50 Ideas for Red Ribbon Activities

To help you make this Red Ribbon Week the most effective and memorable one yet, here are 50 creative, involving, fun ideas to use in planning your next Red Ribbon program.

1. Launch your program with the release of red balloons.
2. Plan a parade -- down the main street of your town, in front of your school, or anywhere else where students and community supporters can get involved.
3. Schedule a "Band Against Drugs" musical assembly.
4. Hold an essay contest with prizes for the best prevention essays.
5. Involve the whole family in your Red Ribbon celebration with a Family Fun Night, complete with games, booths, and other activities.
6. Request that participants donate one can of food each for your "We Can All Say No To Drugs!" program. Then give the cans to a local agency that serves families in need.
7. Serve as many red foods as you can think of on a special Red Ribbon Day, for example, red popsicles, apples, watermelon, pizza, tomato soup, tomato juice, and so on.
8. Plan a "Walk Out On Drugs" walkathon and give the money you raise to your favorite prevention organization.
9. "Kick Off" Red Ribbon Week in conjunction with Homecoming, an important home football game or another popular community event.
10. "Say Boo To Drugs" with a special Halloween Prevention Party.
11. Hold a "Red Ribbon Run For Fun" marathon to reinforce your commitment to healthy living.
12. Decorate bags with red ribbons and prevention messages for use in local stores during Red Ribbon Week.
13. Decorate every door in your school with messages that promote a drug-free lifestyle.
14. Distribute Pledge Cards that invite each participant to make a personal pledge to be drug-free.
15. Invite everyone to wear red for the day.
16. Ask students to participate in "Give Drugs The Slip Day" with everyone wearing slippers.
17. Hold a "Sock It To Drugs Day" and ask everyone to wear the craziest socks they can find.
18. Announce a "Be Vested Against Drugs Day" and have everyone wear vests.
19. Make a "Boot Out Drugs Day" with everyone wearing boots.
20. Use student baby pictures for a giant collage entitled, "Born To Be Drug-Free."
21. Use the theme, "Drugs Are Unbearable!" and give out teddy bears.
22. Hold a "Slam Dunk -- Drugs Are Junk" basketball game during Red Ribbon Week.
23. Have a B.Y.O.B. Banana Split party. Ask students to bring their own bananas.
24. Put on skits that portray the message, "Users Are Losers."
25. Let each student write their own reasons for being drug-free on a red ribbon.
26. Create posters to put up in the classroom and around the school that state the negative effects of drugs.
27. Involve local businesses. Ask them to offer a special give-away for any customer wearing a Red Ribbon that day -- a can of soda, a special discount, etc.
28. Decorate against drugs. Decorate your school or a special area with red ribbons, banners, posters and other items that display drug prevention messages.
29. Hold "Hugs Not Drugs Day," by inviting younger students to bring in their favorite stuffed animal.
30. Invite students to wear headbands or bandannas for a "Band Against Drugs" theme.
31. Ask students to wear the craziest ties they can find for a "Tie One On Against Drugs" event.
32. Wear clothing inside out for a "Don't Let Drugs Turn You Inside Out" Day.
33. Tie a Red Ribbon onto every car in your parking lot or neighborhood.
34. Hold a Poster Contest, awarding a prize to the creator of the best drug prevention message poster.
35. Party at a "Red Ribbon Sock Hop" at which everyone must wear red socks.
36. Invite drug prevention experts to come speak at your school or organization.
37. Allow students to write and then sign their own personal pledges to live drug free.
38. Design Red Ribbon Celebration Banners to hang in front of your school or in a prominent place inside.
39. Pass out "Too Smart To Start" stickers and have students write reasons for staying drug-free on a mural located in your cafeteria.
40. Have a "Living Drug-Free Is No Sweat" day with everyone wearing sweat clothes to school.
41. Ask everyone to wear sneakers for "Don't Let Drugs Sneak Up On You" day.
42. Wear clothes backwards for "Turn Your Back On Drugs" day.
43. Hold a "Shade Out Drugs Day," and suggest that everyone wear sunglasses.
44. Write a theme song with drug prevention messages to use in your Red Ribbon Celebration.
45. Use your school mascot or choose a special Red Ribbon Campaign mascot to dress up and spread your Drug Free and Proud message throughout the school.
46. Ask each student to write a poem on a Red Ribbon Celebration theme. Post poems in the classroom and around the school.
47.  Hold a Red Ribbon Program for parents with skits, songs and other student performances.
48. Plan a school or community prevention mural to be created during your Red Ribbon Celebration. Offer a prize for the best prevention theme or idea to be used for the mural.
49. For younger students, have a Coloring Contest where they paint or color in a picture with a prevention theme. For older students, have them design and complete their own prevention painting.
50. Have a contest for the best drug prevention slogan to use for your groups' Red Ribbon Week Celebration.