by Sharon Yeates

Created on: March 17, 2010

Whether you call it playing dress up or attending a costume party, kids of all ages enjoy donning costumes and letting their imaginations run wild.  A rainy day can become a fun filled adventure with just a trip through the closet (or even the linen closet) of your home.  A teen party can become a mystery theatre or a masquerade ball with just a little planning and a few props. The secret is to learn to look at the ordinary items in your home in an out of the ordinary way.

Serendipity - If your kids are stuck inside on a rainy day hold a "best design" fashion show.  Sheets wrapped toga style and tied with ribbon or thin belts become togas and Russian robes.  An old hat can turn a young boy into Indiana Jones.  Dad's old boots and Mom's old dress can turn your little prince and princess into Oscar Winning actors.  Don't overlook the toy box as a source of props.

Mystery Theatre - When my daughter was a teenager, and I had run out of ideas for her birthday party, I sat down one night and wrote a melodramatic murder mystery.  The plot was typical of any murder mystery; a group of diverse guests, a victim, a detective.  Each guest was sent a note explaining that the role they would be asked to fill in the melodrama, and told them I could provide their costumes or props, or they could bring their own.   The guests turned tracking down their costumes into their own pre-party scavenger hunts throughout the week prior to the party.  Goodwill, thrift stores, garage sales, and their own garages turned a group of junior high students into doctors, artists, dancers, detectives and millionaires.  A trench coat and candy cigar turned my husband into a detective, and a few slips of paper in an old hat selected the killer and the victim.  The rest of the night was improvisation and loads of fun.  So much fun that for the next four years I was asked to create a new version of the mystery by my daughter and her friends.

Disney – Disney characters offer children many opportunities for dress up games.  A headband and construction paper, and a little some mascara or black face can turn anyone into a mouse or cat.  A leather shoelace and an old tree branch along with a solid colored t-shirt and a construction paper hat can turn any young boy into an archer from Robin Hood fame.  Mom’s dress can turn a little girl into Cinderella.  A towel wrapped around a head, and a vest can turn

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