Roald Dahl Day Activities Printables Free for Kids

Every September 13 our house goes a bit gloriously strange — someone invents a word at breakfast, there’s a “revolting” recipe that’s actually just green jelly, and at least one child insists on reading under the table. That’s Roald Dahl Day, and it’s the easiest celebration of the year to pull off. These roald dahl day activities printables and ready to go are built for exactly that: a pile of creativity, almost no prep, and a free PDF you can print the night before (or, realistically, that morning). 📚

Below you’ll find activities grouped the way a good book-themed day actually flows — read a bit, write something silly, make something, play something — plus a simple plan at the end for anyone who wants it handed to them on a plate.

A quick note: CraftifyBud is an independent site and isn’t affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by the Roald Dahl Story Company. These are our own original, free activities made to celebrate a love of reading — we don’t use any official logos, characters or artwork.

When Is Roald Dahl Day Activities Printables 2026?

Quick and clear: Roald Dahl Day is Sunday, September 13, 2026 — his birthday, marked worldwide. It’s UK-led but celebrated everywhere books are loved, and it doubles beautifully as a warm-up for World Book Day later in the year. You don’t need the actual date, though; any day you fancy a book-themed afternoon will do.

Read: Get Into a Story First

Everything else lands better if you start with the books. You don’t need to own them all — one favourite from the library is plenty. Read a chapter aloud with silly voices (the sillier the better), or let older kids disappear into one on their own for twenty minutes.

Our printable reading-challenge chart turns this into a gentle game: colour a square for each chapter, each silly voice, each “just one more page.” No pressure, no stickers to buy — just a satisfying grid that fills up over the day. My youngest doesn’t care about the story nearly as much as colouring that final square, and honestly, whatever gets her reading works for me.

Write: Invent Some Wonderful Nonsense

This is where Dahl Day gets its magic — he was famous for making up hundreds of playful words, so the kids get to do the same. Our printables lean right into it:

• Invent-a-Word sheet: make up a nonsense word, draw what it means, use it in a sentence. (“Snurgle: the feeling of warm socks.” Actual entry from our table last year.)
• Design-Your-Own Book Cover: a blank cover to title, illustrate and “author.” Watch a seven-year-old take this extremely seriously.
• Write a Revolting Recipe: a template for the most disgusting imaginary dish they can dream up. Warning: it will involve worms. It always involves worms.

These are the pages parents tell me get stuck to the fridge for months. They’re pure imagination, and there’s no wrong answer — which is exactly why kids relax into them.

Make: One Easy Craft

Keep the craft simple; the writing is the star. Two that work every time:

• Colour-your-own bookmarks: print, colour, cut — instant reward for all that reading. Print on slightly heavier paper so they survive being shoved in and out of books; here’s our note on the best cardstock and paper for printables.
• A “Dream Jar”: decorate a jar (or a printable jar page) and fill it with your own invented good dreams written on little slips. It’s calm, it’s lovely, and it’s a nice quiet-down at the end of a busy day.

Honest tip: skip glitter unless you’ve made peace with finding it in March.

Play: Screen-Free Games

For the wriggly stretch after lunch, our free pack includes a book-themed word search and a memory-match game using general story words (books, words, imagination — nothing you need a licence for). Both are print-and-go, work for a range of ages, and buy you a genuinely peaceful fifteen minutes. Add a homemade “certificate of splendiferous reading” at the end and you’re a hero.

Download the Free Roald Dahl Day Activities Printables Pack (PDF)

The reading-challenge chart, invent-a-word sheet, book-cover template, revolting-recipe page, bookmarks, word search, memory game and certificate are all in one free PDF — no email, no sign-up. Print the lot, or just the two pages that suit your afternoon.

A Ready-Made Afternoon Plan

Want it handed to you? Here’s a no-stress running order — stretch or shrink it to fit:

• First 20 minutes — Read. A chapter aloud (silly voices compulsory), or quiet reading. Start the reading-challenge chart.
• Next 20 — Write. Invent-a-word and the book-cover template. Let it get weird.
• Then — Make. Colour the bookmarks or build a dream jar.
• After a snack — Play. Word search, memory match, then hand out the certificate.
• Wind down — Read again. One more chapter, or everyone shares their invented word.

A whole afternoon, one free PDF, and the only shopping required is (optional) green jelly.

More Bookish & Autumn Fun

Keep the creativity going with our free printable fall coloring pages, our apple coloring pages for the classroom, and — for the season ahead — our Halloween coloring pages free printable PDF.

Quick Questions

Are these Roald Dahl Day activities printables really a free printable?

 Yes — the whole pack is one free PDF, no sign-up, for home or classroom. The only rule: don’t resell it. Invent as many nonsense words as you like, though — that part’s encouraged.

When is Roald Dahl Day Activities Printables?

September 13, his birthday. But these activities work any day you want a book-themed afternoon, and they’re great for World Book Day too.

Do I need the actual books to use these?

 Nope. One favourite from the library is a lovely bonus, but the invent-a-word, book-cover and recipe pages stand on their own — they run on imagination, not a specific story.

What ages is this for?

 Roughly 4–11. Little ones love the bookmarks, colouring and dream jar; older kids get properly stuck into inventing words, designing covers and writing revolting recipes.

Can I use this in a classroom?

 Absolutely — it’s built for it. Print a class set, run the afternoon plan, and every child leaves with a book cover, a nonsense word and a certificate. Low prep, big smiles.