Costumes for a Career Day for Kids

Efforts to teach young children about the various careers in their communities sometimes culminate with a career day. Some schools ask students to come to school in a costume that depicts a certain career and to share some information about their chosen jobs. Dressing up and pretending to be someone else also promotes normal child development, according to Dr. Laurie Zelinger, a licensed child psychologist.

Dress as a Community Helper

The ever-popular firefighter, police officer, doctor and mail carrier are each appropriate for a career day costume, but they are far from the only options when it comes to community helpers. Tie an apron on your child, put a chef hat on her head, give her a cake decorating kit and send her to school as a pastry chef. Dress her in a pair of coveralls that you've rubbed with black paint to make her look like a car mechanic. A white lab coat and a pair of goggles will transform her into a scientist, and a black robe and gavel will turn her into a court judge. A plastic hard hat and yellow vest is all that's needed to go to career day as a construction worker.

Depict a Medical Professional

A lab coat and face mask will quickly transform your child into a doctor or nurse. For a less common route, however, dress him in a navy blue shirt and pants, loop a stethoscope around his neck and send him to career day as a paramedic. Give him a set of scrubs, a toothbrush and a package of floss and he can attend as a dentist. Swap the toothbrush and floss for a few X-ray print-outs and he can represent the radiology technician career field. Swap the toothbrush and floss for a stuffed animal instead and he can go as a veterinarian.

Dress as a Service Worker

A pair of camouflage pants, a solid-colored T-shirt and pair of boots make a quick and effective soldier costume. Put your child in a business suit, attach an American flag pin to her lapel and let her pretend to be the president of the United States. The suit can also help your child depict a lawyer 1. In addition to regular school clothes, stick a pencil behind her ear, give her a stack of books and encourage her to represent a librarian.

Become a Celebrity

An easy way to meet the requirements of a career-related costume is to send your child to school in an athletic uniform. A sparkly dress or flamboyant pair of pants can transform your child into a movie or singing star. Props such as toy microphones or pretend movie scripts will add a bit more flair to the costume. A notebook and sharpened pencil will help your child portray a famous author.