Article  Unexpected Win: Historical Kids Halloween Costumes When Halloween roles around, we all expect to have children pulling at our pants legs, whining and crying that they want to be the latest Disney princess, the summer’s big superhero or perhaps their favorite TV show character. They want detailed, perfect costumes, and they really do care about the smallest inconsistencies between their projected character and the actual depiction of that character. Children are incredibly observant. Thus, kids Halloween costumes become an issue of pride as much as one of creativity. One of the newest, most exciting, and most parent-approved trends in costumes is historical costumes. Children are more often dressing up like Martha Washington and a Revolutionary soldier as they are Hannah Montana or Spiderman. What are the reasons for this switch?   One of the primary reasons, certainly, is the encouragement exerted by parents and teachers. Parents and teachers obviously want anything a child consumes, from their dinner to a book or a movie, to have a purpose that is both healthy and promotes growth. We feed children carrots so they’ll grow to like carrots and develop healthy vitamin B levels and good night vision. We offer a child a book so that they will develop strong and curious minds and mature in a context that understands both present and past to prepare for the future. Nothing should ever be frivolous where a child is considered. Everything should be planned and purposeful. Kids Halloween costumes are no exception. Wearing the clothes of a historical figure promotes a natural and educational curiosity about that character that can help a child learn in a fun way.   Spiderman has no history or context to a child but the Founding Fathers are something they read about in school. They see pictures of men in outfits as foreign to them as a Spidey suit, and there is a sense of fascination that is immediate with this whole historical life. Children perceive this not as our natural history, but as a wholly separate world with a life of its own and they want to jump right in. This historical context also provides a multimedia engagement. There are historical books and novels where a child can immerse themselves in a character and world. There are movies that give a rich visual portrayal to a bygone era. There are comic books, coloring books, text books and stories galore.   History has already presented us with several characters that are popular, digestible and fun for a child. Look, for example, at the American Girl series, that allows a girl to be so immersed in her toy that she understands not only her story, as presented in accompanying novels, but the very physicality of her existence, from her pretty dresses to the type of silverware she might have used. This creates a real world for children to play in, in addition to the educational value and context we just discussed. Movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, while a swashbuckling adventure, are also a vignette of a historical condition. These kinds of media experiences encourage a burning curiosity in a child. Even if its just because your daughter likes a pretty dress or a fun wig, when kids Halloween costumes become historical, there is a huge opportunity there to indulge and encourage an educational fascination and curiosity that can only benefit a child. And, of course, it’s fun! Category Fashion Author Anonymous Add To Favorites Print This Article Email Article To A Friend Post Comments   Rate This Article (0) 1 - Poor2345 - Good678910 - Excellent Added On 04-19-2010