<p>Now that my son has decided on a school, I need to start planing the graduation party. We’re having it at our house with a mix of catered and homemade food. So many of the parties that we’ve been to have been the same old, same old. By that I mean chicken, rigatoni, sandwich rings, balloons and a shrine of some sort to the graduate’s accomplishments. It works, but I’d like to do something a little different. We’re expecting about 100 people, hopefully not all at the same time.</p>
<p>I had a graduation/birthday party for my oldest/youngest, when oldest graduated for high school- turned 18 and her sister turned 10 moved up from elementary school- it was fairly small mostly my side of the family and family friends.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when my youngest graduated from high school * with honors BTW- * my oldest daughter, and my husband ( as well as myself) were the only ones in attendance-( although both my family & H’s live in the immediate area) and we didn’t have a formal party- but I gave her money to do something with her friends.</p>
<p>I didn’t have a very creative party when older D graduated- just the usual-
but how about encouraging people to bring pictures of themselves in high school/graduation and making a big bulletin board/poster display- and have a pen, to write comments on it?</p>
<p>I just re-read my post and I didn’t mean to imply that there was anything wrong with the chicken & rigatoni party - especially since that’s probably what I’ll be doing.</p>
<p>I was just looking for some different ideas.</p>
<p>Circus theme: Had popcorn machine, cotton candy machine, slushy machine. Had hotdogs and burgers.</p>
<p>Breakfast/Brunch: Had a chef at a cooking station who made waffles and made to order omelets, lots of fresh fruit. </p>
<p>Baseball theme: Hotdogs, popcorn, hot pretzels… very similar to circus but had local baseball decor.</p>
<p>Western theme: Had barbque sandwiches, potato salad, beans, chips. Rented a bull riding machine!</p>
<p>One H liked was a Texas Hold’em party. Food was like Western theme only had ribs. The family had a company come in and set up card tables and had dealers. In order to get chips to play with guests had to find the graduate and talk with her. She then gave them a necklace which was exchanged for chips. You could turn your chips in for tickets that were used for a drawing at the end of the party. Gifts included a t shirt for college that grad was attending, a water bottle with school name, etc. It was fun!</p>
<p>You’ve already blown my #1 recommendation–to have it at someone else’s house. We had some fun little things that were cheap and the kids could take home–M&Ms with their school/graduation year, those silly (New Year’s?) glasses with their graduation year on top, little rubber ducks in the pool. I think glow sticks (those long ones that turn into necklaces/bracelets) are fun. We did have a couple of dads who were big into fireworks. </p>
<p>Food-wise we had catered barbecue, which went over pretty big. Parents contributed sides/desserts. I think there was a big sheet cake decorated appropriately. Also had a DJ (cheap–someone’s brother) and one of those photographers who doesn’t charge much (any?) to shoot a bunch of pictures and then sells them off a web site. Took a lot of nice “groups of kids” shots, plus a lot of nice pictures of individual families.</p>
<p>THis does remind me that D often has a barbeque at the local beach- I think I will check to see the latest date before her friends on the east coast ( where schools start earlier) have to be back at school and reserve a shelter.</p>
<p>Very popular around here are dessert buffets – cake, cookies, fruit kabobs, and a sundae bar. Champagne for the adults, ginger ale and sherbet floats for the kids. </p>
<p>Also popular are barbeques where you have a caterer bring in the big cookers and do it outside.</p>
<p>We had a Mexican Fiesta for my S’s party. I think the kids loved the two musicians we hired from a mariachi band we found at a local Mexican restaurant. We rented a “slushy” or “shaved ice” machine and made virgin margaritas in two different flavors. We rented margarita glasses. For dinner, we had a fajita bar, where everyone made their own fajitas. Dessert was churros, which we purchased from the snack bar at Costco. </p>
<p>This year D wants an Italian themed party, with a pasta bar and gelato. I’m thinking of dragging our bird bath into the center of the tent and adding a fountain to it. There is a cd of Italian party songs that I may purchase online, as a local opera singer may be a little too over the top.</p>
<p>If the weather is good and the party is outside, some of those inflatable games you can rent are fun. Believe it or not, high school kids really get a kick out of moonwalks, etc. One friend rented a dunk tank.</p>
<p>In our small town there are often several graduation parties on the same day/night, and we figured people can only eat so much chicken/burgers/subs/pizza, so we went the dessert buffet route. A cupcake tower, lots of lovely cookies and pastries (some homemade, some purchased) fresh fruit , punch and coffee, and, on another table, a “candy bar” - lots of huge bowls of candy with scoops and little goody bags the guests could fill up. It was lots of fun!</p>
<p>As a graduation present for our son, we are going to let him invite 10-15 of his closest friends for a day at the local paint ball field. We are planning on doing it the Saturday before graduation so as not to interfere with any family parties.</p>
<p>For my S, he had a grad party with his cousin (who graduated same year) & it was at a local country club for lunch. We invited family & close family friends & it was a nice celebration. No “shrine” of accomplishments. </p>
<p>For my D, she had a grad party with her cousin, who graduated the same year. We had it at cousin’s house & paid for catered Japanese food, a sushi chef, and magic show. </p>
<p>Because we split the cost, both parties were quite affordable and made the kids feel special. Neither of my kids invited friends or wanted them to attend, tho both attended some of their friends’ parties. </p>
<p>We went to a grad party that was in a bowling alley. That was fun & gave all the guests something to do. Went to several others that were more traditional dinners at nice catered events.</p>
<p>My sister has thrown grad parties at a Japanese restaurant in a hotel and Bucco de Beppo (for law school graduation). The latter was awful–overpriced, slow service, bad food.</p>
<p>(Both kids were side a whole lot in HS & didn’t feel comfortable hosting parties for their friends.)</p>
<p>Low cost backyard picnic party with hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, watermelon, etc., lawn games and a water balloon fight. That was a very interesting experience. DD and I spent a lot of time filling several large coolers with water balloons. It took the kids just under 15 minutes to empty out the coolers. I did not have to water my lawn that day :D</p>
<p>One friend’s S & his buddies rented a beach house & had their grad party there. Another rented a nightclub with 7 other boys & had a huge party. A friend had her party at Old Spaghetti Factory, for lunch. Another had his party for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. One rented a boat & took everyone on a catamaran ride & had lunch at a restaurant the next day.</p>
<p>The backyard BBQ picnic sounds fun; haven’t yet been to one for a HS grad here (for some reason it’s a BIG DEAL in HI, more than college or grad school).</p>
<p>My son and his two friends are having a party and having their two bands provide the entertainment. We’ll have desserts and dancing. Hopefully it will be a good time.</p>
<p>Great ideas, everyone, keep 'em coming…I am taking notes!</p>
<p>we are doing a party in August, birthday and college send off…am thinking of doing dd college colors…mexican food catered (cheap, good and easy!!)…</p>
my oldest daughter, and my husband ( as well as myself) were the only ones in attendance-( although both my family & H’s live in the immediate area) and we didn’t have a formal party- but I gave her money to do something with her friends.</p>
We had some fun little things that were cheap and the kids could take home–M&Ms with their school/graduation year, those silly (New Year’s?) glasses with their graduation year on top, little rubber ducks in the pool. I think glow sticks (those long ones that turn into necklaces/bracelets) are fun. We did have a couple of dads who were big into fireworks. </p>