Pretend Play & Dress Up

Children dive into imaginative new worlds with dress up clothes

Kids of all ages love to play pretend, whether it is with baby dolls, action figures, Barbies or real-life dress up play. The right box of dress up clothes can open up new worlds and help your children grow as they practice their language and social skills. From faraway lands to realistic careers, these play pieces can be handed down from sibling to sibling as true family toys that encourage everyone to play pretend together. The pieces could be some of your old castoff clothes, but a true chest of dress up clothes includes several special pieces to help bring imaginary characters to life.

The pink-loving crowd needs plenty of dresses and fancy shoes for tea parties, royal events and fairy-led mischief. It is essential that the chest include lots of tulle, glitter and jewels for the princess-loving crowd. Fairy wings, wands and whimsical headpieces are perfect for the girls who want a little bit of magic in their dress-up play. You may also want to include a tutu, an evening gown and some gloves so that your little girl can be a prima donna ballerina or movie star. Fun accessories like your old sunglasses and purses help to round out the dress-up box with many fun items that will result in hours of pretend play.

For the more rambunctious crowd, only action costumes will do. A leather vest, chaps, a shiny star and a ten-gallon hat will make the perfect cow wrangler. A long sword and an outfit in black will make your little one a stealthy ninja. Add a little armor or olive green attire for endless combinations of soldiers and knights. Accessories such as helmets, shields and the right set of cowboy boots add the finishing touches to the perfect gentleman's get-up.

Pretend play is a great way for young ones to act out and experiment with different careers. A white lab coat will allow your girl or boy to pretend to be a doctor, veterinarian or mad scientist. A yellow helmet or police badge can let your child be a hero for a day. If your child wants to be a marine biologist, have her try on a pint-sized set of fins and a mask. Looking towards the future is a great way to get their minds rolling about who they want to be when they grow up. If they prefer to look towards the past, a box full of historical costumes is great for the future interpreter or museum curator.

Whether you are looking for a chest of dress up clothes to start a tradition of afternoon pretend play or you are hoping to add to a growing collection, Kmart has everything you need. Check out a wide variety of dress up clothes, from fairy princess outfits to daring swashbuckling hero ensembles. With a matching selection of accessories and dress up toys to accompany those clothes, your children will have everything they need for hours of imaginative play.