Posted in Kid’s Party Games & Activities Dress Up Race
Growing up, I always had a Dress Up Race at my birthday parties. When I told my daughter about it, she insisted we do it at her party. The kids get to be silly and have lots of fun! And burn energy!
The fastest team to put the Dress Up clothes on and wish the birthday kid “Happy Birthday” wins!
The setup is so easy! Arrange two piles of clothes and accessories, and that’s it.
In this race, we used 5 items (tutus, adult tank tops, a flower for the hair, necklaces, and cute folding hand fans). However, you can use whatever clothes and accessories you want. The clothes should be oversized to fit all the kids over their regular clothes.
The teams do not even have to have the same clothes, but the outfits and number of items need to be similar so that the race is fair.
You could even do a theme to match your party, like pirates, fairies, superheroes, princesses, robots, hula dancers, clowns, etc.
It is best to pick about 5-6 comparable items for each team. Keep in mind the age group that is playing. For example, it may be difficult for 3-year-olds to fasten a belt.
Choose your Dress Up Clothes
- dresses
- overalls
- skirt or tutus
- pants
- tank tops
- shirts
- hula skirts
- capes
- costumes
- big suit jackets
- bathrobes
- jumpsuits
- aprons
Choose your Dress Up Accessories
- hats
- headbands or bows
- necklaces, bracelets, or rings
- big/funny sunglasses or glasses
- fairy or princess wands
- fairy wings
- crowns
- boas
- belts
- purses
- eye patches
- bandanas
- swords
- robot box head
- masks
- wigs
How to Play the Dress Up Race
- Put two piles of Dress Up clothes at one end of the lawn or room.
- Have the birthday kid at the opposite end.
- Separate the party kids into two teams. If you have an uneven number, one player from the team with fewer players will go twice.
- Each team should decide their playing order to avoid delays during the race.
- Start the Race with “Ready, Set, Go”.
- The first player of each team puts all the Dress Up clothes and accessories on, runs to the birthday kid and wishes them “Happy Birthday”.
- They run back to their team and take off their Dress Up clothes.
- The next player then takes a turn, and so on, until everyone on the team has had a turn.
- To finish the race, the last player must return to their team.
- The fastest team wins!
During the Race
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to put the clothes on. Just as long as they put them on. In fact, the more silly, the more fun!
In our second race, everyone really got into it; and the silliness came out. Tutus on the head? Lol. They had so much fun and were laughing so hard!
Variations of the Dress Up Race
This party game is very adaptable. You can run this race any way you want. Here are some examples:
- If the birthday kid wants to be in the race, the players can run to the opposite side and do something else, like strike a pose for the camera, or touch something.
- If using folding hand fans, have each player fan the birthday kid two times.
- Instead of running, do a fast walk, skip or hop.
You get the idea. Be creative and have fun with it. The sillier, the better!
I would love to hear about your Dress Up Race! Please share your pictures and comments below.
Mama's Helpful Tips
- This activity takes approximately 15-20 minutes depending on how many times you race.
- The clothes should be oversized to fit all the kids over their regular clothes.
- If you don’t have any clothes at home that work, check out the dollar store or thrift store.
- Have Fun!
