Red Ribbon Week is held each year from October 23 to October 31. It’s the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the country, targeting K-12 students. Schools participate in a variety of ways, like hosting special speakers, throwing contests, decorating school campuses, and more. Try these Red Ribbon Week ideas to encourage students to make smart choices and live drug-free every day!
1. Decorate your doors
This is probably one of the most popular Red Ribbon Week ideas! Many schools turn it into a contest too.
2. Hold a poster contest
Inspire budding artists with a contest to design a Red Ribbon Week drug-awareness poster or sign. Hang them in the halls and let students vote on their favorites.
3. Come up with a slogan
Get kids to come up with a catchy slogan like this “Say no to drugs and yes to chicken nuggs” gem.
4. Teach about prescription drug safety
Prevention education programs, especially those aimed at adolescents, have proven to be one of the most effective ways of combating prescription drug abuse.
5. Write a song or rap
Watch this video for inspiration, then have kids write their own Red Ribbon Week song or rap!
6. Take a school-wide pledge
Many Red Ribbon Week ideas involve students taking the pledge to stay drug-free. Hang a giant banner, and ask each student to sign it as a promise to stay healthy and happy every day.
7. Link up to be drug-free
Lisa Danker says, “‘Link Up To Be a Drug-Free School’ is our Red Ribbon theme at our school this year. Students signed strips of paper as their pledge, which linked together to make the chain that meandered down the hallway. It’s a cool visual.”
8. Create a Red Ribbon Week bulletin board
Collaborate with students to make a bulletin board that shows off their choice to be drug-free. This one is a snap to put together when you use red hand-shaped sticky notes.
Buy it: Red Hand Sticky Notes
9. Add a new reward tag
Do you use reward tags in your classroom? These Red Ribbon Week tags are only 39 cents each (as of this writing) when you buy 25.
Buy it: Red Ribbon Brag Tags
10. Spell out a message
Poke colored plastic cups through a chain-link fence to spell out your school’s drug-free message. (Don’t forget to collect and reuse or recycle them when you’re done.)
11. Snap a Red Ribbon Week photo
Make a photo frame and take photos of students who take the Red Ribbon Week pledge. Post them to your school’s social media accounts (if allowed) to highlight awareness.
12. Wear lots of red
Pick a day and encourage as many students and staff as possible to wear red. It makes for terrific photo ops!
13. Paint rocks with Red Ribbon Week messages
Spread your drug-free message in the community with painted rocks. Each student can decorate their own, then leave them around town for others to find.
14. Tie red ribbons to your school’s fence
This is a fun group activity at any age! Give kids ribbons to tie on the school fence. Follow it up with more Red Ribbon Week activities to drive the message home.
15. Draw a chalk message
Provide a big box of sidewalk chalk and send kids out to the playground to draw their best drug-free art and messages.
16. Fundraise with sponsored red ribbons
Raise money for Red Ribbon Week activities by offering sponsored bows. You can do this in a larger way among the community. Or offer smaller bows to students to hang around the school for a few dollars each.
17. Record a PSA
The DEA hosts a PSA contest for colleges and universities each year. Younger students can get involved too. Challenge your students to write and film their own PSA. Share the winners during morning announcements or on social media.
18. Punch for prizes
This punch game is super easy to make, and you can fill it with prizes like stickers, pencils, and more with “drug-free” messages. Offer students who sign the pledge a chance to punch out a cup and get their reward!
19. Make Red Ribbon Week bookmarks
Let students design bookmarks with a drug-free message. You could even hold a contest and make copies of the winners to distribute to the whole school.
20. Take a group photo
Dress in red, then have the whole school pose for a Red Ribbon Week photo op! Be a ribbon, spell out “drug-free,” or come up with your own creative option. Don’t forget to share to your school’s social media accounts.
21. Sign a pledge wall
Create your own pledge wall for students to sign, or pick up this big 6′ x 6′ poster instead!
Learn more: Red Ribbon Pledge Poster
22. Invite local experts to speak
Welcome representatives from your local law enforcement, emergency rescue squads, addiction centers, and more to hold a roundtable discussion for your students. Hearing more about how drugs can affect them in real life can be a game changer.
23. March in a Red Ribbon Week parade
This takes a bit of effort, but it’s a wonderful way to get the whole community involved. Schools, clubs, businesses, and other organizations can sponsor floats related to the theme of being drug-free and healthy. You could even finish up in a parking lot with a big Trunk-or-Treat celebration!
24. Pass out Red Ribbon swag
Pick up some incentives and freebies for Red Ribbon Week and share them with students and staff. One of our favorite Red Ribbon Week ideas is to hide a big red ribbon somewhere around the school each day. The first person to find it and bring it to the office gets a prize!
25. Dress up for theme days
Give dress-up days a theme for Red Ribbon Week like these:
- “Lei” Off Drugs (Hawaiian/tropical wear)
- Sock It to Drugs (crazy sock day)
- Superheroes Don’t Use Drugs (superhero/comic book day)
- In Our Drug-Free Era: Taylor Swift day
- Team Up Against Drugs (sports team day)