How do you feel about dressing up for World Book Day?

[Ricekrispie22]

Do you enjoy dressing your child up as a book character? Or would you rather their school didn’t do it?

One of my schools used to do it as a pjs day, so they could loll around in a calm classroom where they did as per a pp, lots of book activities and lots of being read to. I never mind dressing up as an adult, but encourage my classes to come in regular clothes and we make accessories to go with our favourite characters. Some parents always send their kid in a polyester hulk outfit whatever you say!!

I absolutely hated it, I am so grateful those days are behind us. I hated everything that involved fancy dressing, especially when you were notified three days in advance with no weekend in the middle, you work full time so no chance to get outfit or materials to do it and you don’t have much money to spare.

PJs at DD's school but to celebrate your favourite bedtime story. Best one yet. I hate dressing up.

just send your kids in as themselves....they are a book waiting to happen. blank pages, waiting to be written!

I didn't mind too much, and the fact that it went on into secondary school was fine - by then our shared books at bedtime were Discworld, we happened to have a Grim Reaper outfit, complete with scythe. So she went as Death ... on the bus.

Send them in as muggles.

Hate it! It's pointless and stressful and doesn't encourage a love of reading. Our school did a PJ day and bring a book - much better. The only winners on World book day are the fancy dress shops and too many kid cop out with a football strip or princess dress.

This will be our first year of it and I’m dreading it already.

I don't understand why parents would buy a costume for just one day.
There's Halloween dress up so brought a werewolf costume that doubled up for Rock Star Day. Number day is just something in his wardrobe or a cheapish tShirt he will rewear. World book day is something out of his normal dress up pile, all the kids characters have books now. Roahl Dahl day we reused an existing costume to make it into a witch costume.
So given that I'm ambivalent about it BUT DS likes dress up. If he hated it and we didn't have a supply of costume bits to reuse I'd probably be less ambivalent and far more grouchy

I must admit it I’ve quite enjoyed it and I hate enforced fun, school projects and dressing up. But I am a big reader and have a DD who is a huge reader and a DS who is not so it’s been a challenge for me to find characters that will inspire him. We’ve successfully done Dennis the Menace, Robinson Crusoe, Caractacus Potts and Alex Rider and always read the associated books or at least stories about them. So for me it was a worthwhile exercise but I was very motivated by trying to engage my son in reading and it’s had mixed results, shall we say, so perhaps the benefits were more for me than for him!

Hated it, as did Dd.

My DC's always hated dressing up. They are all readers though and would have liked the option of bringing a book in to read rather than dressing up.

I don't love it, but my dc really love it, so I'm happy the school does it.

Hate it - as a staff member and parent! And I agree it does absolutely nothing to promote reading. To say nothing of the waste of money buying yet more tat to fill our houses with aaargh!!

I don't like it. It's more like "World Disney/Football Player Day". It does little to encourage reading and a love of books. It causes all sorts of hassle for children with additional needs. It's a pain in the arse for parents to sort out costumes etc. The only time I have ever enjoyed WBD was when the school I worked in at the time didn't dress up but instead had an author come in for a special assembly and then did a day of reading and performing activities.

I'm not fussed either way but dd1 has always loved it - telling me month in advance who she's going to (and then changing her mind repeatedly). Little Miss Chatterbox was awesome - made out of cardboard and cut out & coloured in by dd.

Dd2 is a Sophie - in the spirit of wbd I thought i would try & find a different Sophie each year. Since she is refusing to be Sophie from the tiger who came to tea already i think I'll give up & just let her choose!
The school take turns in taking classes to waterstones to get their free book & have author workshops and stuff. Not just dressing up.

Love the pjs & stories idea though...

Pain in the f**king arse and I can afford it. And what kid remembers what they dressed up as in year 2?!

Just educate the little buggers with, you know, a book.

Hate it

It just seems like a dressing up free for all, especially in my oldest's school.

Pyjama day= much better IMO

I hate it as a parent and especially as a teacher, when they want you to dress up. I don't have the money to waste on buying clothes, so I am grateful I don't work Thursday.

Dd only 6 so can get away with her existing princess dresses, but then it just becomes a princess and superhero day. Though this year she will probably want to be Matilda so existing clothes to make a costume.

I would much prefer it to be a wear pjs, non school clothes and talk/ read books rather than it being about the costume.

It's a huge waste of resources and it puts pressure on parents who are already stretched both for time and money.

I don't think it achieves what it's meant to achieve.

You can't opt out, because then your child is likely to be the only one opting out, which young children often can't cope with mentally. I don't mind standing on my principles, but it's hard to put my child through it when he doesn't get it.

I hate Red Nose Day, Sport Relief and Children in Need too. Generates tonnes of plastic waste and it doesn't really teach children the principles of charity because it's all about consuming stuff and getting stuff in return.

DD is 8 & a real bookworm. So has lots of favourite books. Her school do not do dressing up for World Book Day at all 🤷🏻‍♀️.

In Reception she had to make a model of a character from a book (we still have a papier-mâché Little Miss Trouble ) but in other years it’s ranged from bringing in a book to show everyone, to writing a book report of your favourite book, to nothing.

But then the school will have them dress up multiple times a year for other things - football kits for a World Cup, pirates day, Red Nose Day etc.

My DC's school always used to dress up on alternate years only, and then on the non-dressing up year it was reading and other story related activities. But on the non-dressing up year, allllll the infant kids were so disappointed. It was literally
Them: "IS IT DRESSING UP YEAR?!"
Me: No, not this year
Them: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh
New head came and changed it to dressing up every year and they were thrilled.

I don't mind it. I love making costumes, getting DD to join in and having fun.
They're never perfect, but we enjoy it.

This year DDs nursery have decided that they're to come in in their pyjamas, they're having a book themed day with loads of activities; then stories with hot chocolate and biscuits.
She's really looking forward to it.

Last year DD went as the girl from the tiger who came to tea, which was easy enough and she looked so sweet.

Honestly? I don’t like it at all.

I know the kids enjoy it, but the pressure falls on the parents (me, in my house) to sort a costume. DC’s got some competitive friends (/parents) and is a bit competitive himself, so it always has to be amazing and I don’t want to waste money, and I’m not good at sewing or making, so it never is

I like the PP’s suggestion of a day focussed on reading and scrapping normal lessons! Much better!