What dressing-up clothes does an EYFS setting need?

Why is dressing up valuable in EYFS?

Dressing up gives children a practical way to explore identity, relationships and imagined situations. A scarf may become a cape, a blanket, a head covering or part of a den. A bag, jacket or hat can prompt children to negotiate roles, explain ideas and sustain a shared story.

This supports several areas of learning at once. Children use communication and language as they agree what is happening, personal, social and emotional skills as they cooperate, and expressive arts and design as they invent and adapt narratives. The educational value comes from the play children create, not from how realistic a costume looks.

What does the EYFS framework expect?

The EYFS statutory framework includes communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and expressive arts and design among the seven areas of learning. Dressing-up provision can contribute to these areas when adults protect time for imaginative play, introduce useful vocabulary and respond to children’s ideas.

The framework does not provide a required costume list. Settings should shape provision around their children, curriculum and community. Explore imaginative role play resources to build out your setting.

Which dressing-up clothes are most useful?

Start with versatile resources that can support more than one role:

• lengths of fabric, scarves and simple tabards
• jackets, waistcoats, aprons and easy-fastening tops
• hats and bags linked to familiar experiences
• safe, lightweight accessories such as notebooks, fabric purses and pretend keys
• selected occupational clothing that reflects roles children encounter
• garments and fabrics chosen respectfully with families and communities

Open-ended pieces often generate richer play than a rail of highly specific character costumes. Children can transform them according to the story rather than reproducing one fixed script. You can also explore options like role-play clothing collections.

How can settings make the collection inclusive?

Represent varied families, occupations, cultures, ages, genders and abilities without turning identity into a theme-day costume. Avoid suggesting that particular colours, jobs or roles belong to one gender. Include resources that allow children to portray everyday care, work, celebration and community life.

Seek family guidance before using culturally significant clothing. A garment with religious or ceremonial meaning should never be treated as a novelty. Inclusive provision is thoughtful, accurate and embedded throughout the year.

What safety and hygiene checks are needed?

Check garments for loose fastenings, trailing cords, damaged seams, sharp decorations and pieces that could detach. Avoid adult clothing that is so long it creates a trip hazard. Wash items according to their care instructions and remove anything that cannot be cleaned or safely repaired.

Risk assessment should consider the children using the provision, including allergies, sensory preferences and mobility needs. Dressing-up clothes must remain suitable for supervised educational play; they are not protective equipment.

How should dressing-up resources be organised?

Display a small selection at child height using hooks, baskets or a low rail. Add clear pictures or words where these help children return items. Rotate resources in response to interests, but retain familiar favourites so children can revisit and deepen stories.

A nearby mirror can help children see how they have represented an idea, provided its placement and material are safe. Keep accessories in shallow containers rather than one crowded box. Find helpful accessible storage options for your space.

What does effective adult support look like?

Adults can model vocabulary, join briefly when invited and help a story continue without controlling it. Useful prompts include “What do you need for your journey?” or “How will everyone know the café is open?” These questions expand thinking while leaving decisions with children.

Observe who enters the play, who chooses roles and who remains on the edge. Sometimes adding duplicate accessories, a visual cue or an open-ended fabric is enough to make participation easier.

What common mistakes should settings avoid?

Avoid overfilling the area, relying only on commercial characters or correcting children whenever they use an item in an unexpected way. Do not assign roles by gender or use stereotyped accents and cultural representations.

Another mistake is treating dressing up as an occasional reward. Consistent access allows children to return to ideas, develop narratives and build confidence over time.

How does Hope Education support imaginative role play?

Hope Education helps Early Years teams build dressing-up provision around children’s imagination rather than a fixed catalogue of roles. Practitioners can combine open-ended fabrics, role-play clothing, accessories and accessible storage to create a flexible resource collection. The strongest choices are durable, manageable and relevant to children’s lives, giving busy settings practical ways to support communication, cooperation and creative storytelling throughout continuous provision.