Dress Like A Pirate
Posted by Kidspace on September 15, 2020
Ahoy mateys! September 19 is “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.” To prepare for this day of momentous adventure and exploration, here are some ideas to take your normal wardrobe and give it some pirate pizzazz!
Start by pillaging your closet
Start by pillaging your closet to see what fashionable treasures you can discover. Here are some tips and tricks to help create your own pirate costumes at home:
- Start with the basics – Search your closet for simple pieces. A white shirt, black or tan pants, and a vest are all great pieces to kick-off your pirate costume. From there, you can add lots of creative touches and embellishments!
- Lots of layers – Look for baggy clothes that you can drape, layer, and wrap. Pirates would often wear loose-fitting clothes, so that they could move around freely on their pirate ships.
- Play with patterns – The real fun about dressing up as a pirate is that there are no rules! When you are a pirate, your clothes don’t have to match or even be color coordinated. By putting together pieces with different colors and patterns, you can make your pirate costume go from drab to fab!
- Finishing touches – Now that your pirate costume is nearly complete, it is time to finish it up with a couple final pieces! A long scarf or t-shirt can be tied into a bandana. Push up your pant legs, borrow a belt or scarf to put around your waist, and throw on some boots or go barefoot. You are all set to sail the seven seas!
The “Treasure” of Pretend Play
Taking the opportunity to be silly and dress up as pirates is a fun way to spend time together as a family. Pretend play also provides lots of important learning opportunities!
- Language Development – Swab the deck and shiver me timbers! Pretend play allows children to explore different stories and characters. In addition, it allows them to incorporate new language into their play. Through play, you can also integrate themed vocabulary like compass, navigate, or quest into your child’s language in a fun and intentional way.
- Creative Thinking – When children engage in pretend play, they use their imagination to explore, dream, laugh, and build. By encouraging your child to think about how they could incorporate simple things you have at home into their play, you are helping to fuel their creativity. Basic household items like pots and pans, blank paper, old clothes, and big swaths of fabric can be the perfect vehicle for imaginative play!
- Problem Solving – While you and your child play the role of pirates, consider offering some scenarios or obstacles for your child to find creative solutions to. How will you move your ship around “Kitchen Table Island?” What supplies should we gather for a treasure hunt? By encouraging problem-solving in play, your child will feel more empowered to be a part of creative solutions.