World Book Day 2026: Low-Cost Costume Ideas and Alternative Ways to Celebrate
World Book Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate stories, imagination and a love of books. But for many families, it can also feel like another thing to organise - especially when time and budgets are already stretched.
At My Ohana, we believe World Book Day should be inclusive, pressure-free and fun.
Dressing up is lovely, but it’s not essential. What matters most is helping children enjoy books and feel confident taking part in their own way.
Whether you’re looking for low-cost costume ideas or ways to celebrate without dressing up at all, here are some simple, stress-free ideas for World Book Day 2026.
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When is World Book Day 2026?
World Book Day takes place on Thursday 5th March 2026, giving nurseries and families a lovely opportunity to celebrate books as we head into spring. Many settings choose to mark the day with story sessions, book sharing and creative activities across the week, keeping the focus on enjoyment rather than one single moment.
17 Low-Cost World Book Day Costume Ideas
World Book Day costumes don’t need to be expensive, time-consuming or shop-bought. Some of the best ideas are the simplest ones - using everyday clothes and a little imagination.
These easy, low-cost costume ideas are perfect for younger children and can be put together quickly using items you may already have at home:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – an all-green outfit
Paddington Bear – a blue coat or jumper with a red hat
Stick Man – brown clothes
Harry Potter – school uniform or dark clothes with a homemade paper wand
Room on the Broom – black or dark clothing
The Gruffalo – brown clothes with a paper mask
Goldilocks and the Three Bears – cosy jumper and a teddy
Elmer – bright, colourful or mismatched clothes
Dear Zoo – animal-themed outfit or favourite soft toy
Superworm – pink clothes and a pink headband with DIY worm eyes.
Mr Bump – blue top and trousers with a bandage or toilet roll wrap.
What the Ladybird Heard – red and black spotted outfit with simple pipe cleaner antennae.
Supertato – brown clothes with a DIY mask and a red cape from a scarf/tea towel.
Gangsta Granny – relaxed clothes with a headscarf, slippers and a “sack” (stuffed with paper).
Little Miss Sunshine – all yellow outfit with cardboard cut-out details.
Alice in Wonderland – blue dress, white apron (or a white shirt tucked in) and a hair bow.
Dog Man – blue top with a simple headband ear craft and a paper badge.
Celebrating World Book Day Without Costumes
Not all children enjoy dressing up, and not all families choose to take part in costumes - and that’s absolutely okay.
World Book Day is about stories, imagination and enjoyment, and there are so many lovely ways children can join in without dressing up.
9 Simple Ways to Celebrate Without Costumes
Act out a favourite scene - Bring a story to life by acting out a part your child loves - indoors or outside. It’s a playful way to explore characters and events together.
Make simple puppets - Create finger puppets from paper or felt and use them to retell favourite books. Puppets are brilliant for imagination, storytelling and talking about emotions in characters.
Book treasure hunt - Set up a story-themed treasure hunt around the nursery or home. Hide objects or pictures linked to a book and have children follow clues to guess the title and tell the story.
Make a mask - If costumes feel like too much work, paper masks are a fun, quick craft that still lets children engage with a character without a full outfit.
Create a bookmark - Cut card into a simple bookmark and decorate it with favourite book characters, quotes or drawings about why they love reading. It’s practical and a lovely keepsake.
Sing stories out loud - Turn familiar stories into songs or rhythmic readings - especially great for books written in verse or with repetition.
Recreate a scene in miniature - Use play dough, toys, paper or craft materials to build a miniature version of a favourite part of a book. This is an engaging mix of craft, play and storytelling.
Swap roles at story time - Let children “read” a story to an adult at bedtime, or swap roles during nursery story time. Even if they’re not reading yet, narrating a story from memory builds confidence.
Visit a library or explore free books - A trip to the library, exploring free eBooks, or swapping books with friends and family are wonderful, easy ways to celebrate World Book Day.
These activities allow every child to feel included and confident, whatever their preference.
If you’re looking for more simple ways to support early literacy at home, these 16 Literacy Activities for Early Years also includes a free activity pack you can download and enjoy together.
How We Celebrate World Book Day at My Ohana
World Book Day is always a special occasion across our My Ohana nurseries, with teams bringing stories to life through book-themed activities, storytelling sessions and, of course, a little dressing up fun for staff.
While costumes can be enjoyable, our focus in Early Years is on celebrating books, storytelling and language development. We want the day to feel meaningful and inclusive, centred around developing a love of reading rather than expectations around dressing up.
We understand that costumes aren’t for everyone, and families should never feel pressure to take part. Whether children come dressed as a favourite character, bring a much-loved book, or simply enjoy story time with friends, every child is encouraged to celebrate in a way that feels right for them.
Building a Love of Books All Year Round
World Book Day is just one moment in a child’s reading journey. The most important thing is helping children develop positive, happy associations with books every day.
Reading together, re-reading favourite stories, talking about pictures and letting children choose their own books all play a part in building a lifelong love of reading.
And that’s something worth celebrating - on World Book Day and beyond.
Book a Tour at My Ohana
If you’d like to see how we support a love of books and learning throughout the year, we’d love to welcome you.
World Book Day is just one small part of nursery life at My Ohana. Every day, our nurseries create calm, nurturing environments where children feel confident exploring stories, language and imagination at their own pace.
You can book a tour of one of our My Ohana nurseries to see our approach first-hand and meet the team.
