THE TRADITIONS LIBRARY
Team Shark Week
A shared interest can become a small world that belongs to your family.
For the December family, whose team nickname is Team Shark, Shark Week became an occasion for an unexpected celebration. The children would come home to a living room transformed with shark-themed decorations, gifts, and food, ready for time together watching shark programmes.
Part surprise, part family celebration, Team Shark Week gave their nickname a place in the calendar and brought it to life at home.
Shared by:
The December Family
0051
CATEGORY
Celebrations
FREQUENCY
Annually
AGES
All Ages
COST
Flexible
The Story Behind It
When my children were little, I turned the annual Shark Week television event into a celebration for her own Team Shark.
Before the children came home, I would transform the living room into a shark-themed extravaganza. Decorations, gifts, and food were all part of the surprise. A familiar room became the setting for something unexpected, and the family settled in to watch the different shark shows together.
Our Team Shark nickname gave the celebration a personal connection. This was an opportunity to celebrate an identity we already shared, with an experience created especially for them.
Repeated each year during those childhood years, the surprise became a family tradition: something playful, recognizably ours, and built around time together.
What You'll Need
• Shark-themed decorations, homemade or purchased.
• Themed food or a simple snack. (gold fishes and fish and chips go a long way during shark week)
• Selected shark programmes and a way to watch them.
• Optional themed gifts or shark outfits.
You can keep the celebration small or make the transformation part of the surprise. There is no need to purchase every element.
Make It Your Own
Begin with an interest your family already shares. Sharks might become dinosaurs, space, birds, or another subject that reliably brings everyone into the conversation.
One decoration, a themed snack, and a programme can be enough for a single evening. You could make paper decorations together, invite everyone to contribute a food idea, or keep the preparations secret for a surprise reveal.
Gifts and outfits are optional. Family members can enjoy the food, decorating, and conversation without watching the programmes.
As children grow, the tradition can change with them. A childhood extravaganza might become an occasional themed dinner or a reunion night when everyone is home. Save a photograph if you wish, and let the celebration take the shape that suits your family now.
How It’s Done
Prepare a shark-themed surprise before the children come home. Decorate the living room, arrange the themed food and any gifts, and have selected shark programmes ready to watch.
Let the children discover the transformed room, then enjoy the celebration together. The December family’s version included decorations, gifts, themed food, and shared viewing.
For another household, the celebration might fill one evening or continue through several days. Choose programmes that suit the viewers’ ages, interests, and comfort with wildlife footage.