Easy Book Week Costume Ideas 2020

Book Week 2020 runs from August 22-28, and this year asks your children to embrace the theme “Curious Creatures, Wild Minds”. Curious Creatures, Wild Minds invokes thoughts of nature, jungles, sea creatures and dinosaurs, of imaginary and mythological animals, and of adventurers, explorers and scientists.

If you are stuck thinking of book week character ideas to fit this year’s theme, we’ve got plenty, along with some easy children’s book week costume ideas that you can put together yourself.

Delve into our book week costume ideas and decide where book week will take your family: will your “curious creature” be found in the past, a fantasy land, under the waves, or perhaps even another universe? Or is your child keen to embrace their “wild mind” as a fabulous adventurer?

The Gruffalo

What a strange and curious creature the Gruffalo is, invented by a little mouse who has no idea that the real Gruffalo is nearby! Primary and kindy children love the stories of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child. To create your own simple Gruffalo costume, dress your child in brown trousers and long-sleeved shirt or hoodie, add big felt ears to a headband, and use face paint to create the fangs. Book inspiration: The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Stuartholme School, Celebrating 100 Years of Global Thinkers. www.stuartholme.com

The BFG

Roald Dahl’s beloved favourite, The BFG, is a both a curious creature and a wild mind. The BFG collects and gives good dreams to children and enlists the help of an orphan named Sophie and the Queen of England to rid the world of child-eating giants. This could be a simple DIY costume if you have some green (or khaki) trousers, a white t-shirt and a brown vest, with rolled-up cardboard to make the dream trumpet. Book inspiration: The BFG by Roald Dahl

Where the Wild Things Are

This beautiful timeless classic has been a favourite for over fifty years. Where the Wild Things Are is a heart-warming story of a littleboy sent to bed without his supper, but his bedroom undergoes amysterious transformation. Max finds himself sailing to an island wherethe Wild Things live, but instead of being eaten Max becomes their king.To make your own King Max costume, team a fluffy white onesie ortracksuit with a gold cardboard crown. Add big buttons down the front ofthe top, a faux fur trim to the crown, and attach a dark faux fur tail(or fluffy scarf!) if you have one. Draw on whiskers with face paint oreyeliner. Book inspiration: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Dora the Explorer

Dora is a young Latina girl with a ‘wild mind’ for adventure. During her adventures, Dora is regularly faced with problems that she must solve with the help of her friends, Backpack, Map and Boots the Monkey, as well as having to deal with the infamous Swiper the Fox. Dora the Explorer is great idea if you are looking for an easy book week as you could probably make it work with what your child already has in their wardrobe. All you need is a pink t-shirt, a pair of orange shorts, a purple backpack (or the actual backpack), trainers and yellow frilly socks. If you don’t have these items, there are some great Dora the Explorer book week costumes online. Book Inspiration: Dora the Explorer by Nickelodeon

Go, Diego, Go!

Just like his cousin Dora, Diego loves to go on adventures with his friend Baby Jaguar to see who he can help today! To make your own Diego costume, pair blue shorts with a light blue t-shirt, and add a beige overshirt with the sleeves removed. If you want to be more authentic with the badge and backpack, you can buy the complete Diego book week costume online. Book inspiration: Run, Run, Koala! by Nickelodeon

THE MAKING OF MEN www.churchie.com.au

Monsters!

We love monsters, and they are in books for all ages! From Sesame Street’s The Monster at the End of This Book, Sigel Adler’s You’re Not My Monster (a book to help children overcome fears), and Eat Pete by Michael Rex, these sometimes scary but ultimately friendly creatures bring fun and adventure into every life.

The great thing about monster book week costumes is they can be as wild and crazy as your imagination! Grab scraps of ‘hairy’ or bright fabric from the off-cuts bin at your local fabric store and pin them into a ragtag haphazard cloak to create the monster of your dreams. For younger children, monsters are ideal toddler book week costumes – just see the number of monster board books available at your local library!

Pikachu

With the Pokemon Go game app and the recent Detective Pikachu movie, Pokemon are enjoying a huge reviva. The Pokemon Adventures book series is suitable for ages 7-10 and read from right to left (back to front) in the Japanese style.

To make your own Pikachu costume, carefully glue yellow felt fabric to a stiff cardboard zig-zag tail and attach felt-covered cardboard ears to a yellow headband. Wear them over a yellow long-sleeved t-shirt and trousers and use face paint to complete the look with rosy cheeks.

Book inspiration: Pokemon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka

Bilbo Baggins

The Hobbit, part of The Lord of the Rings series, was originally written for an older audience but there are many beautifully illustrated and graphic-novel versions available to tempt younger and advanced readers. If you have a fantasy loving child, create a Bilbo Baggins costume with tan coloured shorts, a green waistcoat vest over a white shirt, and a long red-brown cardigan. Book inspiration: The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

How to Bee

How to Bee is a story about family, loyalty, kindness and bravery, set against an all-too-possible future where climate change has forever altered the way we live. Bees are extinct and children have to do their work pollinating the crops. It was the winner of the CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, 2018 award. To make a bee costume, sew or glue bands of wide black ribbon around a yellow t-shirt – or yellow ribbon around a black t-shirt – and wear it with a black or yellow skirt or shorts. Create wings of white card on elastic straps to pull over the shoulders and add pipe-cleaner antennae to a yellow or black headband. Book inspiration: How to Bee by Bren MacDribble

There is no need to raid your local craft store and stay up until the early hours of the morning creating your child’s book week dress up costume. Check out the full article on our website for more “Curious Creatures, Wild Minds” costume ideas plus the links to buy ready-made costumes online. www.familiesmagazine.com.au/childrens-book-week-costume-ideas More ideas!