30+ easy book week costume last minute ideas
It’s officially that time of the year again - Book Week!
While some parents look forward to this day each year, others face it with stress and last-minute scrambling (time to pull out the old toilet paper mummy costume.)
Whether this is your fourth kid and you’re a Book Week master, or a first-time mum just trying to make your little one feel confident, finding the perfect outfit can be daunting. Not to mention, finding a unique costume that 30 other kids won’t be wearing.
We thought we’d lend you a helping hand, so we’ve compiled a list of our top easy Book Week costumes to save you time, tears, and sanity.
Introduction to Book Week
What is Book Week?
Book Week is just what it sounds like – an annual celebration of our love for reading. The week is dedicated to promoting literature for our kids, appreciating Aussie written works, and highlighting the importance of libraries.
Held by The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), this event encourages children to express their enthusiasm for books by dressing up as their favourite book characters. This year’s theme is ‘Reading is Magic’ and will take place from 17-23 August.
Why dress up for Book Week?
To make it fun, of course! Dressing up for Book Week brings excitement to the celebration, especially for the little ones – and by stepping into an imaginary world and bringing their favourite characters to life, kids can engage deeper with stories.
Many schools, preschools, and daycares around Australia celebrate with a parade for parents or carers, with some just providing the opportunity for kids to come to preschool dressed as their favourite characters.
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Types of Book Week parents
When it comes to Book Week, parents seem to fall into 3 distinct categories:
- The DIY book week costume enthusiast who is a bit crafty and has advanced hot-glue gun and sewing skills.
- The ‘last-minute panic parent’ who makes the most of their Amazon Prime account or late-night click-and-collect at Kmart with easy costume ideas in a packet.
- The planner who has meticulously organised a great costume with the teacher librarian weeks or months in advance.
No matter which type of parent you are, we have you covered with the best costumes that are super easy, that your kids will actually want to wear!
Classic book characters
Matilda
We can’t go past this classic book week costume – Matilda. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple blue dress, red ribbon or headband, and a book.
Enter the world of Roald Dahl’s beloved character. This costume is timeless, classic, and simple to put together. It captures Matilda’s intellectual spirit and love for reading, and it’s sure to capture your child’s too.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This Eric Carle classic is a favourite, especially for little readers and babies. Is there anything cuter than a toddler dressed as a big green Very Hungry Caterpillar?
Transform your little one into this with a simple green onesie and a pair of antennae headbands. Or, opt for one of the super easy pre-packaged options available online. If your kid isn’t keen on being green, dress them as the beautiful butterfly from the end of the book! DIY the wings for this costume with an old sheet and some paint, or even an old dress cut up!
Red Riding Hood
Loved for generations, this classic Grimm’s Fairytale character is a super easy costume to nail. Chuck on a dress, a red cape, some black shoes (maybe from their school uniform,) and a basket, and your kid will be off to see her granny in the woods and battle the Big Bad Wolf.
Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
Another classic costume. If your little one has a curious flare like Alice, send them down the rabbit hole in a blue dress paired with a large bow in their hair. This simple yet effective costume brings your child’s, and Alice’s, enchanting character to life.
Animal-inspired costumes
The Green Sheep
First on the book week costume ideas list – Green Sheep. Dress up as the green sheep by wearing a green onesie, or green long-sleeved top and leggings, and pairing it with a sheep mask. Find some green paper or cardboard and cut eye holes.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Replicate the look of this iconic tiger by dressing your little one in an orange onesie with black stripes. This outfit brings the charming and curious tiger from the story to life and gives your child a roaring look. Like with the Green Sheep, you can easily cut holes from cardboard or paper to make a fun tiger mask your kid will love to wear long after the parade has finished! Easy Book Week costume sorted.
Willa (and Woof)
And we can’t forget the universally loved dog from Willa (and Woof). If your child and pet dog are inseparable, this cute little character will be a winner. With a dog onesie and matching tail, this book week costume is both adorable and easy, perfect for celebrating the character, and letting your little one feel as pawsome as your dog.
Fantastic Mr Fox
Another Roald Dahl classic, Fantastic Mr Fox is a staple in classrooms across the country. The story of the cunning main character, Mr Fox who gets the better of the local humans. This costume can be as simple as adding fox ears and a tail to a simple long-sleeved top or t-shirt, and black pants. Ears and tails can be bought online, or easily made with a bit of cardboard and a headband.
The Gruffalo and friends
Another fabulous option for children’s book week is The Gruffalo or any of his friends – the mouse, owl, snake or fox. The Gruffalo costume can be easily purchased online or in places like Big W or Kmart. Or, you can opt for a simple long-sleeved top in the right colour, paired with mouse or fox ears, and homemade tails.
Superhero and magical costumes
It’s no secret that superheroes and magical costumes are what most kids go to. Almost every house will have Batman, Spiderman or Elsa and Anna costume options in the dress-up box (which are brilliant and easy ideas), but if you’re looking for more magic ideas, here are some costume options.
Thelma the Unicorn
The Aaron Blabey classic Thelma the Unicorn is now also a movie that your kids will love. For a DIY Book Week costume, throw on a pink outfit (dress, long-sleeved top or t-shirt), a unicorn headband, and even some pink face paint. Voila!
Harry Potter
No book week parade is complete without the magic of Harry Potter. A plethora of Harrys, Rons, and Hermiones make the best costumes. Hogwarts school uniform options are easily purchased anywhere costumes are sold, so just pair it with a stick for a wand and some black shoes (school shoes). If you have a Halloween witches hat kicking around, throw that in too!
Percy Jackson
One for the older kids, the Percy Jackson fantasy series has now been turned into a series. This brilliant character is a wonderful neurodiverse role model for kids, as the main character Percy has both dyslexia and ADHD. To dress like Percy, you’ll need some denim shorts or jeans, and an orange T-shirt. Grab some leather armour and a necklace if you want to go all out.
A fairy
Keeping on the magical route, our next costume on the list is a book fairy. All this costume requires is a tutu (of their favourite colour) paired with a set of fairy wings. This one’s quick, easy, and so cute! So many books feature famous fairies.
DIY and last-minute Book Week costumes
For the parents on a time crunch (or budget), these looks can be achieved with a quick visit to the wardrobe. Many wonderful characters simply dress in mufti or everyday clothes! Here are our picks for book characters who wear everyday wardrobe items.
Wolf Girl
Chuck on a backpack, bring a white toy dog, and voila – Gwen from Wolf Girl. A brilliant series from Anh Do, Wolf Girl is a brave and empowering role model for all primary school-aged readers.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Got a white shirt and some black shorts? Chuck on a backpack and go as Greg Heffley from the well-loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from Jeff Kinney.
Fern Arable – Charlotte’s Web
If you have a stuffed pig toy or a Halloween spider lying around, this is an easy option. Throw together a simple outfit with a country vibe, stick on a straw hat and become Fern from Charlotte’s Web!
Simple cardboard box options
You can always resort to the good old-fashioned cardboard box option! Simply cut holes where required, stick on red paper and turn it into a car (or a digger) for Lightning McQueen-obsessed kids, or paint it green or yellow to create one of many famous dinosaur characters!
Group book week costume ideas
Let your child or tween have fun with their friends by dressing up as famous characters together. There are so many well-loved groups of characters that are easy to nail, from Harry Potter to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Here are a few easy costume ideas to consider.
The Day the Crayons Quit
Your kid and their friends can each go as a different coloured crayon from The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. They can go as pink, blue, green or yellow. Easily create their costume using a different coloured cardboard or T-shirt and face paint, and use a large piece to make a pointy hat like the top of a crayon.
The Magic School Bus
Each person can wear a colourful costume representing Ms. Frizzle or another character from her class. Make sure you add fun accessories like science goggles, a plastic beaker, or other science-themed props to capture the essence of the book series.
The Babysitters Club
Older primary school tweens can group with their besties and pick a babysitter. Your child will love choosing something a bit ‘grown-up’ and fashionable to wear to school, channelling their inner Mary Anne, Claudia or Kristy.
Where the Wild Things Are
Alternatively, consult with the other parents to coordinate a group costume inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. Each child can dress up as a different “wild thing,” complete with unique costumes and masks to mimic the imaginative creatures from the book.
Wrapping it up
If you take anything away from this guide, let it be that Book Week costumes can be easy and fun – all you need is a little creativity.
Let your little one choose their favourite book character and use your imagination to bring it to life. (Don’t worry, the children help out a lot in this department.)
With simple materials and ideas, you can create a memorable costume together that makes for some adorable photos.
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