Book Week is one of those events that sneaks up fast, and if you’ve got more than one child at school, the costume budget can add up quickly. The good news is you don’t need to spend big or spend hours to put together something your child will love wearing.
CBCA Children’s Book Week 2026 runs from Saturday 22 August to Friday 28 August, and this year’s theme is “Symphony of Stories.” Most schools across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter hold their costume parade on the Thursday or Friday of that week, so check your school newsletter for the exact day.
We’ve pulled together more than 20 simple, budget-friendly costume ideas that work for toddlers through to upper primary kids, plus group looks, teacher options and a few ways to tie into this year’s theme if your child’s school is leaning into it.
When Is Book Week 2026?
Book Week runs 22 to 28 August 2026. The theme, Symphony of Stories, celebrates how books bring different characters and worlds together, a bit like instruments in an orchestra. If your school has picked up the theme for its parade, a costume with a musical or storytelling twist (think a character holding a book, a instrument prop, or face paint with musical notes) is an easy way to fit in without buying anything new.
Budget-Friendly Book Week Costume Ideas
Character Masks
There are heaps of DIY masks and character masks available online. Download one and involve your child by having them colour it in. Glue the mask to a piece of cardboard, cut it out and add some elastic. Then, scour your little one’s wardrobe to find clothes that match the colour of their character and you’re done!
Character ideas that work well with this method:
- The Gruffalo
- Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, White Fang, Wolf Girl)
- Giraffe (Giraffes Can’t Dance, Celeste the Giraffe Loves to Laugh)
- Sloth (The Speedy Sloth, The Sloth Who Came to Stay)
Face Paint
Face paint is quick, cheap and a favourite for kids who don’t want to wear a full costume. Again, raid the wardrobe for clothes in a matching colour and you’ve got a complete look in ten minutes.
- Tiger (The Tiger Who Came to Tea)
- Dog (The Poky Little Puppy, any of Holly Webb’s ‘Puppy’ books)
- Butterfly (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, A Butterfly is Patient)
- Kitten (Coco series, Itty Bitty Kitty)
Unicorn
Pick up a unicorn headband (you might even have one lying around), add some pink clothes (and a tutu for Thelma) and finish off this costume with lots of face and hair glitter. Some book ideas include:
- Thelma the Unicorn
- Ten Minutes to Bed Little Unicorn
Sports Star
If your child isn’t keen on dressing up, their sports uniform might be the easier sell. It still counts as a costume once you match it to a book.
- Little Ash (Tennis)
- Sam Kerr series, I Can be a Soccer Star (soccer)
- Little Legends (AFL)
- Sporty Kids series
Add a Prop
Here’s some book characters that wear normal, everyday clothes but have one special prop. A great choice for older kids or kids who aren’t too keen on dressing up:
- Wolf Girl (add a backpack)
- Ninja Kid (add a mask)
- Percy Jackson (add a sword/shield)
Costumes That Read From Across the Playground
Some characters are instantly recognisable from a distance, which makes them a safe pick if your child wants to be seen and admired at the parade without a complicated costume.
- Where’s Wally: a red and white striped top, beanie and glasses
- Pippi Longstocking: red braids (pipe cleaners work well) and mismatched socks
- Paddington Bear: a blue duffle coat and red hat, with a jar of “marmalade” as a prop
Group and Sibling Costume Ideas
If you’ve got more than one child, or their friends want to coordinate, a group costume can actually be less work than putting together separate outfits, and it fits this year’s theme neatly, since Symphony of Stories is all about different characters and voices coming together.
- Australian animals: one child as a wombat, others as an emu, dingo or blue-tongued lizard, all from Australian storybooks
- Harry Potter, dress up as one of the many characters in this book series
- The Wonky Donkey and friends: easy animal masks or ears paired with everyday clothes
- A mixed “book character orchestra,” where each child carries a different toy instrument alongside their costume
Easy Teacher Costumes
Teachers get roped into Book Week too, and the same low-effort principles apply. A staffroom favourite is a “storyteller” look: everyday clothes plus a colourful scarf or shawl, a stack of books as a prop and a name tag reading “Narrator.” A Roald Dahl character like Miss Honey (a simple cardigan and skirt) or Matilda’s Miss Trunchbull (a stern expression and a whistle) both work well without buying anything new.
Costumes for This Year’s Theme: Symphony of Stories
If your school is running with the 2026 theme, a few easy options let your child join in without a full character costume:
- A musician character or animal playing an instrument, using a cardboard or toy instrument as the prop
- A “storybook orchestra” look: plain clothes plus a colourful sash or cape and a music note drawn on with face paint
- A favourite character carrying a book as their prop, tying any existing costume back to the reading theme
Where to Find Costume Pieces Locally
Most of what you need for these costumes is already in the wardrobe or craft box. For the extras, Kmart, Big W, dollar stores and local costume and party shops around Newcastle and the Hunter usually stock unicorn horns, capes, masks and face paint in the weeks before Book Week, and op shops are worth a look for cheap coloured clothing you won’t mind getting paint on.
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