Your child needs to dress up for World Book Day at school tomorrow and you're stuck for inspiration? We've gathered together below some last minute suggestions for book character costumes for your kids! All are designed to be inexpensive and easy to put together from things you alrready have in the house or can borrow easily!
Also see: Costumes for Kids
In no particular order!
Horrid Henry - normal boy clothes, but messy. Don't forget to wear a mischievous expression!
Peter Perfect - normal boy clothes, but perfectly tidy. Button up shirts, polish shoes, and be extra-polite and perfect in every way.
Dirty Bertie - as Horrid Henry above, but perhaps you could add a splodge or two of mud?
Beast Quest - wear golden armour
Angelina Ballerina - pink leotard, pink or white tights and ballet shoes. Add a pink ribbon in the hair
The Tiger Who Came to Tea - just in case you have a tiger costume in your dressing up box!
Sir Gadabout - wear armour or a knight's costume
Tom from Tom's Midnight Garden - striped pyjamas
Tin Tin - Use hair gel to slick short hair up at the front like Tin Tin's, and wear a plain polo shirt and trousers). Easy!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - dress in green and make a paper plate mask
Rainbow Fairies - girls can wear their best fairy costumes!
Tiara Club - girls should wear something pretty ... and a tiara, of course!
Felicity Wishes - pretty pink fairy costume and a wand
Gossip Girls - older girls could style themselves as their favorite Gossip Girl!
Sleepover Club - wear pyjamas and slippers, and take a teddy!
Katniss Everdeen - wear dark trousers and polo top or T-shirt. Make a quiver from a kitchen roll tube and string, and sling it over one shoulder. Carry a toy bow.
Pinocchio - make a nose from kitchen roll tube!
Fern (from Charlotte's Web) - dungarees or jeans, checked blouse, hair in bunches
Moon Face - make a paper plate mask
Saucepan Man - wear pans, obviously!
Charlie and Lola - perfect for a blonde brother and sister, normal children's clothes are all that is necessary, although Lola has distinctive small bunches
Redwall - wear the mouse/rat mask above and armour, and carry a sword
Spiderwick Chronicles - here's an easy one! Normal kids' clothes are all that is required.
Lemony Snicket - again, kids' clothes are fine. Perhaps in sombre colours, a touch old-fashioned?
Stuart Little - print or make our rat/mouse mask (below)
Winnie the Witch - a short black dress and stripy tights
Lyra (His Dark Materials) - short skirt, green shirt, pumps, small brown bag, soft toy daemon
The Worst Witch - another witch costume
Funny Bones - our skeleton costume
Captain Underpants - your best underpants (perhaps over a pair of colourful tights) and a cape!
Nancy Drew - slightly old fashioned, "prim" clothes, a magnifying glass and notebook.
Roman Mysteries (Flavia, Nupia, Jonathan, Lupus) - a toga from a sheet, gladiator armour
Oliver (or other Victorian pauper) - short brown trousers, brown shirt, brown cap turned backwards. Add a smudge of black eyeliner on each cheek to make him or her look more wretched.
Alex Rider - cool kids clothes with a gadget or two! Kids could make their own gadgets using boxes, kitchen foil etc.
Little Princess - long old fashioned dress, pinafore, mop cap, bucket
Harry and the Dinosaurs - wear normal clothes and carry a bucket of toy dinosaurs
Thomas the Tank Engine Characters:
- Fat Controller from Thomas stories - grey trousers, yellow waistcoat, black jacket and black hat.
- Thomas or other favourite engine - make Thomas out of a large cardboard box which child wears with straps over shoulders!
Alice in Wonderland Characters:
- Alice in Wonderland costume
- The Mad Hatter - a big, funny hat - perhaps home-made
- A book worm - big glasses, a hair band with antennae
Enid Blyton Characters:
- Famous Five characters - wear 50s children's clothes, perhaps shorts and jerseys. Carry a picnic basket and a bottle of ginger beer!
- Malory Towers and other school stories - an old fashioned school uniform or dress?
Harry Potter Characters:
- Harry Potter - wizard's hat, glasses, cloak, wand, broomstick. Or make a Harry Potter mask
- Hermione - wizard's hat, cloak, wand, broomstick
Roald Dahl Characters:
- Matilda - normal clothes, red ribbon tied in hair
- Miss Honey - a pretty teacher!
- Miss Trunchbull - a very scary, masculine teacher!
- Charlie - jeans and a bar of chocolate (possibly a pretend one!)
- The Twits - go as Mr Twit, having made his beard (see below)
- BFG - wear our BFG ears (see below)
- Fantastic Mr Fox - make mask (see below)
Dr Seuss Characters:
- Cat in the Hat - red and white hat, whiskers, black nose
- Thing 1 and Thing 2 - red T-shirts and legging, trousers or tights, bright blue wigs
Narnia Characters:
- Prince Caspian - knight's outfit, simple and narrow gold crown made with a length of gold card
- Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund - 50s clothes; or "royal" outfits of simple robes, crowns (as for Prince Caspian), swords, bow and arrow etc
- Reepicheep rat (mouse) mask (below) or ears and tale, sword, waistcoat
- Mr Tumnus ears, baggy brown furry trousers?
- Aslan lion costume or mask
- White witch - grand white cloak, Turkish Delight, fierce and terrible expression!
Rat mask to make
Peter Pan Characters:
- Peter Pan - green T-shirt and tights or leggings, and preferably a Peter Pan hat
- Tinkerbell - fairy costume
- Captain Hook - pirate with hat and hook
- Smee or other pirate - pirate costume
