Play Silks & Dress-Ups for Toddlers

At this age, play silks are mostly about sensory fun and peekaboo — draping, waving, hiding under and pulling through. Their light, flowing feel delights toddlers, and simple games of hide-and-reveal support early object permanence before pretend play fully develops.

Play silks are wonderfully open-ended and sensory, which suits one and two year olds perfectly. Waving, wrapping and peekaboo build coordination and early imagination, and because a silk can be anything, it keeps engaging a toddler as their pretend play grows.

Many do, in simple ways — a silk as a cape, a hat to put on and take off, or wrapping a soft toy. Full costumes come later, but at one and two, easy-on dress-up pieces and play silks spark the earliest imaginative and imitative play.

Hand-wash play silks in cool water with a little gentle soap, then lay flat or hang to dry — avoid hot water, wringing and the machine, which can damage the fibres and colour. Gentle washing keeps real silk soft and bright through plenty of toddler play.

Play silks are safe with supervision — as with any large fabric, keep draping play watched so a silk isn't wrapped around the face or neck, and store them out of the cot. Supervised, they're a lovely open-ended sensory toy for one and two year olds.