Children learn through play. To you or me, a child dressing up in a firefighter costume or Spiderman suit is fun, but to a kid, it’s another way to engage with the world. When children play with dress up games, boys and girls, their imagination sparks and they enter a different realm. They create dramatic scenes, invent dialogue and learn a bit of empathy. Role-play games teach kids all kinds of essential skills, including decision-making and how to get along with other kids in a group play situation.
Never underestimate the value of dress-up games, so if your son wants to play at being a cop or a construction worker and he needs you to join in, indulge him for a few hours. To give you a helping hand, here are nine of the best dress up games for boys.
1. Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Role Play Costume Set
Boys love to dress up as firefighters, so this amazing costume from much-loved kids’ brand, Melissa & Doug is sure to get dress up games for boys off to a flying start. The set contains everything boys need to have an exciting imagination-fueled game. It comes with a firefighter’s jacket, a badge, helmet and fire extinguisher. There is also a bullhorn and reusable nametag. The jacket is washable and all of the accessories are easy to clean.
2. GoGo Goodie Superheroes
The Superhero Dress Up Costumes set from GoGo Goodie contains four satin capes in four different designs: Spiderman, Superman, Batman and Captain America, plus four matching felt masks so your child can disguise his identity when morphing into his favorite superhero. The capes are made from durable satin and come with an easy-to-fit Velcro neck fastening. They are suitable for boys aged 3-8 years.
3. Police Officer Costume Set
This police officer role-play costume set from the Melissa & Doug brand is just as much fun as the firefighter set. Boys aged 3-6 years will have hours of fun dressing up as pretend police officers. The set includes a police officer’s jacket, a pair of handcuffs, a cap, whistle, badge and walkie-talkie with fun sound effects. The costume is machine washable and all accessories can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. It’s the perfect accessory for dress up games for boys!
4. Hero Adventure Trunk
The hero adventure trunk is a fun accessory for dress up games for boys aged 3-5 years. The hero adventure trunk set contains 26 different pieces, so boys can mix and match the costumes for different role-play games. All items come in a durable cardboard trunk, which helps to keep them nice and tidy when not in use. Thanks to Velcro tabs, the costumes are easy to take on and off. It’s a great little set if your boy dreams of being an action hero!
5. Police Play Kit
Does your son want to be a cop or special agent when he grows up? If he does, this handy little police role play kit contains everything he needs to have some imaginative fun, including a police scanner, police badge, sunglasses, watch, siren, handcuffs, binoculars and other essential police items. It is a great set for younger boys: they can spy on criminals with the binoculars, use the handcuffs to secure a criminal once he’s been captured and look super cool with the police sunglasses as they escort their criminal (older sister) to jail.
6. Construction Worker Vest
The construction worker dress up vest from Darice measures 16 x 20 inches and is ideal for younger children. It looks just like a real construction worker’s vest, so your boy will have hours of fun pretending to be a builder, engineer, project manager or anything else he chooses to be. It’s even better if dad is also a construction worker because they can play and learn some constructions skills together in the backyard!
7. Joey – Magnetic Dress Up Set
Sometimes it’s fun to play dress up games for boys in a different way. The Melissa & Doug Joey Magnetic Dress Up Set for kids is a great educational game, as it promotes creative expression, imaginative play and hand-eye coordination. The set comes with a wooden magnetic figure on a stand, plus 26 different items of magnetic clothing and accessories. Kids can mix and match each piece and attach them to the figure. A sturdy tray is included, so the set is ideal for vacations and long journeys.
8. S.W.A.T. Police Officer Costume
The deluxe children’s S.W.A.T. police officer costume set comes in a range of sizes and is suitable for toddlers upwards. This is a fun set for boys. It includes a shirt, S.W.AT. vest, pants and cap; the pants feature an elastic waistband for extra comfort. The costume is super realistic with lots of pockets and buttons, so your little boy will have enormous fun planning S.W.A.T. raids on his sister’s bedroom. The set doesn’t include a pair of sunglasses, a gun or handcuffs, but you can easily add them from a different dress up costume set.
9. Gallant Knight Toddler Costume
Does your little boy dream of being a gallant knight in shining armor? If so, he will love this Gallant Knight dress up costume from California Costumes. It features a tunic with attached cape and belt, a foam helmet with a removable face grill and a soft foam sword. The tunic has a screen-printed coat of arms for extra realism. Sadly, a horse isn’t included, but feel free to dress up the family dog and let him join in the fun. After all, every dashing knight in shining armor needs a loyal sidekick when he goes to rescue a damsel in distress!
Dress up games for boys are lots of fun, so encourage your son to feed his imagination with some fun costumes and accessories!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, Galvi.