Elsa costumes are really popular, easy to find, and affordable to buy. We bet many kids already have an Elsa costume in their dressing-up box that they'd love to wear for World Book Day 2025. And let's face it, you're not going to object if it means you don't have to fork out for a new costume. Or even worse if you aren't creative, get out the sewing machine to try and fashion up something "original".
Who has the time for that? After weekend activities, school runs, after-school clubs, homework, dinner, bath and bedtime, the last thing you need is yet another task to add to the mental load. So, does Elsa count as a World Book Day costume? What will happen if your child decides on an Elsa World Book Day costume this year?
People are bound to have an opinion on this, or be desperate to know – can you dress up as Elsa for World Book Day? We can't wait to hear what you think over on the Mother & Baby Facebook page or if you follow Mother & Baby on Instagram – but here are our thoughts...
The Snow Queen
Elsa is a character from the Disney movie Frozen, which is based on the Danish fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. So, we reckon you can get away with letting your child dress up as the Disney version of Elsa. However, keep in mind that other parents, teachers, and possibly even your child's classmates may have something to say about it – but that's okay! Keep reading, and we'll explain...
It can be surprising how seriously some people take World Book Day. To be fair, it is a celebration of literature, and some parents put loads of effort into recreating a classic children's book character by making a DIY World Book Day costume. So, we understand why they might feel somewhat peeved when they see other kids turning up as minions – just because they own a minions sticker book!
But is relying on Disney's Elsa costume for World Book Day a bit of a cop-out too? Maybe. Should you feel guilty about not making more of an effort though? Absolutely not! As far as we're concerned, at least your child is being encouraged to make an effort to get into character and can join in the fun with their friends. This is really important for helping them feel included. But it isn't the only reason we recommend challenging expectations about World Book Day costumes...
It's about sparking their imaginations
The fun of World Book Day is celebrating the stories we love and discovering new ones. So we think that ANY costume that sparks imagination, conversation about books, or the origins of stories should be seen as a positive – especially in a school setting. If you're worried your child might be singled out by friends or even other parents and teachers, why not arm them with a little knowledge? Then they can confidently explain that the Disney film is actually based on The Snow Queen, and everyone will have learnt something new.
Let's be honest, there'll be plenty of superhero costumes and other characters from comics, though many kids only know them from TV shows and films. We don't think this means they can't dress up as their favourite superhero though. Dressing up is a chance for kids to be creative, have fun and express themselves. Plus, it give teachers a great opportunity to talk about the literary origins of these characters and stories – not to mention give your child their chance to shine talking about their favourite characters!
Is Frozen part of World Book Day? And is Elsa considered a book character? Well, there are many different responses to this question. Some things to consider are the requests of your child's school. For example, they may ask kids to bring in a copy of the book their character's costume is from. Does their Yoto Player story card count, we wonder? Thankfully, there are plenty of Frozen books, and if your child is a Frozen fan they may even have a few on their bookshelf or be able to check one out from the library, so you're all good!
What counts as a character, anyway?
No matter what your child dresses up as for World Book Day, we're sure their costume can be linked to a character or a book, whether it's a witch, a random animal, a superhero or a Disney character. And no, we don't think it's a cop-out! Parents have enough to do and think about without having to worry about buying new costumes for every occasion, or having the creative skills and equipment to invent something amazing over the weekend, that a child probably won't want to wear after all.
Your child's favourite Elsa World Book Day costume gets our approval, if that's what you have to work with, and your child is excited about wearing it. Anyone who has a problem – just tell them to let it go.
Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.