Brought to you by our friends at Get Movin’ Fundraising! Plan, promote, and track your next Fun Run, Read-Athon, and more, right from your phone. With Get Movin’ you get custom donation tools, a former parent group leader to guide you, and the most profit for your school! Learn more.
Quite possibly one of the coolest trends we’ve seen to date, glow runs and glow dances are taking elementary and middle schools by storm, and for good reason! School glow events are a fun and unique sensory experience for students that can be easily turned into fundraisers, like glow runs and glow danceathons. Below, we round up glow décor and supplies, glow in the dark activities (like Tic Tac Glow), free Canva templates, fundraising ideas, and helpful tips from our community of PTO and PTA volunteers.
Use these handy links to flip to that section of the article:
School glow event Canva templates
Decorations and supplies for a school glow event
Activities and games for a school glow event
Turning your glow event into a school fundraiser
How many volunteers you’ll need (realistically)
Glow merch your PTO can sell to raise extra funds
More pro tips from our community of PTO and PTA leaders
First up: check with your school admin to confirm that all lights can be turned off. Trust us, you don’t want to find out on the night of your event that the lights can’t be turned off without emergency lights turning on, or that full-on darkness leaves your school restrooms pitch black as well (yikes!).
Once you get the green light, it’s time to assemble your “glow team” and get planning! If you plan to turn your event into a fundraiser, an online platform can help you greatly boost its success by simplifying the donation process while keeping participants and donors engaged. With a glow run, parents donate for every lap completed. With a glow dance, parents can donate for minutes danced or simply donate to support the school. The Pershing School PTSO was able to raise $20,448 for their first-ever indoor glow run fundraiser, held during indoor recess!
School glow event Canva templates
Glow dance or glow run social media graphic
Customize our social media graphic (sized for Facebook and Instagram) with your school’s glow dance or glow run event information and share on your school's social media channels.
Glow dance or glow run printable flyer
Customize our 8.5" x 11" flyer with your school’s glow dance or glow run event information and send home via the backpack express.
Decorations and supplies for a school glow event
Black lights
The average size school gymnasium takes 8-10 100-watt black lights. (Keep in mind you want enough lighting to allow parents to keep track of their littles!) While some parent groups choose to purchase black lights for a school glow event, others find it easier to rent because they often come with stands that make the lights higher and out of reach for little kids. Many leaders in our community share they've had good luck renting industrial black lights from rentmywedding.com, while others opt to hire a DJ with glow light capabilities. Easy-peasy!
Some groups also hang LED flood lights from basketball hoops (clamps here).
Pro tip: Have plenty of power strips and extension cords on hand for the lights to reach outlets around the gym. You'll want to position the lights 3-4 feet awaty from the wall so that they shine over a large portion of the wall.
Neon posterboard and paper
Arrange posterboard in a checkerboard pattern for the dance floor or hang on the walls for students to “sign”. For smaller squares (like for Tic Tac Glow), use sheets of neon paper.
Glow in the dark neon tape
Use neon tape to adhere posterboard squares to the dance floor, to outline the lanes for a glow run track, or for activities like Tic Tac Glow and glow in the dark hopscotch.
Pro tip: PTO leaders in our community swear by this particular neon tape because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on the gym floor and glows bright under black lights (trust us, your gym teacher will appreciate that!)
Photo credit: TVES PTO Inc., Totoket Valley Elementary School, Northford, CT
Black butcher paper
In order to get the full effect of black lights, you’ll need to make sure all gym windows are covered. This means you’ll need to measure, cut and tape a double layer of black butcher paper. Coordinate with the district to schedule a lift to cover the windows with the pre-made window coverings. Use foil duct tape to adhere sheets of black paper to windows to achieve as much darkness as possible. Black butcher paper can also be hung from walls and decorated with neon paint.
Glow in the dark paint
Pro tip: when making signs to display, use regular white paint first. Once dry, go over the white paint with the glow paint. This is also something that you can ask your art teacher to help with ahead of time!
Photo credit: Frances E. Norton Elementary PTA in Allen, TX
Neon streamers
Hang neon streamers from hula hoops and affix to the rims of gym basketball hoops for an electrifying glow in the dark jellyfish display...perfect for an under the sea dance theme! Isn't this just the coolest display ever from Costello Elementary PTO in Troy, Michigan?
Photo credit: Costello Elementary PTO, Troy, MI
Glow in the dark balloons
Use balloons for a balloon arch or a glow in the dark balloon drop!
LED flashing glow in the dark cotton candy sticks
We love this creative idea from Frank Kohn PTO in Tulare, CA! The PTO sold cotton candy on glowing sticks for $3 each. (Flashing lights can be triggering for some students, so use with caution.)
Disco ball strobe lights
Glow in the dark wristbands for entry
Foam glow sticks
Neon garland
Photo credit: Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary PTO, Wichita, KS
Glow in the dark beach balls
Trust us, you’ll want several on hand—kids go gaga over these balls!
Silver fringe foil backdrop
Inflatable color changing arch
If you don't have volunteers to assemble a balloon arch, this inflatable arch is a good alternative.
Video credit: William Wiley PTA in West Richland, WA
Rope lights for glow run track
Pro tip: Make lanes for your indoor glow run track using rope lights.
Neon stickers
Easily keep track of students who can be shown in photos and videos on social media by placing a sticker on both sleeves during check in. Pro tip: write a unique ID on each student and parent sticker to make the pickup process easier, too!
Color changing globe string lights
Activities and games for a school glow event
For those students who don’t want to run or dance or are unable due to a disability, religious fasting, or other limitations, it's a smart idea to have glow activities set up in the middle of the gym that all kids can participate in. Set up a table with mirrors and a blacklight and invite kids to have fun with glow in the dark paint sticks or tattoos, have a glow in the dark student art gallery, or coordinate games like tic tac glow, stacking cups, coloring, or glow bowling.
Tic Tac Glow
Use glow in the dark gaffer tape for this glow in the dark spin on tic tac toe.
Pro tip: PTO leaders in our community *swear* by this tape because of its low-residue, removable adhesive. In other words, it doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue on the gym floor!
Photo credit: Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary PTO in Wichita, KS
Glow in the dark student art gallery
Coordinate ahead of time with your school’s art teacher and have kids make art that will glow in the dark under black lights. Hang art on a wall covered in black butcher paper.
Glow paint sticks for face and body
Glow in the dark tattoo station
Pro tip: be sure to provide your volunteers with some light (like a small lamp) so they can see enough to apply tattoos!
Design your own glow bracelet (using white slap bracelets + neon markers)
Children of the 80's, this one's for you! Invite kids to design their own glow-in-the-dark bracelets using white slap bracelets and neon Sharpie markers.
Glow in the dark cups (for stacking cups game)
Photo credit: Frances E. Norton Elementary PTA in Allen, TX
Coloring station
Roll out black butcher paper on table and neon crayons to color with.
Pro tip: According to Crayola, the following colors in the Crayola Neon set of crayons will glow under a black light: atomic tangerine, laser lemon, outrageous orange, and shocking pink.
Glow in the dark hula hoops
“You make our hearts glow” appreciation station
Display black poster boards and provide neon stickers and permanent markers for students to write glowing notes of appreciation for teachers and school staff. What a great way to share how teachers “brighten” their days!
Glow in the dark four square of gaga ball
Use neon tape to make the squares, and LED light up dodgeballs.
Turning your glow event into a school fundraiser
With a glow run, parents donate for every lap completed. With a glow dance, parents donate for minutes danced or simply donate funds to support the school (be sure to indicate the project or initiative that the money raised will help support). Using an online fundraising platform to manage donations can greatly boost the success of your fundraiser by keeping participants and donors engaged with a centralized, easy-to-use website.
Students ask for donations and can earn individual incentives and class prizes based on the amount raised (top students and top class). For example, Redstone Intermediate PTA in Yukon, OK, awarded students who raised at least $75 in donations with a free glow kit ahead of the school's glow event.
Photo credit: Redstone Intermediate PTA in Yukon, OK
An online platform can also introduce fun, interactive elements, like rewarding the top-raising classroom with the opportunity to DJ the dance by picking the song playlist, or offering a special shout-out for the top-raising student during the event. Got a fun principal? If your school meets its goals, ask your principal to greet students at the glow dance or glow run dressed in a white inflatable unicorn costume (yes, it glows in the dark!). List all these incentives and more right on your school fundraiser webpage so students can see how their participation will be rewarded.
Real-time donation tracking adds a layer of excitement and encourages more contributions to meet your school's goal. Social media integration extends the reach of your glow event to parents, family members, and friends on Facebook and Instagram who would like to donate to support your school.
Incorporating a volunteer organizer tool with an online fundraising platform can also streamline the management of events like glow runs and glow dances. This tool can help coordinate volunteer efforts, assign tasks, and track volunteer hours, ensuring that all aspects of the event are covered efficiently. Organizing committees can easily communicate with volunteers, distribute responsibilities, and manage the overall event flow.
How many volunteers you’ll need (realistically)
Redstone Intermediate PTA in Yukon, OK held a very successful glow danceathon fundraiser for their school. Jennifer Garrett-Jones shared her staffing recommendations for her PTA's glow dance below.
- 1-2 volunteers to manage monies and data entry
- 1 volunteer to manage all signage
- 8-10 volunteers to make balloon decor over the course of 4 days (tip: see if your group can source a business or professional in the community to donate their services or a sponsor who can donate money to cover the cost of services)
- 3 volunteers to manage decor planning and execution
- 6-8 volunteers at check-in table; use clipboards for kids who didn’t preregister so they can complete waiver and form before they get to table to save a ton of time
- 2 volunteers outside directing traffic to the right lines (prepaid vs. paying at door)
- 2 volunteers inside answering questions of parents in line before parents get to check in table and tell them parent in front kid behind you, which lane to go to, where to exit if leaving, and where to pickup
- 3 volunteers on games and activities (middle school and high school kids are great for this!)
- 3-6 volunteers on food, snacks and drinks
- 2 volunteers passing glow merch/kits to those who earned them or prepurchased
- 2-4 volunteers selling glow gear
- 2-4 volunteers on face paint
- 6 volunteers roaming to keep kids at bay
- 2 police in uniform for security
- 1 volunteer at every door to prevent kids leaving or adults not known entering
- 1 DJ
Glow merch your PTO can sell to raise extra funds
Even if your glow event is a fundraiser (glow run or danceathon), you can raise even more by selling wearable glow accessories for $1 to 3 each. These extra funds can help cover the cost of supplies—plus, you just might sell more than you think! Some groups have found it more efficient to use a ticket system (e.g., buy 6 items for $5, 15 items for $10, and so on), while others presell glow kits for $10 and $15 per kit ahead of their event to ensure every kid arrives “lit up” with glow merch!
- Glow necklaces
- Light up LED balls
- Glow in the dark scrunchies
- Light up sunglasses, rings, bracelets, and finger lights (175 piece variety pack)
- LED butterfly hair clips
- Light up cat ear headbands
- Glow sticks
- Feather boas
More pro tips from our community of PTO and PTA leaders
- To minimize chaos during a glow dance, ask your DJ to play a loud screech sound when chaos is starting to escalate, stop the music, and remind kids that no running is allowed, only dancing.
- Set up the gym the day before your event. Plan on 10-12 volunteers for 6-7 hours.
- Get your art teacher involved! Provide supplies ahead of time and ask for each class to help make glow in the dark wall art using glow paint and neon poster board. Tape art to table cloths and hang from the walls using with Gorilla duct tape. Use neon posterboard to make silhouette cutouts of kids running or dancing to tape to the walls.
- For a glow run, coordinate with your school’s gym teacher so they can prepare students on which direction to run on the track, etc., ahead of the event.
- To easily keep track of those students who can be shown in photos or on social media, place a glow in the dark sticker on both sleeves.
- Make the check-in and check-out process smoother: 2-3 days ahead of your event, give each student a wristband with a unique ID# on it to wear to the event—along with a wristband or sticker (with their matching ID#) for their parent to wear at pick up.
- If you’re having this event during school, consider separating the event by grade levels and staggering throughout the day.
- For glow runs, make sure every student receives a glow-in-the-dark t-shirt and distribute the day of the event. Colors that glow under a black light are white and bright neon colors, like fluorescent green, pink, yellow, and orange. Give each student a lap counter sticker to wear on the back of their shirt. Every time they complete a lap, a volunteer marks the lap on the sticker. We love this shirt art (below) from Lakeview Elementary PTA in Sugarland, Texas; they ordered a different color (Gildan 500 safety green, safety pink, and safety orange) for each grade. Brilliant!
Shirt art image credit: Lakeview Elementary PTA in Sugarland, TX
Get more athon fundraising ideas, tips, and resources in PTO Today's Athon Fundraising Hub. 👉
