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Original poster

Book Week at school - come in costume...

33 replies

binker · 27/02/2004 18:41

...got a note in the school's newsletter today encouraging us to dress our children in costume on Friday - as a favourite book character - any ideas for a six yr old boy (that I can assemble easily without spending hours fashioning)- my mind's a blank. Our local paper always has pics of children in costume at similar events and they never seem to be dressed as a character - just whatever fancy dress stuff comes to hand.

OP posts:
tamum · 27/02/2004 18:49

Oh, same here, so endless negotiations going on. Last year ds went as Harry Potter. Staggeringly unoriginal but v. easy to do. Maybe 6 is a bit young though. We've settled on Horrid Henry for ds (even though he's 9), as his hair is the right colour and should spike up well with a bit of gel. A load of blusher on his cheeks and that'll do!

Dd wants to go as Angelina Ballerina, so I can only hope it's stopped snowing

noddy5 · 27/02/2004 18:51

Peter Pan is easy tights and a hat with a feather on it.I also made a small cardboard dagger-less dangerous!

Freckle · 27/02/2004 18:53

Billy Bunter, Just William? Both easy to do if you have general school uniform. A lot of modern children's books have modern characters (cf. Tracy Beaker - if you're a girl ), so go for one of those if you're not a really creative type.

Janh · 27/02/2004 18:57

Not "character" but Matalan had some neat fancy-dress outfits when I was in this week - eg there was a shiny silver alien suit. Just trying to think of a character you could adapt it to!

Posey · 27/02/2004 19:06

Dd's class did this last year, when she was that age. The boys went as Spiderman, Harry potter, Batman, Robin, Peter Pan,
Just looked at the class photo to see what the rest went as, but that was about it as there were several of each
Sorry not to be more help.

LIZS · 27/02/2004 19:08

Last year ds was Peter Pan - Green tabard made from crepe paper and matching hat with feather - year before Thomas the Tank Engine - blue sweatshirt with a cardboard face on the front, a red belt with circular buffers and wheels on made out of cardboard, and black trousers. Some people go to town others just choose something out of the dressing up box.

soyabean · 27/02/2004 19:34

I remember seeing a very good Mr Bump, lots of bangages round his tummy (with cushion) and head and a few plasters.
When I was a child I went as a Jumbly to something: I carried a sieve and had face paint and rubber gloves (green or blue, cant remember the poem now: their heads were green and their hands were blue...?)Cant remember what I wore: dont think its specified in the poem. Anyway, I'm quite sure there weren't any others.

jac34 · 27/02/2004 20:18

I had one of those notes as well, my first thought was "What the hell can I knock together in a week"!!! And I need 2 as my DS's are in the same reception class.

I must admit I've gone for as simple as possible, they both wanted to be some kind of animal.So we've now decided that twin1 will be a bear from Goldielocks & the three bears,and twin2 wants to be either, a three little pig, or a Billy goat gruff.I thought just a flees, mask, and we have some Bear feet, slippers.
I downloaded the masks from www.janbrett.com/activities_pages_makes.htm
There is'nt a wide range but, they seem quite happy, with that.

suedonim · 27/02/2004 20:31

A friend's ds is going as Gollum. This is the suggestion. White/grey tights and matching long-sleeved vest, talc in his hair and white face paint and goggle eyes if you can get them. Hth

Tortington · 27/02/2004 21:04

same here - only horror is the order of the day - so halloween costumes again - i dresses 10 year old in my old knackered wedding dress spiked her hair red lipstick - bride of drac here you come.

her twin ( ds2) wants me to buy a hockey mask - i told him to sod off - so am stuckon what to do for him

popsycal · 27/02/2004 21:32

oooh - he doesnt go tou our school does he.....???? We are doing this next friday.....

Original poster
binker · 27/02/2004 22:54

which school is that popsycal ? it'd be funny if we were at the same one !
I've solved my problem,I think - one of ds's favourites is Slinky Malinky so he wants to go in cat costume - we have a mask,so I'll paint on whiskers and make a tail and although SM doesn't seem to wear a collar,DS has decided he wants one.
phew !

OP posts:
popsycal · 27/02/2004 23:02

just read your ds is 6 - so definitely not my school!!!
We are doing readathon which coincides with world book day on thursday

soothepoo · 27/02/2004 23:49

Have you read My Mum and Dad Make Me Laugh, by Nick Sharratt? The little boy in the story is obsessed by elephants, so dresses in grey shirt, grey shorts, grey socks etc, and eats currant buns. Would be quite simple to do, I would have thought. (Hope it's not too young for him - don't know much about 6 year old boys.)

WideWebWitch · 28/02/2004 05:33

We've got to do this too next week and I'm also at a loss. Is there an easily identifiable Roald Dahl character?

Original poster
binker · 28/02/2004 14:05

soothepoo- great idea- I like the bun bit !
wickedwaterwitch - how about Miss Trunchbull ?

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 28/02/2004 14:07

www - an oompa lumpa? (dungas, face painted orange, green hair. it'd be fun! )

donnie · 28/02/2004 14:55

how about a giant peach www?

Beetroot · 28/02/2004 14:59

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Beetroot · 28/02/2004 15:00

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candy · 28/02/2004 20:45

My 9 year old won last year as medussa with lots of cardboard snakes attached to a head band and a black tunic. We've also done miss havisham, rapunzel, alice in wonderland and the big bad wolf. This year 9 yr old wants to be the lion, the witch AND the wardrobe (interesting! any ideas how?) and the little one wants to be elmer the patchwork elephant which should be a bit easier!

hmb · 28/02/2004 21:08

My advice would be not to do the white witch. I spent a week making the costume for dd, only to have her refuse to wear it on the day because the witch was the baddie! And we had agreed on it before hand!!!!

If you are determined, make him a lion costume (or witch if you are being non-sexist) and than make him a wardrobe out of a shoe box and put the remaining character in it.

I did this, but my creative abilities cut no ice with my demanding little darling

hmb · 28/02/2004 21:09

For the mothers with no time ( that is all of us ) send in your child in ordinary clothes but put them on back to front, twisted. When asked what the child is tell them to say 'All of a Twist'

musica · 28/02/2004 22:44

You could do one of the black riders from the Lord of the Rings if you are really stuck. That must be quite straightforward. If you want to do Roald Dahl, you could do the boy out of the Witches after he has been turned into a mouse.

I'm dreading when ds and dd have to start doing this!

WideWebWitch · 28/02/2004 22:48

Thanks for these. I'm wondering about The Cat in The Hat, should be easy surely? ds may not agree with it though, will have to have discussion tomorrow I think.