Book Week is a chance for kids to celebrate their favourite stories, characters and authors – but for parents, it can sometimes come with another question: how can you put together a great Book Week costume without spending a fortune?
The good news is, a great Book Week costume doesn’t have to cost a lot.
Some of the best children’s Book Week costumes can start with clothes you already own, a cardboard box destined for recycling and a little creative thinking. Getting your child involved can turn the costume hunt into an opportunity to talk about budgeting and making smart spending choices, too.
Here are five simple ways to create a fun, budget-friendly Book Week costume.
Before buying anything, have a look at what you already have.
Raid wardrobes, dress-up boxes and cupboards together to see what could work. A striped shirt, colourful socks, an old hat, school clothes or even pyjamas might give you most of a costume. You could even flip the usual process: instead of choosing a complicated character first and then hunting down everything you need, see what you already have and use it as inspiration.
Got overalls? A cape? A red shirt? An old pair of glasses? A very distinctive hat? Think about which book characters have similar outfits and work backwards from there.
Try asking your child: “What could we use that we already own?”
It can save money, avoid the night-before costume panic and help kids learn that buying something new doesn’t always have to be the first option.
You don’t need professional costume-making skills to create something recognisable.
Cardboard boxes, paper, old sheets, reusable shopping bags and other craft supplies you already have, can become props and costume pieces with a little imagination.
Think cardboard crowns, paper ears, homemade masks, signs featuring a character’s name or a decorated box transformed into something from your child’s favourite story.
Let your child help with the making, too. Perfection isn’t the goal – having fun bringing their character to life is.
If you can’t find what you need at home, you still don’t have to head straight to the costume shop.
There’s a good chance another family has a costume sitting in a cupboard from last year. Ask friends, relatives or other parents if they have anything you could borrow, or organise a costume swap with a few families.
Op shops, second-hand marketplaces and local buy/swap/sell groups can also be great places to look for individual pieces.
Rather than searching for a complete costume, think about the one or two items that will make the character instantly recognisable.
Better yet, if you do buy something, look for pieces your child could wear again after Book Week.
Sometimes all a great Book Week costume needs is one memorable detail.
Instead of recreating a character from head to toe, think about their most distinct feature or prop.A hat. A pair of glasses. A handmade sign. A particular hairstyle. A cardboard accessory. Their favourite book tucked under one arm.
Focusing on one or two recognisable details can make a costume quicker and easier to pull together – especially if Book Week has managed to sneak up on you.
Simple Book Week costumes can be just as fun and considerably easier on the family budget.
If you do need to buy something, decide how much you’re comfortable spending before you start shopping.
This can also be a simple real-world budgeting activity to do with your child.
For example, if the costume budget is $20, look at the items you still need and work out together how to make that money stretch.
Ask questions like:
These everyday decisions can help kids see that a budget isn’t necessarily about missing out. It’s about deciding what matters and making choices with the money available.
Book Week might not seem like an obvious time to teach kids about money, but everyday moments like this make some of the best learning opportunities.
If your child wants a costume that costs more than you'd planned, rather than simply saying yes or no, involve them in finding another solution.
Give them a budget and brainstorm together.
These are small decisions, but they introduce some big money ideas: budgeting, needs versus wants, comparing options and making thoughtful spending choices.
And because there’s a real goal at the end – a Book Week costume they’re excited to wear – the lesson can feel a lot more relevant.
Book Week is just one of the everyday opportunities families can use to start conversations about money.
Kit helps families learn about earning, saving and spending, with learning content and activities designed to make money concepts easier for kids to understand.
Looking for an easy place to start? Explore Kit’s free resources, with real-world tools you can use at home to kickstart your child’s money-learning journey.
Explore Kit’s free money resources →
Because learning how to make the most of what you have is a useful skill – during Book Week, and well beyond it.
For more tips, tricks and conversation starters, follow us on Instagram at @kitappau.