Theme Day Ideas

Theme days-for school, work, a party or any other event-allow attendees to dress differently or show their creative side without coming across as "too different" or defiant. Choose a theme that works for your situation and allows others to be silly or veer from the norm for a much-needed break. Theme days can also help to raise spirits or awareness of a specific event or cause.

Backwards day can range from wearing clothing backwards to inside out to trying to do things backwards. For example, for school, have students go through their days backwards by starting with last classroom period and ending the day in their homeroom or first period. Walking through doorways backwards is another option. Walking everywhere backwards could create dangerous hazards.

Use a particular sport or team, or allow participants to wear their favorite sports jersey or dress up for their favorite sport. This may include items such as cheese-head hats for fans of the NFL's Green Bay Packers or dressing up like a baseball and bat for baseball fans.

Have a broad "famous person" theme day, or make it more specific. For example, use a particular cartoon, fairytale or entertainment genre, such as musicians, for participants to dress up as. If activities will be included in the day, karaoke or short movie scenes can provide a fun way for people to express their character choices.

Crazy or weird hat day would encourage participants to wear the largest, goofiest or most outrageous hats they can find. Make it more specific to something, as an alternative, such as the large hats women typically wear to the Kentucky Derby.

Strange sock day would consist of people showing up in the most outlandish socks they can find. Long, polka-dotted toe socks or something of that nature should be encouraged.

Have a Hollywood or glitz-and-glamour theme to encourage creative participation. Outfits can follow a broad theme or be specific to red carpet or Oscars-type of outfits.

Choose one specific color or a crazy combination, such as orange and green, for participants to wear. This can be a one-time theme, or organizations can spread out colors over a predetermined amount of time to take advantage of multiple theme days. For students who are learning about colors or rainbows, each day for one or two weeks could relate to a specific color until all the colors of the rainbow have been explored.

Choose a specific location or place, such as the beach or Paris, and have guests dress as though they are visiting that place. This can extend to particular activities as well, such as a rodeo. Be specific with rules so that participants don't break any wardrobe rules. For example, if flip-flops are against the rules, remind participants of that before putting on a beach theme day.

Use a particular decade, such as the 1970s, as the theme. For example, participants could come dressed as hippies or ready for the disco for the 70s or wear poodle skirts for the 50s.

Make the theme pajama day to see what sort of wacky pajamas participants wear. Rules may need to be set to remind participants of any dress code so their choices are still appropriate.