Here is our list of the best workplace Spirit Week ideas for work.
Spirit Week ideas for work are games, activities, and events that encourage company spirit and fun in the workplace. Examples include Health and Wellness Day, Famous Duo Day, and Cult Movie Day. The purpose of these activities is to create cohesion, motivate team members, and enhance company culture in the workplace. These events are also known as “spirit days.”
These events are in-person versions of virtual Spirit Weeks and are ways to boost staff morale. These events serve a similar purpose as corporate field days and Spirit days.
This list includes:
- work Spirit Week themes
- fun Spirit Week ideas for adults
- summer Spirit Week ideas
- unique Spirit Week ideas
- ideas for Spirit Week
- team spirit ideas
- office Spirit Week ideas
- winter Spirit Week ideas
Here we go!
List of Spirit Week ideas for work
Spirit Week stems from the festive weeks in high school where students dress up to specific themes each day. In the corporate world, Spirit Weeks increase morale, inspire team members to have fun, and teach about the company’s history. Spirit Week can be five workdays or span through the weekend with planned events for employees and their families. When searching for fun Spirit Week ideas for adults, check out this list!
1. War of the Wizards (Top Choice)
War of the Wizards is an exciting role-playing adventure where teams take on the roles of faithful minions to sorcerers. Participants will play exhilarating games and go on a quest to restore harmony to the realm!
War of the Wizards includes the following:
- 90 minutes guided by an esteemed host
- engrossing storytelling that sends players into a magical realm
- world-building, role-playing games, and storytelling
- opportunities for alliances, challenges, and quests
Through imagination and teamwork, your team can conquer tasks and unravel an epic fantasy battle. To enhance communication and foster strong bonds, make sure to include War of the Wizards in your list of work Spirit Week themes!
Learn more about War of the Wizards.
2. Superhero Academy (Popular)
Your team can transform into heroes through Superhero Academy! This remarkable comic-book journey lets teams flex their skills and overcome obstacles.
Here is what you can expect:
- a 90-minute session guided by an experienced host
- immersive storytelling that puts players in the world of superheroes
- exciting games and activities that enhance participants’ skills
- exercises that let attendees showcase their unique talents
Best of all, we will come to your venue of choice equipped with all the essential materials. During this dynamic experience, your team can overcome challenges together!
Learn more about Superhero Academy.
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3. Tourist Day
Vacations are exciting adventures where tourists get to experience a new place. Then, of course, there are the cheesy photo ops at famous spots. You can bring the fun and excitement of traveling to work for Spirit Week. For this day, encourage team members to dress like tourists. Participants can go all out with fanny packs, visors, white tennis shoes, and sunglasses. Even better, make matching vacation t-shirts!
Check out this guide to team apparel for T-shirt how-tos.
4. Cartoon Day
Saturday morning cartoons are a favorite childhood memory for most folks. One of the most nostalgic theme dress-up days for work is cartoon characters. You can channel your inner four-year-old and dress as Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Charlie Brown, SpongeBob, Scooby, or any of the Simpsons or Flinstones. Coworkers will likely enjoy this flashback day.
5. High School Stereotype Day
This themed day is a chance for team members to relive their high school days. Participants should dress like a jock, nerd, theater kid, cheerleader, teacher’s pet, or create an entirely new clique. Managers could be teachers or principals, as well. For extra fun, vote on high school superlatives, yearbook-style.
Check out this list of most likely to questions.
6. Health and Wellness Day
This theme day is one of the most versatile office Spirit Week ideas, as it offers both team building and health benefits. Throughout the day, offer food, drinks, and healthy and holistic activities. For example, guided meditation, yoga, healthy smoothies, or group workouts. Encouraging teammates to focus on their health has long-term benefits, as well.
Here is a list of more employee wellness ideas.
7. Pajama Day
There might not be anything better than rolling out of bed ready for work! Having Pajama Day is a fun way to relax and keep it casual. However, best set some ground rules, or some team members might push the limit. For example, encourage team members to keep their shoulders covered and avoid obscene designs. Feel free to encourage participants to accessorize with fuzzy slippers!
8. Board Game Day
Board games are a favorite pastime. Incorporating these fun activities into your ideas for Spirit Week is a fantastic way to encourage fun and camaraderie. There are many ways to plan a Board Game Day. For example, ask teammates to dress as their favorite game or character from a game. You can also set up games to play throughout the day or theme lunch or snacks around board games. For example, a candy bar for candy land or X and O cookies for tic tac toe.
Here is a list of team building board games.
9. Versus Day
Folks love a good rivalry. You can celebrate the spirit of a challenge in your Spirit Week by hosting a Versus Day. For this event, ask team members to pick a side of a classic rivalry game and dress to match. For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the ’60s versus the ’70s, or Star Wars versus Star Trek.
For inspiration, here is a list of This or That questions.
10. Out of this World Day
Out of this World Day is one of the most elaborate Spirit Week ideas for work. To pull off this themed event, encourage team members to choose objects from another dimension to imitate. For example, aliens, asteroids, and planets. Or, take the theme a step further and dress as a character from an outer space movie or book. For example, you might see Han Solo walking the halls at work. You can also fit the food to the theme by serving galaxy cakes, cosmic brownies, and freeze-dried ice cream.
11. Mythology Day
Mythology Day is one of the most educational Spirit Week ideas for work. To organize this event, encourage team members to research Greek and Roman mythology. Then, each employee should pick a character to dress up like, for example, a cyclops or a chimera. There are more options than people, and the library is the limit! For extra fun, match up pairs if possible. Zeus and Hera definitely need a picture together.
12. Crazy Weather Day
Crazy Weather Day gives team members a chance to break out their rain boots, ear muffs, and Camelbak. Depending on your location, these items might not get much use throughout the year. For Crazy Weather Day, bring it all out. The more conflicting weather gear, the better.
13. Throwback Day
Throwback Day is one of the more thought-provoking theme ideas for work. On this Spirit Week day, encourage employees to play past versions of themselves. You can choose an age or an event, for example, age seven or a Little League game. Then, ask team members to dress how they would have dressed. You can take the theme a step further and encourage folks to act the part. However, beware of temper tantrums if you choose a young age!
14. Famous Duo Day
Famous Duo Day is one of the best theme dress-up days for work. This theme encourages team building and practices planning. For this event, match team members in pairs. Then, encourage the partners to dress as a famous duo for the day.
For example:
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Ren and Stimpy
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
- Kirk and Spock
- Harry and Lloyd
- Woody and Buzz
- Thelma and Louise
- Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction
Or, to make the activity more interesting, assign each team member one-half of a pair. During the workday, pairs need to find each other and take a selfie.
15. Beach Day
When planning summer Spirit Week ideas, it helps to pack your beach towel and sunglasses for this theme day. You will remind participants of their beach vacation or make them look forward to the summer. For this theme day, encourage team members to dress like they are heading to the beach, work-appropriate, of course. For an added touch, have some beach balls at the office and a virgin tropical drink for teammates.
Here is a list of beach day activities for work.
16. Football Day
Football Day is one of the best team spirit ideas for the fall. Planning a football-themed Spirit Week day is entertaining for employers. On this day, ask team members to bring in game day snacks. For example, chips and dip, wings, or cookies. Employees can even wear their favorite jerseys to dress the part. For extra fun, schedule a quick pick-up flag football game for lunch.
17. School Colors Day
For this Spirit Week day, ask teammates to wear school colors. These colors can be from a college or high school. Team members get to dig something out of the back of their closet and possibly find out who shares the same alma mater.
18. Scrabble Day
Scrabble Day is one of the most creative spring Spirit Week ideas for work. To organize a Scrabble Day, assign one letter to each employee. Note, be mindful of common letters and vowels. The idea is for team members to create words throughout the day. If you plan, then you can end the day with all participants spelling a long word or even a sentence.
19. Pattern Day
The fashion experts may tell us not to mix patterns, but Pattern Day is the chance to ignore that advice. On this day, the sky is the limit. You can encourage employees to find every patterned piece of clothing they own and wear them together. For example, buffalo check pants with a polka dot shirt or a chevron shirt with paisley pants. Have some ibuprofen ready, as these fashion statements could be headache-inducing!
20. Olympic Day
The Olympics are an international event that inspires camaraderie and national pride. Viewers worldwide enjoy watching athletes from their countries compete in various events. You can plan an Olympic Day for your next office theme day to celebrate the Olympics. You can decorate the office with flags from different countries. Also, feel free to serve international cuisine. For some extra fun, play Office Olympic Games. These games are fun twists on events usually played on the big stage. All you need is office supplies and furniture, then team members can spend an afternoon competing for bragging rights.
Check out these Office Olympic Games and these virtual office Olympics.
21. Patriotic Day
Team members can bust out the Red, White, and Blue for Patriotic Day. But, of course, not every employee is from America, and not every company has its headquarters there, either. To be more inclusive, encourage team members to dress in their national colors. Patriotic Day is an amazing way to learn about each other’s heritage and celebrate your own, as well.
22. Wacky Hair Day
Wacky Hair Day is one of the most unique Spirit Week ideas for work. This theme takes very little preparation, and team members do not need to purchase any supplies. For this Spirit Week event, encourage employees to style their hair uniquely and crazily. Participants can use supplies like hair bands, ribbons, colored hair chalk or spray, and hats.
23. Villain Day
As children, most kids pretend to be the hero or the princess and ignore the villains. For Villain Day, encourage team members to dress up and act like their favorite villains. For example, the witch from Snow White could try to offer an apple throughout the day. Or, Jafar could be looking for a lamp. Teammates can get as creative as they want with this themed day, and you can give a prize to the most dastardly character at the end of the day.
24. Ugly Tie Day
For Ugly Tie Day, team members can raid local thrift shops to find the ugliest ties available. Maybe a team member has a piano tie or a rubber ducky bowtie. These fashion statements become even better when not paired with a suit! You can encourage both men and women to find an ugly tie and wear it with pride.
25. Hat Day
Hats keep the sun off your head, neck, and eyes, and can show off loyalty to a team or brand. In some cases, like the Kentucky Derby, attendees use hats as status symbols. For Hat Day, encourage team members to go all out and find the most unique hat possible, the bigger the better. Be sure to check Goodwill or make your own creation.
26. Tacky Fashion Day
For this Spirit Week day, ask all team members to come up with the worst fashion trend they can find. For example, bowler hats, denim on denim, or a neon velour suit. Then, flaunt the kitschy fashion. You do not have to limit this trend to something well-known or in their lifetime. See how creative teammates get in their fashion creations. You might even see an Elizabethan collar.
For for fashion faux pas, here is how to host a virtual ugly sweater party.
27. Cult Movie Day
Cult movies are classics that most movie watchers recognize. For example, Office Space, Ghostbusters, Clue, Labyrinth, and of course, Rocky Horror Picture Show. These movies have almost a religious following in many circles. Team members should channel their inner movie fanatic and dress as their favorite cult movie character. You can also incorporate film trivia into the day and screen the movies.
Here is a list of team building movies to watch.
28. Tye Dye Day
For this psychedelic theme day, encourage teammates to wear colorfully tye-dyed apparel. Extra points if the wearer tye dyes every piece of clothing. To make the event more momentous, plan a team building event a couple of weeks ahead of time. Team members can meet to create their own tye-dye creation to wear for Spirit Week. You can encourage participants to bring their socks, t-shirts, shorts, and scrunchies to dye. Either supply the stain or ask volunteers to bring bottles of different colors.
29. Holiday Day
For this Spirit Week theme day, you can break out the tinsel, ugly Christmas sweaters, bunny ears, and green glasses. Team members should choose their favorite holiday and go all out. Maybe an employee is a lover of Valentines and wears 50 shades of red and pink, or a fourth-of-July buff wears head to toe red, white, and blue. The more holidays represented, the better.
Here is inspiration for celebrating holidays at work.
30. Company Pride Day
You can inspire company pride with this theme day. If your company makes products, employees can use or dress as those items for the day. If not, then team members can dress in a way representing company policy or history. You can encourage participants to get creative in their ideas. Teammates can learn more about the company and have fun in the process.
Check out this list of company swag ideas to help employees show their spirit.
31. Bonus: Company Picnic
If you would like to plan a whole week of events, then consider planning a company picnic on a Saturday. In this event, team members and their families enjoy planned activities and develop relationships. Families can spend time playing games, eating food, and spending time together.
To plan a fantastic company picnic, consider food, games, and events. For example, if you have the budget, then consider catering for the event. Or, plan a potluck-style picnic and ask team members to bring food to share. For games, there are many options like yard games, relay games, and pick-up sports like kickball or basketball. In addition, you could bring in inflatables or face painters for the kids. Finally, plan the picnic at a beach-front park so attendees can swim. Or hire a magician or clown to entertain families.
Check out this list of ideas for company picnics.
Conclusion
Planning an office Spirit Week full of theme dress-up days for work and other fun events is a fantastic way to build relationships and encourage company enthusiasm. You can create an inviting atmosphere in the workplace that inspires and motivates team members. These events can create a lasting impression on employees.
Feel free to also check out this collection of company culture books and this list of virtual Fun Friday ideas.
We also have a list of the best summer team building ideas for work.
Grace He