Have you heard of Fabric Play? At Westside, we have already done some! Our costuming station includes many fabrics in different textures, colors, and sizes. These are fabrics and costumes that children can touch, feel, play and engage with in imaginative play.

While costuming has benefits around gender affirming, role play, and body autonomy, both costuming and Fabric Play have other benefits too! This activity helps with fine and general motor skills, sensory awareness, problem solving and creativity, and often involves collaborative activities teaching about cooperation and communication.

Fabric Play can take costuming even farther into props or scenery. Fabric play is more open-ended such as in storytelling and innovation. For our experimenters and builders, fabric play encourages them to make different structures: a wall, a roof, house, boat, and more. While the comforting nature of some fabrics can provide emotional solace, it also helps children develop self-regulation skills.

You can bring Fabric Play to your children with fabrics from around your home: a range of fabrics of different lengths, colors and textures like scarves, sheets, and blankets as long as they’re breathable and not wrapped tightly around the body or body parts. What might you do? Dance, costume, or build a cubby house or den? 

In RE this Sunday, we will be focusing on interdependence, welcome, creativity, and cooperation with Fabric Play using our playsilks. We will also have our usual RE activity stations like zine making, solidarity coloring pages, and more.

In gratitude,
Leilani DavenberryDirector of Religious Education