Last Updated on August 21, 2021.
What is Pajama Day?
Pajama Day is a fun theme day or holiday to celebrate your favorite pair of pajamas!
Fun Fact: I was curious about the spelling of Pajamas, so I did a little research. The term Pyjamas was borrowed from Persian language in the 1800s (England). Traditionally it refers to 2 piece outfits used as loungewear. The spelling “Pajamas” is the Americanized version, but you will find many people still use the spelling “Pyjamas”. The term is often shortened to PJs, Jammies, JimJams, and a bunch of other cute phrases.
Is there a national pajama day?
Yes! Several!
There’s an unofficial national holiday on April 16th each year to celebrate “Wear Your Pajamas to Work” Day. It’s the day immediately following Tax Day, where many people stay up late to finalize their taxes. This allows those busy tax accountants a day of reprieve following the strict tax deadline in the United States.
I also discovered other countries and organizations that celebrate national pyjama day (or pajama day) in honor of children in foster care, or children battling cancer.
But You don’t need a national holiday to celebrate pajama day. You can choose any day of the year that works for your family! Or more often if you choose, like once a month. Put a ‘Pajama Day’ on your calendar now, and start preparing for an epic PJ Party.
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How do you celebrate pajama day?
There are many ways to celebrate! And your celebration can be as simple or complex as you like. No matter what, your pajama day should start with your favorite pair of pajamas!
Here are some other fun ideas for pajama day.
Breakfast All Day Long
Pick out your favorite breakfast foods and serve them all day long! There’s nothing wrong with bacon and eggs for dinner. If you want to get even more creative, you could set up an omelette bar or a diy breakfast sandwich bar.
Pajama Day Wardrobe Changes
My kids have several sets of favorite pajamas. So plan for wardrobe changes throughout the day! Then you’ll get to enjoy multiple sets of PJs. Make it extra fun with a PJ Fashion Show.
Pick out a new set of PJs
Celebrate pajama day with a new set of jammies!
Get Matching Pajamas
Make it a family event by investing in a matching set of pajamas. If you already have matching Holiday pajamas, wear those! There’s nothing wrong with a Christmas PJ Party in July!
Donate Pajamas to a Charity
We always look for ways to foster gratitude and appreciation. You can do this during pajama day by picking out new pajamas as a family and then donate them to less fortunate families.
Learn about Sleep
Pajama day can be educational. Research the benefits of sleep, what happens when people sleep, and the consequences of not getting enough sleep.
Stay up Past Bedtime
Celebrate by staying up late! Make it extra fun by hosting a campfire and telling scary stories. Plus, s’mores in PJs would be a memorable treat!
Stargazing
Engage in another educational activity by studying the stars. Learn about constellations and space.
Include Your Pets with Pet Pajamas
Did you know they sell pet pajamas? Get your furry friends involved in pajama day with cute pet PJs!
Pick out New Bedding
If it’s time to refresh your bedding, this is a great time to pick out fun new sheets! You should also replace pillows periodically, so use this opportunity to replace worn items.
Build a Fort
Nothing screams “lazy PJ day” like a fort! Build a custom fort or use a popup tent to create a cool little clubhouse. If your PJ Party is Camping themed, build your shelter outside!
Pajama Party Arts & Crafts
- Easy Hot Chocolate Craft
- Popsicle Stick Tents
- Glowing Fairy Bottle
- Footed Pajama Craft
- Llama Llama Quilt Matching Activity
- Paper Plate Dream Catcher
- Frosted Donut Craft
Read Pajama Books
My kids love to cozy up and read books. We own a bunch of bedtime or pajama books, so we like to do a Pajama Day Read Aloud! Here are amazing pajama books you can order, check out from the library, or search for on youtube!
- Llama Llama Red Pajama (Anna Dewdney)
- Pyjama Day! (Robert Munsch)
- Pajama Time! (Sandra Boynton)
- Fancy Nancy: Pajama Day (Jane O’Connor)
- Piggies in Pajamas (Michelle Meadows)
- Pirates in Pyjamas (Caroline Crowe)
- The Cat’s Pajamas (Ray Bradbury)
- What You Never Knew About Beds, Bedrooms, & Pajamas (Patricia Lauber)
- Polly’s Pink Pajamas (Vivian French)
- The Llama Who Had No Pajamas (Mary Ann Hoberman)
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Sherri Duskey Rinker)
- Pajama Pirates (Andrew Kramer)
- PJ Mask: Meet the Heroes… and the Villans, Too! (Maggie Testa)
- What! Cried Granny (Kate Lum)
- Braids! (Robert Munsch)
- Practically Perfect Pajamas (Erik Brooks)
- Pacha’s Pajamas (Pacha’s Pajamas)
- Andrew’s Loose Tooth (Robert Munsch)
- Stay Awake Sally (Mitra Modarressi)
- Pancakes for Breakfast (Tomie dePaola)
- I am NOT Going to Get Up Today (Dr. Seuss)
- Pancakes in Pajamas (Frank Asch)
- The Pajama Zoo Parade (Agnes Green)
- Lulu’s Pajamas (Lucie Papineau and Stephane Jorisch)
- If you give a pig a pancake (Laura Numeroff)
- The napping House (Audrey Wood)
- Dont let the pigeon stay up late! (Mo Willems)
- 10 little monkeys jumping on the bed (Tina Freeman)
Extra Pajama Day Fun
Add a Crazy Hair-Do
Give the kids some hair products and let them create silly hairstyles.
Have a Pajama Day Dance Party
- Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)
- Happy (Pharrell Williams)
- Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon)
- Can’t Stop the Feeling (Justin Timberlake)
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl (Jet)
- Float On (Modest Mouse)
- Roar (Katy Perry)
- Life Is A Highway (Rascal Flatts)
- Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)
- Let It Go (Idina Menzel)
Make it a Contest
Turn your pajama day into a contest! You can give out awards or prizes for the sillies pajamas, the craziest hair-styles, or the best pajama dance moves.
Make it a Movie Day
- Toy Story
- Home Alone
- The Christmas Chronicles
- Frozen
- Peter Pan
- Monster’s Inc.
- Sleeping Beauty
- Alice in Wonderland
Add Photo Props
Create your own photo booth or photo station and take silly pajama day photos! You can add a backdrop like this one, and inexpensive props like the items below.
Share your Pajama Day Fun!
Have you hosted a Pajama Day? Share your experience with me in the comments below!