Book Week

[louise jones]

My 10 year old has just informed me that she has to dress up as a 'book character' on THURSDAY this week to celebrate book week! HELP!! I work full time and havent got time to hire a costume - any ideas what/who she could go as without much time and effort (that I dont have in the next two days!) The only fancy dress costumes she has are a cowgirl and a witch but she wants something different!!

[black bunny]

How about Harry Potter(that's if she doesn't mind being a boy!) You could adapt the witch's cloak and you might be able to borrow a suitable pair of specs, and a wand would be easy to make.
It used to annoy me no end the way school asked you to put together these costumes for different things,all right if you have plenty of time and imagination, but you're right, it's hard when you work full time.
Anyway good luck and I wish you some inspiration!

[fat rascal]

hermoine granger out of the harry potter books would be an easy one?

matilda... a roald dahl character... or go really messy as one the "the twits".....

hope she has a fun day!!

xx

[Le Chat]

Why oh why do schools insist on making things so difficult for the working parent? Not only schools but some parents. My son has been invited to a fancy dress party entitled "Men in Black," meaning that I have to buy a white shirt, black tie, black jacket and black trousers! His school uniform is grey shirt, grey trousers and blue blazer, so I cant hijack any of it to use! Oh and the expense as well.....

[Buenchico]

My first advice is to take your daughter to see a doctor! Any 10-year-old who gives her mother as much as three days notice of these things is seriously abnormal! Most of her classmates will probably inform their mothers of this at about 8.00a.m. on Thursday ;-)

Why not suggest that she goes as a pirate? Not, of course, just any old pirate but Nancy Blackett who captained 'Amazon' in 'Swallows and Amazons'. All you need is an eye-patch, a bandanna, a cardboard cutlass and a bit of imagination. See here for some pictures to get you started:
http://www.partydomain.co.uk/d-commerce/page50 .html

Chris

[WendyS]

Dress her all in red and she could go as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.

[spudqueen]

Don't panic - and don't even THINK of hiring a costume, how on earth do you think us non-working Mums (only one wage coming in) can compete with that!
How about a character from Tracey Beaker - she could wear her normal clothes and just make a badge which says something like 'the dumping ground stinks'.
Or - stick her hair in two long plaits, buy some stripey tights and she could go as Pippy Longstocking.

BTW Le Chat - it's not just working parents who find this sort of thing difficult. I gave up work when I had my children but I always have other commitments, elderly relatives etc, and probably less money than a family with two working parents. This sort of thing is made even harder when you have two boys who refuse to dress up, so you have to try and think of someone they can go as in just their ordinary clothes!

[PinkFizz]

I have exactly the same thing tomorrow with my son - just what I need after working all day, doing dinner and then baking homemade chocolate chip cookies as promised!!

He is insisting on going as Darth Vader - oh well!!

[louise jones]

Thanks for your suggestions -she likes the idea of Hermione so I have adapted the witches dress/cloak and found a Hogwarts school badge on the internet and have some brown parcel paper to make a wand!

Easy!! lol dont know why I was stressing! Thanks again everyone xx

[Mammar]

Don't forget the owl with a letter!

[Pippa68]

*makes mental note to check at daughters school for book week*

[winny]

I read this link last night and thought oh thank god it not me as I had not a clue how to advise you.I reckon you cursed me. I went to school today and got a bloody letter about dressing up on thursday. Mini W only 3 and not heard of hogworts so any ideas.

[chimpanzee]

Alice out of Alice in Wonderland?

Blue dress, white pinny...can't be that hard!

Don't forget the black hairband!

[winny]

I had a brain wave haloween witch costume and cat. Meg Mog and Owl. Hey presto

[trulli]

Winny you could try your local Freecycle? I put last years book days costumes on this week and got a cat in the hat one from there that my son has gone in today.

It's so annoying. Parents pay out loads of money on costumes lining the pockets of Asda, Woolworths etc when the school could just ask for donations for the school and make costumes in class.

[battyjules]

My 8 year old has this at school today... he's going as Horrid Henry... dead easy!!

[SOMMERS]

dress her in a white sheet and tell her to go as a blank page !!

[jus.jules]

Don't stress, there are too many other things to worry about and contrary to popular belief your kids wont be emotionally scarred for life if they don't have the best costume!! My daughter used to go in her everyday clothes and when asked who she was, would say "me!" She loved it. My son always went as his fave footy player in full kit he got as a gift every birthday and christmas. Sorted.