One year Boy’s class was given the Katie Morag books, and with confidence and relish he decided to go as Granny Island. He donned one of my floral tunics as a dress, we had a grey wig in the dressing up box… and off he went. Not for one second did his 8yr old self believe spending a day in an old lady dress might leave him open to ridicule – and such was his panache that he made it all the way through to lunchtime before realising a dress isn’t up to football on the field, and switching for his PE kit for the rest of the day. I was pretty proud, actually. Kids love wearing sportswear to school so why not embrace this? If your son or daughter is in a football team, get them dressed up in their kit to go as Frankie from Frank Lampard's book Frankie's Magic Football.

Nargish Khambatta, Principal, CEO and Vice President-Education, GEMS Modern Academy The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde Go on a reading adventure with Mr Men and Little Miss. Here are all the resources you need to run a Mr Men and Little Miss-themed competition in your school or early years setting. If you have a brightly coloured T-shirt, your child could easily pass as a Mr Men or Little Miss character of that colour. Think blue for Mr Sneezy, green for Mr Nosey and yellow for Little Miss Sunshine. Think about sleepwear - Pyjamas and nighties can work for all sorts of costumes, like The Darlings from Peter Pan or Sophie from The BFG. I wonder how many of our children are asking this question? Every day they overhear conversations, see images or catch snippets of news. Trying to explain the current global situation to young children is definitely not easy, but with the help of a little bear from an old favourite book it can be made a bit easier.There are also many books that feature school children – Starting School, Matilda for a start so perhaps you don’t have to do much at all. Roald Dahl penned the wonderful book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in 1964 and it’s been captivating children ever since. Why not read the story (or parts of it) to the children. Follow on by playing ’The Chocolate Game’, for which you will need some dressing up items (hat, scarf, gloves, sunglasses, etc), dice, plate, knife and fork and of course some chocolate. All the children should sit in a circle with all the items in the middle, the children one at a time roll the dice (use large foam dice if you have one). If they get a six they get a chance to get some chocolate, but before trying to cut and eat the chocolate they have to put on all the items (e.g. hat, scarf, gloves, etc) and must use the knife and fork. Once the next person gets a 6 they go into the middle and have a chance. 4. Bring the Books to Life Wilde’s story has so many meanings but one that resonates with me is the innate ability of children to connect to the world around them, their joy in nature and most of all, their ability to melt the hardest of hearts.

My favourite book as a primary school pupil was Gerald Durrell’s “My Family And Other Animals.” I loved the combination of a slightly bonkers but very lovable family and the young Durrell’s curiosity about and kindness towards the animals. Add to these the environments he encountered in a land that was very foreign to him and the book served to fuel my interest in the outdoors, adventure, and travel from a very early age!

2. Charlotte’s Webb – E B White 

Turn your section into a world from your favourite books with these programme ideas: 1. Mr Men & Little Miss Mark Leppard MBE, Headmaster. The British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi The Chronicles of Narnia – especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Get creative with cardboard. There's almost nothing you can't make with some cardboard, scissors, and a good idea. A sweet and comfy outfit for school. Dress your child in a nightie and pop some fairy lights in a jar to make ‘wishes’. Each year it is always exciting to see the list of new books released by well-known authors, let’s have a look at what 2023 holds. I was captivated at the age of nine by the magical world of ‘Middle Earth’ and the journey of discovery of a young Bilbo Baggins. Tolkien painted such a real picture of a fantasy world which he was able to bring to life through enthralling story-telling.From Mr Men and Little Miss, to Dr. Seuss and Disney – you may find the perfect costume for your kids. So, leave the school uniform at home and let’s get creative! 1. Cat in the Hat