Get ready for World Book Day next week with our last-minute costume ideas for children! This is a wonderful opportunity for families to bond and create something special together. Save money by using items you already have at home or finding inexpensive alternatives. Let’s make this World Book Day memorable and fun for everyone!
All of these ideas are based off our Spring Bookshelves or Book recommendations for each year group.
Pre-School:
Jabari Tries
Jabari Tries, written by Gaia Cornwall, highlights patience, resilience and collaboration as Jabari, an inventor, does not succeed the first time, does not give up and asks for help.
What you will need:
- Hi Vis vest
- Yellow Helmet
- Own Clothes
- Boots/trainers
- Optional: toy hammer/spanner/tools
Reception:
The Jolly Postman
Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s ‘The Jolly Postman’ is a wonderful classic, exhibiting kindness and gratitude throughout.
What you will need:
- Blue outfit with jacket and yellow top
- Bookbag
- Envelope
- Optional: blue hat
Year 1:
The Day the Crayons Quit
‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ is to inform young children not to abuse or neglect their crayons and to take care of things they own, as well as teach them about how to interact with different types of people.
What you will need:
- Choose your favourite colour and wear monochrome clothing to match the colour.
- A pointy hat to mimic the tip of the crayon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNliaet9igk
Year 2:
Fred: Wizard in Training
Fred: Wizard in Training is a book series about a boy named Fred who is training to become a wizard but is not very good at it. The series is written by Simon Philip and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey.
What will you need:
- A colourful robe
- A pointy hat (like a wizard or witch) which can be made out of paper. https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/wizard-hat.html
- A magic wand (can be made out of tin foil and painted or just with a back paper straw and decorated to how you like).
Year 3:
The Boy who grew Dragons
When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad’s garden, he doesn’t think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house – and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches!
What you will need:
- Own Clothes
- Watering can
- Fake plant pot
- Dragon toy/teddy or drawing to attach to plant
Year 4:
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright
‘Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright’ is a lavishly illustrated gift book treasury of 366 animal poems – one for every day of the year – ranges from unforgettable classics to contemporary works from around the world, including poetry in translation.
What you will need:
Dress up as any animal from the book with face paint/makeup and own clothes or monochromatic clothes that match the colour of the animal or pattern.
Year 5:
The House with Chicken Legs
The House with Chicken Legs is based on the book of the same name by Sophie Anderson and tells the story of Marinka, a girl who lives in a house, and yes, you guessed it, that has chicken legs. She lives with her grandma Baba, a Yaga, who helps the dead pass on. It is folksy and full of music, joy and hope.
What you will need:
- Black clothes to wear underneath
- Cardboard – this will be used to cut out the shape of a house and chicken legs to attach to the front of the outfit, which you can draw or paint the house on cardboard.
Year 6:
Robin Hood
The story chronicles Robin Hood and his merry band of criminals as they infamously steal from the rich and give to the poor.
What you will need:
- Green outfit
- DIY green hat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pGzMU_HYTI
- Any shoes
- Bow and arrow (can be made from tinfoil and string. Just form into the desired shape, add the string and make the arrow in the same way. You can even paint it or paper mache so you can paint over it).