Activity – Literary Photo Booth

Our students love photo booths. They love taking photos with our library iPad, creating mini scenes and using book-themed props, especially when they are dressed up for Book Week or another special event. Previously I have used just a plain backdrop – either a roll of paper or a plastic tablecloth – but for Book Week 2019, I wanted to make a photo booth out of a fridge box, all with a literary theme.

As the theme for Book Week 2019 was Reading Is My Secret Power, I wanted a few sides of the box to fit in with our secret heroes theme. I painted one side as a telephone box (so our mini secret heroes could pretend to do a quick change into their hero outfits), one side as a jail (which was the outstanding favourite with the students) and one side as Platform 9 3/4.

I started with a large fridge box, which a kind teacher gave to me (much to the dismay of her own kids). I then painted all the sides white, to cover up the cardboard colour and black markings.

I marked out the windows and bars for the telephone box and jail and cut out the openings. Red, black and white paint completed the jail and telephone box.

To create Platform 9 3/4, I mixed up a brown-red paint and used a medium kitchen sponge to sponge on the brick pattern and added a sign from my Literary Signpost.

The students loved the photo booth. The jail was the clear favourite. I love that this box can be reused. All the sides fit the Harry Potter theme and will be perfect for celebrating Harry Potter Book Night. Alternatively, I can paint the telephone box over as a Tardis. I have yet to paint the fourth side… I’m currently tossing up between a castle shape with drawbridge or maybe circle cutouts for faces and outlines of literary characters.