My preschool aged son loves firefighter hats so I decided he should be a firefighter last Halloween. I bought one from a big box store's costume section. It wasn't a pricey costume, but I was still very disappointed in the quality. I thought it could have been a little better. I checked out options online and found the Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Role Play Costume Set
I was so happy when I opened up the box and took the costume out. The jacket is more like nylon than plastic. It is comfortable and it is machine washable. Since I wanted to add it to the dress up box after Halloween that was a big feature for me. The fire chief jacket also features reflector stripes which is so nice for trick or treating in dusk and dark.
The package contains a firefighter jacket, a fire chief helmet, a badge, bull horn, and red hand held fire extinguisher. The jacket also has a name tag you can write on, but we left ours blank. I think our favorite part of the set is the fire chief helmet. It is so much nicer than freebie or dollar store helmets. It is a hard plastic so if it gets dropped it doesn't break. It also can't be crushed or broken.
When I first got the costume I hid the bullhorn because I didn't know how noisy it was. It turns out you need 2 AA batteries so I just never put any in. I can't say if the noises are nice or not. I assume so. The bull horn can hang from a loop in the coat or it can be carried around.
The target age for the Melissa
& Doug Fire Chief costume is three to six. My son is four and it fits him fine. It fits my six year old daughter as well. She is on the slim side so I bet it will fit her another year or two. If you want a Halloween costume that will last for more than one year (kid) or a durable costume to add to your dress up box, then this is a great option. I think you'll be pleased with the quality and the price is great too. Yes, it is more than a cheapie Halloween costume, but I think it is worth it.
