World Book Day celebrates reading and takes place on the 2nd of March 2023. Easy World Book Day costumes are an annual requirement as many schools ask kids to dress up as a favourite character. It’s common for an outfit to be pulled together last minute, a child can go off a character they were going to be or they just don’t want to dress up.
Choosing a World Book Day character
First, choose a character from a book your child really enjoys as it will be easier for them to talk about the book in school. They’ll also be more inclined to dress up. Some kids go the whole hog whereas others prefer to wear an everyday outfit, sports kit or pyjamas. Whatever your preference, these easy World Book Day costumes can be created from what you have at home. Raid the dressing-up box, wardrobes and then the craft cupboard to see what you have. Equally important is to make sure you have a copy of the book as it will need to be taken to school.
Easy to create characters
Ballet characters
Angelina Ballerina is a simple character to create if a child has a leotard or tutu. A pink top, tights and a pink cardigan with mouse whiskers or mouse mask is all you need. If there’s time, ears can be made out of cardboard, painted and attached to a headband. Similarly, other ballet characters are Delphie from the Magic Ballerina and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Fairy, pirate and princess characters
Many kids have a fairy outfit which to create characters like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, The Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty or The Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. Books that feature pirate characters include The Littlest Pirate, Pirates Love Underpants, and Pirate Girl. As well as Captain Hook from Peter Pan. For princesses, there’s Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White to The Princess and the Pea, The Princess and the Frog or Sleeping Beauty. Many of these can be adapted or accessorised.
Characters that wear a sports kit
For kids that want to wear a sports kit, there’s James from Football Academy, a girl from Girls FC or Willy from Willy the Wizard. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a sporty alternative too as it just needs a white t-shirt, black shorts, a backpack and trainers.
Outfits using normal clothes
For those not keen on dressing up, easy World Book Day costumes are Aliens Wear Underpants, Annie or Billionaire Boy. In addition, there’s Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry and a Bucketful of Dinosaurs, Matilda or The Boy in a Dress.
Pyjama wearing characters
Pyjama-based characters include one of The Midnight Gang, Sophie from The BFG, Tom from Tom’s Midnight Garden, Wendy in Peter Pan and the grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood. If kids have an animal-themed onesie they might resemble characters from The Tiger that came to Tea, Mog and The Gruffalo to Giraffes Can’t Dance, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt or Monkey Puzzle.
Witch and wizard characters
Witch-themed World Book Day costumes are easy to create especially if kids have Halloween costumes. There’s Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch, the witch from Room on the Broom or (if you have green face paint), the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.
Harry Potter and Hermione Grainger are popular characters. Both wizards can be created with a white shirt, school trousers/skirt, a black cape and a stripey tie. For Harry, you’ll need a pair of glasses or draw some.
Other World Book Day options
Other easy ideas include Alice in Wonderland which needs a blue dress, white apron and a hair bow. For Gangsta Granny, a bandit eye mask (made from card or using black face paint), a white blouse, a black skirt, oversized tights and a grey wig is all you need.
Again, Mr Bump can be created from a blue top and trousers with a bandage or toilet roll wrapped around a child’s head and tummy. Stick Man is brown clothing with twigs and leaves added for authenticity. Finally, Where’s Wally? is a striped hat, top and socks or tights with glasses.
A little planning goes a long way to make sure kids go to school wearing an outfit they’re happy with. Besides there are so many World Book Day fails around but let’s face it, we’ve all been there! The Wicked Uncle team looks forward to seeing all your outfits on World Book Day.
