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As we approach Halloween and Harvest parties, many parents are searching for the perfect costume for their little ones. Since these costumes are mainly used for one night, the entire year, it is helpful to think of ways to get more use out of these costumes. As I plan for my kids costumes, I like to think practically and determine how we can get the most out of costumes over the course of the year.
(1) Attend Trunk or Treats-Last year we ended up attending two different trunk or treats and going trick or treating. The kids had so much fun dressing up in their costume each time and we were able to get plenty of use out of their costumes. The downside is you can really accumulate some candy this way but there is always a solution for that. Many times organizations accept donations of candy. You could also store some candy away to be used at a later time for different incentives. Of course my favorite solution is to indulge in some of the candy myself.
(2) Host a Costume Play Date- A few years ago, we had a Fall Themed play date with some friends. All of the kids dressed up and we made a craft, played some games, and ate some snacks. It was a fun time for the kids to enjoy being dressed up and play with friends.
(3) Use for Dress Up/Pretend Play- We have collected a few superhero costumes over the past couple years. The good thing about these costumes is that the kids love to dress up in them! Kids love playing pretend and putting on a princess dress or cape furthers their pretend experience. I started keeping a couple bins in the closet holding old costumes to be used for dress up time. It has become a regular activity for my boys to dress up in their costumes and run around pretending to be Thor or Batman.
(4) Story Time- Some libraries or bookstores host special story times during October where kids can dress up. Typically, the books being read are fall themed and not scary, but it may be wise to double check ahead of time. Call your local library or bookstore to see if there are any special costume story times.
What are some ways that you make the best use of your kids’ costumes?
I cannot imagine not reusing costumes. With 7 kids, we have collected a good variety of costumes overy the years. My favorite source is thrift or kids consignment stores. My kids love dress-up, so costumes go straight to the dress-up box. In fact, I spent little to nothing some years because the kids were able to assemble their own costume from the dress-up box!
Same here!! 7 kids?! How wonderful!! We’re the same way- everything goes into the dress up box & they pick their costumes from there. 🙂
I meant to add, I especially like the costume play date idea! 🙂