Roald Dahl Costumes for Book Week: Matilda, BFG & More
If you're hunting for a Roald Dahl book week costume that actually feels like the book — not just a generic schoolgirl pinafore or a fox-coloured tracksuit — you're in the right spot. Roald Dahl is the gift that keeps on giving for Aussie parents: ten or fifteen iconic characters across the classroom, all instantly recognisable to teachers and grandparents, all forgiving enough to put together the night before parade day if you have to.
This guide walks through the Roald Dahl book week costume ideas that work best for Aussie primary schools — what to buy, what to dig out of the wardrobe, and how to nail the little details (Matilda's blue ribbon, the BFG's giant ears, Fantastic Mr Fox's corduroy jacket) that get the laughs and the photos. Whether your child is in Prep or Year 6, there's a Dahl character that fits.
Why Roald Dahl is the safest bet for Book Week
Every Book Week parade has the same problem: ten Spider-Men, six Elsas, and a quiet kid in the back wishing they'd dressed up as a book character. Roald Dahl solves it. His books are on virtually every Aussie primary school reading list, the characters are visually distinct (you can tell who's who from across the schoolyard), and most outfits are built from things you already own — a school dress, a pair of dungarees, a corduroy jacket. Teachers love it because it actually counts as a book costume. Kids love it because they know the story.
The other quiet advantage: Roald Dahl costumes age well. A Matilda outfit works for Prep, Year 3 and Year 6 with only minor tweaks. A BFG works for the tall kid who's been begging for something that isn't another superhero. And a group of mates can do James and the Giant Peach without anyone needing to be the same character — one James, one Centipede, one Ladybird, one Spider, done.
Matilda — the Aussie classroom favourite
Matilda is hands-down the most-searched Roald Dahl book week costume in Australia, and for good reason. She's the bookish underdog, she's powerful in a quiet way, and the look is genuinely easy: a plain school dress (light blue, light grey or pinafore-style), a white shirt or blouse underneath, white socks, plain black school shoes, and the all-important blue hair ribbon. Add a stack of library books under one arm and a determined expression and you're done.
If you want the ready-made version that looks like the cover of the book (not the film), the grey pinafore Matilda costume is the parade-favourite — it photographs beautifully and saves you cobbling pieces together. There's also a Matilda book-cover costume for kids who'd rather be the book itself (a brilliant choice if your school does a "favourite book" theme rather than character theme).
Little details that sell it: plait the hair if it's long enough, or use a side-part with the blue ribbon clipped in. Tie a piece of red string around one finger (a nod to the chalk-moving scene). And if you can find a little cardigan — beige, navy, anything plain — throw it over the shoulders for that 1980s English-schoolgirl feel.
The BFG — the gentle giant who steals the parade
The Big Friendly Giant works brilliantly for tall kids, or for kids who'd rather not wear something fitted. The look is layered and oversized on purpose: a long brown or olive coat (op-shop gold), a white collarless shirt, baggy trousers tucked into boots, a rope or wide belt, a sandwich-board "dream jar" hung around the neck, and — most importantly — giant pointy ears. The ears are non-negotiable. Without them, the BFG is just a kid in a coat.
The Roald Dahl BFG costume sorts out the trickiest pieces (the ears, the layered tunic look) so you don't have to assemble it yourself. Pair it with a simple jam-jar prop labelled "Dream" in a wobbly Texta hand and you've got a costume that'll get a "oh that's a good one" from at least three teachers on parade day.
Little details that sell it: carry a small wrapped sandwich (the BFG's snozzcumber alternative — pretend it's a snozzcumber and explain proudly to anyone who'll listen). Bare feet are accurate to the illustrations but probably not allowed on the asphalt, so go with sandals or worn-in school shoes.
Willy Wonka and Charlie — Chocolate Factory chaos
The whole Charlie and the Chocolate Factory world is a costume goldmine because the family can split the roles. Willy Wonka is the big-ticket character — top hat, plum or velvet jacket, ruffled shirt, bow tie, walking cane — and an authentic Willy Wonka book week costume gets you all the pieces in one go, including the hat (which is the bit everyone struggles with). For younger siblings, Charlie Bucket himself is the easiest costume in the book: a striped jumper, brown shorts, scuffed shoes, and a golden ticket made from yellow cardboard and a gold Sharpie. Done in ten minutes.
For older kids who want something funnier, Grandpa Joe (pyjamas, dressing gown, nightcap) is the great hack — you basically wear what you sleep in, plus a walking stick. And if there's a group of mates, the Oompa-Loompas are the easiest group costume on the planet: white turtlenecks, brown trousers, green wigs, orange face paint, and you can have six of them marching in single file singing.
Little details that sell it: carry an oversized Wonka Bar (wrap a chocolate block in purple paper and a printed gold "Wonka" label). For Charlie, the golden ticket is the prop that makes the costume read as book, not just a poor street kid.
The Witches — the Grand High Witch (done right)
The Witches is one of Dahl's scarier books, but the costume can be done in a way that's parade-friendly rather than nightmare-fuel. The classic Grand High Witch look is a long, plain black or dark purple dress, a high collar, opera-length black gloves, sensible block-heel black shoes (witches in the book wear "plain, sensible shoes" — that's the joke), and pulled-back hair under a wig or scarf. If your kid wants to add the unmasking scene, a half-face mask in their schoolbag for a parade-day reveal is showstopper-level commitment.
The pivot for younger kids: dress them as Bruno or the boy narrator after he's been turned into a mouse — grey hoodie, ears, painted whiskers and a long tail trailing behind. Same book, half the effort, none of the "your kid scared a Prep child" risk.
Little details that sell it: "plain sensible shoes" is a literal line from the book — leaning into that is what separates a Grand High Witch from a generic Halloween witch. No pointy hat. No striped tights. The whole point is they look like ordinary women, until they don't.
Fantastic Mr Fox — the corduroy hero
Fantastic Mr Fox is one of the easiest builds because the entire character is essentially "a fox in a smart jacket." A Fantastic Mr Fox child costume gives you the orange-and-cream furred top and fox-face features in one shot — and the rest you DIY with what you have: brown corduroy pants, a yellow shirt, a brown jacket if you can find one. A bushy tail clipped on the back of the trousers is the bit kids absolutely love because they can twirl in the parade.
If you want to lean into the Wes Anderson film look (which most teachers will still recognise as the book), add a small leather satchel and a bit of a sneaky smirk. Mrs Fox is just as easy — a knitted cream cardigan, neat trousers, the same fox face, a smaller tail.
Little details that sell it: the jacket is what makes the costume read as a Roald Dahl character rather than a generic fox onesie. If you only buy one thing for this look, make it the jacket.
James and the Giant Peach — the perfect group costume
James and the Giant Peach is the answer to "my kid wants to do Book Week with their three best mates and they can't agree." James himself is a simple build (white shirt, grey shorts, suspenders, scuffed shoes — he's a Dickens-y English schoolboy), but the magic is the bug crew: Centipede (black leggings, multiple pairs of fake shoes safety-pinned down the sides), Ladybird (red top with black spots, antennae headband), Spider (grey jumper with felt legs sewn on, eight is the goal but no one counts), Earthworm (pink jumper, that's it, lean into the joke), Grasshopper (green everything, antennae). The whole class can technically do this book if the teacher's keen.
Little details that sell it: a real or paper peach in a kid's hand at parade is the single prop that makes the whole group read as James and the Giant Peach rather than "bugs and a child." Cut a peach shape out of orange-pink cardboard, glue a little green stem on top, and you're set.
The Twits — for the kid who wants to be the messiest one
Mr and Mrs Twit are perfect for the kid who has decided, against all parental protest, that they want to be the disgusting one. The look: deliberately scruffy clothes (a too-big shirt, mismatched trousers, holes welcome), a wild beard made from cotton wool or fake fur (for Mr Twit), a glass eye (a ping-pong ball cut in half and drawn on, for Mrs Twit), a walking stick, and bird droppings drawn on the shoulders with white face paint or a Texta. The grosser the better — that's the entire joke of the book.
This one's brilliant for shy kids because the costume does all the talking. Pin a paper bird to one shoulder for the "Twit's Big Birthday Surprise" reference and watch teachers grin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest Roald Dahl book week costume for Prep kids? Matilda is the easiest hands-down — a school dress your child already owns, a white shirt, plain black shoes and a blue hair ribbon. Charlie Bucket is the second easiest: a striped jumper, brown shorts and a printed Golden Ticket. Both are forgiving, parade-friendly, and instantly recognisable to teachers.
Where can I buy Roald Dahl book week costumes in Australia? Most major characters — Matilda, BFG, Willy Wonka, Fantastic Mr Fox — are available as ready-made Roald Dahl book week costumes sized for Aussie kids, with express shipping in time for Book Week. Going ready-made saves the panic-shopping at three op-shops the night before parade.
What's the difference between the Matilda book costume and the Matilda film costume? The book covers (illustrated by Quentin Blake) show Matilda in a plain pinafore-style school dress with a white collar and red string around one finger. The film (1996) gives her a red and blue dress with a white collar. Either works for Book Week — Australian schools usually accept both — but if the parade theme is strictly "book character," lean toward the pinafore.
Can I make a Roald Dahl costume the night before Book Week? Yes, and this is exactly what most Aussie parents do. Matilda (school dress + blue ribbon), Charlie Bucket (striped jumper + shorts + golden ticket), and Grandpa Joe (pyjamas + dressing gown) can all be assembled in under twenty minutes from what's already in the wardrobe. If you need a ready-made costume in 24-48 hours, sort the express-ship pieces first and DIY the rest.
Pick the Dahl character that fits your kid, not the trend
The trick with a Roald Dahl book week costume isn't picking the most expensive or the most elaborate — it's picking the character your kid actually likes. A confident kid will own a Grand High Witch. A quiet kid will absolutely nail Matilda. A class clown was born to be Mr Twit. And a tall kid who's been waiting all year for a costume that isn't a Spider-Man will love being the BFG.
Browse the full range of kids' Roald Dahl and book week costumes if you want everything ready to go in one delivery, or grab just the hero pieces (the Matilda pinafore, the BFG ears, the Fantastic Mr Fox jacket) and finish the look from your own wardrobe. Either way — your kid is going to look like they walked straight out of the book.
