Let's start off with a round of applause for all graduates this year. Whether they are graduating from preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, or college, they deserve to celebrate their accomplishment and we deserve to celebrate them. Normally, graduation ceremonies simply happen and we attend them, but this year things are different. Most graduation ceremonies have been cancelled as we all continue to practice social distancing. We get it, it makes sense, but just because official graduation ceremonies have been cancelled does that mean that our graduated get nothing to commemorate their efforts. Heck no! There are still many ways that you can celebrate graduation for your kids.
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Sure, it's a bummer that this year's graduates won't get to do graduation the way that years of graduates before them have, but this is also an opportunity for us to help this year's graduates create beautiful memories all their own. This is the perfect time to remind our graduates that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade or lemon cake or lemon bars or some of their kind of lemontastic wonderfulness.
Sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control, but how we react to them is within our control. In this case, we can react to the situation with creativity and a whole lot of love. Are you ready? We've got some wonderful last-minute ideas that you can use to celebrate graduation for your kids. Let's do this for our graduates! They deserve it.
Set up a video party.
At this point, we've all gotten used to the idea of getting together virtually via conference calls. There's no reason why you can't celebrate a graduation using the same technology. Invite guests to join your graduate at a certain time or have your graduate join an already planned online graduation party that is happening at the school.
If your graduate doesn't like crowds, set up one-on-one conferences.
Not everyone likes a crowd, and sometimes group online gatherings can get a bit hectic. If your graduate is more of a one-on-one kind of person, then set up a schedule so she can talk to folks who want to wish her well throughout the day. You do all the scheduling work and then you just hand her the schedule and set her up to enjoy her time with each online visitor.
How about a driveway graduation?
Do you have a driveway or a window or front door that can be seen from the street? If so, you could do a drive-by graduation. Basically, your graduate can be out during a certain block of time and loved ones can drive by in their cars to cheer, chat, honk, and celebrate all from a safe distance.
Throw a party!
If you are social distancing with your graduate, there is no reason why you can't throw him an at-home party. You won't invite any outside guests, but you can still make food, play music, and celebrate. If you have a backyard, make it a barbecue and set up lights and decorations to make it really special.
Put together a video tribute for your grad.
Set up a themed photo shoot.
Decorate a wall in your home, get props or make them, and get to clickin'. It's a special occasion and special occasions are the perfect time to take pictures. You don't need fancy equipment to do it either, you can just use your cellphone to take the pics. All you need is a fun backdrop that you can set up yourself.
Have the graduate write a wish list.
Ask your graduate to make a list of things he would like and then create a registry of those items. Amazon lets you create wish lists that you can share and so do many other sites. Loved ones can view and send a gift from the comfort of their own homes.
Set up a scavenger hunt.
This one is particularly fun for younger kids. If you have gifts for your graduate, hide them throughout your home and backyard. Write clues to help her find the gifts. It will be fun for her to search and fun for you to watch. Make sure to take pictures.
Make a physical photo book.
Yes, we live in a digital age, but there is something to be said for old-school printed photos. Flipping through them is a joy and having them to keep is wonderful. Gather pictures of your graduate throughout the years and put them together in a photo album or book. Watching him look through it will bring you joy.
Let the grad eat cupcakes!
Is it even a celebration if there isn't some form of cake? Maybe, but just barely. Cupcakes or cake make everything seem more festive. You can buy them premade or bake them yourself.
Spoil your graduate with food all day long.
Have everyone at home chip in and cook for the graduate all day long. Make sure to shop for everything you need to make your grad's favorite foods. You can either surprise her at each meal with something or have her choose from a menu you create.
Create a life advice book or video for the grad.
We love this idea so much! Basically, ask teachers, friends, and family to either write down some life advice to share with your graduate or video tape themselves giving it. If you have people write down their advice, you can turn it into a book. If you do the video option, then turn it into a video compilation. Be sure to ask people of all ages to participate, not just those who are older than your grad. Advice from kids is sure to be delightful.
Go all out on decorations!
Decorate your home while your teen is sleeping so that it's a surprise to see so much festivity when he wakes up. They don't have to be fancy decorations. You can make your own or order some.
Make a graduation playlist.
There are a few ways you can do this. You could curate the entire playlist yourself. You could have friends and family each contribute a song to the playlist and keep a record of who contributed each song. Or you could have a few people create different playlists to give to your grad.
Ask your graduate how she would like to celebrate.
It never hurts to ask someone what they would like to do. Have a conversation with your grad about what she would like. If she draws a blank, you can offer up some ideas. If she still can't come up with anything, well then you get to pick something.
