Looking for fun dress up ideas for your kids to help promote pretend play? Look no further! Whether you’re dressing up like your favorite characters, going to a Halloween party, or just promoting pretend play, kids of all ages will love these dress up ideas. These ideas are great for at home or in the preschool or kindergarten classroom.
Top 20 Super Simple Dress Up Ideas
This is our Top 20 Super Simple Dress Up Ideas are great for kids who love to dress up!
Wearing the right clothes, whether it’s a crown, swirling ballet skirt or builders hard hat, seems to complete their pretend play.
The secret to the very best dress up costumes lies in the child’s imagination. If they feel the costume is right, then it’s perfect!
Creative Dress Up Ideas for Kids
1. Turn Dad’s Shirt Into A Doctor’s Coat
Want a fun idea for an easy dress up and pretend play idea? Use Dad’s old shirt to make a doctor’s coat! Tip: You can use stitch witchery fusible bonding web to make this a no sew project. -via The Bear and the Fox
2. Use A Pillow Case To Make A Nurse’s Costume
Here is another easy costume idea! Use an old pillowcase or bedsheet to make a nurse’s apron. You can also make this project no sew by using fusible bonding web. -via Ziggity Zoom
3. Super Simple Hero Cape
Super heroes can try this super simple super hero cape which you can make in minutes, using fabric glue if you don’t want to sew. This is one of my favorite and easy diy costumes. Just like an iconic movie depicting superheroes, your child can act like their favorite movie characters.-via Mama Smiles
4. Cute Dress Up Ideas
Here’s some cute dress up ideas that will inspire you. -via Kids Activities Blog
5. Pretty Lace Princess Crown
This is such a good idea for a great costume! I love this pretty lace princess crown. -via BeauCoup
6. 1920’s Flapper Costume
This is such an awesome costume. Use a t-shirt dress to make a 1920s flapper costume. You can make a white dress, blue dress, whatever color you like, even a black t-shirt. Plus you don’t new a sewing machine!- via Tessie Fay
Dress Up Ideas for Everyone!
7. DIY Unicorn Costume
Everybody loves unicorns!! Make this DIY unicorn costume for hours of dress up fun. What a fun way to promote pretend play! -via Craftaholics Anonymous
8. Dress Up Stage
A dress up stage is a great way for kids to act out their imaginative play. They can pretend to make up their own stories and scenarios or act out favorite stories like Harry Potter, or pretend to be the Sanderson sisters, or Princess Leia. The sky is the limit when you’re pretending! -via House of Turquoise
9. DIY Dress Up Closet
This is such a great choice! You can also turn an old armoire or tv stand into a DIY dress up closet. Add a mirror on the side. -via Rain On A Tin Roof
10. No Sew Ash Ketchum Pokemon Costume
If your kid loves Pokemon as much as mine do, then you need to make this no sew Ash Ketchum Pokemon costume to add to their creative play arsenal. -via Kids Activities Blog
11. DIY Felt Stick Horse
Make a DIY felt stick horse for cowboy play. No sewing required!
12. DIY Paper Dinosaur Hat
What an easy way to promote pretend play with your child’s favourite character. This is so cool! Make a DIY Paper Dinosaur Hat. -via Cutting Tiny Bites
13. DIY Dress Up Mailman
What a unique costume! Your kid will love this DIY Dress Up Mailman idea! Little girls and little boys will love delivering the mail in this super cute costume. -via Jen Spends
So Many Dress Up Ideas You’ll Love
14. Beautiful Dress Up Wings
Learn how to make beautiful dress up wings in this tutorial. -via Pretty Prudents
13. Make Your Own Animal Ears
These felt and fabric animal ears for make believe play would be wonderful to add to your great dress up ideas. -via Hart and Sew
14. No Sew Tulle Skirt
Add a super full no sew tulle skirt to your child’s imaginative play stash for lots of dress up ideas. -via Living Well Spending Less
15. Homemade Bird Mask
Dive into the craft box and create a bird mask. -via Turtle Diary
16. No Sew Superhero Capes
Here are some more no sew superhero capes. Includes a FREE template! -via Make and Takes
17. DIY Cardboard Camper
Not a costume, but a great DIY project for hours of make believe fun–make a DIY Cardboard Camper! This Airstream is perfect for boys! -via The Merry Thought
18. DIY Jewelry
Dress up isn’t complete without some cute bling! Check out this guide to DIY jewelry. -via Felt with Love Designs
19. Our Favorite Items For Our Pretend Clothes Closet
You’ll also want to read our Favorite Items for Our Pretend Clothes Chest. This post contains lots of great ideas on how to stock your kids dress up costumes.
What are some dress up ideas for kids?
Need more dress up ideas? Here is a list of 50 to the Top Dress Up Ideas for Kids!
- Superheroes (e.g., Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman)
- Animals (e.g., lion, tiger, bunny)
- Pirates
- Princesses
- Cowboys/Cowgirls
- Fairies
- Doctors/Nurses
- Firefighters
- Police Officers
- Astronauts
- Knights
- Ballerinas
- Zombies
- Mermaids
- Witches/Wizards
- Robots
- Dinosaurs
- Clowns
- Athletes (e.g., soccer player, basketball player)
- Ghosts
- Pop Stars
- Historical Figures (e.g., Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra)
- Garden Creatures (e.g., ladybug, butterfly)
- Farmers
- Chefs
- Magicians
- Explorers
- Rock Stars
- Storybook Characters (e.g., Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan)
- Insects (e.g., bee, butterfly)
- Circus Performers (e.g., acrobat, ringmaster)
- Native Americans
- Greek Gods/Goddesses
- Robots
- Construction Workers
- Cowboys/Cowgirls
- Vikings
- Historical Royalty (e.g., King/Queen)
- Ninjas
- Safari Explorers
- Sports Stars (e.g., baseball player, tennis player)
- Monsters
- Artists
- Popcorn Vendor
- Space Aliens
- Magicians
- Ancient Egyptians
- Fairy Tale Villains (e.g., wicked witch, evil queen)
- Scarecrows
- Fashion Designers
Why are imaginative play and dress up so important for kids?
The importance of imaginative play for children has been deeply and extensively studied by researchers and experts in child development. (We’ve literally written books about imaginative play! Playing dress up is an important part of that. Dress up clothes literally allow kids to add sensory elements to their imaginations. Kids can dive into their imaginations more fully to develop skills like social skills, empathy, and emotional regulation, and gain a broader perspective on the world around them. But that doesn’t mean that dress up ideas have to be expensive costumes. Instead, focus on imagination when helping your kids find dress up ideas. A tablecloth makes a great superhero cape. A wooden spoon makes a great fairy wand. A parent’s button-up shirt makes a perfect lab coat when playing doctor.
Waht are popular dress up ideas for kids’ parties?
Considering a dress up theme for a kids party? You should absolutely do it! They are so much fun. One popular theme is princesses and princes. Kids can dress up in their fanciest suits or dresses for the event. Find some plastic crowns at the local party store and crown them kings and queens as they arrive.
Another fun theme is superheroes, where children can pretend to be their favorite superheroes like Spider-Man or Wonder Woman. Fairytale and storybook characters are also popular. Animals are a cute and popular theme too, where kids can dress up as lions, tigers, or even their favorite pets.
Pirates are another exciting theme, where children can wear eye patches and pretend to search for treasure. (Try hiding a cardboard treasure box filled with treats for them to find.)
Sports stars, outer space, and magical creatures… the ideas are endless. And we guarantee your kids will be so excited for the event.
More Dress Up Fun From Kids Activities Blog:
I think keeping costumes simply let kids imaginations go wild. What do your kids love to use to dress up?