’s knee-high socks)
• Stick horses
• Rifle, cap rifle musket or popgun
• Powder Horn 
• Betsy Ross Flag
• plain handbags (for couriers)
• Jewelry – metal bracelets, belts, necklace chains. Beads
• Fur pieces can be props or part of a costume.

Extra fancy things to purchase (or use for examples to make)

• Native American costumes
• Red and Blue jackets so they can play the Yankees and Lobsterbacks.
• Military Uniforms: George Washington, Patriot, Redcoat
• Girl’s Colonial Costume, or this one, or this one, or this one
• Girl’s Pioneer Costume
• Buckskins
• Wigs
• boots

Heather has written a number of posts on historical/themed costumes. General costumes to have Open-Ended Costumes – Heather Haupt, Mayflower Living for Wee Folks – Heather Haupt, Colonial and Revolutionary War Themed Gifts (Day 4) – Heather Haupt, Drawing Boys into the Adventure of History – Heather Haupt, Little House and Other Pioneer Inspired Gift Ideas (Day 7) – Heather Haupt, Giving the Gift of a Cowboy Adventure – Heather Haupt