THE COSTUME BOX

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Collect a few hats and a heap of old clothing . . . and watch your youngsters' imaginations run wild!

ABOVE: With a bit of "fashion magic", our five-year-old son is transformed into Sherlock Holmes. BELOW: Specially made costumes are fun, too. Here, our two-year-old is just a "living doll"! FAR BELOW: Digging into the costume box is a pastime the whole family enjoys.

Paula and Keith White
There's a magical box in our house which—on dreary winter afternoons—brings make-believe characters to life! We call it "the costume box". On first glance, our carton of mismatched clothing might be mistaken for a collection of well-worn hand-me-downs about to be retired to the rag pile. But we've discovered that, by using a bit of creative thought, we can turn the remnants into a wondrous array of colorful costumes.

Most folks, of course, remember getting decked out in Mom's and Dad's old clothing to play "dress-ups" or "grown-ups". Well, our costume box is simply an extension of that children's pastime. And the only stipulation for opening its lid and rummaging through its contents is that the wearers-to-be (adults included! ) be willing to escape into a child's world of fantasy.

AMATEUR ACTING

Our five-year-old son has been delving into the costume box since before he was two years of age. As a matter of fact, it was as a result of his desire to "dress up" that he learned the mechanics of putting on and taking off clothing, and mastered the how-to of snaps, zippers, buttons, and buckles. (He still has some trouble tying his shoes . . . but so far all of his "creations" have worn boots!)

With the help of the costume box, our youngster has transformed himself into a multitude of characters . . . ranging from a cowboy and a fireman to more unusual figures such as a gnome, an orchestra conductor, a boxer, and even the Nutcracker from the Tchaikovsky ballet.

Our daughter, who is now two years old, is already following her brother's lead . . . so no doubt we'll soon be receiving even more "visitors" from various periods of history and different walks of life. (How many households have the privilege of entertaining tin soldiers, astronauts, and a king and queen all in one day?)

In addition to being a wonderful source of entertainment, the costume box has proved to be a tremendous learning tool. Frequently, after a new character has emerged out of the bundle of rags, our family will wind up studying events or facts that have to do with—or are suggested by—that particular person. For example, after donning the garb of Captain Kirk (from the television science fiction series Star Trek), our son began asking questions about the solar system. Now-after researching the subject-he can name all the planets and find Mars, Jupiter, and Venus in the night sky. At the moment we're reading about the culture of ancient Athens . . . spurred on by a five-year-old decked out in a Grecian tunic!

If the youngsters in your family are the least bit prone to theatrics (and most children are), you can easily put together a costume box and join the fun. All it'll take to get started is an afternoon or two of creative scrounging!