The Middle School dance is a tradition, almost a rite of passage.
But let’s face it…middle school kids can be challenging on a good day. Trying to entertain them and keep them happy is difficult at best. Getting them excited about a school event is sometimes almost impossible.
Here are some themes that will spark some enthusiasm in the kids.
Choose one of these teen dance themes or come up with your own. Then follow these simple tips with any theme you choose to get kids excited to attend:
- Announce your dance well in advance, custom banners are ideal for this.
- Recruit as many kids as possible to participate in planning and decorating.
- Make your event space look festive- If you’re on a budget use inexpensive balloons and streamers.
- Set up activities, games, and snack stations to match your theme.
Below you will find several popular themes for middle school dances. Or for those who want more of an “out of the box” solution, choose from popular prom or homecoming dance themes from andersons.com. They can also be used for the middle school age group!
Middle School/Junior High Dance Themes:
1. Glow-in-the-dark Dance
- Encourage kids to dress in white or light colors
- Hand out glow bracelets or necklaces as “tickets”
- Hang up black lights
- Host a glow-dance competition
- Give out “Glowing Awards to your dance competition winners
- Set up a face painting station with glow paints
2. Awesome 80’s Dance (or 60’s or 70’s…)
- Fill your space with icons from the 80’s
- Invite kids to dress in 80’s fashion
- Play hits from the 80’s
- Hold 80’s dance competitions
3. Masquerade Dance 
- Hand out masks as tickets
- Decorate with masks, beads, feathers and tissue
- Choose flamboyant colors
- Encourage homemade masks and give awards for the most creative
4. Vegas Baby!
- Casino chips or show tickets for dance tickets
- Lots of casino signs, blinking lights and “flash”
- Non-gambling casino tables with fun prizes
- Use play money for decorations
5. Tropical Para-dance
- Decorate with tropical trees, sand, sun and surf decor
- Encourage kids to dress in flowered/tropical apparel
- Serve tropical snacks and punch
- Set up a surfboard for a photo backdrop
6. Hollywood Stars
- Roll out the red carpet at the entrance
- Decorate with lots of stars, use red & gold colors throughout your event
- Invite students to dress as their favorite Hollywood star
- Hand out awards trophies- best dancer, best dressed, best dramatic entrance, etc.
7. Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Decorate with gossamer and lights; drape tulle or netting to create a romantic look
- Encourage kids to dress “Cinderella” style
- Think blue and white decor: blue punch, blue and white balloons, blue and white fabric..the more blue and white the better.
- Set up a blue and white candy buffet
Let us help you plan your middle school dance. Shop now at itselementary.com
Or you could also have a neon nights dance with just bright colors and give out glow sticks as tickets.
What about a super hero dance. All the students can dress as there favorite super hero and the beat dress boy and girl from each grade wins.
these are awesome ideas
i need an idea for out school, im in middle school and the student council president 🙂 yay well i really like a hollywood theme and an 80’s theme sounds great!!
My two cents has three ideas:
To increase attendance, have the various clubs and teams at the school responsible for something and/or “compete” in something… most to attend, dance competitions, chant, etc
Also instead of making a bunch of signs to advertise your event, “splurge” and spend about $3.00 a poster and have movie size poster made at your local copy center. Tell them you want an engineer copy and its dirt cheap. Only in black and white, but how perfect for a white out party… or add color with markers to “frame them” or fill in a word or photo on the poster with a color to make it POP.
Have one or two other things to do besides dance, like rent a shoot out basketball game, tricycle races set up somewhere… helps break the ice, adds to the energy in the room but it won’t feel like a little kid festival.