Fancy Pants Kids' Short Dragontail
Kids love to dress-up on Hallowe’en. For a few hours every October 31st, North American kids get to step outside their regular lives and “be” someone else — a superhero, a doctor, a fairy princess or maybe a fierce dinosaur. But dress-up (a.k.a. role play), shouldn’t be confined to a special occasion, say play experts. Instead, it should be a part of regular pretend play for kids of all ages — especially preschoolers and early learners, three to seven years old. Dress-up and role play aids in children’s mental and social growth and development by encouraging imagination, creativity and story-telling/language skills. It helps to build self-esteem by allowing kids to make sense of real-life experiences or, perhaps, re-enact and process fantastical scenarios in a manageable, more kid-friendly way.
While some children don’t need more than a turkey baster and a bath towel to set the stage for pretend play, others require a little help. So don’t wait for pumpkin season to roll around again. Check out the many fabulous lines of costumes, props and accessories that today’s suppliers have to offer for year-round dress-up fun. Here’s a look at ten available products.
Fantasy
Captain Jack Sparrow Classic Costume
This delightful licensed Pirates of the Caribbean outfit lets young tweens bring everyone’s favourite scoundrel, Captain Jack Sparrow, to life as part of every-day pretend or a special dress-up occasion. The Classic set includes detailed, long-sleeve shirt with attached vest, fabric sash, two belts with attached buckles, pants, and bandanna with beaded braids. Accessories available (sold separately) include ripped glove, rings, sword, scabbard and compass. From Disguise Inc. (a division of Jakks Pacific).
Long Dragontail
With Fancy Pants Kids’ 50-inch Dragontail, kids can pretend to be all kinds of strange and wonderful beasts. It features adjustable backpack-style straps so that the tail can be worn by “dragons” of any size — even mom and dad. Made in Canada and guaranteed to stand up to the most rugged play, Dragontails can be wiped clean with a damp cloth and have an extra protective layer on the underside to protect the tail from sidewalk wear. The extra layer also doubles as a secret pocket. The Long Dragontail comes in three colours (green, red, and purple), and is perfect for at-home or classroom fun. From Fancy Pants Kids.
Rapunzel Dress
Part of Little Adventures’ award-winning collection of costumes and accessories, this new Rapunzel Dress features classic styling and details, such as a flounced topskirt, fancy mid-length sleeves, plus a glittery purple and white velvet bodice with beautiful, silver-sequin lace and purple criss-cross trim. Like all Little Adventures’ products, the new Rapunzel Dress is made from quality fabrics that are durable yet soft, stretchy and comfortable enough for everyday play. It’s also machine washable. From Little Adventures.
Sugarbaby Dress
From A Wish Come True comes the perfect costume for making every little girl look and feel like a princess. Featuring made-in-America quality, the Sugarbaby Dress offers true princess styling and detailing, including a velvet and stretch lace, sequin-dot bodice with marabou trim, plus a glitter-dot tulle topskirt over an organza skirt. Designed for kids, three to seven years old. From Brands in Balance.
Magic
Harry Potter™ Robe
Kids are still hot for everything “Harry” and this licensed fabric, one-piece robe is perfect for recreating the adventures of the famous character and his friends. It features detailed ornate clasp, flowing wizard-length sleeves, large hood and a unique fiber-optic Hogwart’s crest on the lapel. Accessories, such as a magic wand, are available separately. From Rubie’s Costume Co., Inc.
Magician Hat
The Elope lineup has the perfect hat and accessories to suit every dress-up fantasy. This whimsical velvet Magician Hat, which includes a detachable, plush rabbit for doing tricks, features fabric lining, a secret compartment, and a Velcro size adjuster that ensures the hat fits all heads up to 56 cm. From Elope, Inc.
Wizard Cape & Hat
Kids can cloak themselves in magic any time and any where with this easy to don blue satin cape with matching pointed hat. Each is printed with a beautiful stars and moons motif and the cape features a Velcro closure on the collar. From Creative Education of Canada Inc.
Adventure
Jr. Train Engineer
This sturdy fabric outfit by Aeromax Toys is perfect for special occasions or everyday role play. It features an adjustable engineers hat, red bandanna, full-length adjustable-bib overalls and matching quality-made leather gloves. From Jouets JRC Toys.
Knight Shield
Part of an affordable line of accessories that everyday knights can really use, this Shield comes in three rich colours and designs. All made from high-density foam, the line includes mace, sword and axe — all are sold separately in handy, open display boxes. From Incredible Novelties Inc.
Noble Knight Cloak & Shield
Designed in Denmark, this beautifully detailed fabric cloak and matching shield, which is made from safe, high-density foam, are truly fit for a noble knight. Part of the LionTouch Knight Collection, the colourful cloak features an authentic lion crest. Accessories, such as the shield, sword, sword sheath and hat are sold separately. From D’Artagnan Distribution.
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