How to Make a Dramatic Play Box for Kids

Most of us remember playing dress up as a child. Although you can purchase some commercial dress-up boxes for children, they are overpriced and many sets include low quality costumes. A better solution is to make your own Dramatic Play Box.

Why a Dramatic Play Box?

Dramatic play is very important to children. J. Birckmayer of Penn State tells us that dramatic play "stimulates all areas of a child's growth and can in turn affect the child's success in school." Children learn to use their language skills as well as cognitive abilities such as recalling events and imitation. As children grow, their dramatic play becomes more intricate and deep.

Children learn a great deal in dramatic play. Through their play, they are able to "try on" different roles they see in their lives. They can replay events in their memories that were difficult or fearful to get a better understanding. They learn about cooperation and teamwork as they pretend to be parents, teachers, firemen, nurses and pizza delivery drivers. Dramatic play allows children to explore their world through the safety of their playroom.

Collect Your Supplies

To make your Dramatic Play Box, you will need a container and dress up clothes. The container can be as simple as a cardboard box or a plastic container. For a longer lasting box, you can find a wooden toy chest at a thrift store. Many craft stores also carry unpainted wooden toy chests. You may be tempted to spend a lot of money on a nice looking box. I find that children generally don't care what the box looks like, so you can go cheap without the guilt.

After you find your container, it's time to fill it. Many websites and children's stores sell costumes that can be added to the box. While old Halloween costumes have their place in any good Dramatic Play Box, you don't need to buy costumes specifically for your box. Children, especially young children, are more likely to imitate people they see in their home and community.

Take a trip to your local thrift store. You will be sure to find hats that used to belong to UPS drivers or aprons from coffee shop baristas. Look for shirts in the women's and men's sections. Old shoes, purses, wallets and backpacks may be useless to us, but will provide hours of entertainment for children.

You can also keep an eye out around your house for additions to the Dramatic Play Box. The phony credit cards you get in the mail will delight young children. Pots and pans you don't use will cook up great entrees in a child's imagination. A set of old keys or a cell phone without the battery is a prized possession in the eyes of a child.

Some parents also consider adding play silks to their Dramatic Play Box. A play silk is a colored scarf made of a lightweight silk. The smooth texture makes it a great sensory object. Play silks lend themselves to Dramatic Play. They can be anything from the soup in a bowl to a baby blanket or cape. These are nice, but not a necessary part of a Dramatic Play Box.

Get into Themes

If you have an older child, or a large amount of dramatic play gear, consider creating themed Dramatic Play Boxes called Prop Boxes. You can make several boxes, each with dramatic play toys following a different theme. You can create an In The Kitchen Box with aprons, oven mitts and play food. Another idea would be a Camping Box with flashlights, maps, sleeping bags, binoculars and plaid flannel shirts. A great book full of themes and ideas is Prop Box Play by Ann Barbour and Blanche Desjean-Perrotta.

However you choose to make it, the children in your life will love their Dramatic Play Box. The best part is that the gift keeps on giving. You can always add to the box. For very little out of pocket expense, you can create a giant present that will provide hours more entertainment than the latest mass-produced electronic toy.