What are some good high school graduation party ideas?
June 6, 2010 by
Filed under graduation party ideas
I’m trying to think of party ideas and am coming to a complete loss. What’s the norm? Are activities usually involved or just food and mingling? Also, I think it would be slightly awkward for my family to be with my friends the whole time. Suggestions on a remedy? Two parties, one party with two times, or just suck it up and deal with it?
I’m really into music, so anything that incorporates music would be great. Also, any ideas for a place to hold the party? I live in a small town so resources are limited to churches, park, my backyard…and other small town stuff. =]
It’s a high school graduation party by the way..
Graduation Party Tips… Can do this or similar to it.
BEST PLACE TO HAVE A PARTY AT: Home, Church Hall, Bar/Pub (must be 21 and older only), Conservators, Ferry/Riverboat, Restaurant, YMCA Center, Garden, Museums, Historic House, Manor, Hotel/Motel, Pizza Parlor, Bowling Alley, An Apartment’s clubhouse {party/lounge room} – (must live there) reserve as soon as possible, Nightclub (must be 21 and older only), Casino (must be 21 and older only), Arcade Center, University/College facilities (only apply for college student), Fraternity House (if you’re a member), Vineyard, Zoo, or Family/Friend’s Home.
DECORATIONS: Mortarboards and tassels are the natural decoration themes for the graduation bash. Look for congratulatory banners and balloons, and decorate flowers and tablecloths in the school colors to add to the school spirit. Plus… make it A Luau Party… It’s an aloha party because it means hello and goodbye. “We are saying goodbye to a dear friends, but in a fun spirited way.” It’s not a sad party; it’s a fun party to remember the good times. Have all the seniors and guests wear their summer clothes
Photos, photos, photos.
To really bring everybody to their knees about how much they’re going to miss the person/people leaving, you need photos. The more sentimental, the better… Hire a photographer for the party, so you can keep the party memories alive.
For graduates from high school, who were involved in school activities like sports and after-school clubs, you can make those interests part of your decorations. If you have photos of your grad engaging in those activities, frame them and use them in your decorations and centerpieces to remind the graduate of everything they’ve accomplished. If budget is a consideration, you can always ask your local party store and/or grocery store and see if they have any old decorations, such as grass skirts, tiki poles, lanterns, that they would be willing to give to you for free. Often major stores have old decorations that they would be happy to donate to your party. It just requires asking a question. Another inexpensive way to decorate is to make tissue paper flowers that you can scatter across your party tables and area, as well as tissue paper tropical birds.
Make paper lanterns and hang them up the ceiling or wall. Provide your guests with leis as they enter the party. You could either make these out of string with tissue paper flowers all the way to real, tropical flowers. Just depends on your budget.
GAME IDEAS: Have a limbo contest! Have a Hula Hoop contest!
Teach people the hula ~ have grass skirts available to make it authentic.
Honor your graduate by personalizing the decorations. Enlarge their annual school photographs and hang them in order to show how much they’ve changed—and how goofy they looked during their more awkward years, ask the seniors to have some double pictures because most won’t be turned.
GIFT IDEAS: Autograph boards are great for commemorating both the graduation and your graduation party. Buy a large piece of poster board, glue a photo of your grad in the center and attach glitter pens and markers to it with string. Hang your poster on the wall or an easel and let guests sign it with good wishes. After the party, attach a matching frame on the poster and it becomes a great gift to your grad.
A combination photo album and memory book also makes a special gift. At the party, ask your guests to write a personal message on the right side of a page. After the event, paste party photos on the left side of the page.
FOOD: If you’re spending the day preparing for the graduation, you won’t want to devote too much time to a fancy party. Keep the party (and the cleanup) simple and fun with a big buffet of mini-size food. You’ll want to spend most of your time with the seniors you’ll miss, keep food simple. A buffet that nobody has to fuss with keeps the focus on the people and off the food. For especially sad goodbyes, you’ll need comfort food, whether that is pizza, mac and cheese mini burgers, mini hot dogs, stuffed mushroom caps, even shrimp cocktails (just fill small cups with cocktail sauce and place three or four cold shrimp around the edge of the cup) Fruit Salad. Try to include some tropical fruits in there, i.e. pineapple or just a whole mess of rich desserts.
DRINKS: Non-Alcoholic – Sparkling cider, fruit-flavored sparkling water
Serve Hawaiian Punch and add in cherries with the umbrella for extra fun!
Also, this would be a great party for Shirley Temples!
Hire DJ or know a friend who can do it for free:
Farewell music tips:
Changes / Black Sabbath
Going to California / Led Zeppelin
Wild Horses / Rolling Stones
In the Cold Cold Night / White Stripes
Mrs. Robinson / Simon and Garfunkel
Graduation Day / Kanye West
Congratulations / The Rolling Stones
School’s Out / Alice Cooper
Graduation (Friends Forever) / Vitamin C
We Go Together / Grease Soundtrack
Or go your way; pick your own party songs
Good Luck and be creative…