Dress Up and Role Playing

Dress Up and Role Playing

“Hey, Grammy, let’s play “Beauty and the Beast”!
“Sure, Em, just tell us who you want us to be”.
“You can be the beast, Grampa can be Gaston, and I will be Belle”
“What about Owen?”
“He can be Mrs. Potts or Luminiere…..they don’t have to say much.”

Great. We don’t remember the details of this fairy tale or most of the others, either. We faked it as best we could, with Emma directing and finally giving up when we didn’t know anything. Shortly after this we borrowed a few of their videos and did a crash course on these stories. I also found a few synopses online which quickly brought us up to speed. If you are going to hang out with your grandchildren, you are going to have to immerse yourselves in their culture. If you do not know the Veggie Tales, Disney Playhouse, Hannah Montana, and a host of other kids’ icons, best to start learning now!

I’d saved bridesmaids’ and prom dresses from our own daughters, and someday the children will have fun with them. For right now they are simply too big. However, a former student gave me two bags of her dance recital costumes, and they continue to be a huge hit with boys and girls alike. It is routine now for someone to grab the dress up bags from the upstairs closet and suggest the roles they are going to play that day. Now we have a bag (mostly bought at yard sales) of hats, tiaras, boas, bags and jewelry, in addition to the actual clothing. Swords and beads abound. Elmopalooza cd has tons of good songs to dance to, and they just love getting all gussied up and dancing around the house. It amazed me how long this activity has endured, and how joyously they all participate. I have censored the pictures I’ve selected here so as to not embarrass anyone, but they are priceless!

Sometimes the kids dress up just for nothing. They like to read, eat, celebrate birthdays, and play with toys in various get ups. They also love the pictures of them fooling around. Megan and Emma started out playing Potato Head together, and then got progressively sillier as they donned the accessories. Emma used a bureau scarf under a tiara to create one costume. Owen nearly destroyed everything the girls constructed when he decided he was really a super hero in disguise. You don’t have to buy a lot of fancy things; hold on to last year’s Halloween costumes because they, too, are great for rainy day playing.

Tip #11: Let your imagination soar and be creative in acquiring items for role playing and dress up and don’t worry about gender or stereotypes. Get in garb yourself and maybe they will let you play too!