Ninja Costumes for the Exotic Warrior Spirit
Boys enjoy warfare, whether it is a real spat among friends or an imaginary battle fought on the screen with joysticks or mouse clicks. The ninja, an actual historical covert agent during the Japanese feudal era who was known for unorthodox methods of combat, is therefore often a part of boyhood fantasies. So, whether for Halloween, school plays and presentations, youth group events or just play with friends, ninja costumes are a popular choice among boys of an age when they are typically intrigued with expressing fantasies by wearing costumes.
And since that age is often one of physical growth, giving into your child’s demands and buying him an elaborate ninja costume is often an expensive proposition that ends up being of no use when your child becomes bored with the costume and demands another one. So, you are better off interacting with your son as you make him the most original and striking of all ninja costumes out of materials you may well already have at home.
Actually, the black robes of the ninja are probably the stuff of fiction in any case, as ninjas wore civilian clothing in order to blend in with the civilian population and fight or spy undercover. Why not add more expression to the black of the world of the fantasy ninja by working with your child on a ninja costume set of armor that uses crumpled aluminum foil, foil covered plates, old holiday ornaments and other material of metallic appearance? Such ninja costumes are truly unique and will get your son the attention that he is seeking by wearing a costume in the first place, and when he decides he wants to dress as another fictitious version of the historical Japanese mercenary, you can help him glue on a few more pieces of armor made from juice or soda cans to the shoulders or chest of his shiny black robe that was once your sofa cover or drapery.
If your child really has an interest in Japanese history, which indeed is a great interest that will serve him well in school and as he pursues higher education, you and he can look through pictures of actual disguises that ninja warriors used as inspirations for ninja costumes. Only he and his closest friends need know that the costume you and he worked on together is actually that of a monk of the feudal era, whereas he indeed feels that his costume is more authentic than his friends’ stereotypical ninja costumes because he carefully researched it before he chose materials for you to sew or otherwise fasten for his costume. And when he then writes about his research for his school history project, you will realize that his interest in ninja costumes goes far deeper than childhood fantasies, as it includes a real and hopefully lasting interest in history and foreign cultures.
Ninja costumes as we know them are probably not historically accurate, but by letting your son express his own fantasies as you help him dress like the ninja of his dreams, you are helping him develop a real interest in Asian history – and saving money at the same time by not having to purchase imported boys costumes for him!