I remember my school graduation party being a great example of fundraising while having fun. Our graduation party was hosted in our school’s gymnasium and was activity themed – there was a section for dancing, hanging out with friends, Sumo wrestling, carnival games, movies and more. When you purchased tickets to the graduation party, you were given a small roll of raffle tickets that could be used to “purchase” any of the activities or for food and beverages. At the end of the party, the tickets were placed in a large bowl and used to auction off fun graduation prizes!
Since graduation is right around the corner and chances are your school will be hosting a graduation party for alumni, now is the perfect time to start planning. Especially if you plan to use your school’s graduation party to fundraise for your school too. Read on for 5 fun graduation party themes that could potentially raise a lot of funds for your school or charity of choice.
#1: Beach Blow Out
A weekend beach bash is a the perfect graduation party since the beach is usually a free location with plenty of space for party games, swimming, and sun bathing. Some beaches will also allow you to BBQ and have music as well. Your school could set up “stations” for different types of activities along the beach, such as; beach volleyball or soccer, an area for food and lounging and an area for beach games. You could send out beach themed invitations, order personalized megaphones for those on the sidelines cheering their classmates on and you could also give out drink and food tickets so that everyone enjoys their fair share. What graduation party would be complete without a raffle or two – enter each student that redeems their raffle tickets for a fun giveaway to commemorate the event.
#2: Picnic in the Park
If your school is thinking of hosting a graduation party where friends and family members of the alumni can also attend, why not consider a picnic in the park. Again, parks are a great location for a graduation party because there is a lot of space, pavilions can be rented out and it us a relaxing, fun setting that everyone will enjoy. Plan to host lawn games, set up a Sumo Wrestling area (where guests can dress as a Sumo Wrestler and wrestle each other), and set up an area of the park with picnic blankets for those that want to relax on the lawn while eating lunch. You could have waterproof posters to direct guests to the appropriate part of the park for the activity that they are interested in, or to direct them to the food and beverages. Instead of selling tickets to the event, sell waterproof wristbands (these would be great for a beach party too!) that can be worn all day since you may have guests all over the park – it’s a great way to keep those that weren’t invited from crashing your graduation party.
#3: Dance Party
Everyone loves to dance and a dance party would be another great party theme for graduation. Keep the dance party light by incorporating a fun theme, such as the 80’s! Decorate the venue with personalized dance party posters, sell tickets for raffles that will be held throughout the dance and giant wall stickers could be used to shout out catchphrases from the 80’s or whatever theme you choose. Since a dance party is so informal, you can advertise the graduation party all over campus by passing out and hanging personalized flyers that include all of the party details.
#4: Rooftop Dinner
If your school has a very small graduating class or you are looking for a more intimate way to celebrate, consider hosting a rooftop dinner. You can either have several tables or one long table that everyone will sit at together. When going formal, a beautiful personalized invitation and admission ticket will start the graduation party off on the right foot. You could sell drink and raffle tickets or set up a silent auction to raise funds for either the school or a favorite charity. Give the dinner a little extra pizazz with personalized place cards to show guests where they should sit.
#5: A Class Act
If you are looking for a graduation party that is out of ordinary and unique, why not book a professional or several to come in and teach the alumni a new skill such as baking, sailing, or yoga? You could even offer several different classes depending on the interest of the alumni and host them on a rolling schedule throughout the weekend, so students could attend as many as they would like. It would be a great way for them to try out several new activities that they may otherwise never get the chance to try and it would be a fun memory making graduation party.
YOUR TURN: Have you ever attended a graduation party that really knocked your socks off? We would love to hear about, please leave your comments below!
photo credit Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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