How to Have an Amazing Homecoming

A homecoming dance showcases school spirit.

Homecoming serves as the finale to the end of a school year and is especially important as a high school or college senior, as it marks the end of a chapter in the educational journey as well. Homecoming dances are held at the end of the school year, typically for the school seniors or juniors and seniors, and usually coincide with the last football home game of the season. Extensive planning, attention to detail and immense school spirit will create a formula for an amazing and memorable homecoming.

Things You'll Need

• Decorations (balloons, posters, strobe lights)
• Banners
• Poster-sized photos of players
• Refreshment
• Food coloring
• Instant camera
• Table linens
• Costumes
• Backdrops
• Stereo

Instructions

1. Make every person attending the homecoming feel special. Assign someone to attend the door and hand each person entering the homecoming a gift as they answer, such as a flower, a set of decorative beads in the school colors or a framed photo of the graduating class.

2. Incorporate school spirit into the decor. Hang banners on the walls that display the school and team names, school mascots and school colors. Drape table and chairs in linens that reflect the school colors. Scatter balloons that reflect the school color. Set up a strobe light that flashes the school colors as well. Hang team photos and championship titles on the walls.

3. Establish a theme for the night, which can help tie the decorations together. This could include a fairytale theme, an 80's theme or even a safari theme. Hold a vote or poll the students to select the theme the student body majority wants most.

4. Blow up photos of individual players to poster size and hang them on the wall. Representing the players in such a large part of the homecoming decor will make each player feel both special and appreciated.

5. Enlist school staff members to serve as butlers and wait staff for the homecoming, serving the students hors doerves such as miniature pizzas, cheeseburger sliders and chicken fingers.

6. Serve drinks in festive glasses, utilizing ingredients and food coloring to transform the beverages to match the school colors. For example, add a few drops of blue to a vanilla milkshake or green food coloring to lemonade.

7. Ask a sampling of students for input on the music played during the dance to choose music that is both modern and trendy as well as school appropriate.

8. Create a photo booth to provide the students with personalized favors. Designate an area of the room to be a photo booth, such as a closet. Hang backdrops and provide costume pieces, such as wigs and sunglasses, for the students to dress up and take photos with their friends. Assign a staff member with an instant camera to work the booth, take photos and distribute them to the students.

References

• Stumps Spirit: Decorating Large Areas for Your Homecoming Dance