In the UK, World Book Day takes place on the first Thursday of March. World Book Day is a charity event all about making reading accessible, especially to young people and children. For World Book Day, every child in full-time education receives a £1 book coupon. They can put this coupon towards any book, or exchange for a book in the year’s £1 book selection.

The goal of World Book Day is to encourage children and young people to find a love of reading. It creates an opportunity for families of all backgrounds to buy books and nourishes young imaginations with dress-up and reading events. World Book Day founder, Baroness Gail Rebuck, states that their mission is to teach the world that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives. They believe that just 10 minutes of reading each day sets your child up for future success.

Who are Melissa and Doug?

Melissa and Doug are a couple of creatives who want to inspire children through imagination and play. They know the importance of letting children learn through play, to discover themselves and what they love doing. As well as a huge range of beautifully hand-crafted wooden toys and puzzles, Melissa and Doug offer arts & crafts, soft toys, furniture, and costumes! Just like the people behind World Book Day, Melissa and Doug are dedicated to helping your children develop into happy and ambitious adults.

World Book Day often means non-uniform day in UK schools. Children dress up as a favourite book character or anyone else who has inspired them. So, if you’re looking for a World Book Day costume, Melissa and Doug’s dress-up collection have you covered.

Journey to the Moon

Houston, we have a costume. Kids will be over the moon when they get to step into this jumpsuit! The first Melissa and Doug costume we’ll be talking about today is the Astronaut Outfit. An interstellar spacesuit with matching silver gloves and helmet, this costume really is out of this world. There’s even a reusable nametag that proudly IDs your little space explorer, then wipes clean so another astronaut can have a turn.

Designed for space explorers aged between 3 and 6, this costume can survive the atmosphere of space and your washing machine! Made to last, this is the perfect get-up for all astronauts.

There are plenty of famous astronauts in both fiction and non-fiction books. From the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, to everyone’s favourite space cadet, Buzz Lightyear, this Melissa and Doug costume is ready to be the star of World Book Day 2022.

911, What’s Your Emergency?

Are you after the hottest costume for World Book Day? Look no further than Melissa and Doug’s Fire Chief outfit. Extinguish the competition this World Book Day with this Fire Chief costume. You’ll have everything an aspiring firefighter needs in an emergency, from the bright red reflective coat down to the iconic helmet! This costume even comes with your very own fire extinguisher and fully functional bullhorn.

A great option for World Book Day 2022, this costume is also great to spark your child’s imagination during play. Machine washable and wipe clean, no need to use the fire hose to wash this one!

Looking for a character to dress up as? Using Melissa and Doug’s Fire Chief Outfit, transform yourself into the pawsome Marshall from Paw Patrol or even Fireman Sam!

Roadworks Ahead

Make sure you pack your book in your tool bag! Melissa and Doug’s Construction Worker Outfit is the perfect choice for anyone that loves a bit of DIY. Your little construction worker will be ready for any task in this bright orange, machine washable, construction vest with reflective stripes. Safety first remember, this outfit even comes with safety goggles and a fully kitted out toolbelt.

Fully customisable, the Melissa and Dough Construction Worker Outfit allows you to mix and match elements of the costume to fit any character. Don’t delay, get building today!

There is one famous construction worker that stands above the rest. One iconic character that can ALWAYS fix it. We are, of course, talking about Bob the Builder. Don’t forget about the hilarious Fix-It Felix from Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.

Abracadabra!

Hocus pocus. Open sesame. Alakazam. Channel all of these magical words with our fourth entry on this list. Melissa and Doug’s Magician Outfit is certain to spread magic and wonder to whoever wears it. Kids can make a coin magically appear and disappear from the secret vest pocket or pull a rabbit out of the top hat’s hidden compartment. This pack even includes a cape, bow tie, magic wand, and card with tricks. Prepare to be amazed!

This costume requires a magical touch when it comes to cleaning up any messy tricks. The Magician Outfit needs to be hand-washed in cold water, we hear it is to preserve the magic!

There are countless famous magicians that can be channelled on World Book Day this year. From real-life magicians such as Derren Brown or Ben Hart, to our favourite characters like Harry Potter and Doctor Strange, there is plenty of inspiration for a spell-binding costume.

Howdy Partner

Giddy up partner and prepare for a trip to the wild west with our final World Book Day costume. Our fifth Melissa and Doug costume is their rootin’ tottin’ Cowboy Outfit. Little cowpokes can slip on these pleather chaps and denim-and-pleather vest to dress up like a real cowboy and rustle up adventures. The accessories in this set will complete any costume, the hat, red bandanna and sheriff badge really will transport you to the wild west.

Grab your horse and embark upon endless imaginative play with this Cowboy Outfit. No need to worry about that dust from the desert, pop this one into the washing machine and you’ll be ready for another horseback adventure.

We’ve spoken about Buzz Lightyear, now it’s time to turn our attention to his best friend, Woody. Toy Story’s Sheriff Woody of Woody’s Round-Up fame is always there for his friends, including his cowboy crew of Jessie and Bullseye the horse.

We’d love to see everyone’s World Book Day outfits, make sure you tag us over on social media @ToyStreetUK.

For more wonderful costumes and toys, check out our massive Melissa and Doug range.

Editors note: This post was originally published on March 3rd 2022. Updated on Feb 29th 2024 to improve the information available.