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September is a great time to jumpstart the school year with energy, community spirit, and just a little bit of silliness (hello, pirates). If you're looking to keep families engaged and your fundraising calendar fresh, you're in luck.
September is packed with fun and meaningful national celebration days that are perfect for inspiring your themed school events. These event ideas are easy to plan and community-friendly, so if you’re feeling extra-celebratory, you can hold multiple events during the month!
Kick off the month with lots of heart by organizing a “Fill the Pantry” Challenge for National Food Bank Day. Host a one-day or week-long school-wide food drive that turns giving into a friendly competition throughout your school.
Each grade can compete to fill the most boxes of canned goods or non-perishable food with a fun prize for the winner (think: a silly principal stunt or a special lunch). Make your event even more engaging by creating a leaderboard for everyone to see.
Rallying students and the wider school community around a cause like National Food Bank Day is a great event to create a culture of giving at your school. It’s also a perfect opportunity to partner with a local food bank to do a school assembly about hunger awareness.
Celebrate National Read a Book Day with a low-cost, low-lift event that feels big. Organize a Cozy Reading Picnic during lunch and encourage kids to bring a blanket and a favorite book to read for an indoor or outdoor picnic during lunch or recess. Invite guest readers from throughout your community to get them involved in the fun.
If a Reading Picnic isn’t quite right for your school, organize a book swap instead. Ask students and families to bring gently used books for a big swap session. It’s a creative event that also promotes sustainability and introduces students to new stories and knowledge.
Coloring is the perfect way to get people’s creative minds revved up. To mark National Coloring Day, you can host a Family Art Night at your school. Set up coloring stations for all ages, from crayons to watercolor.
If you’re a “go big or go home” type, find a wall in your school that needs freshening up with a colorful mural. Add an outline to the wall and let students put their stamp on it.
Looking for a smaller-scale activity or something less permanent? Send home themed coloring pages and invite families to submit their kids’ masterpieces. Then, create a “Coloring Gallery” in the school hallways—instant decor and a great way to spotlight student creativity.
Want a school event that’s just plain fun and silly? Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day by inviting students and staff to dress like pirates (eye patches and striped socks encouraged) and pepper the day with pirate phrases. “Arrr you ready for lunch?” Yes, yes we are.
Go all-in with a school-wide treasure hunt. Hide gold-coin chocolates or clues around the school and let each class go on a mini adventure. Prizes can be small, but the fun will be big.
Gratitude should always be the attitude and what better way to make sure that’s the case than celebrating World Gratitude Day? Put it into action by setting up a Gratitude Wall in a central hallway where students, staff, parents, and caregivers can add sticky notes with things they're thankful for. It's a great school event that boosts morale and promotes mindfulness.
If you’re looking for something more interactive that’s also a great way to build community, create a “thank-you note” station during drop-off or pickup with pre-printed cards for parents and caregivers to fill out. They can write notes to teachers, staff, or even each other. Collect and deliver them with a small treat.
Johnny Appleseed Day is practically made for elementary schools. There’s so many fun ways to celebrate the day! If you live in a place where fall means apple picking, invite local orchards to come and talk to students about farming. You can also have a nutritionist come and talk about healthy eating habits.
Take your event a step further with an apple-themed fall fundraiser. You can sell:
Send students around the world, no passport required, on World Tourism Day. Invite families to host a Culture Fair where they share traditions, foods, or crafts from countries they’re connected to. It’s the perfect way to celebrate diversity and global learning.
You can also have each classroom “adopt” a country and decorate their doors or teach a mini lesson about its culture. Then classes can rotate through rooms on a “Tour the World” Day that teaches them about different places, history, and cultures.
September doesn’t have to be only about getting back into the school routine. It can also be an exciting month that builds community, creativity, and connection. These national days of celebration are great springboards for September school events that bring families together, build school spirit, and make going back to school extra special.
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