To say it should just be dressing up day?

[Ulysees]

World book day where I live is really just dressing up day. Hardly any are from books. The odd Harry potter here and there.

To be fair I once forgot and dressed ds1 as Dracula. He loved it. But at least it was a book! 🤣

I think it's okay if you don't have the book, but you and your child know what the book is and who the character is. My kid may have wanted to dress up as Superworm but we don't have the book - my parents do.

When I was in Year 6 I dressed up as a character from a TV show but had the 'book' version of the episode my character was featured in with me on the day. They didn't allow me to take part in the Best Costume competition or whatever it was. I felt that was fair.

My girls have went in as Batman and a Princess.

We read all the time here, they have literally hundreds of books, but I have neither the time, the funds, nor the inclination to fanny about making specific costumes for WBD so they go in whatever they have already.

Its just another expense imo and I would rather they did more activities in school or whatever rather than put the onus on parents to start making costumes.

WBD is about getting more kids to read. One way of doing that is to make it accessible by saying PJs. Pjs because for children who do read, they will be read stories at bedtime in their pjs. A child who doesn’t have books doesn’t have to highlight that they don’t have books by not knowing how to dress up as one. It’s a leveller and the exact point of WBD. Children of all background accessing books and developing a love for reading, in whatever form that takes - classic literature, non-fiction, trashy romance novels, horror flicks, comics or football.

Except batman was a comic book long before it was a film

My children’s school has set a theme for it, and so every year. I don't know if all schools do this, but I really dislike it as it puts so much pressure on the parents to try and afford/cobble together an outfit each year.

The PTA do a sale of second hand costumes for really good prices, which I think is a brilliant idea, but would make more sense if they did so once the theme has been announced to us so we know what we’re looking for.

I’m all for encouraging children, but I do think this is another things that is very quickly getting out of hand for people and the original meaning is becoming lost.

Hate the idea of dressing up for WBD - so many better activities that are actually associated with a love of reading.

No dressing up or anything else requiring parental effort at our school this year, just lots of book related activities in class. Much better.

I will never ever ever judge parents who are short on time or money or both for taking the easy option and going with the Elsa dress they already have in the dressing up box. Assigning virtue to some costumes and characters over others will not encourage a reluctant reader to read. So what if the only thing a little boy is reading is a football annual? He's reading.

My DD loves getting me to read the backs of food packets to her so I was very tempted... partly just to see the looks on the faces of some of the "do it properly" crowd 🤣

As it was, she went in a cobbled together outfit and actually asked if we could read the book before we left for school. She usually asks to watch TV, so that's a win for WBD in my book (pun intended), "properly" or not.

Absolutely, but its not up to "us" as parents, it depends what the school want to call it doesn't it?
Dd's school aren't doing it at all, they've given out the vouchers, but they are having a fashion show instead of clothes made from recycled tat at home. The kods had a blast making it all, and it should be a fun day.

I'm absolutely thrilled that DD school don't do any dressing up today. They do loads of lovely activities for the kids and it's a special day but they don't make it dress up. Absolutely perfect 👌

Why can't they? And how would they know? 😀

Well presumably because you need a wash and some clean clothes before you go to school?

Yeah - i don't see that WBD does much for promoting reading anyway. I say that as a parent and x teaching staff. Let alone 'banning' certain outfits. The amount of stress WBD brings to so many families outweighs far more than any good it does. Plus the sort of family who will sit and produce lovingly created home made costumes are likely families who support their children's reading already.

The family who can afford to pick a pricey book character costume from Amazon every year may or may not be supporting their child in their reading, but again, what good does buying tat on the internet do for teaching pleasure in reading if reading books is not something consistently encouraged at home?

Promoting reading is very important - but it's something which needs tackling gently every school day of the year. Each child is different and each family is different and sadly even getting some parents to sit with their child and hear them read for 5 minutes a day is impossible. These are children which need a daily support system in place in EY. Sadly even in schools which pride themselves on having a good reading system it can actually be a shoddy state of affairs on a day to day level.

My kids have gone in as book characters and they enjoy it.

There are plenty of characters who just wear normal clothes.

But, I don't care at all if others go in as a footballer or princess, it has zero impact on me or my kids, I don't know why people get irritated about it!

There should be a thought for children with sensory issues around clothing too. My 4 year old DD (reception year) hates the dressing up days at school because she has such a narrow range of clothes she feels comfortable in. She went in in her crocodile onesie today; with the book "Solomon crocodile", however we had to find a book to "fit" with what she could comfortably wear.

That's no reflection on her enjoyment of books; but an added stress in a busy home that make my child struggle.

Oh come on. Bit judgy there. Loads of kids love books and love to read but still want to dress up as Batman!

See this is so much more inclusive.

If I got this email from school I would've told them to shove it and kept my kids off that day! So rude!

@Itloggedmeoutagain Batman is from a comic BOOK.
Comics were actually one of the early ways to make cheap and easily accessible reading for children (and adults).

This thread is hilarious and full of assumptions, which is why WBD costumes are just a crock of shit.

My 6yo has a reading age of about 12/14, she's currently working her way through Harry Potter all by herself, she still wanted to chuck on her pink sparkly princess dress today because she's a kid. It has literally no reflection on her reading at all.

It's supposed to be fun! Why does it need to be taken seriously. Reading is reading who cares if it's a minecraft book or dickens!

Ours is pjs/comfy clothes and bring your favorite book. We live in a fairly deprived area, so this is really inclusive and helps to reinforce the idea of a "bedtime story".
Costumes are only fun if you've got time and money, and that's not the point of WBD.

I agree, we should be celebrating books and promoting reading. Film characters take away from the meaning of the day.

My son has a lot of books, but the one that's falling apart from being read so much and most favourite of them all is a Pokemon encyclopedia. So today he's taken it in and is dressed as a Pokemon trainer (Ash Ketchum, Alola outfit). If anyone argues that's not a proper book character I refer you to the worn-out state of that book.