Musical Dress Up

• Place a large box of dress up items in the center of the play area. The children should stand in a large circle around the box. On your command, kids dash to the box, grab one item and run and back to their positions in the circle. Once each kid is back in the circle, start a kid-friendly tune. The kids then pass the items around the circle until the music stops. Each player must then dress in the item he's holding when the music stops. Once the winner is announced, kids dash back to the boxes to replace their dress up items. Vary the game by asking kids to retrieve specific pieces during each round. Consider placing novelty clothing and accessories, including Halloween costumes, in the dress up box for maximum enjoyment.
  
  

Timed Dress Up

• Separate dress up items into boxes according to their type; for example, place all hats in one box and all the shoes in another box. Line up the boxes in the center of the play area. Tell the kids to form a circle around the boxes. Ask their undivided attention, as you announce the dressing requirements for each round. Once the time starts, each kid dashes to the corresponding boxes, and attempts to get fully dressed before time expires. The winner is the player that is dressed in the right clothing, within the time limit. Consider starting with an easy dressing requirement and working up to more complicated requirements. For example, for the first round the kids put on one item, but by the fifth round, they have to put on five.
  
  

Online Dress Up

• Online dress up games typically are similar to classic paper dolls, allowing children to express their fashion expertise layer by layer. At Dressupgirl.com, kids can switch out and accessorize items for their chosen avatar simply by clicking on preferred items. The digital characters' clothing is instantly updated with the new selections, and the player even has the option to change hair and eye color. The game choices include timed challenges, free form play and two-player games. GirlSense.com expands upon the dress up fun, allowing visitors who create a profile to design one-of-a-kind fashions, and even create and decorate their own e-boutique.