Whether your child is a superhero enthusiast, a Disney fan, or a literature aficionado, there’s a character costume idea for everyone.
In this article, we’ll share 14 delightful character day ideas for Spirit Week for children, complete with a character description and costume supply suggestions.
Let’s dive in and make this Spirit Week a memorable one for your child.
1. Harry Potter
How could we start with anyone but modern literature’s more popular child hero, Harry Potter?
Beloved for his bravery and resilience, loads of children love this character, and, luckily, it’s not too difficult to create the costume.
Costume Supplies: Round glasses, wooden wand, face paint or makeup for the lightning bolt scar, a red and gold scarf/tie. Harry also wears a black cloak, but if you can’t source this, he is often seen in just a white school shirt or gray jumper.
2. Elsa
Elsa, the Snow Queen from Disney’s Frozen, has become one of the most iconic new additions to Disney’s princess line-up from the last decade.
She is known for being a symbol of female empowerment, coping with anxiety, and loving her sister.
Costume Supplies: Blue sparkly dress, a blond wig, glittery snowflake-themed accessories, tiara.
3. Spiderman/Peter Parker
Peter Parker, also known as Spiderman, has been one of Marvel’s most popular superheroes since his conception in 1962.
Whether your child wants to dress as the web-slinging superhero or the nerdy but charming Peter Parker, this character is super recognizable.
Costume Supplies:
Peter: Baggy casual clothes, makeup or face paint for a spider bite on the back of the hand, thick-rimmed glasses, spiderman mask (optional)
Spiderman: Red and blue Spiderman costume, mask, wrist web-shooters (optional)
4. Moana
Another very popular Disney Princess from the last few years is Moana, the adventurous Polynesian who embarks on a great journey to save her island.
She is brave, confident, and a great symbol for someone learning to overcome obstacles through guidance, trust, and empathy.
Costume Supplies: A red crop top or vest (even a t-shirt would still be recognizable if your school has a strict dress code), a grass skirt, a shell necklace, and flowers for hair.
5. Batman
Batman, or Bruce Wayne, is the caped crusader, keeping the streets of Gotham and now the halls of your school safe from criminals and ne’er-do-wells.
Batman has been a popular character with adults and kids alike for decades.
He’s spawned many different comic series, films, and TV shows, so there’s loads of different inspiration to take when it comes to making a costume.
Costume Supplies: Black cape, black mask, black trousers, gray t-shirt with a bat symbol. You can buy these, or you can make it yourself!
6. Hermione Granger
The perfect counterpart to Harry Potter, the equally popular Hermione Granger is a brilliant witch, recognizable for her bushy hair and even bigger brain.
She showed kids, and girls in particular, that it’s pretty cool to be clever.
Costume Supplies: Hairspray or a wig to tousle, wooden wand, red and gold scarf or tie, black robe
7. Woody
Wood is Andy’s favorite toy in the popular 1995 film Toy Story and is still really well-liked by children for his sarcasm, loyalty, and intelligence.
If Toy Story is your child’s favorite film, then this is a great character for them to dress as when they go to school during Spirit Week.
Costume Supplies: Cowboy hat, plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a toy sheriff badge. If you want to go the extra mile, use thick string and a white hoop to create the pull string on Woody’s back and attach it to the shirt.
You could even paint the name Andy on your child’s shoe if you don’t mind it being on there for a while. Just make sure you write the N backward!
8. Wonder Woman
Princess Diana has been a symbol of power and femininity for years, though her popularity increased recently thanks to the blockbuster movies and the DC Super Hero Girls TV show.
Wonder Woman is a great character for anyone to dress up as because she is strong, brave, and fiercely loyal.
Costume Supplies: Blue skirt, red tank top with a Wonder Woman symbol on it, red boots, gold belt, gold tiara, lasso (optional)
9. Captain America
Another very popular superhero, Captain America, or Steve Rogers, is a Marvel character who iconically carries a large circular shield.
Again, this character has become more beloved in the public eye recently thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though the character has existed in some way since 1941.
Costume Supplies: Blue trousers, blue top with a white star, red and white striped belt, blue mask – for added costume accuracy, you can try adding white cherub wings to the sides of the mask.
10. Cinderella
From superheroes to Disney Princesses.
Cinderella is one of the most iconic Disney characters, and before that was a very popular storybook character, originally written by Charles Perrault, all the way back in 1697.
She is known for being kind, empathetic, and hardworking.
Costume Supplies:
Pre-Ball Cinderella: Blonde wig (optional), blue top, brown pinafore dress, white apron, toy mice (optional), invitation to the ball (optional)
Princess Cinderella: Blue dress/ball gown, sparkly shoes, tiara.
11. Captain Underpants
The titular character from this silly series of books has been one of America’s most popular book characters for 20 years, so it’s no wonder that some kids would want to dress up as him for Character Day.
Though this character is known for being dressed in just his underwear, there are a lot of ways to make this into an acceptable and appropriate costume.
Costume Supplies: Skin-colored t-shirt and trousers (optional), muscle suit (optional), white t-shirt (as an alternative to skin-colored), large white Y-fronts, bald cap, red cape with black spots (this and the underwear are the most vital for this costume.
Your child can wear any combination of clothes that they’re comfortable in, so long as they have these elements, and their costume will read as Captain Underpants)
12. Matilda
If your child loves reading, then they probably have an affinity for Matilda Wormwood, the titular character from Roald Dahl’s beloved book.
This defiant, intelligent, and psychic kid has been a very popular book character for years, made even more popular by the 1996 film with Danny Davito and the more recent musical adaptation that appeared on stage and in a 2022 film.
Costume Supplies: Book/Original movie Version: Blue dress, red headband, prop book (optional)
Musical Version: Gray skirt, gray blazer, white dress shirt, red and white striped tie, white socks, black shoes.
13. Percy Jackson
The dyslexic, ADHD-having demi-god Percy Jackson is the protagonist of a very popular series of books that have spawned many spinoffs.
He is so popular because he’s funny, loyal, and brave. Percy has to deal with a lot of adversity before he even finds out he’s the son of Poseidon, which makes him very inspirational for a lot of kids.
Costume Supplies: Navy zipped hoodie, blue jeans, sneakers, orange t-shirt (if you can get one that has “Camp Half-Blood” on it, even better), sword (optional – if you want to reference the sword without having to buy one, you can use a fancy looking pen instead)
14. Dorothy Gale
The final character on our list is one of literature and media’s most recognizable characters.
Made famous for the book and film The Wizard of Oz, known for being one of the first major films to be shot in color, Dorothy is a character that everyone will know from sight.
She is a loyal and defiant character who is always empathetic to the people and creatures that she meets during her adventure in Oz – there are certainly a lot worse characters that children could be drawn to.
Costume Supplies: Blue plaid dress, white t-shirt/top with poofy arms, white socks, red sparkly shoes, hair in pigtails.
Final Thoughts
Character Day during Spirit Week is a fantastic opportunity for kids to let their imaginations run wild and transform into their favorite characters from fiction.
Whether they choose to be superheroes, Disney princesses, or beloved literary figures, the key is to have fun and embrace the spirit of creativity.
Remember, it’s not about how much you spend but the love and attention you and your child put into the costume.
With these 14 Character Day Spirit Week ideas, your child is sure to stand out and have an unforgettable time celebrating school spirit.
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