Little girls (and boys) love to play dress up, and it’s a fun party activity that fits into many party themes. You don’t have to purchase expensive outfits to let the kids have a great time playing dress up.

Here are a couple tips for having fun dress up activities at your party without breaking the bank:

1. Accessorize! It’s all about the accessories right? Get some bright colored boas, shoes, gloves, hats, and costume jewelry. They’ll have just as much fun trying on accessories as they would the whole outfits.

2. Check out some local garage sales or thrift shops. You can usually find gently used party dresses, costumes, and fun outfits at bargain prices.

3. Make your own, or better yet let the kids make their own costumes, or accessories at the party. It can be a lot of fun.  Amazonhas a bunch of fun kits you can purchase to make your own accessories. They have magic wands, pirate hats, princess crowns, and much more.

4. Don’t forget to raid your own closet, and your friends closet. Go through the closets to see what you can find from fun shoes, to scarves, think of the clothes from a kids point of view. Throw in anything that looks like fun. Scarves make great superhero capes, and my son loves to wear anyone’s shoes but his own around the house.

Let the kids dress up and show off their creations, or act out a skit. They’ll have a ton of fun, and create some great memories. Don’t forget to capture a few shots on camera, or video.

Image: istockphoto