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:
Zog
Zog is a story about a young dragon named Zog who attends Dragon School and learns to fly, breathe fire, and roar. The story is about Zog’s determination to improve his skills and win a golden star, despite being clumsy and accident-prone.
What you will need:
https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc145423805
Reception:
Cyril the Lonely Cloud
This is a simple picture book story of Cyril the Cloud who is looking for a place to belong, but no-one is ever happy to see him because he rains on everything. However, he eventually finds somewhere where they are desperate for it to rain, and he finally fits in.
What you will need:
- Cardboard (Cut out the shape of a cloud and some thin strips to act as backpack straps which you will attach to the back of the cloud)
- Paint (paint the cloud like the book)
- Tape/glue
Year 1:
We Are All Astronauts
We Are All Astronauts by Kate Pankhurst is a non-fiction book about space exploration and the idea that anyone can be an astronaut. The book is about Luna Scope, a young girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut, and her grandmother who helps her learn how.
- Cardboard box
- Tin foil
- Glue and tape
- Paint and markers
- Scissors
Year 2:
The Detective Dog
The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson is a rhyming picture book about a dog named Nell who solves mysteries using her keen sense of smell. The book celebrates books, reading, and the relationship between a boy and his dog.
What you will need:
- dog ears
- makeup/facepaint
- own clothes or dog costume if you have one
- magnifying glass
Year 3:
Traction Man Is Here!
Traction Man Is Here! by Mini Grey is a picture book about a boy and his action figure, Traction Man, who has adventures around the house. The book is full of humor and imagination and is popular in schools.
What you will need:
- An old pair of jeans
- Old blue top
- Black boots
- Paint (paint the jeans and blue top just like traction mans clothes)
Year 4:
The Lion and the Unicorn
The Lion and the Unicorn is a wonderfully illustrated story of Lenny Levi, a young boy who is evacuated to the countryside during World War Two. The world he knows is being decimated by bombs and the only link to his father who has left to fight the war is a brass badge with a lion and a unicorn on it.
What you will need:
- Old shorts
- School shoes
- Old tshirt
- Blazer?
- Hat
- Dress like a child in WW2
Year 5:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a story about a troubled young boy who finds out his father is a Greek god, making him a demigod. He and his friends are given the task of finding and returning Zeus’s lightning bolt as monsters from the Underworld attempt to stop them.
What you will need:
- Jeans
- Yellow/orange t shirt
- Toy sword and shield
Year 6:
The Explorer
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell is a children’s book about four children who crash land in the Amazon rainforest and must learn to survive. The book explores themes of friendship, survival, and the environment
What you will need:
- Blue jeans
- Tshirt/shirt
- Backpack
- Sunhat
- Flashlight
- You could even stick some leaves on costume