School Spirit Days: Great Ideas for Homecoming and Spirit Week

It's among the most exciting times in a student's university career - and you don't have to be a football fan to enjoy every moment.

Homecoming spirit week brings out the best of student life each year. It's a chance to celebrate the school, have fun with friends, show school pride in colorful school colors, and cheer the home team to victory. A successful homecoming week takes planning; the magic comes from the fun activities and events leading to game day.

Homecoming Spirit week ideas for high schools and colleges

Making the most of school spirit week is a matter of pride! Students, alumni, professors, and parents can get involved. What better way to excite the whole student body than with a creative homecoming week full of unique spirit week activities?

The clue is in the name. Spirit week ideas are all about bringing energy and enthusiasm to campus. This period is jam-packed with activities encouraging students to show up, participate in spirit days, and dress up in their school mascot gear, favorite colors, or themed outfits.

History lesson: Spirit week originated in the 1950s as Friendship Week at a California high school. Over time, it evolved into the classic spirit week we know today. Usually held in the early fall, homecoming spirit week marks the semester officially in full swing.

Spirit week is all about fun and honoring your school. Think of it as one big celebration of campus culture, student life, and community pride.

Pep rally and spirit day competitions:

What better way to kick off spirit week and begin the countdown to the big game than with a classic pep rally?

Kick off homecoming spirit week with a pep rally! Stage competitions like tug-of-war, relay races, and school trivia. Encourage students to dress up like their favorite mascot or sports team, and hand out fun prizes for participation. Spirit week activities like this are a great way to involve students of all ages.

Make it extra fun by staging fun competitions between classes. Tug-of-war is a popular and straightforward game, along with relay races and school trivia. Hand out door prizes to everyone who attends game day. Pennants and foam fingers can be helpful throughout the week and will come in handy during tailgating parties and the game itself later in the week.

Show community spirit:

Giving back to the community is a big part of showing off that famed school spirit. It’s an excellent way for students to remember that they’re part of something bigger and to help others simultaneously. Service events are ideal; everyone can do their part for a valuable cause. Consider helping charity organizations or hosting a charity run.

Decade day ideas for spirit week:

There's a reason this is such a popular spirit week event! Assign each class a different decade on a specific day of spirit week and encourage everyone to dress up in something far out or totally tubular. Some folks love to get a little goofy. And honestly, who isn't here for the moment when they can finally rock some shoulder pads and acid-washed jeans-or a poodle skirt and a cute cardigan?

Through the years: history and school community engagement:

A big part of homecoming week is honoring the past and looking towards the future. Use Goosechase to create a history-based interactive experience, encouraging students to identify old-school (pun intended) features on campus.

Award points for each Mission accomplished, whether a photograph of an old yearbook (easy) or a selfie with the football team's MVP from two decades ago (tough!). You can tie this into a present-day homecoming event, like a vision wall depicting the university's plans for the future.

Honor the past while looking toward the future. Use Goosechase to create interactive homecoming week challenges, like snapping a photo of a yearbook or taking a selfie with an alumnus. These creative ideas help students explore the school community and uniquely participate in school spirit days.

Host a carnival during spirit week:

Transform the campus quad into a homecoming carnival with cotton candy, funnel cakes, rides, and face painting. Encourage students to dress in that color or wear fun costumes tied to the theme. Include a marketplace selling school gear, with proceeds going to scholarships or charitable causes. School mascot appearances make this event even more fun.

What do cotton candy, funnel cake, and candy apples all share? They're all standard fare during an autumn carnival! Transform the quad or any spacious part of campus into a fun-filled event for students, alumni, staff, and families to enjoy.

Offer complimentary or donation-based admission so everyone can partake in everything from rides to caricature art to face painting. Host a marketplace where guests can snap up college gear and handmade wares, and consider giving a portion of the proceeds to a worthwhile cause or a scholarship fund.

College jeopardy:

Test knowledge of the university or high school's history with a college jeopardy-style game. Students and alumni can dress like their favorite teacher or character, or wear school colors. Spirit week ideas for work or school, like this, are fun ways to engage everyone on campus.

Encourage participants to wear their college gear. This is also a fun opportunity to have notable alumni speak to the school if they can attend.

Create a campus challenge:

Goosechase is not just an excellent app for campus orientations; it also makes it simple to create a week-long adventure in which students must complete assorted Missions by a specific deadline. Make each challenge university-centric in some way - this is a chance to represent the school within the community!

It could be a picture in front of the stadium, a shot of the university's seal somewhere on campus, or a napkin from a campus restaurant. Anything goes, as long as it's connected to school somehow. Share the photo and video submissions in a future newsletter, in news stories about the campus, or even feature them on the Admissions website.

Homecoming karaoke:

You don't need serious pipes to participate in homecoming karaoke - just a perfect song choice! Host a big competition featuring a variety of music genres to appeal to all participants. Serve up some good grub during the event, and give away fun door prizes to everyone who attends or participates.

Window painting:

Organize a window painting contest where student groups create school-themed designs. Encourage teams to dress up like their favorite decade or school mascot, using washable paints or chalk markers. This fun and colorful spirit day infuses the campus with creativity and school pride.

To participate, each team paints a window somewhere on campus with festive and topical designs. Washable window paint or chalk markers are popular supplies for this craft.

It's been a tradition for decades - and homecoming will always be an essential and effective way to bring everyone on campus together to celebrate pride in the school and make new memories.

Spirit week powerfully reflects the university's culture and offers everyone associated with the school a chance to partake in the festivities. Fun, frenzied, and a bit chaotic (in the best way), it's the ultimate opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to show off that school spirit.

What is Goosechase?

Goosechase is an online platform that turns scavenger hunts into interactive school events. It’s perfect for homecoming week activities, encouraging students to participate in spirit days or themed challenges, making school spirit fun, inclusive, and memorable.

Sign up to create a fun school spirit challenge, or explore enterprise solutions to enhance homecoming spirit week for students, alumni, and staff.

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