100 Days of School Costume Checklist: Everything You Need for the Perfect Old Person Look

The 100th day of school tradition started in 1979, when California teacher Lynn Taylor celebrated the milestone with her class using an activity called The Days of School Graph. Two years later she wrote up the idea for a teaching newsletter, and it spread from there into the dress-up tradition Australian schools now know so well, as Chron explains.

In Australia, the same milestone goes by a few different names depending on the state and the school. Some call it 100 days of prep, others say 100 days of kindergarten or 100 days of kindy, and a few just say 100 days of learning. Whatever the newsletter calls it, the costume brief is identical: dress up as if you have lived a hundred years, right down to the grey hair and the walking cane.

This checklist walks through every piece you actually need, in the order to buy or gather them, plus the mistakes that trip parents up and a quick comparison table so you can see the old man and old lady looks side by side.

Before You Buy Anything, Check These Three Things

• The exact date. School terms shift the 100th school day by a week or more each year, and it rarely lines up with the actual 100th calendar day. Check the newsletter or ask the classroom teacher rather than guessing.
• Any dress code notes. Some schools ask for a full costume, others just want a grey wig or a walking stick added to normal uniform. A quick check saves you buying more than you need.
• Kit versus pieces. A complete set bundles the wig, glasses and outfit together in one order. Buying pieces separately costs about the same but lets you reuse items already at home, like a cardigan or a scarf.

The Old Person Costume Checklist

Work through these six items in order. The first two do most of the visual work, and everything after that is detail.

1. The Wig

A grey or white wig changes a costume more than any other single piece. For boys, a combover-style old man wig or a bald cap kit reads as instantly old. For girls, a curler-style wig or the classic granny set from the costume wigs range does the same job. If your child would rather skip a wig altogether, a light dusting of baby powder through their own hair gets close to the same grey effect.

2. The Glasses

Round, slightly oversized frames are the single fastest way to age up a young face. Plain lenses from the costume glasses collection work for either an old man or old lady look, and they are cheap enough to buy even if you are building the rest of the costume from home.

3. The Outfit Layer

For an old man look, start with a cardigan, vest or tweed jacket over a plain shirt, then add suspenders or a clip-on tie. For an old lady look, a floral dress with a soft cardigan or a knitted shawl gets you most of the way there. Neither needs to be new: op shop finds work just as well as a purpose-made costume, provided the colours and print feel a generation or two old.

4. The Walking Cane or Zimmer Frame

A plastic walking cane is the classic prop for either gender and works for the whole school day without getting in the way. For a bigger laugh at a class parade or assembly, an inflatable Zimmer frame is a popular add-on, though it is worth checking whether your school's hallways can fit one comfortably before committing to it.

5. Jewellery and Finishing Touches

For an old lady look, a string of pearls or a brooch from the costume jewellery range finishes the outfit. For an old man look, a pocket watch, a flat cap or a drawn-on moustache does the same job. Mismatched knee-high socks are an easy, free option for either look if you are shopping from the wardrobe rather than the costume rack.

6. Makeup Details (Optional)

Face makeup is optional and entirely up to how far your child wants to take it. A few pencil lines at the eyes and mouth for wrinkles, done lightly, are usually enough for a kindergarten or prep classroom. Skip anything heavier for younger kids since it tends to smudge, itch and need redoing by lunchtime.

Old Man Look vs Old Lady Look at a Glance

Use this as a shopping list. Pick one column, tick off five items, and the costume is done.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ordering the wig alone and hoping the rest comes together. A wig without glasses or an aged outfit reads as a costume party wig, not an old person. Pair it with at least one more item from the checklist.
• Leaving it until the morning of. Costume glasses and walking canes are usually in stock and quick to arrive, but wigs and complete kits sell down fast in the weeks before the date. Order as soon as the newsletter confirms it.
• Choosing a size based on age alone. Costume sizing varies between a toddler cut and a primary-school cut. Check the size guide on the product page rather than assuming age brackets line up exactly.
• Forgetting the props need to survive a full school day. A cane your child can actually lean on for six hours beats a fragile one that snaps by recess. Plastic canes hold up better than papier-mache versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parents most often ask these questions when they start shopping for the 100 days of school costume.

1. What is the easiest 100 days of school costume to put together at home?

A grey wig, a pair of glasses and a cardigan or floral dress. Those three pieces read as an old person costume on their own, and everything else on the checklist is there to add detail once the basics are sorted.

2. Do boys and girls need different costume pieces?

Not really. The wig, glasses and cane work for either look. The main difference is the outer layer: a vest or cardigan for an old man look, a floral dress for an old lady look. Plenty of kids also mix and match.

3. Can teachers dress up for 100 days of school too?

Yes, and many do. A full-size grandma or grandpa costume for adults uses the same pieces as the kids' version, just sized up, so a teacher can join the theme alongside the class.

4. How far in advance should I order the costume?

A week is plenty of time for most Australian metro deliveries, but the safest habit is to check your school newsletter for the date as soon as it's announced and order that week rather than the night before.

5. Is 100 days of prep the same as 100 days of school costume?

Yes. Victorian schools tend to say 100 days of prep, NSW and Queensland schools often say 100 days of kindergarten, and some just say 100 days of learning. The old person costume is the same no matter which name your school uses.

Which Approach Should You Take?

If you have less than a week and want one click to solve the whole costume, a complete kids old man costume kit or kids old lady costume kit bundles the wig, glasses and outfit together so there is nothing left to source.

If you would rather build the look from things already in the wardrobe, buy just the wig and glasses and treat the rest of the 100 days of school range as a pick list for whatever detail is missing, whether that's a cane, a shawl or a string of pearls.

If a teacher wants to join in alongside the class, the grandma and grandpa costumes for adults range recreates the same look in adult sizing, so the whole classroom can match on the day.

Orders placed before 1pm AET ship the same day, and if a size doesn't work out, Blossom Costumes' 60-day returns policy covers the swap. Full delivery timeframes are on the shipping information page.