Party Themes

Dare to be different!

If you really want to do something different, something that will be remembered, we suggest a theme for your party.  It's up to the graduate. Having a theme makes it easier to decorate and plan your menu. Here are a few of our favorites. There are a lot more in our book.

• Thank You: Invite all of your graduate’s teachers, coaches, and special friends who helped them along their way.

• Off to College: Is your graduate going to college?  Deck the walls with college pennants, banners and jerseys from their new school.  Check out their web sites.  Many colleges sell merchandise over the internet.  Does your graduate’s future college lend itself to an even more specific theme party?  Texas BBQ?  Florida Beaches?  Boston Seafood?
  
  Here is a wonderful way to help your graduate keep in touch with their friends who are going off to college: Buy a large map of the United States and supply pins with labels for the kids to write their names on them.  Ask them to print their names and the names of their colleges on the label and put the pin on the map.  It is a great conversation starter for the older guests as well.

• Sports: Is your son or daughter into sports?  Do they love the music played at sporting events?  Develop a theme around their favorite sports.  Hang all their old jerseys on clothes lines around the yard, or in the house.  (The little ones are real cute).  Buy all of the Jock Rock CDs (a collection of music played at professional sports events) and play them during the party!

• Class Clown: Has your graduate always been a fun loving kid?  Celebrate this uniqueness with an inspirational focus on humor.  Ask your guests to think of funny stories and roast the graduate.  Make a poster of silly photos.  Hire a comedian to write and perform a funny tribute.

Mexico: Did your graduate study Spanish?  Did they go to Mexico?  Decorating is easy for a Mexican theme, and who can resist a taco bar?  Borrow a sombrero, rugs and wall hangings and display your memorabilia with it.  Consider inviting your student’s language teachers.

• France: Did your graduate study French?  Oui?  Ooh la la, build on that theme.  French bread, exotic cheeses, French pastries set-up around the French flag or a miniature Eiffel Tower.

• European: Is your graduate going to back pack through Europe this summer?  Decorate with travel posters, and your invitation could be a passport.

• Backyard Brunch: Is breakfast their favorite meal? See our fun food section.

• Dance: Does she love to dance?  Splurge on a band or DJ and let music take center stage.  Just serve snacks and soft drinks.

• School Spirit! Really emphasize the school your child is graduating from by decorating with the school colors, logo and team jerseys.

• Beach Party! If you can’t get to a real beach or lake, fill up a plastic kiddie pool with ice and arrange your salads and other perishable food to keep them cool throughout the party.  Serve beverages with cute straws and little umbrellas.  Have plenty of beach balls, yard games, patio umbrellas, lawn chairs and beach towels. 

• New York, New York: Is your graduate heading to Broadway?  Decorate with signs that look like movie theatre signs and lights.  Make your invitation in the form of a theatre ticket.

• Drama Party: Was your graduate involved in the school plays?  Maybe you could borrow props from the school and invite a few friends to dress up and perform for the crowd.

• Private Showing: Is your graduate an artist?  A photographer?  Have a showing of their work. (Did you know you can rent easels from party rental companies?)  This theme lends itself to a great invitation!

• Sundaes on Saturday: Cute invitation idea that makes for a simple menu.  Just buy big tubs of ice cream and set up a sundae bar.

• Texas or Southwest: Decorate with bandanas, red chili pepper lights, and howling coyotes. Serve southwest food or BBQ, corn bread, chips with guacamole and salsa.

Friends: Co-host a party with a few other families and emphasize the friendships in the invitations and memorabilia.  Check out this fun photo cake.  Plan a "keep in touch activity" for all the graduates who attend.  Offer to produce a "directory" that will list their addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other pertinent information.  Give graduates a postcard addressed to you so they can write when they have their address, etc.  Hire a professional photographer to come to the party for a group shot of all of the graduating friends.

For more party theme ideas, order our book Graduation Parties! Everything You Need to Know From Start to Finish!