How to plan a graduation party at home can be a bit of a challenge. First, it’s not a life event that happens every year but when it does, it’s very special and you want to make guest of honor feel very important. Host the best graduation party with some fresh ideas. These 11 fun graduation party games and hilarious activities will create the graduation party of your dreams. Congratulations grad!
School’s out… for summer! School’s out… forever! – alright, alright. You don’t have to keep singing, Alice Cooper. We all know the next verse is I’m bored to pieces and we have the perfect solution for an end of the year party for your grad!
Graduation is a special time to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduate. It’s also a time for family and friends to come together and enjoy each other’s company. If you’re looking for some graduation party games or creative ideas, we’ve got you covered.
Graduation parties can sometimes feel like anything but a celebration. Guests tend to break off into their age groups, chat, and eat a few appetizers. The younger crowd might stand around in the backyard laughing and snacking. There’s usually a divide in the group that doesn’t feel like a good time.
Whether you’re celebrating high school graduation, preschool graduation, kindergarten graduation or even a college graduation, we have some fun ideas that will get guests of all ages interacting and having a blast.
Backyard Graduation Party Ideas
If the weather is nice, expanding your party to include the outdoors, is a great way to have a little more space when planning a graduation party at home. A backyard graduation party theme can be decorated in such a cute way too!
Hang those adorable lights, circle up some chairs, and make cozy spaces for your guests to gather. You might even want to set up a fire pit or use a pop-up tent to set the area up for an outdoor party.
More of the best outdoor graduation party ideas include…
Graduation Party Decorations
The first thing to consider when staging a party is the graduation party décor. it doesn’t have to be difficult and you can decorate with things you have like your grad’s gown, cap and tassel. Also create a table of photos throughout the life of your grad. School photos could finally be put to great use. Balloon garland is pretty trendy and can easily be found online. It makes the perfect backdrop an a really cute graduation party decoration. Black, gold and white are a perfect color pallet or show some school spirit and use your school colors.
Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting really established the ambiance. Borrow lost of extension cords to get this accomplished. We really cute night lighting ideas for the backyard and deck or grab your upcycled Christmas lights and string, string, string. This outdoor grad party decor is very low-cost.
Drink & Food Bars
Full tummies create happy guests. If you want to save money, save elsewhere. Food is a must but you can come up with some low0cost graduation party food ideas. Using folded tables, create food bars. Great ideas are a dessert table with cute finger food like mini cookies or no-bake diploma cookies. A popcorn bar also keeps the budget low and allows everyone to add flavors and candies they like. A drink station can be simple. Toss glass bottles or soda cans in iced galvanized buckets. Easy-peasy.
Photo Booth
Memories are kept best when captured on camera. You don’t have to spend a fortune and hire a party photographer. Instead, create your own DIY graduation photo booth with a few graduation photo booth props.
Music
Of course adding a karaoke machine, dance floor and band could be quite fun, but you can keep it simple with a graduation party playlist. Don’t spend too much time on this. Using Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon Music should quickly create a playlist for you. Ten songs you will definitely want to include to your graduation party playlist are…
- Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C
- Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day
- We Are Young by Fun feat. Janelle Monáe
- Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
- School’s out for Summer by Alice Cooper
- Firework by Katy Perry
- Photograph by Nickelback
- The Climb by Miley Cyrus
- Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
- I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
You also can put on instrumental music in the background to not distract from the party discussion.
Outdoor Graduation Party Games
There are plenty of games you can take outdoors. In addition to grad party décor, party food, and music, also make sure you have activities to entertain your guests. Fresh ideas for DIY backyard games include Tic Tac Toe Frisbee, Giant Connect Four, Ladder Toss, Giant Jenga, and Backyard Bowling. These yard games have been played time and time again and are always lots of fun.
We have plenty of outdoor party games if you are looking for ways to entertain your party guests and guest of honor.
Outdoor Games for the Backyard
Splashtastic Minute to Win it Games with Water
Outdoor Minute to Win it Games
However, this celebration has a theme! If you want to stick to the graduation theme, take a look at our popular 11 Graduation Party Games. They are sure to stand out and offer something unique and memorable.
Graduation Party Games
Now that your space looks great, let’s talk activities. Planning graduation party games that get your guests up and interacting is a great way to make your party a memorable one.
Here are some fun grad party games that will keep your guests entertained:
Diploma Relay Race
This game is perfect for a backyard graduation party! Have guests form groups of two and get into a line shoulder to shoulder. Place a diploma between the pair, and race to get across the finish line fastest. Drop the diploma, and you have to go back to the start. Oh did we mention, this is a game where you can’t use your hands? Better get creative!
Toast to the Grad
Is it even a backyard party without an obstacle course game? In this speed test, players will race with their wine glass filled with water around the obstacles to be the team who fills their bucket the fastest. Be sure to have plenty of towels on hand!
Name That Tune
Take a walk down memory lane as guests try to guess songs from the graduate’s years in school. This game is perfect for those who love to sing along and don’t want to get as active.
Memory Bank
This might be the best part of your party… Gather up the tissues and have each guest fill out a great memory they have of the graduate. Have the grad read through the cards and try to guess who wrote each one.
This is also a great way to gather cards that the graduate can read later or even take with them as they move into their new stage. If you prefer, you can do words of wisdom instead. You really can’t go wrong with either idea!
Pass the Parcel
This game is so fun if you are generous with the Saran Wrap parcel party favors. Fill your plastic wrap ball with full size candy bars, smarties candy, and a great prize in the center. The winner has the ball at the end of the game once all the layers have been removed.
The Key to Success
This game is quite tasty. If you have heard of a pie eating contest, you will love this game. Fill a pan with shaving cream and dig around the find the key… but guess what!?! Your hands are behind your back.
Dip-Low-Ma
Grab some balloons and see if you can keep them in the air! Dip it low and pick it up slow… man, I feel on a roll with throwback songs. I mean, if you hare a graduation playlist, this is a song to add and play during this fun game. Include more songs that fit the graduation year and theme and add them to the Name that Tune party game.
Are you Smarter than a Grad?
Alright smarty pants! This game is adults vs the kids. From pop culture to academic questions, see if which generation can declare they are smarter. The winners will get the most correct answers.
Charades
Split up into teams with an equal amount of players. In this classic game, similar to Taboo or forbidden words, act out themed words and see if your teammate can guess the word.
Steal the Cap
Divide players again. This is a perfect outdoor party games. Similar to steal the bacon, steal the grad cap (or baseball cap).
Don’t Drop the Tassel
In this fun game, pass a graduation caps tassel from the first player to the next. Split players in equal teams and get the tassel from the front of the line to the back. What’s the catch? You can’t use your hands. You will need a spoon in this silly game.
Ready to get organized and play a few of these game ideas? Put the play in the party plan and grab all of these grad party games with your graduation party checklist of games supplies.
Graduation Party Games Printable
Keep the entertainment flowing with endless graduation party ideas and activities for all! Perfect for a college, 8th grade or even a high school graduation party, these hilarious activities are sure to make your guests laugh.
What you get with your printable graduation games purchase:
- 11 Graduation Party Games Ideas List PDF Instant Download with Directions and Supply List
- Bonus: Charades Cards Template Grid
- Bonus: Diploma Relay Certificate
>> GRADUATION PARTY GAMES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD <<
Put the plan back in the party! We hope these graduation party games help to make your celebration one to remember for years to come. Cheers to the graduate!
More Party Ideas
Love a 60 second challenge? Take a look at our 16 Graduation Games Minute to Win it Style. All you need is a stop watch, some imagination and a few supplies. Ready… set… go!
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WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.
