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· COSTUME
PARADE · Claim the date early. · Plan the costume parade first thing in the morning so
costumes are fresh and clean. · Encourage home-made and inexpensive costumes, based on the
theme or book characters. · Enable all to participate by allowing a broad range of
dress-ups, but discourage scary costumes. · Encourage children to carry the book which inspired their
costume, especially in the younger grade levels. · Avoid prizes so those without parents or without parents
with the time/skills/money/interest are not marginalised. · Have loud, clap-along music and each class parades in a
circle around the others who are the audience. · Have a few spare costume items handy for those who come
without a costume. · Get someone who knows their children’s literature to
spruik to add atmosphere. · Consider making it a mask, a hat, a headband, or a
sandwich board parade and make the making of these the art curriculum for the
first part of T3 so everyone can be involved. · Ensure that teachers get in the spirit and dress up too. · Year 5/6 will often bow to peer pressure and think this is
babyish and uncool (although secretly they would love to be involved) so give
them a chance to be involved in the organisation, helping younger students
make or wear their costumes, making advertising posters, being junior
journalists, being in charge of the music selection and delivery, whatever is
on offer to give them responsibility, ease your workload and making it a
whole school event. · Invite parents and the local media (including your local
free suburban newspaper) because it’s all advocacy for the teacher
librarian’s role. Let them see their child having fun so they see their
efforts are worth it. · Keep the purpose of children having fun clearly in focus –
it should not be a competition, no student should be marginalised and it
should be all about the laughter.
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Consider promoting one book per
class - either a shortlisted or one of the class teacher's favourites. You
may also have a class based costume session an hour before the parade or
before lunch so hats or simple costume add-ons can be made for kids who don't
bring stuff from home, ensuring EVERYONE is participating. Kids
parade one class at a time around a circle of the hall, audience seated all
around. Student at front of line can hold up the book featured OR a canvas
artwork (see below). |
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Other Activities |
Clue
Hunt: Have each teacher create a clue
for a short-listed book and hide it in a box.
Station the teachers around the school grounds, and give the students
a location map. Students move around
the grounds, and try to guess the name of each book. Correct answers earn
them a letter. The collected letters
can be used to spell the answer to a cryptic clue. |
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Readers’ Theatre: Have each class prepare a Readers’ Theatre
presentation of a short-listed or theme books. Come together and perform them for each
other. |
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Book Week performance: If funds are available, you could book a
professional performance for your students. |
