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Graduation Time Is Here
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Ok so I know you have all had one of your children graduate, will be this year having a graduating child or will be going to a graduation. I have seen them all. The above the top, the really for the parents, and the ones you wonder if they even had a graduation.
I am wondering what some of the best advice, suggestions and things you have seen at graduation parties. From the food to the decorations. From the smallest thing to the biggest thing. What had everyone talking about (good or bad LOL) and what kept the little ones happy while the parents all chatted away.
What have you done to make it a hit without robbing the bank?
Next year will be the 1st in a line of 7 graduations to come. I want them to be memorable, fun but yet not costly. I want it to be simple and yet exciting.
I will share my favorite so far – this year our friends put on a graduation. Here are my favorites: there was a time 2-5pm. Also, being not a meal time they went with a cascade of corn chips with salsa and guacamole with a cascade of fruit. I love the simple finger foods. No one had to really stand there the entire time. Beverages were also simple: coffee, water, iced tea, lemonade and a wild berry lemonade. NO pop which meant no cans no guessing what everyone would want and being stuck with it after. Treats – cupcakes and a build your own trail mix bar with about 8 different options. Kids – had glow stick necklaces, and some of those rubber binder bracelets you could have. Volleyball, and a big yard basically. This was to me the best grad party for simplicity, cost and over all fun.
Please share I’m taking notes this year! Also, how do you pick a date??? I want good weather 🙂
Cheapest venue is a party at home, or at church if they let you us a room for free.
Decorations are mostly the teens interests and awards, pictures, cap and gown, plus balloons and party supplies.
We had our second graduation this year, with many more to come. For us, it is most important to provide what the graduate wants, within our budget.
My oldest had a program at church with a presentation, skit, slideshow, special music, and a pitch in lunch. We provided cake, drinks, etc. He was the mc/host of the event.
My 2nd son had a party at home at 1pm with snacks and dessert, but we included deviled eggs with bacon, and 7 layer Mexican dip with chips for those who were actually hungry. We had our son’s favorite snacks and pudding.
For drinks we had three separate stations for lemonade, sweet tea, and bottled water. This worked well because everyone didn’t have to wait in line for drinks.
My kids made a pull apart cake from cupcakes shaped like a diploma.
Another graduation we went to had decorate your own cupcakes with squirt frosting and candy toppings.
Yard games such as corn hole(bean bag toss, horseshoes, bocce are nice. We had plastic horseshoes for the little ones.
One thing that seemed over the top to us at other parties was the amount of pictures, computer slideshows, presentation boards, etc. It felt like idol worship. Some is nice. Too much is weird.
Also, some parties had too many demands for their guests, sign this, and this, give advice on this, write a memory on this, talk to the camera. Just like the pictures and memorabilia, some is nice, too much is weird:)
For our 2nd son, we had him put the graduation cap on, and we prayed and presented his diploma at his party. This was his choice. We have local home school ceremonies available if our other children want to participate.
A friend of ours son chose to have a family dinner at his favorite restaurant, and they presented his diploma there.
I found myself wishing that our church could host an open house for those who want to participate, so we could combine a few of the parties. In our town in May and June it is not uncommon for families to attend 3 to 5 open houses in one day.
My advise is to ask your teen their preferences, set a budget, and be creative. Graduations are fun:)
I thought of more, and my son told me that his friend went to eight open houses in one day!
I forgot that we also had ice cream at our last party.
A few more ideas that my kids saw at parties and liked were a suitcase that the guests signed, and the grad will bring to college, a gift registry for tools for a grad going into a machining school, and a camera was on a tripod in a photo corner where the graduate took pictures of her guests with props such as paper hats, glasses, and ties that were on sticks. We held them up in the appropriate places. The pictures were put up on Facebook.
In Canada high school graduation is a lot more low key than it seems to be in the United States, so feel free to disregard this 🙂
We are having a brief reception following church on Sunday (inviting the congregation to stay afterwards for some snacks). My daughter did not want to be the center of attention, but we still wanted to publicly acknowledge her graduation, so this seemed like a win-win for us. We will have a snack and dessert buffet (cupcakes, chips and salsa, fruit…..) and have her diploma and some Bible verses and some balloons.
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