Can you believe that in 2023, schools will have been celebrating World Book Day for 26 years! Seeing your teachers in fancy dress was definitely one of the most exciting parts of the day for any of us going to school during this time. And we're sure we're not the only ones who still have a vivid memories of the teachers who completely awestruck us with their costume!
Children on World Book Day are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character so you should to! Put in maximum effort into your character costume and you'll see the children bubble over in excitement as you enter the classroom in the morning! Expect a room full of eager ears, ready to hear all about who your favourite character is, their back story and when you first discovered the book!
Your students will look up to you for inspiration and seeing you enjoy yourself on Book Day will only encourage them to do the same and make it one of their most memorable school days ever! So with that being said, here are some costumes that will totally amaze your class on World Book Day!
The Evil Queen - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The Evil Queen Costume is extremely striking and reflects the popular portrayal of her from Disney’s Snow White. The original book was written back in the 1800’s by The Brothers Grimm.
The key to stunning your class with this costume is to adopt the wicked attitude of The Evil Queen who’s only goal is to be the fairest of them all. Remember she won’t let anyone get in the way, not even the innocent Snow White, so you’re entrance to the classroom should be so foreboding that your students instantly hush themselves for once! Don’t forget to place a poison apple on your desk!
Shop Disney Evil Queen Costume
Professor Trelawney - Harry Potter
Your class will find it hilarious to see you haphazardly stumble into the classroom dressed up as Professor Trelawny from Harry Potter! The eccentric teacher has a reputation of being a bit of an odd ball so you can really have some fun getting into character this Book Day and making your students laugh at your unusual appearance.
A bit of DIY is required for this costume but don’t worry as it’s a super simple to recreate. To start you need to layer up with some oversized clothes in earthy tones. If you’re blessed with long hair, spend some time curling it and then run a brush through it to separate the curls to create her unruly hairstyle, if not we have plenty of Wigs that look the part like this Fever Nicole Wig. Her glasses are vital to looking the part – our School Glasses are perfect for this.
Don’t forget to place a crystal ball and a teacup with old tea leaves on your desk! You could also blurt out random obscurities throughout the day just like the real Sybil Trelawney.
Bananaman - The Beano Comics
Thanks to the huge cinematic universes of Marvel and DC Comics, kids these days think they know all there is to know about comic book superheroes! Why don’t you use Book Day to introduce them to an old-school British comic book hero.
If you grew up in the 80’s it's likely you were a fan of the comics Nutty, The Beano or The Dandy. Share your love for them with your students by dressing up as the iconic character BANANAMAN this Book Day! The comic follows ordinary school kid Eric Wimp, who has the ability to transform into an adult superhero every time he eats a banana! His vibrant blue and yellow outfit is sure to get the attention of your class.
Importantly it could also show students who struggle to stay interested in a book, that there’s nothing wrong with picking up a comic book to read instead! You could even try and find a few comic books to have available on your desk for the kids to look at - You never know, you might kickstart a new reading obsession!
Wicked Witch - The Wizard Of Oz
There will be hundreds of Dorothy’s knocking about on the 2nd March for World Book Day, so give the children in your class something to remember by dressing up as the Wicked Witch instead! If you can commit to the green face paint all day you are sure to go down as legend in their eyes. You'll also show them that sometimes it’s more fun to go against the grain! Shop Wicked Witch Costumes
Jon Snow - A Song Of Ice and Fire
Earlier we suggested that you should consider dressing up as a character from your favourite book.
Back in 2011 we were treated to an amazing TV series based off the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R. Martin. Unless you were living under a rock at the time you will know the series as Game Of Thrones - the show made the book series incredibly popular and quickly became a favourite among adult readers.
If this was the case for you, show your class a snippet of your out of school personality for a day by dressing up as Jon Snow aka ‘King In The North’ in this Dark Barbarian Costume. Just think how cool you'll look walking around the playground in this costume and the kids are sure to think so too! Shop All Game Of Thrones Costumes
Old School Heroes & Villains
Shop Women's Captain Hook Costume | Shop Men's Captain Hook Costume
Shop Women's Musketeer Costume | Shop Men's Musketeer Costume
Finally we have two super striking book character costumes that are available in both Men’s and Women’s sizing! These grand costumes are sure to catch the eye and imagination of your students.
First, a villain from all of our childhoods… Captain Hook, who is well knows as the arch-enemy of Peter Pan. The second might not be as recognisable for children today, but The Three Musketeers are original heroes and once you have your students attention with this costume, they’re sure to want to find more our about the characters from the historical French novel.
Teachers Get 15% Off
Smiffys are excited to now be able to offer a discount specifically for teachers! All you have to do is verify your teaching status with BeansID. You then receive a unique discount code for 15% off your next purchase at Smiffys! Get your Teacher Discount Here