World book day

[FussyElmo]

I was reading an article about how its now missed the point. Its about shops running out of harry potter costumes but no one buying books.

'I spent GBP50 on costumes and didn't buy any books': How World Book Day lost the plot | inews


What do you think. Does it encourage children to read?

Personally i think its very commercialised and sets competitive people off to produce a costume or spend money which some parents could find causes hardship.

I have seen lots of posts from parents asking if people have got costumes they could borrow.

[Maza]

I think it is too commercialised too. When I worked in school we had loads of girls come in in their princess outfits. In a way I can't blame the parents as I find it a pain too. None of them had actually read Cinderella or Snow White but of course they had all seen the films.

DD's school are dressing up tomorrow because they have a few classes out on trips today. She is going in a cat costume because her favourite books are the Warrior Cat series. Nice and easy. When she was in Year 1 she went as Silky form the faraway tree. She wore a fairy costume (generic) and long blonde wig, but we also spent the night making all the sweets (toffee shocks, oogle buns, pop sweets if I remember correctly) out of different colours/scented playdough and she carried them in in a basket. It was great even if I do say so myself. One of the girls in her class said to her, "What's the point of coming as someone that no-one's ever heard of?" and DD being DD was rather upset. Kids!

But no, I don't think it encourages children to read more books.

[mama2three]

Showing my age again but when it was first introduced , and before the supermarkets cottoned on , my boys took in their favourite book to share with each other and could dress from a character in it. It was lovely , I have really fond memories of cobbbled together costumes and the boys coming home asking for certain books that their teacher had read snippets from. Then it all became commercialised and spoiled. Looking around the school line I saw so many film characters , hardly any book characters. Ido have some sympathy for parents who just take the easy route and buy a generic costume , pressures of time and lack of creativity perhaps. But almost every girl is a Disney princess and at least half of the boys had football kits on! How that links to promoting reading I’d anyone’s guess. I’ve heard some school asking people to come in in pyjamas and bring a bedtime story , which is lovely....but now Asda has cottoned on to that and is selling pyjamas with book characters on. The cycle begins again!

Highlight of my book day though was my toddler minded pointing out the “snowman’s .” .... one dad goes completely over the top and shows off at every opportunity. His sons had perfect ghostbuster costumes complete with the no entry signs around their necks. It made me smirk that from the back they resembled klu klux klan members , and then when my little one starting pointing at them and calling them snowmen the look on the dads face was priceless 😂

[loocyloo]

I think it's totally over the top and commercialised now. I don't think it encourages any more reading of books!

I heard a mum at school kicking off because our school WASN'T dressing up and she'd spent 'a fortune'on costumes ... well .... if she'd read the newsletters she would know!

I much prefer them to take a book to share! Or maybe just wear pjs.

I went to the woods with a fellow childminder this morning and we shared stories together as part of 'tell a million stories' for world book day. And ticked a few stars off our story telling sheet for reading stories in different places.
I used to get world book day tokens for my minded children, but then they stopped sending them to me, so I get a load of books from the works for £1 each and they each take one home with a book mark we make. ( the left over books go in my present box! )

[Maza]

loocyloo I love the idea of telling stories in different places. Is that something you have come up with yourself or is it a national type of thing?

Do you remember a few years ago when there was a parent who sent her 11 year old (I think he was 11) son dressed as Mr Grey from 50 Shades of Grey? If I remember correctly, school sent him home and lots of people were saying that the school had no sense of humour! It was just wrong, wrong, wrong (of the parents) in so many ways!

[mama2three]

loocyloo I love the idea of telling stories in different places. Is that something you have come up with yourself or is it a national type of thing?

Do you remember a few years ago when there was a parent who sent her 11 year old (I think he was 11) son dressed as Mr Grey from 50 Shades of Grey? If I remember correctly, school sent him home and lots of people were saying that the school had no sense of humour! It was just wrong, wrong, wrong (of the parents) in so many ways!

Gosh I do remember that! At least it was a book character😬

[loocyloo]

loocyloo I love the idea of telling stories in different places. Is that something you have come up with yourself or is it a national type of thing?

Do you remember a few years ago when there was a parent who sent her 11 year old (I think he was 11) son dressed as Mr Grey from 50 Shades of Grey? If I remember correctly, school sent him home and lots of people were saying that the school had no sense of humour! It was just wrong, wrong, wrong (of the parents) in so many ways!

I found out about it on the world book day website! They have a whole section on 'share a story' ... along with a chart to print off and tick where you've read and also a guide for parents on why sharing stories are good!

Share a Story - World Book Day

[Dragonfly]

We had dressing up clothes out and extra stories.but then the usual things out and about craft , songs and props etc. Not a fan of world book day.
I do like the idea of leaving a book out and about for someone to find and read ( in a bag with note to read and then put out for another person to find) and leave on a bench/ place for a child to find.

[Pixie dust]

It has got too commercialised I too remember sending my boys to school in homemade costumes. One of the children's parents asked if we would be doing anything and did they need to buy a costume to dress up in to which I replied that no we wouldn't be dressing up but the children are welcome to bring their favourite book from home.

I used to get world book day tokens for my minded children, but then they stopped sending them to me, so I get a load of books from the works for £1 each and they each take one home with a book mark we make. ( the left over books go in my present box! )

Childminders have to send a stamped addressed envelope now to get the book tokens.

[loocyloo]

Childminders have to send a stamped addressed envelope now to get the book tokens.

That's good. I might do that next year.

Last time I asked they said childminders were not eligible! Mind you, it was a few years ago now.