Knight Costume Ideas
A knight costume inspires the child who wears it to leap into an imaginary world of sword play and dragon slaying. Homemade knight costumes constructed by kids provide a craft activity with hours of fun, both during the assembly and in the resulting dramatic play. These knight costume ideas allow the costume to grow with the child.
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Uses
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Knight costumes offer a fitting idea for Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. The homemade element means the knight costume will be a one-of-a-kind costume in a sea of commercially produced outfits. Knight costumes also serve as a dress-up outfit for dramatic play activities throughout the year. Children use the knight costumes to transport themselves to medieval times. The dramatic play activities sharpen the imaginations of the children while improving their verbal skills and providing educational opportunities about different periods in history.
Armor
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The armor of the knight's costume is a crucial piece of the outfit. Disposable baking pans in a rectangular shape serve as the front and back of the armor. Holes punched in the top of each pan allow them to be tied together with string. The strings rest on the child's shoulders, allowing the two pans to hang around the child, one in the front and one in the back. Allow the kids to paint designs on the armor to customize the knight costume.
Sword
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A sword serves as another key element to a knight's ensemble. Purchase foam swords at a party or toy store. A homemade sword provides an inexpensive alternative to the commercially produced swords. A sheet of Styrofoam or cardboard serves as the primary material for the homemade knight's sword. Draw the shape of the sword on the selected material. Cut out the sword and use tempera paint to add details to the sword. Aluminum foil provides another option for covering the blade of the sword.
Shield
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A shield protects the young knight from potential attacks. The homemade shield shape can be cut from a piece of cardboard or Styrofoam, using a similar method as the sword. Paint a symbol in the middle of the shield for a personalized touch. Another option is to use a disposable baking pan for the shield. Attach a handle to the back side of the shield to allow the child to hold it easily.
Scenery
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Creating scenery related to the knight theme allows the kids to carry out dramatic play activities with the costume. A large appliance box transforms into a castle. Cut out a door and add a coat of paint to add details to the homemade castle. A stuffed animal shaped like a dragon or a cardboard cutout of the creature adds to the knight scenery. Paint a large sheet of butcher paper to create an additional background for the dramatic play activities.
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