Being creative for World Book Day 2020 doesn't have to be a mad panic and you don’t need buy a costume to celebrate the day.

Here is our list of 20 easy costumes you can make at home, without a needle in sight.  

1. Matilda

One of Roald Dahl’s most popular characters.

It may not be the most obvious choice it is one of the easiest, as long as you have a blue dress to hand.

Just put your child in a blue dress, white tights, with a red ribbon in their hair and give them a pile of books to carry and you're good to go. 

2. Boy in the dress

It’s simple as it sounds. All you require is an orange dress and a football to hand. If you don’t have an orange dress, it doesn’t matter, any colour dress will do just fine.

3. George from George’s Marvellous Medicine

All you need is red long-sleeved top and blue jeans. If you have a son called George, this is even more perfect. If not, simply put a name tag on them. Then give them a big saucepan (labelled ‘marvellous medicine’) and a wooden spoon.

4. Miss Honey

Ideal for teachers.

The teacher everyone is sweet on, Miss Honey is a great costume if you’ve low on time or budget. A nice floral dress, a cardigan, some glasses and carry some flowers – simple, but effective. 

5. Gangsta Granny

All you need is a black eye mask but if you don’t have one of those you could use face paint – or mascara, if you have an old one knocking about.

Then dress them in a ‘granny-style’ cardigan or blouse, a black skirt, old slippers and a pair of wrinkly tights. If you don’t have a grey wig, put some talcum powder in their hair.

Then grab a sack that would work as a swag bag. 

6. Little Red Riding Hood

Cut a large semicircle of red fabric and fasten it over your child’s head with a safety pin.  Have your child wear a plain dress, white socks and traditional shoes. Complete the look by arranging a basket full of goodies (cookies and cakes etc.) for them to carry.

7. Where’s Wally

All you need is long-sleeved red and white striped jumper and blue trousers or leggings.

Match it with a bobble hat and some black round-rimmed glasses.

If you don’t have a stripy jumper, you could use tape some red stripes across a plain white top. You can even draw on the glasses with face paint if you don’t have a pair.

Finish with a pair of brown shoes or boots if you have.

8. Harry & His Bucketful of Dinosaurs

To dress your little one up like Harry all you need is a yellow t shirt, a red vest, blue jeans and a blue bucket. If you don’t have a blue bucket, it won’t matter, any colour will do.

Fill the bucket with some of your child’s favourite dinosaur toys to complete the look.

9. Harry Potter

This is the easiest costume you can put together! Have your child wear very smart school uniform and circular glasses, and draw a lightning scar on their forehead using face paint or make-up. Give them additional props if you like such as a black robe or cape, a wand, a Gryffindor-colour scarf or a toy owl.

10. Captain Underpants

Easily recreate this with some white or pink clothing underneath some - yes you guessed it - underpants.

Just don't forget to put some undies on the bottom layer too!

11. Hetty Feather

All you need is a brown or black dress or top and skirt and a candlestick as a prop. Finish the outfit off with one of Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather books.

12. Room on the Broom

Got a witch’s hat? Yes, then all you’ll need to finish the look is a red top and purple skirt. You could use a sweeping brush as the broom and a bucket as the cauldron. If you don’t have a dress, it'll work with black leggings and top.

And if you are feeling really creative, attach a replica frog and a cat to the brush for extra effect.

13. Rapunzel

If you've got some yellow wool, or brown depending on your little one’s hair you can plait it and make it in to fake hair which you can attach to your little one's ponytail.

Then simply put them in a purple coloured dress and that’s it! If you have a different coloured dress, that’s fine – any colour will do.

14. Cat in the Hat

Dr Seuss's The Cat In The Hat is an outfit you can pull together really easily.

Use black tracksuit bottoms and white T-shirt, with a black cardigan (and white gloves if you have them). Make a red bow out of ribbon and construct a mini top hat if you can. Paint your child’s face white and add whiskers.

15. Peter Rabbit

Another easy outfit you can pull together in minutes. Have your child wear all brown with a pale blue cardigan. Make a fluffy white tail to strap onto the brown trousers by sticking cotton wool onto a large circle. Make rabbit ears from brown triangles fastened to elastic, so you child can wear them as a headband.

16. Mr. Twit

Make a ‘revolting’ beard with brown wool of various lengths knotted onto elastic that can fasten around your child’s head. Have your child draw different food stuffs onto paper, cut them out and stick them onto the beard. They need to look dirty and dishevelled, so have them wear old clothes with splodges of brown paint that looks like dirt.

For added effect, you can even paint their finger and toenails yellow, and have them wear sandals!

17. Goldilocks

Get some yellow wool and make two very long plaits by cutting about 20 pieces of wool very long and dividing into two, then plaiting by tying each with a bobble at the top. Tie the bottom of each plait with a bobble and a ribbon. Attach to your child’s own hair or a white maid-style hat. Have your child wear a blue dress, white socks and some traditional T-bar shoes.

Complete with a brown bear to carry around if you have.

18. Mary Poppins

All you need is a for your child to wear a black skirt with a white blouse tucked in. They’ll also need a little white maid-type apron and an umbrella for extra effect!

 19. Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

If you haven’t got the props to dress them as Willy Wonka, Charlie is an easy option. All you need is scruffy clothes and a handmade golden ticket.

 20. The BFG

We wouldn’t recommend stilts for this one but you can still get them to look like the Big Friendly Giant with some baggy trousers, a brown waistcoat and a big baggy shirt.

Make some big ears by cutting out an ear shape using pink paper, then stick them onto a headband. To complete the look, find a little doll to be Sophie for them to put in their hand or shirt pocket.

Albus Dumbledore has been named as teachers' top fictional teacher in a poll conducted by TES.

Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, to give him his proper name, is a much-loved and prominent character from the Harry Potter books.

It is certainly a shrewd choice, as the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry headmaster is considered not only to be a great person, albeit a fictional one, buthis style of teaching is valued by those in the profession.

“In many ways, J.K. Rowling uses her books to highlight what does and doesn’t work in the classroom," Philip Nel, professor of English at Kansas State University, told the online news provider.

"Each time you’re looking at a teacher in the Harry Potter books, you’re also looking at Rowling’s sense of what teaching is, and what good and bad teaching looks like."

In second place was Miss Jennifer Honey from Roald Dahl's heart-warming classic Matilda, who not only realises the amazing gifts possessed by the eponymous character, but does everything possible to nurture her talents.

She was followed by another Harry Potter icon, Minerva McGonagall, a stern, steadfast and hawkish teacher who may come across as being overly strict but really has everyone's best interests at heart.

In fourth place is John Keating, from the cult classic movie Dead Poets Society. His teaching style is unconventional and creative and he promotes a certain sense of rebelliousness in his students.

Completing the top five is professor Charles Xavier, a charming, patient and supremely intelligent superhero who sees the best in everyone. It certainly isn't an easy job fostering confidence in students whose powers are anything but normal.

Completing the top ten are Jean Brodie from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Severus Snape from Harry Potter, Mr Chips from Goodbye Mr Chips, Mr Gilbert from The Inbetweeners and Walter White from Breaking Bad.

"Schooling is mostly learning about how to follow rules, and a lot of these teachers that we love break those rules," Beth Marshall, associate professor of education at Simon Fraser University, explained to TES.

"Mr Keating in Dead Poets Society, Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act II. These teachers who break the rules, who ask us to do something extraordinary within a school setting, they stick with us."

Not to be confused with World Book Night – which takes place on April 23rd – World Book Day, which is held on March 5th, is the "biggest, happiest, bookiest celebration of books and reading" in the UK. It's a great occasion and perfect for schools looking to inspire children and young people to not only read more, but to do so for pleasure.

If you're keen to embrace this brilliant event but feel in need of some creative stimulation, then look no further. Our guide offers some suggestions to teachers at primary and secondary schools as to how they can embrace World Book Day and make it a day to remember.

Themed Fancy Dress

Setting the right kind of mood and environment is vital for creating an amazingly bookish atmosphere, so why not give your pupils the opportunity to come dressed as their favourite character from their favourite book?

Also, consider giving your school a temporary makeover, so that it either looks like some sort of grand book repository or a scene out of a classic children's book, like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

The Great Book Exchange

Ahead of World Book Day, and in agreement with parents, ask your pupils to bring in books that they have enjoyed and would be happy to swap for another. This is a great way of getting youngsters talking about their favourite books.

A fair way of exchanging books between pupils is through a lucky dip system. All participants have their names put into a hat and pairs are drawn – they are required to give at least a little overview of the books and what they liked about it (without giving away the story of course).

Tea, Coffee, Books and Cakes

Perhaps more suitable for secondary school pupils, Tea, Coffee, Books and Cakes is about setting aside at least two hours to reading, complemented by some hot drinks (coffee, tea and hot chocolate), and, of course, a plethora of cakes and biscuits.

You could encourage your students to bake some delicious cakes and biscuits for the occasion and maybe make it into a fundraising activity, money which could possibly go towards something book related. Make it even more relaxed with some beanbags and cushions.

The Short Story Challenge

It is entirely possible to write a brilliant short story in a day. In fact, half a day is achievable. Moreover, you can knock up some prose in a handful of hours, if not one. Sure, anything is possible.

Set your pupils the challenge of writing a short story in 60 minutes. It can seem like quite a daunting task, which is why it pays to limit the word count and give them a framework within which to work (a number of characters, a situation, key stages in a narrative – like a challenge to overcome – and some new words to flesh out their vocabulary).

Book Club Supersized

Book clubs have, in recent years, been growing in popularity, with people all over the world participating in them via work, with friends and even family. When done well it gets people reading regularly, gets them engaging in discourse and makes it an occasion to look forward to.

Your school version can be just as engaging and rewarding. Get your students to take ownership over it, as this will not only give them more of stake in the success of the project, but help develop various skills like leadership and teamwork. Where possible, offer incentives – like tokens for new books – and set up extracurricular activities, like visits to libraries or literary events.