2026 The Paper Costume Kit - Part 1 - Book Week
Create memorable Book Week costumes using simple classroom materials with The Paper Costume Kit – Part 1. This practical collection of printable costume templates helps students transform into a wide variety of storybook characters using just paper, scissors, sticky tape and textas. Designed around the principle that a costume is recognised first by its silhouette, the resource focuses on versatile headpieces and accessories that can be mixed and matched to create dozens of instantly recognisable characters.
The kit includes printable ears, crowns, cone hats, eye masks, glasses, beards, moustaches and bow ties, along with comprehensive teacher notes explaining how to build effective costumes quickly and economically. A detailed character map suggests combinations for animals, royalty, pirates, superheroes, detectives, wizards, witches, fairies and many more, making it easy for students to adapt the templates to suit their chosen book character.
Created to support the 2026 Book Week theme Symphony of Stories, this versatile resource helps schools shift the focus from expensive costumes to creativity, literature and student participation. It pairs perfectly with The Paper Costume Kit – Part 2 and The Book Week Character Kit to create complete, low-cost Book Week costumes for every student.
Learning goals
- We are learning to create and deliver short oral presentations to peers.
- We are learning to create and deliver short oral and multimodal presentations to peers, which include an opening, middle and concluding statement, appropriate vocabulary, gestures, volume and pace.
- We are learning to structure, rehearse and present short oral presentations on new and familiar topics.
- We are learning to re-read and edit texts for appropriate meaning, structure, grammatical choices and punctuation.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver presentations in an organised manner with relevant facts and description from reliable sources.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver multimodal presentations for specific audiences and purposes sequenced logically in an organised manner with appropriate features of voice and relevant facts from reliable sources.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver multimodal presentations for specific audiences and purposes sequenced logically in an organised manner, with appropriate features of voice and relevant information, arguments and facts from reliable sources.
- We are learning to deliver short oral presentations to peers.
- We are learning to structure and make short presentations on familiar topics.
- We are learning to plan and deliver oral or multimodal short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for specific audiences and purposes in an organised manner with multimodal elements and relevant facts from reliable sources.
- We are learning to plan, rehearse and deliver appropriately sequenced multimodal presentations for specific audiences and purposes.
Curriculum alignment
AC9E1LY07
9
Create and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations on personal and learnt topics, which include an opening, middle and concluding statement; some topic-specific vocabulary and appropriate gesture, volume and pace
AC9EFLY07
9
Create and deliver short spoken texts to report ideas and events to peers, using features of voice such as appropriate volume
AC9E2LY07
9
Create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations for familiar audiences and purposes, using text structure appropriate to purpose and topic-specific vocabulary, and varying tone, volume and pace
AC9E3LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations to inform, express opinions or tell stories, using a clear structure, details to elaborate ideas, topic-specific and precise vocabulary, visual features, and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume
AC9E6LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include information, arguments and details that develop a theme or idea, organising ideas using precise topic-specific and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features
AC9E5LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include relevant, elaborated ideas, sequencing ideas and using complex sentences, specialist and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features
AC9E4LY07
9
Plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations to report on a topic, tell a story, recount events or present an argument using subjective and objective language, complex sentences, visual features, tone, pace, pitch and volume
ACELY1677
8.4
Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence
ACELY1667
8.4
Rehearse and deliver short presentations on familiar and new topics
ACELY1710
8.4
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for defined audiences and purposes, making appropriate choices for modality and emphasis
ACELY1689
8.4
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations incorporating learned content and taking into account the particular purposes and audiences
ACELY1657
8.4
Make short presentations using some introduced text structures and language, for example opening statements
ACELY1700
8.4
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements
ACELY1647
8.4
Deliver short oral presentations to peers
EN2-6B
old
Identifies the effect of purpose and audience on spoken texts, distinguishes between different forms of English and identifies organisational patterns and features
ENe-1A
old
Communicates with peers and known adults in informal and guided activities demonstrating emerging skills of group interaction
EN3-1A
old
Communicates effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes using increasingly challenging topics, ideas, issues and language forms and features
EN1-6B
old
Recognises a range of purposes and audiences for spoken language and recognises organisational patterns and features of predictable spoken texts
EN1-UARL-01
new
Understands and responds to literature by creating texts using similar structures, intentional language choices and features appropriate to audience and purpose
EN2-CWT-01
new
Plans, creates and revises written texts for imaginative purposes, using text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language for a target audience
EN2-VOCAB-01
new
Builds knowledge and use of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, and by defining and analysing words
EN2-OLC-01
new
Communicates with familiar audiences for social and learning purposes, by interacting, understanding and presenting
EN2-CWT-02
new
Plans, creates and revises written texts for informative purposes, using text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language for a target audience
EN2-CWT-03
new
Plans, creates and revises written texts for persuasive purposes, using text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language for a target audience
EN2-SPELL-01
new
Selects, applies and describes appropriate phonological, orthographic and morphological generalisations and strategies when spelling in a range of contexts
EN2-HANDW-02
new
Uses digital technologies to create texts
EN2-UARL-01
new
Identifies and describes how ideas are represented in literature and strategically uses similar representations when creating texts
EN1-REFLU-01
new
Sustains reading unseen texts with automaticity and prosody and self-corrects errors
EN1-VOCAB-01
new
Understands and effectively uses Tier 1, taught Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to extend and elaborate ideas
EN1-OLC-01
new
Communicates effectively by using interpersonal conventions and language to extend and elaborate ideas for social and learning interactions
EN3-OLC-01
new
Communicates to wide audiences with social and cultural awareness, by interacting and presenting, and by analysing and evaluating for understanding
EN3-VOCAB-01
new
Extends Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, morphological analysis and generating precise definitions for specific contexts
ENE-UARL-01
new
Understands and responds to literature read to them
EN3-CWT-01
new
Plans, creates and revises written texts for multiple purposes and audiences through selection of text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language
EN3-SPELL-01
new
Automatically applies taught phonological, orthographic and morphological generalisations and strategies when spelling in a range of contexts, and justifies spelling strategies used to spell unfamiliar words
EN3-HANDW-01
new
Sustains a legible, fluent and automatic handwriting style
EN3-HANDW-02
new
Selects digital technologies to suit audience and purpose to create texts
EN3-UARL-01
new
Analyses representations of ideas in literature through narrative, character, imagery, symbol and connotation, and adapts these representations when creating texts
EN3-UARL-02
new
Analyses representations of ideas in literature through genre and theme that reflect perspective and context, argument and authority, and adapts these representations when creating texts
VCELY367
Participate in formal and informal debates and plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting and sequencing appropriate content and multimodal elements for defined audiences and purposes, making appropriate choices for modality and emphasis
VCELY276
Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence, using appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume
VCELY175
Deliver short oral presentations to peers, using appropriate voice levels, articulation, body language, gestures and eye contact
VCELY338
Participate in informal debates and plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements
VCELY308
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations incorporating learned content and taking into account the particular audiences and purposes such as informative, persuasive and imaginative, including multimodal elements
VCELY211
Make short presentations, speaking clearly and using appropriate voice and pace, and using some introduced text structures and language
VCELY245
Rehearse and deliver short presentations on familiar and new topics, speaking clearly and varying tone, volume and pace appropriately, and using supportive props
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
- Pre-cut costume pieces for younger students or those requiring additional fine motor support.
- Print only the ear templates when time is limited, as they can be adapted for a wide variety of animal characters.
- Enlarge templates if required to suit older students.
- Provide completed examples to inspire students before they begin decorating.
- Encourage students to use recycled craft materials to personalise their costumes.
Extensions
- Challenge students to design an original character using only the included costume pieces.
- Invite students to explain how their costume communicates their chosen character through shape and silhouette.
- Combine the costumes with The Book Week Character Kit so students introduce their character and perform a memorable line from their book.
- Hold a classroom gallery walk where students identify one another's characters.
- Encourage students to sketch additional costume accessories to complement the printable templates.
Teach it your way
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