All I want for Christmas is....

When I was a little girl I LOVED playing dress up. I'd be a princess, a cowgirl, a doctor and my favorite Princess Leia.

For many children, playing dress up is a favorite kind of pretending. By interacting with each other in "make believe" conversations, it helps them develop their language arts skills and helps them express their feelings in a positive way. To help encourage this kind of pretend play, dress-up costumes are the perfect holiday gift for all of the good little girls and boys on your list.

Most popular this year for girls and boys are anything pirates. Other options include the always popular princesses, from Snow White to Cinderella, for girls and super heros - Superman, Batman, Spiderman - for boys. Other cool costumes include fairies, Barbie, rock stars and monsters.

Check them all out at Annies Costumes.