Book Week has a special way of appearing in the school newsletter weeks in advance, then somehow becoming urgent at approximately 7.42pm the night before the parade.
In 2026, Children’s Book Week runs from Saturday 22 August to Friday 28 August, with the theme “Symphony of Stories”. Your school may hold its parade on a different date, so check the calendar before ordering anything that needs to arrive by a particular day. You can find the official dates and theme on the Children’s Book Council of Australia website.
The good news is that a recognisable book character costume does not need to involve three nights of sewing, seventeen sheets of cardboard and a kitchen permanently covered in glitter.
Sometimes all you need is an outfit your child already owns, one obvious accessory and a copy of the book to remove any doubt.
If you want an even bigger selection—including sensory-friendly ideas, wheelchair-inclusive costumes and options for teachers—see our complete 2026 Book Week costume guide.
Jump Straight to the Book Week Panic-Savers
- Quick Costume Options Worth Checking First
- 26 Easy Book Week Costume Ideas
- DIY Costume Tools and Props That Can Make Life Easier
- Not Costumes, But Useful for Book Week
- Before You Buy a Book Week Costume
- Do Not Forget the Hair
- More Help for Surviving Book Week
- Easy Recipes to Make During Book Week
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
26 Easy Book Week Costume Ideas
1. Harry Potter or a Hogwarts Student
Start with a white collared shirt, black pants or a skirt, a striped tie and a dark cardigan or robe.
Add the Harry Potter eyeglasses, draw on a small lightning-shaped scar and make a wand from rolled cardboard.
Teachers and adults can use the same base outfit for Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore or another Hogwarts professor. A Sorting Hat can also do most of the identifying for you.
2. Matilda
A blue dress, white cardigan, red hair ribbon and a pile of books are usually enough.
If an adult wants to join in, add a neat dress and cardigan for Miss Honey—or go in the complete opposite direction with sports clothes, a whistle and a very stern expression for Miss Trunchbull.
3. Where’s Wally or Wenda?
Wear a red-and-white striped top, blue bottoms, glasses and a beanie.
This is one of the easiest costumes for children, teachers, parents and whole families because everyone can wear roughly the same thing. It also has excellent repeat potential for anyone who enjoys disappearing in crowded shopping centres.
4. A Crayon From The Day the Crayons Quit
Choose one colour and wear it from head to toe. Add a cardboard band around the middle and make a pointed crayon hat from coloured paper.
It is cheap, comfortable and particularly useful for groups. Each child can choose a different colour, and nobody needs to agree on who gets to be the main character.
5. Greg Heffley From Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Wear a white T-shirt, black shorts and a backpack.
Print or draw Greg’s face on cardboard, attach it to a paddle or sturdy stick and hold it in front of the face for photos. Just make sure your child can lower it while walking.
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Dress in green and add circles of different green shades to the front of the shirt.
A red cap with paper eyes and antennae finishes the costume. Younger children can also carry pictures of the caterpillar’s favourite foods—or an actual apple for emergency parade snacks.
7. Paddington Bear
Combine a blue coat or jacket with a red hat, gumboots and a small suitcase.
Attach a label that says “Please look after this bear” and carry a copy of the book. Marmalade sandwiches are optional and probably best left out of the coat pockets.
8. The Paper Bag Princess
Use a large brown paper bag over normal clothes, making sure it is cut safely and allows plenty of movement.
Add a cardboard crown and messy hair. This is one of those costumes that looks deliberately clever even when it was created fifteen minutes before leaving the house.
9. Alice in Wonderland
A blue dress, white apron, black shoes and a headband will create the classic Alice look.
Adults can turn the idea into a group costume by dressing as the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter or the White Rabbit.
10. Little Red Riding Hood
Wear a simple dress or skirt and add a red cape or hood.
Carry a small basket with the book inside. Avoid filling it with heavy food unless your child genuinely wants to drag Grandma’s entire grocery order around the playground.
11. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Goldilocks needs a dress, an apron and a bowl with a spoon. The bears can wear brown clothes, paper ears and dark face paint on the nose.
This is a good sibling, family or teacher-group costume, particularly if you already own three suspiciously similar brown hoodies.
12. A Fairytale Princess
Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Belle all began as story characters long before Book Week became a school-calendar emergency.
Reuse an existing dress-up outfit or browse the Princess Costume Collection. Add the matching book so the character is clear.
13. A Dinosaur Book Character
Children can dress as a dinosaur from Dinosaur Roar!, Harry and the Dinosaurs, How to Catch a Dinosaur or another favourite dinosaur book.
Green clothes, cardboard spikes and face paint make an easy homemade version. For something more dramatic, consider the Inflatable T-Rex Costume.
Check whether the child can comfortably walk, sit, use the bathroom and get through classroom doors before committing to the full prehistoric experience.
14. An Animal Storybook Character
An animal onesie can become a bear, wolf, pig, rabbit, fox or almost any other book character once you add the right prop.
Pair it with a copy of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, The Three Little Pigs, Peter Rabbit, Fantastic Mr Fox or another animal story.
15. The Gruffalo
Start with brown clothes and add paper or felt horns, ears and a tail.
Use purple card for the prickles, green for the wart and a little face paint for the nose.
The costume does not need to be perfectly accurate. Once the horns and purple prickles appear, most teachers will understand what is happening.
16. The Rainbow Fish
Wear blue clothes and attach scales cut from blue, silver and rainbow-coloured card or felt.
Keep the pieces away from cuffs, waistbands and anywhere they will make sitting uncomfortable. A few colourful details around the face can finish the look, but patch-test any face paint beforehand.
17. Fantastic Mr Fox
Use orange or brown clothing with paper ears and a tail.
Add a waistcoat or jacket for the more dressed-up version. Adults can wear a suit jacket and fox ears, which requires very little effort but still looks as though some planning occurred.
18. Pig the Pug
Wear beige or light-brown clothes, make rounded ears from cardboard and add a curled paper tail.
Use a little dark face paint on the nose and carry a Pig the Pug book. Practising an extremely unimpressed facial expression will complete the look.
19. Hush From Possum Magic
Grey clothes, round ears and a long tail make an easy Hush costume.
Attach pictures of Australian foods to a small bag or apron as a nod to Hush’s journey around Australia. This is a lovely option for children who want something comfortable and recognisably Australian.
20. The Wombat From Diary of a Wombat
A brown or grey hoodie, matching pants, small paper ears and a dark nose are all you need.
Carry the book or add a sign listing the wombat’s important daily schedule: slept, ate, scratched, demanded carrots and slept again. Frankly, not a bad lifestyle.
21. Thing 1 and Thing 2
Wear red shirts with printed or hand-drawn Thing 1 and Thing 2 circles.
Add blue wigs, temporary hair colour or blue paper headpieces. This is an easy sibling, twin, best-friend or teacher-pair costume.
22. Willy Wonka or a Golden Ticket
Willy Wonka needs a bright jacket, bow tie, hat and walking cane made from cardboard.
For an even easier costume, wear yellow or gold clothing and create a large Golden Ticket from cardboard. This works particularly well for children who prefer not to wear hats, masks or bulky accessories.
23. The Worst Witch or a Storybook Wizard
Black clothes, a simple cape, pointed hat and cardboard wand will cover an impressive number of witch and wizard books.
Adults can adapt the same pieces for The Worst Witch, Merlin, Gandalf or a Hogwarts professor. Look through the costume and dress-up collection if you need one recognisable accessory rather than a complete outfit.
24. The Snail From The Snail and the Whale
Wear dark clothes and create a shell from curled cardboard, brown paper or a lightweight cushion attached securely to a backpack.
Add paper antennae to a headband. Keep the shell small enough for your child to sit down without becoming permanently wedged between two classroom chairs.
25. An Earth or Space-Themed Book Character
Silver clothing, dark clothes with paper stars or a simple astronaut-style outfit can work for books such as The Darkest Dark, The Smeds and the Smoos or Here We Are.
The Celestial Buddies Little Earth Plush can be carried as a prop without adding anything uncomfortable to the outfit.
This also fits beautifully with the 2026 “Symphony of Stories” theme if your child wants to represent stories from around the world.
26. A Flower Fairy or Secret Garden Character
Start with green, pink, yellow or white clothes and add a flower crown, leafy belt or small basket.
Characters can be inspired by the Flower Fairies books, The Secret Garden, The Tiny Seed or the talking flowers from Through the Looking-Glass.
Fresh flowers can wilt or trigger allergies, so check the school’s rules first. Fabric, paper or preserved flowers are usually easier for young children to wear all day.
DIY Costume Tools and Props That Can Make Life Easier
You do not need to buy an entire costume. One useful tool or prop can be enough to turn everyday clothes into a recognisable character.
For Simple Sewing Jobs
The Advwin Portable Multi-Function Sewing Machine may suit adults who regularly make costumes, repair school uniforms or create simple fabric accessories.
It is probably excessive for attaching one cardboard tail at 10pm. However, if Book Week, Halloween, school plays and dress-up days keep circling back, a compact sewing machine may have more long-term use than another single-wear costume.
Children should only use sewing equipment with close adult supervision.
For Flower Crowns, Wands and Nature Costumes
These flower options can provide inspiration for fairy, woodland, garden and Australian flora-themed costumes:
- Native Flower Crown Bouquet
- Baby’s Breath Bouquet
- Sunflower Bouquet
- Mixed Seasonal Flowers
- Preserved and Dried Flower Collection
Rather than attaching a full bouquet to a small child, use one or two lightweight stems—or copy the colours using paper or fabric flowers. Check for allergies, sharp stems and small pieces before adding anything to a costume.
Not Costumes, But Useful for Book Week
A couple of products in our Book Week collection are better suited to classroom activities, prizes or extending the story at home than to the costume itself.
| Product | How It Could Be Used |
|---|---|
| IQ Deluxe Hexagon | A possible Book Week prize, rainy-day activity or quiet classroom challenge. |
| KidzLabs Mini Brick Architect | A story-extension activity for books involving houses, buildings or The Three Little Pigs. |
| Celestial Buddies Little Earth Plush | A lightweight prop for space, science and planet-themed books, or a reading-corner display. |
If you want to turn costume-making into an afternoon activity, our screen-free activities for kids include more ways to keep little hands occupied without surrendering the entire house to YouTube.
Before You Buy a Book Week Costume
A costume is only a bargain if your child can actually wear it.
Before ordering, check:
- The retailer’s measurements rather than relying only on the age label.
- Estimated delivery dates and shipping costs.
- Whether your child can comfortably walk, sit and use the bathroom.
- Whether masks, toy weapons, inflatables or large accessories are allowed at school.
- Whether the fabric will be too hot or scratchy.
- Whether normal clothes can be worn underneath.
- Whether the costume could be reused for Halloween, parties or future school events.
- Whether your child still wants to be that character after changing their mind six times.
When possible, show your child two or three realistic options rather than asking an open-ended question. “Would you prefer Harry Potter, a dinosaur or a crayon?” is much easier to manage than “What would you like to be?”
Do Not Forget the Hair
Sometimes the right hairstyle is the easiest way to finish a costume.
Braids can work for fairytale characters, messy pigtails suit Pippi Longstocking and a neat ribbon completes Matilda. Our guide to 22 quick and easy hairstyles for kids has practical options that can help on parade morning.
Just remember that “slept in it and woke up like this” is also a perfectly acceptable hairstyle for several witches, wild animals and exhausted parents.
More Help for Surviving Book Week
If these 26 ideas have not produced a winner, browse our complete 2026 Book Week costume guide for more characters, teacher costumes and inclusive options.
You can also:
- Browse QBD Books to find a book your child already loves and build the costume around it.
- See the Costume and Dress-Up Collection if making something from scratch is not happening this year.
- Save our 50 fun school lunch ideas kids will actually eat for the morning after the parade, when you have used every last bit of parenting creativity on cardboard ears.
Most importantly, let your child choose something they are happy and comfortable wearing.
A simple costume they keep on all day is far more successful than an elaborate masterpiece that becomes your problem five minutes after arriving at school.
Easy Recipes to Make During Book Week
Book Week can be busy for parents, so here are a few quick and easy recipes that are perfect for busy school mornings or after-school treats:
- Lose a Kilo Soup – A Healthy and Easy Family Favourite
- Condensed Milk Peanut Butter Cookies – Only a Few Ingredients Needed
- Caramel in the Microwave – The Easiest Homemade Caramel Ever
- Condensed Milk Fruit Salad – A Classic Aussie Dessert
- Sand Cake – A Fun and Simple Baking Recipe for Kids
Have your say!