Becoming Pilots | Imaginative Play and Learning

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and has been compensated. 
These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity..

Imagine if you could be a doctor. Or maybe a cowboy. Or an astronaut. With a little imagination, you can! In our house, dress up time is a fun way to put yourself in someone else’s shoes while providing a unique, empowering educational experience.

Costume Express is such a fun place to purchase dress up clothes from. Most of the time when you think of costume shopping you think of Halloween or dressing up for special events and costume parties, but did you realize these make great tools for everyday activities?

My boys decided to become Air Force pilots with the costumes they received. My oldest decided to wear his suit everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I love seeing him come out of his room with a costume on in the mindset that, at that moment, he really is a pilot or he really is a construction worker or a vet. It heightens his desire to learn, so I take advantage of this by making it a time for learning.

Education

As you can see from the pictures above, the boys dressed as Air Force pilots and we went to see some of the planes that were/are flown in that career field. They were able to look at the planes and learn the different names of them. Their dad loves learning about history and vehicles, so he was able to tell them more about the jets they looked at.

After wearing the outfit for a bit, my baby was able to experience helmet head. I had to share because it is just too cute.

After seeing the jets in person, we read about some of them, some battleships, and a few things about history in this awesome book , The World Wars. We learned about aircraft carriers where pilots would land, and so much more. We even took a trip to see a battleship (they did not wear their costumes due to the heat.)

Inspiration

Of course, we had to include a project in the education process. Our neighbor boy came over one day with a craft stick being held by a clothespin and said it was an airplane. My son thought it was so cute, he had to make one to fly in his pilot outfit. He decorated his to look like an “angry airplane” as he calls them. So simple and inexpensive.

Imagination

When we went to a kids’ event at the park, my oldest had to wear his uniform out. He had his teeth checked in a dental bus (even pilots need clean, healthy teeth.)

He was even able to “fly a plane” (ride a horse.) They were zooming through the air so quickly, the picture came out blurry.

There are so many ways to enjoy costumes year-round with your children. Use a little imagination and try out different occupations. Your child may find out what they want to do when they grow up this way! Take advantage of the excitement and desire to learn more and plan activities around it. Take a field trip look at planes and make your own toy plane. Visit a vet then take care of stuffed animals. Watch workers at a construction site and build something at home.

Costume Express is hoping to inspire children year-round to use their imaginations. They want to help parents feel like kids again and give them an opportunity to learn and play with their children. As Walt Disney said, “Laughter is timeless. Imagination has to age. And dreams are forever.”

Grow together. Learn together. Use your imaginations. Give your child something fun they want to play with and, more importantly, your time. I love when I see my husband playing alongside the kids. I love playing with them myself and costume play is a great way to get involved with your children.

Check out the “ideas tab” on the Costume Express website for a lot more imaginative creative play ideas for year-round fun. They have myriads of character and occupational costumes, including historical figures. We love the outfits we received. They are high-quality and a great value. If needed, their returns are hassle-free. 

Visit Costume Express on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest then go create some memories!

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–What does your child want to be when he/she grows up? Have you ever pretended to be a pilot and fly jets through the sky?