Graduating from elementary school marks the end of an era and the arrival of new beginnings. Although it’s an exciting rite of passage, the transition to middle school is often accompanied by anxiety about what lies ahead. Looking for a way to ease fears and celebrate accomplishments? Consider hosting a fun end-of-the-year party using these ideas from Tiny Prints for your growing graduate and their friends to create excitement about their upcoming academic journey.
1. Spread the word with on-theme invitations.
Invitations are an easy way to establish the tone and theme of your upcoming event, but finding something festive and age-appropriate for mini-graduates can be a challenge. A lot of graduation invitations are understandably geared toward a more mature crowd or seem oddly formal for a ffifth-grade event, but these graffiti-themed invites from Tiny Prints are colorful, kid-friendly, and set the stage for the upcoming fun to be had.
2. Arrange a few activities.
In general, kids do a great job entertaining themselves, but it’s always a good idea to have some planned activities for early arrivals—and as a good diversion if things start to get rowdy.
Create a larger-than-life guestbook by purchasing a canvas drop cloth from a home improvement store (average cost is around $10) and decorate it with the school name or year. Have graduates sign their names with a permanent marker to create on-the-spot artistic party decor that also serves as a keepsake.
Continue the theme by buying a blank sheet cake and different colors of Wilton Cake Mist and invite guests to airbrush their own dessert. Let’s face it—this is the closest most fifth graders are allowed to get to spray paint; they’ll love unleashing their inner street artist and then being able to consume their creation!
3. Reach for street art-inspired decorations.
Make your party pop with themed decorations that serve double duty. A street art-inspired backdrop can be purchased through places that sell photography props, or easily created if you have the time, talent, or an artistic teenager nearby. Allow it to set the tone for your event and then use your decor wall for a Photo Booth backdrop, incorporating some fun accessories to make it festive.
Download a graffiti-themed font and clip art paint splatters to get creative with printable tags for your food table and favors.
If you can’t stand throwing away leftover invitations and envelope liners, turn them into a table garland with a paper cutter, hole punch, and string. Cut the spare invites into a triangle shape, punch two holes in the top of each piece, and thread them together. It’s recycling and decorating all in one quick project!
4. Prepare colorful party favors.
Silly String makes the perfect party favor and is entertaining for all ages. Personalize the bottles with a gift tag sticker that matches your party’s style. Remember that drop cloth the kids signed earlier? If you’re up for a Silly String explosion to end your extravaganza, set it down on the ground in an attempt to catch some of the mess. Or send them home with a can—opting out is understandable.
An end-of-the-year graduation party is a sweet celebratory send-off to summer and gives kids one last opportunity to make elementary memories. So go ahead and let them get messy—you’ll only have this particular clean-up job once!
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