Unique, wacky, and simple themes for activities and dress-up days

Spirit week is a prime opportunity for schools or businesses to celebrate their culture and community while shaking up the routine. And every spirit week needs some themed days, when students and employees can dress up, dress down, or participate in exciting games and contests. The best themes are simple and accessible, so that everyone can participate, but still exciting enough to encourage some real creativity. It’s a delicate balance to strike, which is why we’ve come through with a list of the 78 best themes and activities to schedule during your spirit week.

Things You Should Know

  • Put a simple spin on the dress code with themes like hat day, crazy socks day, inside out day, or pajama day.
  • Rep your favorite fictional works with themed dress-up days like movie day, book day, cartoon day, or Oscars day.
  • Get everyone involved with activities during Olympics day, Scrabble day, or tie-dye day.
  • Give back to your community with a community service day or a food or clothing drive day.
7

Book Day

11

Superhero Day

  1. Costume yourself as your most beloved superhero. Be it Marvel’s Avengers, DC’s Justice League, or something a little more off the beaten path (The Tick, anyone?) superheroes are en vogue and here to stay. What’s more, most of them have lowkey alter-egos, which lets people put as much or little effort into the costume as they like.[10]
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12

Villain Day

  1. Follow-up on superhero day with something a bit more wicked. Superheroes are great, but an iconic villain is better—The Joker, Thanos, Poison Ivy, we love a wicked character. [11]
    • If you don’t want to go 2 superhero days in a row, combine the days into superheroes and villains, for a fun comic book face-off.
13

Twin Day

  1. Coordinate outfits with a pal, or imitate someone else’s look. Have everyone pair up and wear the same look for a cute twin theme, or let people imitate the look of their favorite teacher or coworker. Pairing up can be tricky, since some people might feel left out, but this way everyone has an opportunity to get in on the theme.[12]
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14

Community Service Day

  1. Pick a local cause and get everyone to help out. Partner with your local food bank and ask everyone to pitch in a few cans of soup, or hold an office raffle, with the proceeds going to your local homeless shelter. A community service day is a prime way to remind everyone that they’re a part of whole.[13]
    • Give a day off to anyone willing to go and help out somewhere in person, like volunteering at an animal shelter for a few hours, to encourage real, meaningful community engagement.
16

Ugly Sweater Day

  1. Dig out those ugly sweaters and wear ‘em with pride. An ugly sweater day is perfect for a spirit week that falls around the holidays, or even just during colder months. Now’s the time to flaunt that hideous shag carpet your aunt claimed was a chic top.[15]
    • Of course, no ugly sweater day is complete without an ugliest sweater contest.
17

Scrabble Day

  1. Assign everyone a letter and have them form words throughout the day. Wear your letters as name tags, and encourage individual letters to group into larger and larger words throughout the day, taking a photo of the completed word as proof of their accomplishment. End the day with everyone working together to form the longest word they can think of.[16]
    • Include the photos in a newsletter or on a cork board so everyone can appreciate them.
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18

Rainbow Day

  1. Throw on as many colors as possible to create a rainbow wardrobe. Challenge your students or employees to wear as many colors as they can to make the halls one big, cacophonous closet of color. It’s hard to resist such a technicolor test.
    • Hold a contest to see who wore the most colors, with faculty or management acting as judges.
19

Casual & Fancy Day

  1. Give everyone the option to dress as casual or as fancy as they want. Sweatpants mingling with tailored trousers, cozy hoodies shouldered up next to cocktail dresses. Crocs and loafers. This theme gives everyone flexibility, and also a reason to flaunt that expensive suit they never get to wear.
    • Challenge students or employees to mix and match for some juicy chaos. A hoodie AND tailored trousers? That’s couture.
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21

Actor/Actress Day

  1. Make a lineup of a few iconic actors to dress as. Keep the lineup short but legendary—Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump or Woody; Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge; Heath Ledger’s Joker or 10 Things I Hate About You heartthrob. Let students or employees explore a few Hollywood star’s classic oeuvres via costumes and outfits.
    • Have everyone who dressed as the same actor compete in a “who wore it best” competition, judged by their peers.
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22

Flannel Day

  1. Go full lumberjack with a flannel-themed day. Flannel is cozy, it’s practical, and it makes a great theme for a spirit week during the cooler months. What’s better, it’s common and accessible, so everyone can participate.
23

Denim Day

  1. Don your Canadian tuxedos with denim everything. The only rule? It’s gotta be denim. Well, you could be a little more lax if you like, but the highest achievers will go all out.
    • Alternatively, combine this one with flannel day for a festive lumberjack day.
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24

Floral Day

  1. Channel spring vibes by wearing flowers and floral patterns. The droll winter months can take a real toll on motivation, so lift some spirits with a floral-themed day, with everyone wearing floral patterns, or even coming with real flowers incorporated into their outfits. For an added challenge, have everyone keep their outfits themed to a single flower.
    • Decorate with real or fake bouquets to transform the office or classroom into a lovely garden.
26

Oscars Day

  1. Dress as your favorite Oscar winner or contender. Be that best picture or best actress in a comedy, take advantage of the Oscars season buzz and have everyone rep their pick for this year’s frontrunner, or a snub from years past. (How did Judy Garland never get a little golden statue?)
    • Hold your own Oscars ceremony for best dressed, or recognize valued employees or hard-working students with faux Oscar awards.
    • Set up a photo booth for a paparazzi moment.
27

Inside-out Day

  1. Wear your usual clothing, just inside-out. Need a more casual themed day to slot in between the slightly more intense ones? Inside-out day is easy, but silly enough to get everyone engaged and giggling. Invert those T-shirts and shorts, and let your tags show![17]
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28

Neon Day

  1. Bring the club to the office or classroom with glow sticks. Wear bright neon clothing, light-up sneakers, glowing wrist bands, and keep the lights a little dim, if possible. This theme works great if there are extracurriculars happening afterward, like a big game—the stands will be filled with a luminescent crowd.[18]
29

Pattern Day

  1. Go against conventional fashion advice and wear clashing patterns. Plaid and polka dots. Stripes every which way. Paisley. The bigger the eyesore, the better. Have everyone layer those patterns like there’s no tomorrow.
    • For an added challenge, wear only (or primarily) a single pattern.
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30

Olympic Day

  1. Celebrate this year’s Olympic games with a themed party. Dress as an athlete of your favorite sport, and set up a few mock games for everyone to play at lunch or on break—cornhole, high jump, hopscotch, croquet. We can’t all be world-class athletes, but anyone can get into the intensity and drama of cornhole.[19]
    • Light your own Olympic torch (a candle or 2) to start the games, and award medals to the top-performing athletes.
31

Crazy Socks Day

  1. Show off your wackiest pair of socks. It might seem like business as usual, but lift that pant leg and BAM! Leopard print, zebra stripes, alien heads, oh my! Introduce a little whimsy into the dress code with this simple and silly theme.
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32

Coffee House Day

  1. Serve drinks and host a poetry reading. Set up a mic in a common area and serve coffee or tea, inviting everyone to share a bit of poetry or prose at the mic.[20]
33

Line Dance Day

  1. Wear western clothing and learn to line dance. Button-ups, denim, bolo ties, big belt buckles and of course, cowboy hats! Assemble everyone at lunch and learn to line dance together.[21]
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34

Anything but a Backpack Day

  1. Show up with all your supplies, but no backpack. That’s the only rule for this viral spirit week challenge. Whatever you stuff your stuff into—a duffle, cardboard box, suitcase, wagon–it can’t be a backpack.[22]
36

Monochrome Day

  1. Wear clothes of only a single color. Pick a color and challenge everyone to come dressed in a monochrome outfit in that hue. The wackier, the better—we recommend pinks and yellows.
    • Also serve monochromatic snacks, like a platter of all green foods—salads, Jello-O, candy, etc.
37

Role Model Day

  1. Come costumed as your personal idol. The more iconic, the better. Wear a Marilyn Monroe wig or an oversized David Byrne suit. Interview your students or employees and ask them why they look up to that person, and write down and share their answers.
    • Hold a “Parade of Icons” during break hours, where the most glammed role models can show off their costumes in-character.
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38

Crazy Hair Day

  1. Do your ‘do as wild as possible. Break out the hair ties, spray, and dye, and get silly with it. 6 ponytails? Fabulous. A bald cap? Right on. For one day, everyone’s a stylist.[24]
39

Fitness Day

  1. Dress in athleisure and do some simple calisthenics. Zip up those tracksuits, don those sweatbands, and don’t forget the leg warmers! Athleisure is comfy, stylish, and a fun break from the uniform.[25]
    • At break, lead an (optional) quick and simple yoga or calisthenics session to get everyone up and moving.
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41

STEM Day

  1. Dress in lab coats and safety goggles, or other science gear. Pay tribute to the STEM careers by dressing as mad scientists—or just real, hard-working scientists. Just be sure to mind the glass test tubes.
    • Set up a simple science demonstration, like a dry ice station or a baking soda and vinegar volcano, to get everyone excited about science.
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42

Camouflage Day

  1. Wear as much camo as you can. Just be prepared to wonder where everyone went—that camo can be convincing sometimes.
43

Science Fiction Day

  1. Costume yourselves like astronauts or aliens. Get out of this world with a special day for dressing like classic science fiction figures, like little green men or NASA astronauts.
    • Screen an iconic sci-fi flick, like The Martian or Avatar.
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44

Stuffed Animal Day

  1. Bring your favorite stuffed animal. Cuddle up to your beloved stuffed pal and keep it in your bag or on your desk as you go about your day.
  1. https://www.in.gov/indiana-national-guard/files/February-Activity-Packet-Spirit-Week.pdf
  2. https://wish.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Wish%20Week%20-%20Spirit%20Days%20and%20Incentive%20Ideas.pdf
  3. https://wish.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Wish%20Week%20-%20Spirit%20Days%20and%20Incentive%20Ideas.pdf
  4. https://www.hcs-k12.org/userfiles/6/studentcouncilideas.pdf
  5. https://www.hcs-k12.org/userfiles/6/studentcouncilideas.pdf
  6. https://www.educationworld.com/teachers/10-best-school-spirit-day-ideas
  7. https://wish.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Wish%20Week%20-%20Spirit%20Days%20and%20Incentive%20Ideas.pdf
  8. https://wish.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Wish%20Week%20-%20Spirit%20Days%20and%20Incentive%20Ideas.pdf
  9. https://wish.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Wish%20Week%20-%20Spirit%20Days%20and%20Incentive%20Ideas.pdf
  10. https://www.in.gov/indiana-national-guard/files/February-Activity-Packet-Spirit-Week.pdf
  11. https://www.hcs-k12.org/userfiles/6/studentcouncilideas.pdf
  12. https://www.hcs-k12.org/userfiles/6/studentcouncilideas.pdf
  13. https://www.educationworld.com/teachers/10-best-school-spirit-day-ideas
  14. https://schools.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/parkside/2021/04/26/spirit-week-daily-themes/
  15. https://legacytraditional.org/next-week-is-spirit-week/
  16. https://morningbellnyc.com/virtual-spirit-week-themes-dominic-armano/
  17. https://www.amsacs.org/school-life/events/spirit-week-spring-2022
  18. https://www.hcs-k12.org/userfiles/6/studentcouncilideas.pdf

About This Article

Luke Smith, MFA
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Luke Smith is a wikiHow Staff Writer. He's worked for literary agents, publishing houses, and with many authors, and his writing has been featured in a number of literary magazines. Now, Luke writes for the content team at wikiHow and hopes to help readers expand both their skillsets and the bounds of their curiosity. Luke earned his MFA from the University of Montana.
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Updated: March 6, 2023
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