CATERPILLARS, life-sized playing cards and boys in top hats enjoyed a tea party with a difference.
Pupils at Thorpe Hall Primary School in Hale End Road, Walthamstow, dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland to celebrate World Book Day.
Children read stories and enjoyed cakes and fizzy drinks at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Friends of Thorpe Hall organised the day. Chairman David Hoskins said: “It’s fantastic seeing all the top hats and seeing everyone having fun and being creative.
“The book is bizarre and brilliant and the nice thing about the theme is it’s a bit more than just dressing up.
The children were encouraged to think about the characters themselves which gets them thinking about the book.”
The tea party was held outdoors because the school’s hall is not big enough to house all the children at once.
The school is currently campaigning for investment to expand facilities.
Mr Hoskins added: “It’s a glorious afternoon so it’s all turned out really well. We have a lot of books lying around - the whole day is to encourage children to read.
“These days there are so many competing media like television and the internet but reading and sharing stories is so essential.
“We want to encourage parents and children to enjoy stories together because it helps with their development.”
The school has a book swap project where households are encouraged to bring in books their children have grown out of, while actors came down today (March 1) to act out stories.
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