World Book Day on Thursday 3 March 2022 celebrates the power of storytelling, and inspires children around the world to love reading and talking about books. Dressing up as their favourite character also helps them imagine what it’s like to live inside a story, and see the world through someone else’s eyes. The Week Junior has six tips for making the most of your child’s World Book Day costume this year.
1. Talk about books
Start by asking your child what their favourite book is. Talk about why they love it so much and if they think they could be friends with any of the characters. If so, who would it be and why? The publisher Scholastic says “Talking about books can happen anywhere and at any time - in the car, at the bus stop or over dinner.” Chatting about books not only gets kids thinking about which World Book Day character they might like to be, “you are sending a signal that reading is important.”
2. Decide on a costume
World Book Day costumes are usually based on characters, but they can also be taken from part of the story like a building, scene, or anything else in the book that grabs your child’s imagination. Going to school dressed as the peach from James and the Giant Peach, or an empty chair from The Boy at the Back of the Class will still inspire a conversation about the book with their friends. Non-fiction books have lots of possibilities too, for example dressing up as a mummy from a book about ancient Egypt or picking a dinosaur out of a fossil book.
3. Get creative
If you’re feeling creative, then World Book Day costumes are a great excuse to fire up the sewing machine or get messy with paper mache. You can turn the costume into a mega art project that you and your child work on together. Start early to give yourselves plenty of time, plan the project carefully and you could create a masterpiece that really brings a book character to life. There are plenty of ideas and instructions for how to make more.
4. Work together
However much fun (or not) you’re having making a costume, keep in mind who’s going to wear it. The aim of World Book Day is to encourage a love of reading while having fun, so whatever costume you create, your child needs to feel happy and confident dressing up in front of other kids at school. So stick to the chosen character and keep your child involved when making the costume. Otherwise however fabulous you think your creation is, it may not get worn beyond the front door.
5. Last-minute miracle
If you’ve ever found yourself on World Book Day morning rummaging through the dressing up box or borrowing a pair of Easter rabbit ears from your neighbour, you’ll know that it’s possible to throw a great costume together with whatever you can get your hands on. A pair of wrinkly tights, an old dress and a cotton-wool wig makes Gangsta Granny; face paints or makeup can transform a child into Slinky Malinki the cat or one of the 101 Dalmatians; and if you have an old pair of glasses, a marker pen and a steady hand, then Geek Girl is an easy option. More fast, simple costume ideas can be found on the World Book Day website here.
6. Keep the conversation going
According to research by the World Book Day charity, children are inspired by the costumes their classmates wear and see them as a “book recommendation tool.” So ask your child what other book characters turned up at school that day, who was their favourite and why. If they’ve been given a World Book Day token, talk about what book they would like to spend it on and which ones their classmates are choosing. It starts with the costume, but if you keep a conversation going about books, stories, characters and illustrations, you’ll help nurture a love of reading that will stay with your child for life.
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What is World Book Day?
World Book Day changes lives through a love of books and shared reading. Our mission is to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income. We want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them. Designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.
Find out more here - and discover more tips and ideas for creating costumes.
