Graduation party ideas???

[StephMK]

DD is graduating in May and I'm starting to figure out food, entertainment, etc. It will be an open house Sunday evening after graduation Saturday am on Memorial weekend. I will be hoping for nice weather so we can have our fire pit going and a smores station and play music. If we can use outside, I'll decorate with white Christmas lights and tiki torches.

She's the oldest so I have no prior experience with grad parties. She attended several last year but still isn't much help yet.

So please help me and share your ideas, what worked or what I should avoid? Thanks for any tips or ideas!!

 

[Priorityonecb]

Our daughters grad party was similar. We had a huge fire pit, smores and sparklers were a big hit too. I bought them as an after thought, but the kids really enjoyed dancing around with them and having fun. The highlight of the night was the two hours we all sat around the fire pit with the kids just talking and laughing and sharing stories of their high school years and future plans.

We had a karoake machine, but it didn't get used as much as I expected. (Daughter and all friends theater/choir geeks!) They listened to music, but only spent a few minutes actually doing karaoke.

We had a volleyball net up, badmitton, basketball and those were all used before it got dark. Our trampoline was a huge highlight. They jumped during the day, then just sat around it at night talking.

I did several fruit/veggie platters, we ordered a ton of pizza, lots of drinks and I did a cupcake tower. We had open house too, but the kids and adults all wound up staying the entire time...and for hours afterwards just hanging out in the backyard. It was easily one of the best nights...such great memories were made.

 

[jennyf2]

Im in the same boat. I have started buying little things here & there. I'm having our party the Saturday before graduation--this way I will be done & we are out of town most weekends in June/July for baseball tournaments. We are having a taco buffet, lots of desserts, salads, cake pops, soda, water, cofffee, & a keg/wine coolers for adults. I am also doing a candy buffet which is what I'm most excited about!

My friend sent me a great planning excel file that has helped alot! I keep checking items off the list & can't wait for June.

*I'm also trying to find a deal on renting a Photoboxx, so far no luck but I'm going to keep trying!

Good Luck with your party & congrats to your daughter

 

[DebMcDonald]

We're doing DD's graduation party 4 weeks after graduation. On graduation night, we'll take her out for a nice dinner with whatever family can come into town. For her actual party, I'm planning a candy buffet with a cupcake tower, we also have a pool that I'm going to fill with beachballs from Oriental Trading and we'll do a picnic themed during the day followed by a fire pit in the evening. I'm also thinking of getting a bouncy house/water slide for the kids and bigger kids. We'll also set up the volley ball/badmitten. Otherwise the rest is still a work in progress.

 

[StephMK]

DD is a show choir/theater geek too! I love the karaoke idea, I'll drag out our old one. They are also big Disney nuts, I wonder if there is some cheap way to show movies on the side of the garage which is deeper into the backyard than our house?

I want to create a video of her over the years to play on the TV and a big photo poster for her friends to sign.

All of our family is out of town so grad weekend is really our only time. We're also trying to coordinate w/her buddies so no one is having one the same exact time.

She wants cake pops & maybe cupcakes too. We did a candy buffet for her 16th & that was a hit so maybe that'll be done too. Her school colors are green & black so I'm hoping to get some green stuff after St. Patty's.

Congrats to all the fellow grads! Time is going by so quickly!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

For my brother's grad party we did a taco bar and that was inexpensive and successful. We went to Sams and bought bulk meat, cheese, lettuce, tortillas, etc. and everyone seemed quite content

As far as a way to play movies outside, talk to the school, local churches, etc. to see if anyone has a projector you could borrow or rent. Maybe even the library? Plug in a laptop and you're good to go.

I like the idea of getting stuff after St. Pattys day! Another great place to look for inexpensive stuff is at garage and rummage sales and flea markets. My party had a red carpet theme and we bought an entire box of wine glasses, water goblets, etc. for five dollars and let everyone use those for "champange" punch. It was corny, but people seemed to enjoy it.

 

[clh2]

DD is also graduating this June. Grad is Sunday 6/10, we are having her party on Saturday 6/16.

(couldn't do party on June 9th - one of my nieces graduates that night.)

So - We have a tent reserved - no shade in our back yard so this was a must. Hoping to get enough chairs/tables from neighbors.

The thing stressing me about food right now - just the cake. My favorite cake place was already too busy with wedding cakes (I checked last September) so - I'm just not sure what to do here. I LOVE good cake, and I LOVE pretty cakes too. So - I'm not compromising on a "bad" cake.

Now- for food:

Appetizers - basic stuff (cheese/sausage trays; layered taco dip; salsa/chips; veggies.) I might want to do some fancier - grilled shrimp and or beef skewers - if I can find a person to grill.

Now - main food:

Shredded beef sandwiches (not BBQ) we'll make
BBQ chicken (from a great caterer)

German Potato Salad (will need to be homemade - this is an old family recipe from DH's side of the family)
Coleslaw
Some other type of salad - maybe a fruit salad - will probably get this from the catering place too.

I need a specific orange jello - and one of my nephews or his dad will make this -just for me.

Maybe something "crunchy" like pretzels or potato chips.

And - the cake.

Now - we are expecting about 100 people throughout the evening, between relatives, family friends and DD's friends.

I'm wondering what to do about beverages. I'd like to have some alcohol for the adults. And - I'd like to do something fun for the kids - maybe something like a barrel of Sprecher RootBeer. And - this would lend itself to rootbeer floats in the evening for any kids still hanging around.

I might do something fun later too - maybe a chocolate fountain. (I.e. the kids or whatever adults are left later in the evening.)

As for activities - I'd like to come up with a volleyball net. We bought a "corn-hole" game last fall on clearance (not one of my favorites - but very popular in our neck of the woods.)

And - weather permitting - ending with a bonfire.

So - next up on the agenda figuring out the cake.

I'm curious what else I can get from all of your ideas/plans too!

ETA - we won't have any vegans/vegitarians coming so no plans for those dietary needs. (unless they are friends of friends - as the grads travel in packs from party to party) We will be respective of a couple of families whose kids have some tree nut and peanut allergies.

 

[Coloradomom]

DD's party a few years ago went off well and was enjoyed by parents and kids too. what worked for us:

1. be sure to coordinate date/times with BFFs. can't avoid all conflicts but try
2. we rented easels and put DD's grad pic on one and then did a foam backed same size blow up of her kindergarten graduation picture. so cute!
3. we have a pond in our backyard and I got rubber duckies with mortar boards on them to float around
4.had a table with her scrapbooks from high school and put together a book tie with ribbon of her graduation awards. Older folks really liked looking at that. We added pics of her and her friends on the table as well.
5.Baskets with ribbons for people to drop off cards and space for presents
6. Custom m and ms
7. Since DD is girly -theme color was pink-we did small bud vases with pink daisies on each table.
8. food we did meat and cheese platters, cupcake tower, salads. kept it simple.
9. set up lots of seating in and outside.

 

[jennilynn510]

how about a candy buffet...huge hit at all our parties

 

[StephMK]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm hoping we can keep this going and add ideas as they come up.

I saw the cutest mortar board hats made out of a mini PB cup, glued w/frosting or PB to a fudge coated graham cracker. Then they added a strip of a fruit roll up for the tassel! I might try and have my girls make them, at least a little tray of them for decorations.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We did a party last year for DS for about 100 people of all ages. We used a large church family life center but it would pretty much be the same outside.

LOTS of food. We kept it simple and teen friendly: hot dogs and a fixins bar, baked beans, nachos and toppings, chips and pickles, a huge graduation cake as well as cookies and other sweets and tons of drinks.

I advise to skip the alcohol at a graduation party....just asking for trouble.

We did a tear jerker (ok, was for me) power point with music of his life.

We had music, volley ball, basket ball, and had set out some uno cards and a few other games. We had a selection of toys too as we also had some younger kids.

One thing we did not handle well was opening gifts. We were going to have him open these at the party, but there were WAY too many and almost all were cards with money which of course he simply would see the name and aknowledge the giver with out sharing the amount, but it was getting long and a little boring so we ended up stopping and letting him finish at home. Not sure what is proper but you might want to think this one though better than we did!

 

[Patience]

We are having a huge graduation party with 11 other families. Our kids are very close and we figured it would be easier to have 1 big party instead of 12 individual parties. We rented a clubhouse at a local park and we are having a huge cake and tons of finger foods. There are volleyball nets and paddle boats at the park and we have a DJ lined up We are putting together a slide show and are expecting about 150 people. Our next meeting to plan the party is March 10. It's going to be fun!

 

[ENSOCK]

We are doing a combined party for my DS and his two cousins. The cousins parents are both divorced so it is kinda hard to get together. We are so excited about the party.
The food will be:
Pastalaya
Pizza dips
Chips
either cake or cupcakes (undecided)
cocktail sausages wrapped in crecent rolls
sausage in bbq sauce
drinks
and any other food the cousins parents will bring.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

DD's party a few years ago went off well and was enjoyed by parents and kids too. what worked for us:

1. be sure to coordinate date/times with BFFs. can't avoid all conflicts but try
2. we rented easels and put DD's grad pic on one and then did a foam backed same size blow up of her kindergarten graduation picture. so cute!
3. we have a pond in our backyard and I got rubber duckies with mortar boards on them to float around
4.had a table with her scrapbooks from high school and put together a book tie with ribbon of her graduation awards. Older folks really liked looking at that. We added pics of her and her friends on the table as well.
5.Baskets with ribbons for people to drop off cards and space for presents
6. Custom m and ms
7. Since DD is girly -theme color was pink-we did small bud vases with pink daisies on each table.
8. food we did meat and cheese platters, cupcake tower, salads. kept it simple.
9. set up lots of seating in and outside.

How wonderful to see you - oh wonderful Dis'er from whom I unknowingly stole my name! If you recall, you were so kind to reply to me when my 12 year old was having very scary hemiplegic migraines. He is doing better by the way, as I hope your daughter is.

He is now a senior - yikes! I am so glad this thread has started because I am starting to freak out about planning! We are also on Memorial Day weekend as OP. Thinking actually about Monday because we may not have a lot of his friends doing their parties during that time. A bit risky with traditional memorial day celebrations, not sure yet.

Keep all the cute ideas coming!!!!

 

[torinsmom]

We will be having my son's graduation party at our church, as they have a large area inside and out. I may coordinate with my pastor's family, as their son is also graduating this year. I am planning to have hot dogs/hamburgers with all the fixings and sides and lots of finger foods available for before and after dinner. I'd also like to have a candy buffet and dessert table. I plan to make a slideshow of pictures from birth to now set to music.

My son first thought this was a party for his friends, and didn't really think it would be a hit, but it is more for family and family friends to celebrate his accomplishment. I figure there will be graduation parties without moms and grandparents that will be more fun for him and his friends. Just need to find out when those types of parties are(I imagine graduation night), so ours doesn't cause conflict.

 

[gilby]

For my daughters grad party, we had a baked potato bar, simple and was a hit. We also had an ice cream bar.