Help - Alpha mum or minimalist approach to making costume for world book day?

[foxtrot]

Anyone else sending their DC to school dressed up as favourite book character on thursday for world book day? My inclination is to keep it simple but wondered if a bit of effort would be expected?

PussyWillow - how old is your DS? I was contemplating Harry and trying to decide if DS's class would think it was too babyish?

In my experience about 80% of the class just wear shop bought Disney costumes, completely missing the point IMO. I think simple, home made, and actually from a book is much nicer.

I made ds a ski left costume and won 2 tickets to Melbourne. Whenever it was fancy dress at nursery he went in his pyjamas (Batman ones that were a present). As an adult I weigh up reward against effort.

He's doing a sponsored cycle at kindy and is supposed to decorate his bike - how do you decorate a bike in a way which doesn't actually make it difficult/dangerous to drive?

And all the other kids will use balloons and he is allergic to latex and we will have to leave early (sigh). How are you supposed to do 20 laps when you can't breathe?

Ski lift of course.

Califrau - not sure I get the option. Once DS has decided on something, it would take me more than 4 days to talk him out of it, and I have to come up with b**y Captain Patch by Thursday . Harry is just wishful thinking - and I do like the idea of Wally, but DS has never heard of him, and as possibly the world's least observant child he might not get the point of the books!

and how do you make a ski-lift costume?!! That would stretch even Califrau's box methodology!

The best bit was the coat hanger duct taped to his head.

excuse me butting in but sympathy required for me - I have to create a character ONLY from a Jill Murphy book, ie elephants or bears.

FGS, aloha is right - this is homework for mothers.

I'm always insistent that mine go as book characters, not Disney characters. Last year DS2 was a generic pirate from his Barefoot Book of Pirate Stories and DS1 was Count Olaf from the Lemony Snicket books (just drew on a moustache and one eyebrow and gelled his hair up).

dear Kbear

elephant mask template

print out ..paint grey ... stick on card .. put elastic in holes .. eh voila uno elaphanto

more adventurous elephant mask

DS' favourite book atm is Captain Underpants

should I? should I?

dear Twig

mwah

thanks

KBear - already offered you a bear on the other thread.. a very reasonable deal it was too

Nearly4 - can the school not ask parents to avoid balloons? If it was me, then even if I had balloon-based plans I would be more than happy to change rather than cause your poor DS problems.

How about battery-powered LED fairy lights?

but exbury - I haven't got a specific enough pirate costume to trade - wasn't that the deal?!!!

Couldn't agree more - it is homework for mothers.

We had book week a while ago, but this week is maths week and the dd's have to go dressed in something number themed!!! I have no ideas at all.

sorry - just noticed your DS veto-ed bears in general.

That second elephant mask is brilliant! I am tempted. Twiglett - can you do Captain Patch from "The Night Pirates" for me? - no generic pirates for my DS!

As for the whole single author thing - WTF? Surely the point is to get them interested in a wider range of books, not get the children to fixate on one small set of books which are hardly great works of literature? As you say, it just makes it harder for the mothers. DS's note from school is full of apologies about how they know everyone is busy, etc, etc - much more reasonable attitude.

Glassofwine - box - calculator (copyright Califrau on the box!)

exbury - I think it is ridiculous having one author. At least Year 1 got Hans Christian Anderson as their author so lots more stories to choose from but Jill Murphy has only written about 6 books and they all have bears or elephants.

Moan moan.

twiglett thanks for that link, seriously tempted to use the fox mask

Apart from The Worst Witch!

but he's a boy so had to discount the WW!