I remember my childhood career dress up day well. There was one in preschool (I wanted to be a ballerina) and one in 5th grade (I wanted to be a writer). Guess which one won out, in the end?
We're turning this season into a 31-day Halloween extravaganza, so it only makes sense that we incorporate all kinds of costume opportunities! Any of these would make great day costumes for kids who need to be school dressed to attend in-person without being disruptive to the learning process.
Career dress up day is a time-honored tradition all around the world, with parents, teachers and kids having corroborated on the idea for years up on years. Popular picks for career dress up day include public service workers, people in emerging technical fields, construction workers, doctors, artists and more. Preschool, elementary school kids, middle school and high school alike always get a kick out of this pastime.
As a former teacher myself, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to participate and imagine alternate careers for myself. One year, I dressed up as the tooth fairy. The kids got a kick out of that! I did try to encourage the kids to get really creative and imaginative with their own picks, steering away from the oft-chosen ‘athlete,' ‘superhero' or ‘pop star.'
I'm now a mom with my own children, and I love experiencing this day with them. We dress up for various teaching units, and oftentimes dress up as characters featured in our homeschool printables. Our family has dressed up as Moana, as Vanellope, DIY Peter Pan costumes, DIY Beauty and the Beast costumes, Mo Willems, DIY Minions and more. We really, really, really love Halloween and career dress up day.
I asked the kids what they wanted to ‘be' for our designated Career Dress Up Day, and they all had distinct, clear, confident answers.
Career Dress Up Day as a Family
Kicking off career dress up day in style, Olin wants to be a LEGO Master Builder.
Elich wants to be a Fighter Pilot. He also greatly admires police officers.
Ahren wants to be a veterinarian. It's weirdly hard to track down a veterinarian costume, so we went with a doctor outfit, complete with scrubs and a lab coat, and added a creature. This is actually an R.O.U.S (Rodent Of Unusual Size) from Princess Bride. This little critter cracks me up, and has become the subject of many, many living room plays.
When I asked the baby what he wants to be, he said, “blue.” Just blue. He stuck to it, adamantly. No further explanation. So I got him a blue… suit… ? I don't really know what this thing is, to be honest. They called it a shadow suit, I think? In any case, it goes over his face, over his Pull-Ups, and he can see through it. And he is, imdeed, blue.
What would your kids be for career dress up day?