Colour runs are quickly becoming a go-to fundraising event for schools and PTAs and it’s easy to see why. They’re fun, energetic and create unforgettable memories. We’re loving seeing more and more schools organise colour runs each year and providing them with our authentic colour powder to make their events memorable.
If your school organises a colour run every year, you might be looking for ways to shake things up and keep them fresh and exciting. Adding a creative twist not only makes the event more fun and engaging for students, but also helps attract more participants and sponsors.
To help get your brain ticking and inspire your next event, we’ve put together seven creative ideas that are guaranteed to add more fun and make a difference to your next school colour run.
1. Lay Out Obstacles
Laying out various obstacles throughout your colour run course is a great way to add an extra element of fun to your event. Consider incorporating tunnels, balance beams or hula hoop courses to your track to challenge students and keep them engaged. We’ve got plenty more colour run obstacle ideas over on our blog if you need some inspiration!
2. Place Interactive Challenges Throughout The Course
If you want to add engaging activities to your colour run but want something a bit safer and easier than obstacles, then interactive challenges are the ideal option. Set up stations around the course that students have to complete a mini challenge at before they can continue on their way. This could include a bean bag toss, a hula hoop challenge or completing jumping jacks. Once a student has successfully completed their challenge, spray them with a blast of colour in celebration and send them on their way.
3. Play A Game Of Tag
Put a colourful twist on the classic concept of tag rugby by incorporating a similar idea to your fun run. Each participant starts the colour run wearing three coloured tags around their waist. As they run around the course, they must dodge and avoid the volunteers trying to remove their tags. To increase the fun, have the “taggers” armed with packets of colour powder and whenever they successfully tag someone, they celebrate by giving them a splash of colour.
For even more excitement, consider adding obstacles to the course that students must climb over or crawl under all while avoiding the “taggers”. This game is great for keeping spirits high and providing a few good laughs as students try to out manoeuvre the “taggers” and make it to the end of the course.
4. Get Parents and Teachers Involved
Colour runs don’t have to be just for students and are a perfect opportunity to get people of all age groups involved. Family members and teachers may decide they don’t want to stand on the sidelines and want to get in on the colourful action themselves. This could involve them running the colour run alongside the students or hosting a separate run afterwards, just for family and teachers.
Consider selling small 100g bags of throwing powder especially for this event to raise some extra funds on the day. We’re sure students will be lining up to purchase them so they can throw colour powder at their parents and teachers as they run by!
5. Set Different Themes For Each Lap
Rather than having students run a normal lap, switch things up by setting different themes for each lap they complete. For example, one lap must be completed by running or walking backwards while the next lap must be completed by side stepping the entire way. This presents a great opportunity to get creative and think outside the box. It’s also sure to bring plenty of laughs on the day!
6. Host An Award Ceremony
After the colour run is finished, gather everyone together for an award ceremony. For everyone who participated in the colour fun run, award them with a certificate, colour run medal and a wristband to congratulate them. You could even give out extra awards to individuals such as ‘Most Colourful’, ‘Fastest Time’ and ‘Best Dressed’.
7. Finish With A Final Colour Celebration
As the day comes to an end, gather students, teachers, volunteers and family members together for one final celebration. Make sure everyone’s armed with a packet or handful of colour powder and on the count of three, let the colour war begin! A colour fight is a great way to prolong the fun and get runners and spectators involved in an unforgettable moment.
We suggest setting up a PA system if you have one and playing some music to accompany the fight and keep the energy going! A PA system is a good addition to the event as a whole and can be used in a pre-run warm up to get everyone in the mood as well as throughout the colour run to keep spirits high.
This celebration presents a great photo opportunity and is the best way to use up any leftover colour powder from the day. You could even take this as a chance to raise some extra funds and sell additional throwing powder in 100g bags to participants.
For any teachers and PTA members looking to host a colour run for their next fundraiser, don’t hesitate to check out our school fundraising zone where you’ll find a variety of helpful guides and resources. From tips on how to organise a school colour run to promotional posters and sponsorship forms, we’ve got everything you need to ensure your event is a success.
If you need any assistance finding the right products for your event or have any questions about our colour powder or accessories, feel free to reach out to a member of our team.
