Red Ribbon week is celebrated across the country in most schools to emphasize the importance of staying away from drugs and staying healthy. PTA ideas for Red Ribbon week can be found all around the internet and we've rounded up some of the best PTA ideas so you can pick your favorites.
Note: The 2018 Red Ribbon Week Theme is: Life is Your Journey, Travel Drug Free.
1. Add Red
Red is the color of the week so consider adding to this by decorating parts of the school or the outside with red. You can:
- Tie red ribbons on trees
- Place red helium balloons in the hallways or cafeteria
- Hand out red helium balloons to students
- Put red balloons outside like Emperor Elementary School
2. Sponsor an Essay and Drawing Contest
Encourage students to think about where they want to go in life - either destination or goal wise - and what they will have to do to get there. Sponsor a drawing or writing contest around this theme. Students can draw pictures showing where they want to go and older students can write a short paragraph or essay discussing this theme.
There are many PTA ideas regarding the logistics of a contest. One simple way to go is to post the drawings in the hallway on the bulletin board and see if your school will read the essays during morning announcements.
Offer participation prizes or legitimate prizes for winners based on criteria determined ahead of time.
3. Plan a Pep Rally or Special Demonstration
Plan an exciting and fun pep rally promoting healthy choices. The theme could be: There are so Many Fun Things to Do, Drugs Isn't One of Them. There are a number of PTA ideas for pep rallies but here are a few favorites:
- You can sponsor an event that promotes healthy physical activities like cycling
- Hire a local band or magician that performs for kids.
- Contact the local middle or high school to see if the cheerleaders and some of the band or orchestra members will perform for the students like Midvalley Elementary school in Utah.
4. Make the Message Hard to Miss
Add some decoration and create excitement with Yard Signs that promote Red Ribbon Week.
5. Food Fun
Sponsor a Lunchtime Dance Party like Dilworth Elementary School in Salt Lake City.
6. Lifelong Photo
Sponsor a photo op for this special week. Send a note home asking that all students wear red and explain what it is for. Hire a photographer to take a picture of the students as a huge red ribbon. Offer the photos to purchase for parents that are interested.
7. Dress Up and Spread the Word
Consider dressing up to get the word out like the PTA at Las Flores Middle School did. This will drum up attention, provide great photo ops, and be very memorable for students.
8. Inspire with Storytelling
Invite an inspirational speaker with a moving message to talk about an issue related to drugs or healthy living like Holcomb Bridge Middle School in Georgia.
9. Sponsor a Door Decorating Contest
Whether the kids decorate the doors or the teachers, this is a fun way to reinforce the Red Ribbon Week Message.
Provide students a chance to actually appreciate the doors by creating a Door Hunt. To create this, walk around the first day the doors are decorated and compile a list of questions that require students to look at all the doors. Here a few sample questions someone might use for the doors shown above:
- What door should you go to if you want something sweet to eat and drink?
- Which door is covered with big, green monsters?
Ask teachers to allow their class to walk around and complete the Door Hunts. At the end of the week, announce the answers on the loudspeaker and let students check their own to see if they got them right.
Note: Make sure that teacher names or room numbers are large and visible so students can complete their Door Hunt. If neither is visible, consider adding removable numbers just for the Hunt.
10. Educate Parents
Maybe not the most entertaining of all the options, but certainly one that deserves some attention. Consider sending home age-appropriate information to parents about issues related to drug use prevention and healthy living. Consider including coloring or activity sheets for younger students.
Red Ribbon Week Resources
There are a number of great resources for you to download for Red Ribbon Week including information, coloring, pledge pages, and the infograph above.
PTA Ideas for Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week is an important education week. Make sure your PTA participates and shows support whether it's through one of these ideas or another.
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