March is a month for the celebration of reading. Teachers and students everywhere enjoy celebrating reading in their schools with a variety of fun and engaging activities. Many schools celebrate by hosting book character costume parades or book character costume days. For these events, teachers and students wear their favorite book character costumes.
If you are a teacher and need book character costume ideas, this list of 30 magnificent ideas will help you choose the perfect costume to celebrate your favorite character. You may even choose to wear this costume to your favorite Halloween costume parties.
1. The Day the Crayons Quit
If you need a creative costume for an entire grade level, these crayon costumes are perfect. They correlate well with crayon books such as The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. Find these cute crayon shirts here.
Learn more: Lisa Taylor Teaching the Stars
2. Purplicious and Pinkalicious
Celebrate Purplicious and Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann with this adorable friend costume. Find cute purple or pink tutus, wigs, and crowns. Students will love seeing their teacher in this charming costume.
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3. The Grouchy Ladybug
Help your students honor the book title The Grouchy Ladybug with this classic costume that is easy and affordable to make. You will need red tulle for the skirt and black felt for the spots. Of course, you could buy your own tutu here.
Learn more: Truth for Teachers
4. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Create this simple and clever costume with brown scrubs. Use hot glue to attach the foam letters to the scrubs, and use fake fern leaves to adhere to a headband or hat. If you prefer to purchase a similar costume, you can do so here.
Learn more: Kindergarten Kiosk
5. The Kissing Hand
For this easy and adorable costume, begin by finding a pair of cute ears. Next, you can buy a black mask or paint a mask around your eyes with face paint. Make sure you wear black clothing and attach a striped tail to the back of your shirt. Also, don’t forget to add the kissing hand!
Learn more: Kindergarten Kiosk
6. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Locate a pair of mouse ears for this cute costume. You can use face paint to make your face look like a mouse and then dress in faded and torn overalls. Don’t forget to add the finishing touch – a large cookie, which can be made from cardboard.
Learn more: Kindergarten Kiosk
7. Thelma the Unicorn
For this fun costume idea, just pair a pink tutu with pink clothing. You will need to add a unicorn horn on top of your head. You can make your own unicorn horn with a headband and cardboard, or you can use a silver birthday party hat. You can also buy an inexpensive one here.
Learn more: Rainbow Sky Creations
8. Olivia
Olivia is a fun book character, so the kids are sure to love this costume! Wear a red t-shirt, red and white striped leggings, and a red tutu. You will also need pig ears which you can make with a headband and construction paper, or you can purchase a pair here. You can complete this costume by spraying your hair red.
Learn more: Rainbow Sky Creations
9. Where’s Waldo
Create this super easy costume with a red and white striped shirt, hat, black-rimmed glasses, and jeans. If you can’t find these items, you can also purchase a great Wally costume here.
Learn more: Kathi Fly Art
10. Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a most beloved book character costume! This costume can be easily created with a black skirt, white shirt, red belt or sash, red bowtie, umbrella, bag, and cute hat. You can also purchase an adorable Mary Poppins costume here or accessories here.
Learn more: Truth for Teachers
11. A Bad Case of Stripes
Camila Cream is a favorite book character costume for teachers. The kids absolutely love it when one of their teachers dresses up like her! Create this costume with a tutu and brightly striped clothing and tights. These accessories will help. Don’t forget to bring on the face paint!
Learn more: Pinterest
12. Amelia Bedelia
Fun always follows Amelia Bedelia. To create your very own Amelia Bedelia costume, all you need is a black dress or black skirt and sweater. Place a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath the black dress or black sweater. You will need a hat with flowers and a white apron.
Learn more: Oprah Daily
13. Rainbow Fish
This awesome Rainbow Fish costume includes a blend of colors, and it is fairly simple to create. You will need to gather a few supplies and watch this easy-to-follow tutorial here. Your students will love this costume!
Learn more: Rainbow Sky Creations
14. White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland
The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland is one of the most classic book character costumes, and it is not difficult to create. All you need is a red blazer, yellow shirt, a big bow, and bunny ears. Draw on some cute bunny whiskers and grab your big clock!
Learn more: Truth for Teachers
15. Pipi Longstocking
Pipi Longstocking is an adorable character. A Pipi costume is super easy to create, especially if you have long hair. You should be able to find the appropriate clothes in your closet or at a local thrift store. To make the cute braids, watch this easy-to-follow tutorial.
Learn more: Truth for Teachers
16. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
This is a fun and simplistic costume idea for a grade level of teachers. You will need to create three little pig costumes by wearing a pink t-shirt, pink tutu, pink leggings, and a pig’s nose and ears. The wolf will need a black t-shirt, leggings, tutu, and wolf ears.
Learn more: Buzzfeed
17. Strega Nona
To create this costume, you must locate a long-sleeved shirt and a long skirt. You will need a white apron and a short-sleeved shirt to place over your other clothing. Make sure you use a scarf to cover your head, and you will need to carry a cauldron with you.
Learn more: Kindergarten Kiosk
18. Curious George
To create a costume to resemble the man with the yellow hat, you must find a yellow button-down shirt, boots, yellow pants, yellow tie, and a yellow wide-brimmed hat. To complete the costume, you will need a stuffed monkey or a little one dressed as a monkey. You can also purchase your own costume here.
Learn more: Kindergarten Kiosk
19. The Paper Bag Princess
Princess Elizabeth, a character from The Paper Bag Princess, is an easy costume to make. Use brown packing paper and packing tape. You can purchase a cheap foam crown and spray paint it gold. You can use dark eye shadow for “soot” on your face.
Learn more: Pencils Books and Dirty Looks
20. Dr. Seus Inspired
These Dr. Seuss-inspired costumes are easy to create, especially for a grade-level group of teachers. All you need is colorful t-shirts, tutus, and leggings. You will need to have the t-shirts printed or print your own.
Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn
21. Happiness Bucket Fillers
Your students will love these cute costumes. Hot glue felt stars and hearts on black t-shirts and wear black leggings. Paint a smiley face on a large plastic bucket, cut out the bottom, and use a rope to wear it around your neck. You will also need a cute headband.
Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn
22. The Elf on the Shelf
Kids love The Elf on the Shelf! This is a super cute costume idea for a group of teachers, and it is easy to make. Teachers can dress in all red clothing, create a white collar, wear white gloves, a Santa hat, and a white tutu. Bring joy to your students while wearing these magnificent costumes!
Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn
23. The Giving Tree
This Giving Tree costume is simple to make. You will need a green t-shirt and a green tutu. You can wear green or white leggings. Take a glue gun and glue faux leaves on the shirt and tutu. You will also need a crown made of faux leaves.
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24. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a favorite book among students. Come to school decked out in this adorable costume, and the students will love it! You can easily make this costume with a green t-shirt, green tutu, and black leggings. You will also need to hot glue items on the tutu as well as create a headband that looks like the caterpillar’s eyes and antenna, or you can purchase the antenna here.
Learn more: Pinterest
25. Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus
Most students are familiar with Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. You can repurpose a blue dress and black shoes to create this cute costume, or you can purchase your very own here.
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26. Fly Guy
What a cute and super easy costume to make! Wear black clothing and use a poster board, scissors, and a black marker to create this adorable character costume. You can make the antenna from pipe cleaners or purchase a headband set here.
Learn more: Instagram
27. Dr. Seus – Sam I Am
This simple costume is also a very comfortable option to wear. You can easily make this costume by cutting the hem of a Sam I Am t-shirt and adding a classic Dr. Seus hat. It doesn’t get much easier than this!
Learn more: Curious Firsties
28. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Create your very own costume in honor of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This adorable costume is super simple to make. Grab a Grinch t-shirt and a green tutu. Add some green and black socks or green and black striped leggings to complete the costume.
Learn more: Pinterest
29. Ten Apples Up on Top
This is a terrific DIY costume idea! You can wear anything you choose, but you must make an apple headband. Create this headband with 10 plastic apples, put it on, and you are ready to go read to your students.
Learn more: Pinterest
30. Pete the Cat
What a cute and comfortable costume idea! You will need an oversized yellow buttoned-up shirt. You can glue or pin large buttons on the shirt that are made with markers and yardsticks. Make sure you purchase a cat mask. You can even add a cat’s tail if you choose.
Learn more: Lisa Taylor Teaching the Stars
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