When mine were younger, I always found costumes for boys much harder to think of and it got harder every year to think of something different. So, if you had no idea it was World Book Day, didn't get the letter, or are just generally really busy, here are some last minute World Book Day costumes for boys that should get you out of trouble. They can hopefully be created from items you already have at home, just pick the one that suits what you can find. Don't worry if they haven't read the book, it's a great opportunity to learn a new story and all the costumes come from either classic children's books or the top 100 children's book list.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Red jumper and yellow/pale shorts or trousers, ruck sack, teddy bear
Guess How Much I Love You?
Rabbit ears left over from Easter, face paint nose and whiskers, stuffed toy rabbit
Dear Zoo
Any animal costume you already own
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie Bucket: Blue jumper, dark trousers. You can print a Golden Ticket, or make your own.
Augustus Gloop: Oversized T shirt stuffed with a pillow or similar. Brown face paint to look like chocolate around face
Mike Teavee: Yellow/light coloured shirt, light green/blue neckerchief, cowboy hat if you happen to have one, toy gun.
Peter Rabbit
Blue jacket, rabbit ears and face paint for nose and whiskers. See Guess How Much I Love You above.
The Magic Faraway Tree
Saucepan Man: Large saucepan/colander for hat and various metal utensils and small kitchen items tied to clothes.
Angry Pixie: Red top, red trousers, black belt, face paint for red cheeks and nose, pointy hat if you have one, or can make one.
Alfie Gets in First
Yellow top, blue jeans. Props could be; door key, baby doll, or some shopping.
Dogger
Stripey T shirt, dark shorts, stuffed toy dog.
Matilda
Bruce Bogtrotter: Pale shirt, with brown paint for chocolate stains, dark trousers and face paint to represent chocolate on face. Chocolate cake optional!
Horrid Henry
Light blue top, blue jeans. For accuracy, you could use yellow masking tape to make the yellow stripes.
A Squash and a Squeeze
Old Man: grey trousers, black jacket, face painted beard, hat if you have one, toy farm animal.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Peter: Green trousers and top, green hat which you can make by rolling card or paper into a cone shape and painting green.
Burglar Bill
White and blue striped shirt, black eye mask (easy to make with card or fabric), large sack, stuffed with a pillow or something light
Funny Bones
If you have a skeleton costume from Halloween
George's Marvellous Medicine
Red t shirt (ideally long sleeved) blue jeans/ trousers and a saucepan and wooden spoon
Robinson Crusoe
White shirt, sleeves rolled up and 'dirtied' with paint or dirt, dark trousers, belt, face painted beard and moustache, scruffy hair.
Oliver Twist
Dark, scruffy clothes. Bowl.
A Christmas Carol
Ebeneezer: Long coat, top hat, red scarf
Tiny Tim: Scruffy clothes, flat cap, walking stick
Tom Brown's School Days
Waist coat, white shirt, flat cap, satchel, or similar.
Dr Doolittle
Long coat (or whit coat for a modern version), stethoscope, a couple of stuffed animals
Bert from Mary Poppins
Dark clothes, black face paint on face, a broom if you can't make a chimney brush
101 Dalmatians
White t shirt, with black spots painted on, black face paints for face spots.
Gangsta Granny
You can recreate the classic scene in the Thames with just black clothes and a mask and snorkel!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Black shorts, white t shirt, black rucksack
The Boy in the Dress
Easy, if he's brave enough to wear a dress to school!
Tom Gates
White long sleeved shirt, black trousers.
I hope you find something you can use in our 30 last minute World Book Day ideas. If you also need ideas for World Book Day costumes for girls, click the link!
These are all really fantastic ideas. I lack such creativity in the ideas department, although for my daughters last one in the UK she went as Fantastic Mr Fox...we have a brown leotard and leggings already, made ears and a tail, and face painted her!! She got the best prize for coming as Aslan from Narnia!!!
ReplyDeleteAll amazing ideas makes me wish I have a little boy but I have to girls
ReplyDeleteLots of great idea's here! My son went as The BFG one year and I was desperate for him to go as James and the giant peach this year (his name is James lol). He was however adamant that he is going as Harry Potter this year!
ReplyDeleteThese are all such good ideas! I remember my sister and I going as dalmations when we were little, there's a photo on the wall at my parents house with our faces painted! It was such a fun costume!
ReplyDeletesome great ideas for last minute costumes Dear zoo is a really good one for finding something you already have!
ReplyDeleteLove your very practical costume ideas for World Book Day. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteSome great ideas here, I am prepared this year and it has been cancelled as the school is shut due to the snow - typical xx
ReplyDeleteSome great ideas here. I always use to struggle for ideas when mine were at junior school.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great list of ideas for costumes. I don't think World Book Day is a thing here in Portugal but I'll find out tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteSebby is going as a dinosaur that loves underpants :)
ReplyDeleteMy son did a dusty if a whimpy kid one year, really quick and simple to do
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of easy stuff you can choose from. Probably the easiest one is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the 101 Dalmatians costume. I'd love to try it.
ReplyDeleteThese are great! There have been a few years I could of definately used one of these ideas :)
ReplyDelete