How To Throw a Kindergarten Graduation Party

The early years are full of exciting and important milestones, and the passage from kindergarten to elementary school is one to celebrate! But your Kindergarten graduation party should be a delicate balance between honoring an important occasion and, well, fun!

Here are a few graduation party ideas to get you started. Most of these ideas can be achieved inexpensively if you’re into DIY, or you can go all out with professional services and commercial supplies. These ideas could also work for a preschool graduation party, pre-K party, or even a last-day party for elementary kids heading off to middle school.

The Traditional Grad Party

Gowns, a graduation cap, and a souvenir graduation photo to take home — this party almost throws itself. You can splash out with party store supplies and a professional photo booth, or do it DIY style. Your Kindergarten grad can be the center of attention, or you could focus on the graduating class as a group.

Make this graduation celebration memorable for everyone by recording an interview with each of the grads. You can record the interview on your phone and send it to parents as a keepsake. In addition, you and your kids can have a great time designing a photo frame for still photos and decorating a memory book for guests to share their favorite kindergarten memories.

Party Games and Activities

• Decorate a mortar board (kindergarten graduation cap) and put a tassel on it

• Take a graduation photo using your homemade photo prop frame
• Interview graduating kindergarteners. What did they like best about kindergarten? What are they looking forward to in 1st grade? What do they hope will happen on the first day of school?
• Guests can tell their favorite kindergarten stories to an adult, who will write them in a memory book. These stories can be scanned and shared with families afterward.

Party Favors

• Souvenir photo of grads in cap and gown

• Souvenir diploma
• Decorated graduation cap and / or gown
• Recorded interview

Snacks and Goodies

• “Class of [graduation year]” cupcakes
• Decorated mortar board shaped cookies

Decorations

• Graduation-themed party supplies
• Graduation balloons
• Kindergarten graduation decorations
• “Congrats grads” banner

Dr. Seuss Party

The Dr. Seuss book Oh! The Places You’ll Go! is a classic for anyone embarking on a new journey, and that includes the journey to first grade. With bright colors, fanciful creatures, and the opportunity for fabulous costumes, a Dr. Seuss party can make your grad’s special day extra special.

Host a book exchange where guests bring their favorite Dr. Seuss books and take home one they haven’t read. Have a parade of guests in Dr. Seuss costumes. Make a Cat in the Hat hat. The opportunities for fun are endless!

Party Games and Activities

• Read Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
• Dr. Seuss costume parade
• T-shirt decoration station
• Dr. Seuss book exchange
• Make a Cat in the Hat hat

Party Favors

• A copy of Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
• Souvenir t-shirt decorated or signed by guests
• Cat in the Hat hats made by guests
• Coloring station with crayons and Dr. Seuss printables

Snacks and Goodies

• Rainbow swirl sherbet
• Fruit kebabs in bright colors and funky flavors
• ‘Mocktails’ with silly straws

Decorations

• Dr. Seuss cake or cupcake toppers
• Birthday party balloons and streamers in bright colors

Obstacle Course Party

Your kindergarten grad has overcome an obstacle – making it all the way through kindergarten. Why not celebrate with an actual obstacle course?

An obstacle course – or several – can be a fun way to burn off some of that little-kid energy. And if you’re serving sweet snacks, parents will thank you for running their kids around a bit!

There are companies who will come over to set up and supervise a professional obstacle course, but this is something you can easily create yourself with things you have at home 

Try some of these:

• Jumping over a broom handle
• Dancing the limbo under a broom
• Crawling through a tunnel made from blankets draped over chairs
• Hopping on one foot over a chalk hopscotch 

You can even build an easy obstacle course indoors from things you probably already have at home. Check out this video to learn how. 

Party Games and Activities

• Obstacle course, of course!
• Other physical games such as musical chairs, limbo, egg race, and so forth

Party Favors

• Ribbons and/or certificates for completing the obstacle course (you can make this competitive or not)

Snacks and Goodies

• Homemade power bar cookies
• Cheese slices cut into sports-themed shapes

Decorations

• Sports-themed balloons and decorations

Arts and Crafts Party

Art was my favorite subject. Was it yours? Either way, arts and crafts make an excellent party theme. And you don’t have to have any artistic talent to make it super fun. The great thing is, with arts and crafts, guests can create their own activities, souvenirs, and even snacks!

If you’re feeling ambitious, try some of these:

• Homemade maracas
• Decorate your own t-shirt
• Cardboard box musical instruments
• Colored sand painting
• Cookie decorating station

Not feeling that ambitious? No problem! Guests will enjoy easy crafts just as much, including:

• Coloring pages
• Salt modeling dough
• Paper plate masks
• Wax paper sun catcher
• Self portrait in crayon

For even more easy craft ideas, check out our article about easy, mess-free crafts that you can make with things you probably already have at home.

Party Games and Activities

• Arts and crafts stations

Party Favors

• Guests take home their creations

Snacks and Goodies

• Pretzel stick “pencils”
• Guest-decorated cookies

Decorations

• Brightly colored balloons and streamers

Detective Party

Murder mysteries aren’t the right fit for kindergarteners, but what about a game of ‘Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?’ A detective party, with a mystery to solve, can be a super fun way for kids to put their ‘little gray cells’ to work and exercise the critical thinking skills they’ll be using as they progress through school.

You’ll need a mystery (best to keep it simple) and suspects, including all of the guests. You’ll also need a few clues.

A grown-up or older child can dress up like a detective, call the guests in, and explain the game.

Keep it easy, but not too easy! And keep it friendly for little kids.

If you want to give them the full detective experience, you can teach detective skills like taking fingerprints and using a magnifying glass. A personal fingerprint card makes a great party favor!

Party Games and Activities

• Solving the mystery
• Fingerprint station

Party Favors

• Detective glasses
• Magnifying glass
• Fingerprint card

Snacks and Goodies

• Cookies decorated like fingerprints, magnifying glasses, and so forth

Decorations

• Detective and spy themed decorations, such as yellow police tape 

Camping Party

Camping isn’t for everyone, but almost everyone can have a great time at a daytime ‘campout’ in your backyard, or even inside your home. 

Pitch a tent, build a fire (a pretend fire can be just as much fun), grab your marshmallows, and settle in for some campfire stories.

Party Games and Activities

• Drawing your own map
• Cooking hot dogs / veggie dogs and marshmallows over a campfire
• Setting up a tent
• Campfire stories

Party Favors

• Toy compass
• Guest-made map
• Merit badges

Snacks and Goodies

• Roasted marshmallows
• S’mores
• Hot dogs or veggie dogs

Decorations

• Tent
• Fire circle
• Blankets/sleeping bags and pillows

Gift Ideas for Kindergarten Grads

Graduation gifts aren’t just for high school grads. At the same time, it’s easy to overwhelm small children with presents that are too big or too much. It’s better, in my opinion, to pick one small gift that will be meaningful to mark the occasion.

Here are a few ideas.

Gift Certificate for a Book

Giving your child a gift certificate from a local bookstore does more than just foster your child’s love of reading. It supports local business. On top of that, it’s a fun day out that your child will remember. And what could be more grown up than going to pick out exactly the book you want, with your own money?

Gift certificates for a toy or piece of clothing can be pretty special, too. And a gift certificate can also make a thoughtful present for other grads.

Big Kid School Supplies

My favorite part of the new school year was always picking out fresh supplies. Take your child to pick out their own pencils, notebooks, and erasers. Explain how they’ve outgrown kindergarten supplies, like those giant crayons, and are ready for big kid supplies.

If you’re looking for a gift to take to another child’s graduation party, a package of special school supplies could be a thoughtful choice. 

A Grown-Up Lunch Out

It doesn’t have to be fancy, but a lunch out (or even a picnic) with a favorite grown-up can be a special way to show your child that you recognize they’re growing up.

Are You Ready to Party?

A kindergarten graduation party doesn’t have to be fancy, as long as it’s fun, and recognizes this important milestone. Are you ready to get planning? Check out our party planning guide for more inspiration.