LET’S PLAY!

You can choose how long you want to spend on each task

This recipe involves playing in your home AND in your local neighbourhood. 

Make sure your adults are happy with you leaving your home and going on this adventure. Otherwise, they can come with you!

PART 1: HOME PLAY-SPACE 

Approx. 15 mins. 

We will be exploring our local neighbourhood to discover stories behind the clothing stores on our highstreets. 

We’re going to be fashion detectives today! 

We will use our discoveries to imagine what the future of shopping and clothing could be.

But first, we need to uncover what a clothing store is. 

Clothing stores are not just for buying new clothes, but also:

buying secondhand clothes and repairing, mending, altering, customising, upcycling, washing, cleaning and more.

Clothing Store Info Cards

Read the Clothing Store Info Cards provided to learn more about these shops and services. 

Activity Sheet 1: Personal Investigation  

Fill out ‘Activity Sheet 1: Personal Investigation’  to reflect on where you usually shop and your shopping habits. You may need to ask your family some questions!

PART 2: LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAY-SPACE

Approx. 1 hour +

Depending on how old you are, you may need an adult to come with you on this adventure. Otherwise, you can do this activity in pairs! 

Are you ready to be a fashion detective? 

Choose an area in your local neighbourhood with clothing-related stores. You could choose to go to a shopping centre/mall or stay on the high street. Bring a notebook and pen with you.  

Let’s begin! 

Task 1: Observation 

Search the area for all the different clothing-related stores that you can find. 

Write down details in your notebook, including:

-Name of the store

-Type of store 

-Interesting details

Think about what the stores look like, how many people are in the stores, what type of clothing they are selling or what service they provide, how they display the clothing or service. 

FOR EXAMPLE:

What: British Heart Foundation 

Type: Charity Store 

Observations/notes: This store sells secondhand clothing. I counted ten people inside. The window has three mannequins on display with each mannequin wearing a different striped outfit. I like how the customers are smiling at each other, it looks like an enjoyable place to shop. 

Activity Sheet 2: Fashion Detectives - Clothing Stores

Complete the ‘Task 1: Observation’ section of this activity sheet:

Count how many different types of clothing stores and services there are. 

Tally them and write your total count for each store. 

Answer the questions related to your discoveries. 

Task 2: Investigation 

Choose one of these stores that you found interesting. You will be asking a staff member some questions!

This should be completed in pairs – you may need an adult. 

Your job is to discover the stories behind this store!

1. Go into your chosen store. 

2. Find a staff member and ask if you can ask them some questions about the store. Ask them if they are happy for you to write down their answers. 

You can tell them that you’re being a fashion detective, exploring fashion in your community. If they say no, that is ok! You can ask someone else or go into a new store. 

3. If the staff member says yes, you could ask questions such as:

-“What is the purpose of this store? What kind of items does this store sell?/What kind of services does this store provide?”

-“How long has this store been open for?”

-“Who founded this store? Do you know why it was founded?”

-“What do you like about working in this store?”  

Activity Sheet 2: Fashion Detectives - Clothing Stores

Complete the ‘Task 2: Investigation’ section to write your findings and their answers.  

PART 3: HOME PLAY-SPACE 

Approx 1 hour +

Task 1: Reflect 

When you return home, think about your discoveries! 

Were you surprised or unsurprised? 

Answer the questions in ‘Activity Sheet 2: Fashion Detectives - Clothing Store’ to reflect on your adventure. 

Task 2: Imaginary Clothing Stores 

You will imagine a new kind of clothing store or service in the future!

Use the information you have gathered and consider how our current clothing habits might change or develop in the future. 

Be as imaginary as you like! Think about what we would like the future of fashion to look like. 

For example:

-A Compost Clothing Store: What if there is an entire store dedicated to composting clothing? All-natural fibre clothing can be composted in soil. Customers could give the store the clothing they no longer want to wear. The store would look like a greenhouse garden. 

-A Clothing Library: What if we all had a subscription to a local clothing library where we could rent all the clothing we needed for free as we do with books?

Activity Sheet 3: Create an Imaginary Clothing Store

Use this activity sheet to:

Describe what this clothing-related store does. 

Draw what this store would look like.  

Task 3: Clothing Fashion Detectives  

As a fashion detective, you are on a mission to uncover:

-Where your clothes have come from. 

-What your clothes are made of. 

-Who made your clothes. 

And more!

Using your chosen favourite item of clothing, complete:

 ‘Activity Sheet 4: Fashion Detectives - Clothing’