Inside our closet: What's in my kids' dress-up boxes

Today I thought I’d post pictures of what’s in my children’s costume stash. To say that our dress-up boxes overfloweth would be an understatement. But in my house, this stuff gets a lot of use. Some of the pieces are versatile and some are, well, just an astronaut helmet.

First, the headwear collection.

Wizard hats seem to be popular with our guests, but I cannot say enough how versatile a bandana is. Be a pirate, a cowboy, or a rock star. The kids also love goggles.

Here are my kids with our recent dinner guests after a deep dive into the costumes. Note the accessories such as the big girl’s wristband and my son (wearing the Mexican wrestling mask) holding a pom pom.

We also have some full head-to-toe costumes, but they do get outgrown quickly. Luckily, Old Navy produces new ones each year and the day before Halloween, they’re about $15.

These three will go to a children’s resale shop near us this year where we’ll turn them in for credit toward a new (used) selection of costumes.

See the clown costume above? I made that for Julian last year.

Note: How to turn any pair of pajamas into a clown costume for a kid.

Note the little things like crazy glasses and purses. These are what complete the outfits. The faux suede tunic was made for every guest at a birthday party Julian attended. They were pirates. It’s a brilliant and simple execution. Funny, the host of that party loved to come to our house and wear the astronaut suit you see above in order to pretend to be a star hockey player. Okaaay. The pink sweatsuit is the Foofa costume Scarlett wore when she was two.

An odd but useful element in the picture above is the pretend foam boots that can turn any boy into a man with authority, whether he is seeking to be an astronaut, police officer, or superhero. I am also a big fan of the pieces that have allowed my son to be a ringmaster and/or fairy tale character such as Jack and the Beanstalk. The Minnie Mouse dress is too small and will get swapped at Goodwill this month.

Finally, our capes. We have eight, it turns out, but I didn’t really know how to set them up for a photo. Capes are good for everything. A red one is wonderful for boys and girls alike. You older mamas might recognize one of them as a Continental Airlines scarf. My grandfather had a meeting with them once and brought home about 12 scarves which my cousins and I danced with and dressed up in for many many years.

The end. Would you like to come over and play?

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.