Outdoors Graduation Party Ideas

by Yu Qing

Overview

High school or college graduates deserve to have their graduations recognized after years of hard work. They are not the only ones deserving of a celebration; family and friends who supported the graduate through school should also be included in the fun. Invite everyone to celebrate the momentous occasion with an outdoors graduation party. Having the party outdoors holds several entertainment options for participating guests.

Graduation
Scavenger Hunt Game

Take advantage of outdoor surroundings and arrange a scavenger hunt game for party participants. Brainstorm items that fall under a school theme to hide for partygoers to find. You can find graduation figurines, such as mini graduation caps or diplomas from party stores. Include funny items such as fake detention slips or dunce hats to keep the game entertaining. Give each group a list of items to find. To make it more challenging, instead of including the name of the item, write riddles for the groups to figure out the item. The team with the most items found wins. To make the win more enjoyable, give the winning team a prize. Possible prizes include decorations for their dorm (if they are high school graduates) or gift certificates to local stores or restaurants.

Bonfire

Have a graduation party at the beach in the evening. Many beaches have areas where you can set up your own bonfire. Bring along wood, kindling material (such as old newspapers) and matches. For a fun alternative, ask recent graduates to bring old class notes to use as kindling material. This will allow them an entertaining way to signal the end of classes. Plan an easy menu for this casual gathering. Make s'mores with graham crackers, marshmallows and Hershey's chocolate bars. Serve hot dogs and hamburgers with various condiments. Serve refreshments such as soda and bottled water. At the end, have everyone sit down in a circle around the bonfire to share fun high school or college experiences. Go around the circle to make sure everyone has an opportunity to relate his or her experiences.
Poster Signing

Make the graduation party a lasting memory with a signed poster. The poster substitutes as a guest book for an outdoors party. Pin a large piece of butcher paper along the wall outside and provide colored markers for the guests. Encourage guests to write celebratory messages on the poster for the recent graduates when they arrive at the party. Recent graduates can also write messages to the host of their memories together. The final product will be a large poster with notes from all of the guests. The graduate can keep the poster as a memory of his or her graduation party.