To despise what world book day has become

This is terrible messaging. "No, your favourite character doesn't count because they're too relatable". "No, you aren't allowed to improvise a costume using things you already have, you must spend money and destroy the planet".

True, and to be fair theirs absolutely is - it's of the polo shirt and comfy sweatshirt variety, no ties and blazers here. I think they just know that the opportunity to wear something different marks the day out as different and special for the children.

I have twins in year 2 and its cost me £50 in sodding costumes.

All the other kids have shop bought they'd get picked on if they had home made. They don't even have to go as book characters this year. Just something they are interested in.

It does my tits in!

My DC school has stated that all costumes have to have accessories like swords and medallions to prove it's a character. They were told not to dress up as characters in normal clothes (e.g Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and that those who can't find (afford) a proper costume have to wear full uniform instead

Looking at last years photos - English teachers wore Shrek outfits. Is Shrek a book?

The whole thing has made me feel very uncomfortable! But it's my very last WBD. Might celebrate that instead!

Plenty of people make costumes after work. Some people (like me) enjoy crafting and the pay-off of a cool costume (and the DC enjoy dressing up) so it's more of a leisure activity.

This is ours too.

• Dress up as a word
• Sponsored readathon - record how many minutes a day the child reads for in a set period and sponsor/ pay them for it. Prize for class with most minutes.
• Extreme read - send a picture of you reading in an unusual or extreme location/ way (except of course nobody is actually reading, they're just posing with a book)
• Disco after school on the day - competition for best dressed, buy tokens so the kids can get temporary tattoos, glow sticks and hideous drinks and sweets bought in bulk from costco
• Book swap - bring in books you've finished with and children can choose one to swap (every year so far I've sent in a few good quality books and DD has returned with a terrible, falling apart book with pages missing and scribbles everywhere)
• Decorate a potato as a book character

We do it all, because DD is a joiner and wants to. But it's a lot, and it's unusual for our school which is generally fairly good about not asking too much of parents, but some reason they go batshit for Book Day.

My son (Y4) isn't really interested in dressing up. His favourite books atm are the choose your own adventure types, so that's fine, he can go to school as himself.

I understand this, but surely a school's uniform should be comfortable enough to read in?

I’ve just been sewing my DC’s outfit and it is shit. More to finish tomorrow night as I had a busy weekend and it was too late to begin last night.
DC’s school had “Numbers Day” in January so I got yet another cheap long sleeved t shirt and did “6 7” on it in sequinned trim. But it cost £20 in total to make and the one I’m doing at the moment will be around that.
I refuse to buy a costume DC will never wear again but I know I’m probably paying out the same amount for a crappy homemade one.
World Book Day is annoying as we don’t have much spare money and there are parents worse off than us who will feel the pressure financially.

the most inspired book day ever in our house was when my kids went in as Biff and Chip from the Oxford Reading Tree. Minimum Effort.

I have a soft spot for World Book Day. Back when I was in primary school almost 30 years ago my Gran always made my costumes. Now my dd is in preschool I’m making hers and I love that (I sew for a living so I enjoy it). But I get for people who can’t/dont want to make it’s a total PITA.

I also hate that when my dd goes in she will be surrounded by Disney Princesses, Marvel characters and Paw Patrol pups. I get it as it’s using what they’ve got but I’ve loved getting my almost 4 year old to pick a character and have her help me make the costume - it’s been amazing sharing this skill with her. She loves books and took a while to pick a character and she’s super proud she’s been helping me make it.

My mum works in a school and they do pyjamas and take a book in - I think that’s a good way to make it a fun day but without as much pressure. That way the focus is also on books rather than dressing up as a Disney Princess.

I was silently thinking to myself at this point ‘was I the only one planning on raiding our existing dress up at home?!’ 😂 but thought this will not go down well with this lot! 🙈😂

It would be ok if it was the only special event of its kind in the school year. Not all the other things busy parents are expected to spend money or time on, unlike World Book Day without plenty of notice.

“Despise” is a bit strong but yes, it’s a load of bollocks. Basically a fancy dress day to come as any character or person you like.

many completely hand make the costume each year

Honestly, some people have far too much time on their hands and could be contributing to society in better ways than hand making world book day costumes

The teachers are trolling you at this point surely...!

It’s completely the opposite sentiment at our school. The bigger, the better. When they didn’t do dress up for a couple of years parents were up in arms about it. I’m a Governor, and had parents literally basing a change of primary schools on this matter. Others were devastated, said it was a tradition from when they were children, many completely hand make the costume each year, others said there was no expense spared when purchasing outfits.

So it’s now been reinstated at our school, with loads of extra linked activities too- parents are coming in to read books together and there’s an art and craft character competition.

It’s comeback has been the issue our parents have been the most positive about by far in years.

I will probably just get the craft box out and turn a carrot into the stick man!

How...? You have to carve a carrot into the shape of Gandalf or something?

My daughter's school are asking for a vegetable turned into a book character as well as dressing up!

Our school has gone one better and has come up with a theme so tenuous that it's not actually about books at all - books from other cultures, but not expressed by actually representing any book, just 'your cultural dress or the colours of a flag from any culture'.
So pointless. Especially as we have days properly celebrating the children's cultures anyway. And the flag thing will probably bring out the local idiots as well.

This year we’ve just been asked to send children in with a prop that’s vaguely relevant to the book they’re taking in. Way easier!

Many years ago, my much younger sister landed on me (at about 7PM) that they were going to Victorian School the next day. My mother was in hospital. I found up her corduroy smock dress, thick tights, she thankfully had ankle boots and I ( whose sewing skills extend to buttons) somehow made a pinafore out of an old Laura Ashley petticoat and found a ribbon for her plait. She overheard a teacher say she looked "very authentic" and it was honestly one of the proudest moments of my life 😂

I really don't know how parents do such things regularly with possibly multiple kids and so many calls on their time, like work. It would drive me mad.

Harry Potter