Whether celebrating your high school graduate or the end of the school year for younger children, an end of year party for students or family and friends is the perfect way to kick-start summer.
At Home Graduation Party
Partying with family and friends at home? Here's a few ideas to kick-start your party!
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1. Involve your teen in the planning from the beginning.
2. Discuss who to invite: only friends, only family, or a mixture of both.
3. Plan a date that works for all. Some families prefer to celebrate on the day of graduation, some prefer later.
4. Invite your teen's classmates, friends, or teammates. Some families invite parents too, especially if the families are close friends.
5. Some graduates enjoy party hopping from one friend's house to another. Discuss this with your grad in advance and plan accordingly.
6. Some schools host after-grad parties in place of after prom parties. If your school hosts a party, discuss with your teen whether they want an at home party too.
7. Choose a graduation theme, summer theme, or keep it loose with no theme at all.
8. Visit the dollar store together for inexpensive party decor and paper products. Ask your teen if they want school colors or something more neutral.
9. Ask your child for food preferences. Keep food simple with a charcuterie board, appetizers, or finger foods. Here's how to Make Your Own Charcuterie Board at Home
10. Don't overplan. Your teen will probably prefer mixing and mingling instead of planned activities.
End of Year Party for Younger Kids
1. Invite your child's classmates, friends, or teammates, and their parents.
2. Consider an outdoor party with a rented inflatable bounce house or water slide.
3. If your child has a close group of friends, consider one big party for all of the families.
4. A park or other outdoor venue is a great alternative to hosting at home.
5. Visit the dollar store for inexpensive party decor and paper products.
6. A charcuterie board is an easy way to serve a lot of different foods to suit every taste. Here's how to Make Your Own Charcuterie Board at Home
Preschool End of Year Party
Partying with littles? Keep it simple and fun!
1. Invite your child's best friends and their families.
2. Let the kids bring their bikes to ride and have a bike parade.
3. Fill up your kiddie pool or turn on the sprinkler for lots of water fun.
4. Don't forget the water guns, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles for extra inexpensive fun.
5. Plan kid-friendly foods. Sandwich makings, chips and salsa, and appetizers are much easier than sit down foods.
Classroom End of Year Party
Planning to classroom party to celebrate the end of the year? Here's some tips!
1. Ask your child's teacher for input. In some schools, teachers do all of the planning. In other schools, parents do the planning.
2. Ask various parents to contribute bags of snacks or cookies, fruit or vegetables, juice boxes, and paper goods and you'll have enough for the entire class.
3. Plan fun indoor and outdoor activities if possible. Enjoy a movie indoors after playing games outside.
4. Make cards for the teacher and celebrate each child's accomplishments.
Party Food Recipes
BBQ Cocktail Franks
Ingredients:
2 packages of cocktail franks
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
Directions:
Place cocktail franks in small crockpot. Add the bottle of barbecue sauce to the cocktail franks and cook on low for a few hours.
You can also make in a sauce pan on the stove top. Simmer on low until cocktail franks are warmed and serve hot.
Crockpot Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen meatballs
1 jar of chili sauce
16 ounces of grape jelly
Directions:
1. Place the meatballs in the crockpot.
2. Mix a jar of chili sauce and a 16 ounces of grape jelly together in a saucepan and simmer until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture over the frozen meatballs in the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Serve warm.
Summer Themed Recipes
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Plan your end of year party and prepare to jump into summer with the family!
Check our free newsletter and on our website every week for crafts, recipes, boredom busters, and other ways to entertain your kids and keep them busy all summer long!
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