Ideas for Theme Days for Spirit Week

A school spirit week is all about promoting school identity and pride. Use creative themes for each day, and encourage both students and teachers to come dressed in costumes that reflect the chosen themes. Similarly, provide games and activities throughout the week that are theme-specific, and tie the daily theme together during your afternoon spirit assembly.

  1. Superhero Day

    • Encourage students and teachers to come to school dressed as their favorite superheros for this spirit day theme. Hold a competition for the best costumes using various categories including "Most Original" to determine several winners. Screen classic superhero movies during lunch or during the afternoon wrap-up assembly, and serve snacks like sandwiches or cookies cut into comic book bubble shapes with action words inside, or cut them in the shape of famous superhero emblems.

    Eighties Day

    • Dust off the spandex and have an '80s theme day. Students can dress up as pop culture figures from the '80s, or they can go with a more generic costume portrayal of the '80s by wearing vintage fashions. Give prizes to the students with the best costumes. Have the gym teachers lead an '80s-style aerobics workout in silly costumes; think neon, spandex and sweatbands. Screen famous '80s movies that are school-appropriate during lunch or at the end of the day, and ask the teachers to offer up photos of themselves in the '80s for a silly slide show.

    Pajama Day

    • No one will have an excuse to be late to school with this theme because it essentially just requires you to roll out of bed in your pajamas for a costume. Have a contest for the best set of pajamas, silliest pair of slippers, cutest stuffed animal or best bedhead. Set up stations where students can decorate a pillowcase with the school mascot and colors. Serve breakfast foods at lunchtime like a pancake buffet or omelet station to go along with the pajama theme.

    French Day

    • Ask the students and teachers to come dressed in "French" costumes including fake mustaches, scarves and berets. For those who want to channel the fashion houses of Paris, this day can also be a high fashion dress-up day. Set up a photo booth where students can have a picture taken in front of an Eiffel Tower or Parisian cafe backdrop and then post the shots on the school website. Ask the French Department to plan a presentation like a short skit to perform at the daily assembly, and plan several silly games like a French tongue twister contest or a limbo competition using a large baguette as the stick.