Easy Book Week Costumes for Busy Parents

It’s that time of year again – Book Week is around the corner! It’s usually the most elaborate of the school dress-up days and can be very stressful for busy parents. We’ve compiled our top tips for planning a book week costume, and some ideas for characters and ways to make dressing up for Book Week easy.

Top Tips for a Successful Book Week Costume

Start Planning Early

Leaving things to the last minute can make Book Week very stressful. The official CBCA Book Week is in August each year (except for 2020, when things were shaken up due to lockdowns), so get planning as soon as Term 3 starts if you can. If your child wants something specific or extravagant, you want as much time as possible!

Get Your Child Involved in Their Book Week Costume

Talking with your child about what they want to dress up as for Book Week will help to get you on the same page and avoid misunderstandings. Giving them an active role in choosing or creating the costume should also avoid last-minute changes of mind!

Look at the Details

Your child may have a great idea of what they want, but the reality may not be something they’ll happily wear. Your child may have a favourite superhero they want to dress up as, for example, The Hulk. They can be super excited for this, but when the day comes, they don’t want to wear a plastic mask, and it becomes a major drama. If your child is sensitive to plastics or things covering their faces, there are often soft material alternatives, like fabric eye masks, that bring the character to life, without triggering their sensory issues.

Get Your Hands on the Book

If you have a copy of the book, that’s wonderful! Your child can bring this along to their Book Week Parade to show off the book they’re representing. You can also borrow the book from the library or print off a picture of the book cover. This is a great way to save money, but still involve your child in the traditions of Book Week, and help others identify who they are dressed up as.

Do a Test Run

A few days before your Book Week event, get your child to try on the full ensemble. This way, you’ll know with time to spare if something doesn’t fit or doesn’t sit right. Trying to find a plan B the morning of your book week parade is the stuff of nightmares!

Talk to Other Parents

Joining forces with other parents can bring about great group ideas that your child can participate in. An army of Minions, or multiple members of the Justice League, can take a regular Book Week idea and make it epic.

Creating A Book Week Look

To make Book Week easy for busy parents, there are lots of options for dressing up. The CBCA makes their Book Week theme pretty broad so that kids can dress up in a variety of different ways.

Everyday clothing options:

Children’s books are full of kids who wear regular clothing. Check your child’s wardrobes for options that could be characters like Matilda, Amelia Jane or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Crazy Hair:

Some of the ‘regular clothes’ characters stand out simply by their outlandish hair. A basic wig can help you become a character, or there are options like Pippi Longstocking or Mona the Vampire, where you can create their specific look by using wire or pipe cleaners in hair braids.

Top Tip

If you’re doing stand-up or stick-out braids with wire, get onto this early and test it out. Ending the wire at the head can be very painful, so we recommend options that go all the way through both braids or join it at the top of the head. Wrapping the wire in ribbon or fabric to cover taped-up joins can avoid hair getting caught in the sticky tape. Ouch!

Props:

Adding props to a regular outfit can also make an easy Book Week costume. Adding mouse ears and drawing on a nose and whiskers can turn a baller outfit into Angelina Ballerina. Or add straw and a floppy hat to a checkered shirt and jeans or tracksuit pants to become a scarecrow.

Soft toys can also play the part of other characters, such as bringing 3 teddy bears and a bowl of porridge to make Goldilocks. A toy tiger can accompany Sophie for The Tiger Who Came to Tea, or a toy lion can accompany Peter, Susan, Edmund or Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia.

Wrapping a broom handle in green and adding some leaves, or bringing a handful of beans, can turn everyday clothing into Jack and the Beanstalk, or grab your princess dress and bring along a pea (either real or made from green paper) to be the Princess and the Pea.

Creating an ID badge is also a great way to identify a character. Borrow a white shirt from mum or dad to become a lab coat and transform into a favourite researcher or scientist.

Fashioning Costumes From Everyday Home Items:

If you’ve really left it to the last minute, try making a costume from items lying around your home. A white sheet can become a toga for a Roman or Greek character. An old pillowcase can be turned into clothes for a Dobby outfit, or a large paper bag can become the Paperbag Princess.

Drawing on clothes:

If you’ve got old white or plain clothing lying around, you can get markers out to create a character outfit. Think black spots on white clothes for a Dalmatian or writing words on the clothes to become the dictionary!

Basic Accessories:

If you don’t have exactly what you need, some basic accessories can transform an ordinary outfit. A wand, fake glasses and a Gryffindor tie can turn a shirt and pants into a Harry Potter costume.

Masks are a fun way to become a character, like Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake or Mr Shark from The Bad Guys. It’s also a great way to get older kids into the spirit of Book Week without making them wear a full costume.

Similarly, a superhero cape is an easy alternative to a full costume, but still lets your child live out the day as their favourite Comic Book character. 

Get it Delivered:

The easiest costume choice of all is to have something ready-made delivered to your door. We know that not all parents have the time or skills to make an elaborate Book Week costume themselves, so make sure you check out our range of full costumes that will take all the stress out of preparing for Book Week. With superfast delivery via Startrack, we’ve got you covered!