Trainline unveils DIY World Book Day costumes inspired by kids’ favourite characters
By Daniel Constantinou on Friday, March 1, 2024
As World Book Day approaches, Trainline, in collaboration with podcaster and mother of three Vogue Williams, has steamed into action to ease the stress of parents nationwide.
Unveiling an at-home DIY costume guide, Trainline aims to help parents bring to life their children’s favourite train-related book characters without breaking the bank.
Despite the digital age, a recent study by Trainline reveals that the love for reading among children aged five to 12 remains robust. A whopping 74% read weekly, with 27% proudly donning the title of a daily bookworm. Even while on the move, with trains providing the perfect backdrop, 61% of children choose to immerse themselves in the magical worlds found within the pages of their favourite books.
In the run-up to World Book Day, Trainline conducted a survey to unveil the nation’s favourite train-related literary characters. Topping the list is the iconic Harry Potter, closely trailed by the beloved Paddington Bear and the timeless Thomas the Tank Engine.
Acknowledging the common struggle faced by parents during the World Book Day costume planning, Trainline has enlisted the help of Vogue Williams to create a step-by-step DIY costume guide. With 57% of parents admitting to finding the process stressful, Trainline’s guide aims to simplify the costume creation process, addressing concerns such as spending money (31%), generating ideas (26%), and crafting the costume itself (15%).
Vogue Williams said: “I’m excited to be working with Trainline to create this costume guide for World Book Day. As a busy mum, I wanted to make sure I could create fun outfits this year for Theodore and Gigi without having the stress of needing to go to the shops and buy a whole outfit they may only wear once. Plus Otto is growing up fast so I will have three costumes to think about soon! I hope this guide gives fellow parents a helping hand with some tips to pull together a fantastic homemade costume quickly and easily. I’m constantly encouraging my children to read and hope that by dressing up as their favourite book characters, children will be inspired to keep reading.”
Sakshi Anand, VP Growth and UK GM, at Trainline, said: “World Book Day is a fantastic way to inspire children to pick up a book, and with research finding that almost three quarters of children read at least once a week, we know that it remains a beloved hobby. We hope the guide helps parents get their children’s World Book Day journey off to a great start. Train travel is a brilliant way to explore the UK and with so many wonderful stories that feature destinations across the country, our World Book Day costumes are just the start of the literary inspiration we can bring to travellers.”
Download the Trainline World Book Day guide here.
