Outdoor Graduation Party Ideas

“These are days they’ll remember. When May is rushing over them with desire, to be part of the miracles they see in every hour…” or so sang the 10,000 Maniacs. Summer is approaching, which means graduation season is right around the corner. Soon enough all their hard work will have paid off, and they’ll be looking quite smart in their caps and gowns. These are the days they’ll remember, celebrating their accomplishments. Maybe an amazing graduation party is on the agenda?

After years of spending time indoors learning, studying, and excelling, we think an outdoor graduation party is just what they need. Being outside enjoying the beautiful weather, surrounded by the people they love, with some food and fun games. It’s the perfect setting to celebrate their achievements. All you need now are some ideas!

There are many things to consider when organizing a party for an important occasion – most importantly, space! Do you have enough space for the theme or party idea you have in mind? You can find many ways to turn ideas into reality and adjust things based on the number of people, location, and time. From graduating elementary school to college, you’ll uncover many party ideas below:

Elementary 

Bounce House

We don’t know the actual chemistry between kids and bounce houses, but they definitely jump for joy when they see them. A small gathering in your backyard with activities for the kids is the perfect idea.

Tea Party/ Teddy Bears’ Picnic

You can have afternoon tea for the adults, and create a fun tea party for the kids to celebrate the graduation. Guests can bring their favorite stuffed animals, dress up in caps and gowns, and or keep things simple with casual attire. Whatever happens, we hope you throw a tea-rific party!

Fancy Dress

Does your son/daughter love playing dress up? This is a fun way to incorporate their favorite hobby into a great celebration. Perhaps use a color scheme related to the middle school they’ll be moving into, and add a sense of mystery with cute princess or superhero costumes.

Fairy

Fairy parties can be a magical celebration for everyone. Having the amazing graduate as Head Fairy (maybe Tinker Bell), you can set up a scavenger hunt, blow bubbles, and so much more!

Movie Night 

Organize a class celebration in the school yard or local green area, and hire an outdoor movie screen. This can be a happy or meaningful experience where the kids can have one last group party together before they potentially move on to different schools. 

DIY Elementary Graduation Ideas

Middle/High School

Dance Party

Organize an awesome graduation celebration for them with an outdoor dance party – hire a local DJ, a private marquee, or decorate your backyard with cool lighting. There’s so many options to choose from, and you can make it as big or as small as you/they want it.

BBQ

If you have more than one graduation this year, this would be a great way to incorporate them all into one event: host a BBQ feast where friends and family come together, and it’ll be fun for all ages!. You can create some yard signs acknowledging each graduate’s achievements, and have different tables dedicated to their favorite food types. Maybe even host an interactive quiz later to see who knows each graduate the most!

Pool Party

They said they didn’t want a fuss, and now all of a sudden they’re asking what you have planned! It’s time to go digital, rescuing your last minute plans! We want their graduation party to go swimmingly well, so check out our digital pool party invitations which you can instantly download. Dive right into our options now and with a stroke of luck you’ll pull off the perfect graduation party in no time!

Funfair/Games Day!

Let’s put the ‘fun’ into ‘funfair’ and create a cool environment for your son/daughter to relieve some steam. They’re not expecting a giant ferris wheel out in their back garden, so a few games would suffice.

Thinking outside the box might work best here and we might have a few ideas towards the end for this sort of party theme!

Sleepover

They may not be quite ready to say goodbye to their classmates. Organize a unique sleepover in the back garden with teepees, blankets, snacks, and maybe some star-gazing as they share their thoughts on the future. 

DIY Middle & High School Graduation Ideas

College/University

Festival

You can totally organize a festival-like party on any budget. From having a party in your garden with a Spotify playlist to organizing a class party on college grounds, there are many ways to incorporate music into your graduation celebration. Simply throw in some V.I.P badges, neon clothing, and bar supplies, and you’ll have the guests feeling festive in no time!

Hawaii/Tropical

Are your thriving scholars aiming for a sunny holiday post-graduation? Get the party started with an Hawaiian-themed party full of relaxing vibes. After a stressful final year they’d love to get lost in a conga line, hula hoop, or dance competition. They can limber up with fruity cocktails before the limbo games commence. No doubt they’ll seize any opportunity to let their hair down!

Guess Who? 

Sometimes we don’t have all the answers! While they may have their qualifications in the bag, they could also be feeling lost on what to do next. This is where graduation party ideas get interesting. You can incorporate their college subjects into costumes and meal dishes, showcasing the career opportunities available to them. You can also organize guessing games, guest videos with insightful advice, and so much more. 

Glamorous Grad

This is their moment to shine, so planning a civilized event can be a big help. A fabulous black tie event can all come together with a marquee, modern decorations, table settings, and a dance floor. Hire a party planner or rise to the occasion yourself, trust us it’s easier than you think!

Adventure Awaits

Maybe they don’t want a big party, and want a lovely gesture. You can build momentum in any outside space and create a Deal or No Deal style event. By using their favorite numbers or a set of numbers based on the number of prizes given, you could fill each box with a surprise.The prizes could contain a sun holiday, designer gifts, a once-in-a-lifetime experience like skydiving. The choice is yours! Invite only their closest friends or family members, and have them participate and hype up the graduate when opening the boxes. 

Outdoor Game Ideas

Do you think that we’re still missing one vital thing that could tie everything together? Well, we do have one last set of ideas up our sleeve. You’ll find an amazing selection of outdoor games such as cornhole, Fast Four, Topple Tower, and more! The names may not sound familiar, but we can assure you they’re the classic games you know and love, but with a customizable twist. You could easily incorporate any of these games into your graduation party theme. Whether you use them as decorations or make them into party games, it’s up to you!

DIY Collge Graduation Ideas

While we did break down the ideas by levels of academia, you can easily take ideas from different parts and make them suitable for any graduation. Graduation is very much the end of an era in every school level so planning a suitable event can be hard. As the famous graduation song implies – “As they grow old, they’ll remember the good times they spent together”!

You came to us for help, and you could say we’ve educated you on how to throw an outdoor graduation party. From digital invitations to outdoor games, there are many ways we can help organize the graduation party for any age group. Does this make us certified party planners now? We think to a certain degree!