OK, so what is the value in dress up days?

[Hoaz]

Every year and WBD approaches we have long threads about what a pain it is. Presumably schools (teachers, who are actually human) don't just do it to annoy the parents, so what is the value of them?

Does someone wake up one morning and think, oh, that'll be fun, is there some "requirement" to do them, so it's a box ticked when you've done so many, is there a sound educational reason for them?

"Actually, personally I'd far rather practice spellings with DC." is perfectly correct if you're from the US Feenie

Dressing up should be restricted to Hallowe'en by law.

There's just no need for it.

And it has nothing to do with books.

DD1 (nearly 5) is dressing up as a "character" from a book she got from the library last week.

It's a little girl, unnamed, who is seen walking around the beach carrying a fishing net.

DD will wear her new stripy top over her pink dress in a very odd looking impression of this illustration that speaks no lines and has no name.

No idea why this is what she's into but it required 0 effort by me.

And that's the main thing.

Winterwardrobetime that's it exactly my problem... since when is Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman or Lightening McQueen book characters?

Match of the Day Annuals and football kits are never allowed.

Considering that all this dressing up is a relatively new thing, isn't it amazing how previous generations managed to foster a love of books perfectly well without rushing off to a fancy dress shop every few weeks?

Previous generations didn't have to compete with Sky and round the clock children's TV or Game consoles and DVDs which is why World Book Day was started two decades ago.

And are you from the US, Hoaz?

I would disagree, anyway - it's perfectly correct if you are in the US.

Thing is, some of the kids in Reception and nursery - at our school - only really get to enjoy books at school. Not at home. So they are bound to come up with Spiderman etc when asked who their favourite characters are.

So although I find that part annoying too, I think its justifiable in teeny ones. Less so in KS1, and not at all in KS2 (but then our KS2 don't dress up anyway).

I just think what can i do with everyday clothes plus contents dressing up box and what book character can I match it to? No making, sewing or buying. DD is going as random girl character wearing her own clothes. Job done

DS is in Y2, he picked a character( spy dog) from the book he s reading this week. A character he has been role playing in playground games, a character he and I went through the book working out what they looked like and then worked out how to portray that character rather than a generic " dog" . He helped make the costume.

Today he has gone to school dressed as GM451 ( spy dog) , and taken the book in question with him, he will be expected to tell the rest of his class who he is and what he likes about that book.

Others in class were characters from Enid byton stories, Roald Dahl stories, Beast Quest stories and a fair few witches and super heros.

I know what people mean about wanting to adhere to literary characters, but do like the dressing up element.

The children loved seeing the teachers dressed up - including those grown up Y6s!

I confess to being a huge kid at heart, I love dressing up days! Must admit it must be difficult for the parents who have 4 children at the school though, at least I only have my costume to think about now

My kids were at a school that didn't do dressing up because the parents wouldn't have bothered. Now they're at one that does. The main focus seems to have been on taking in favourite books and having random 'stop and read' times - which is great. Both dds chose to be characters from favourite books and sorted out most of their costumes from things we already had. They have loved going in and seeing the teachers dressed up - and dd2 and her best friend have been discussing the classic character that their teacher dressed up as. We plan a trip to the bookshop to exchange their token for a wbd book. So i think it has been educational as well as fun.

I think it's a good thing when the parents make the effort to talk about which book they are going to do a costume from etc. However, DS's class today I would estimate that there were only 3 or 4 children who were dressed as characters from actual books, the rest were Spider-Man/Darth Mawl/ Disney princess (at least those are based on fairytales, I suppose!) and i'm not sure how that enhances their learning. I was particularly put out at his because my poor DS was upset when I collected him because some of the parents laughed at him at the parade this morning - he was dressed as Pongo from 101 Dalmations (and yes I know that this is a film too but it was a book first!)
Sorry to rant, just feeling very put out on behalf of poor DS and for myself - I spent bloody hours sewing those black spots, ears and tail onto a white hoody and jogging bottoms!