On a hunt for the very best high school graduation party ideas? You have landed right! Check out all these amazing options you’re going to want to use for your graduation party this year.
Graduation season is upon us, and you know what that means. It’s high time to start thinking of some real good graduation party ideas to celebrate this major milestone! I mean, it’s basically the day you’ve been dreaming about since forever right?!
As a high school senior student graduating, I know you are bound to have a lot of ~feelings~ for your big day. How do I plan a party? Where do I start? What graduation party decorations do I need? What kind of food should I serve? What graduation party supplies are an absolute must?…
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but fear not! I’m here to ease the tension a bit and help you plan a grad party soo good, by the end of this post you’ll walk away with a somewhat clear idea in your mind of how you want your graduation party to be.
These high school graduation party ideas are super fun to recreate, guaranteed to impress your guests, and one you’ll remember for many, many years to come. So, sit back and let these unique ideas inspire you for your big day in the best way possible!
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PARTY IDEAS
1. Make An Entrance Sign
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Your entrance is going to be the first thing people will notice at your graduation party so make sure it’s well decorated!
You can go all out and take it to the next level by displaying a chalkboard sign with your name and a few balloons. So simple and easy. The guests will know exactly where to go with a setup like this!
2. Have A Balloon Garland
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I always say having a balloon garland is one of the most essential graduation party decorations that you seriously need. They are not only good for decorating an area or space but also make for some amazing background for pictures!
You can find a ton of balloon garlands on Amazon ranging from different color schemes, so go with one that fits your graduation theme the most.
3. Set Up A Photo Booth
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This photo booth is soo cute! Photo booths are a must at any graduation party but if you are on a budget and still want a super cute backdrop, this is an easy and inexpensive idea that takes almost zero effort to put up!
All you have to do is order a green leaves backdrop from Amazon and any colorful balloon garland to set it all up, and you’ll have the cutest backdrop for cheap!
4. Have Fun Photo Booth Props
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Don’t forget to have some props along with the photo booth at your graduation party! These can be anything from glasses, and hats, to stick props and fun masks.
I had a graduation-themed photo frame at my high school graduation party and it was such a huge hit. Literally everybody wanted to take pictures with it, so I’d highly recommend having fun props around!
5. Display Yearbook Pictures
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The best kind of high school graduation party ideas are those that display pictures to show how much you have grown throughout the years. It’s always exciting to see how far you have come!
This idea of displaying all your yearbook photos from K-12 is absolutely genius and something your friends and family would love to see at your grad party!
6. Set A Box For Guests To Drop Advice
One of the best things family and friends love to do is give advice to the graduate before they head off to college! Set out a box with papers on a table for guests to write a piece of advice or share a fun memory they had with you and drop it in the box.
I used this idea at my graduation party and had so much fun reading them all after my party and even now! This way you’re also collecting memories to read years down the road which is amazing!
7. Come Up With A Fun Theme
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To put it all together and make sure you have a party you’ll remember, you need to come up with a good theme! Some of the popular ones are the tropical theme, backyard party, one smart cookie, and classic black and gold.
But there are so many high school graduation party ideas out there that had the best themes. You can decide from over 20+ graduation party themes to use at your graduation party this year!
8. Donut Wall
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Donut walls are always a crowd-pleaser and they literally never disappoint. Every graduation party I have been to always has a donut wall, so it only makes sense for you to have one as well!
You can display the donut wall along with other desserts so guests can help themselves and grab a yummy treat off the wall. This is one of the high school graduation party food ideas that everyone will love!
9. Self-Serve Drinks At Your Graduation Party
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Make sure to have some refreshing drinks for guests to enjoy. I absolutely love this self-serve beverage bar because guests can easily help themselves with a drink whenever they want without you having to take time to serve everyone.
You can fill up the beverage dispensers with all kinds of fun summer drinks that you know everyone will love. Then, all you’ll have to do is refill them every now and then.
10. Graduation Cap Cupcakes
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Okay, how cute is this graduation party food idea? This is such a fun way to serve cupcakes at your graduation party that you can guarantee everyone will want to try it!
Fill up a wine glass with an assortment of candies and a cupcake on top. These would make for great graduation party decorations as they would be desserts to your party, so really it’s a win-win for you ;).
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11. DIY Graduation Confetti Cones
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I came across these graduation confetti cones the other day and SO wish I had these at my graduation party. Simply pass out these cones to guests as they walk in and have them shower the graduate with confetti whenever they see them!
Wouldn’t that be fun?! These are super easy to DIY and can be done in under five minutes. I just know the graduate is sure to feel so loved by this gesture from everyone on their big day!
12. Pretzel Station
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Pretzels are SO good and no one can deny that. I don’t think I have seen a pretzel station being done at a graduation party yet, so this would definitely be a fun and unique dessert to have!
You can set them out on a pretzel stand like this and have bowls with all kinds of dips so guests can help themselves. I’m sure there probably won’t be many left by the end of the party!
13. Give Out Personalized Party Favors
Send off your guests in style with these cute personalized favor bags! Just give the graduates’ name and year to this Etsy shop and they will make these favor bags for you in no time.
Then all you’ll have to do is either make cookies at home or order from outside and prepackage them in these bags to give out as party favors! This is one of the best high school graduation party ideas your guests will never stop talking about.
14. A Walking Taco Bar
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A Taco bar is another great graduation party food to serve but a walking taco bar makes it even better. This way guests can pick a bag of chips of their choice and fill it with all the dressings and taco meat they could ever want!
This is an easy and inexpensive graduation party food idea that can be done on a budget but also ensures everyone will enjoy the food because you can never go wrong with having tacos at your party!
15. Money Cake
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How creative is this?! I think we can all agree there’s no better cake than a money cake and is something every graduate will appreciate.
A money cake is especially great for any high school senior graduating since college definitely isn’t cheap, so you will be helping them a ton with this graduation gift!
16. Polaroid Display Setup
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I’m so in love with this idea and had to share it here. If you want to keep beautiful memories from this day, set up a polaroid display like this. Then give a Polaroid camera to your guests and encourage them to take fun photos during the evening so they can hang them up!
This is super creative and you will have so many great memories to look back at by the end of your party. You could also make a whole graduation photo album out of this and keep it with you forever!
17. Showcase Your Memorabilia
I mean, graduation parties are all about celebrating what the graduate has accomplished so it’s the perfect time for you to display all their years’ worth of memorabilia on a table and honor them!
Plus, if you are looking for unique high school graduation party ideas for guys, this is a great one to take inspiration from to showcase all their sports gear and trophies throughout the years!
18. Have A Place For Cards
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I cannot tell you how important it is to have a designated spot for all the cards. Depending on the number of people attending your grad party, most guests usually give out cards that have cash or gift cards in them.
Having a simple card box on the table not only also makes it easy for guests to know exactly where to drop off your card but also ensures you don’t lose any of them!
19. Photo Centerpieces
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Here is another fun and unique way to incorporate photos at your graduation party! You can easily personalize any floral arrangements on the table with photos of you and even the graduate year.
This is such a fun and original centerpiece for high school graduation party ideas that look so stunning and takes almost no effort to whip up. Your guests will surely notice this detail!
20. Graduation Themed Candy Bar
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It’s not a graduation party if there is no candy bar with all the funny puns honoring the graduate in the best way. I love this take on the classic graduation-themed candy bar that includes so many fun options!
Fill up glass jars with an assortment of candies and add fun labels like “honor rolls”, “student loans” and “smart pants”. People will love the creativity and get to enjoy the sweet treats!
21. Host Fun Games At Your Graduation Party
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You definitely don’t want your guests to get bored at your graduation party, so make sure to have some fun games for them to have a great time! You could have graduation-themed bingo, grad libs, or even giant Jenga!
There are also a ton of graduation party game printables available on Etsy that you can get, so you will never run out of ideas for entertainment at your party!
22. Have A Polaroid Guestbook to Remember Everyone That Came
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If you want to keep a memory of everyone that attended your graduation party, keep a guestbook with a polaroid camera on a table.
You can also take it to the next level and label the table with a chalkboard sign saying something like this so that everyone can feel encouraged to take a picture and stick it in the book with a sweet message inside!
23. Create A Hashtag
Since social media has taken over our lives, it’s important you come up with a unique and creative hashtag so that you can easily look back at all the photos that people post online!
Just order this printable from Etsy and set it up near the photo table so people know exactly what hashtag to use. It would be so fun knowing all your pictures from your big day are under a unique hashtag for you and everyone to see!
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One way to spice up a table or a place is to have banners around them and these graduation banners look like the perfect graduation party supply to have at your party!
You can get them from Amazon and hang them near the dessert table or a wall to decorate it a bit. I have seen people get creative with these and get “educated af” banners too!
25. Diploma Cookies
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If you are wondering how these “diploma” cookies are made, just wrap a ribbon around pirouette cookies and they will look exactly like the diploma you just received! Isn’t this no-bake treat so simple and creative?!
I’m so obsessed with this idea. These diploma cookies are the perfect and the most popular desserts seen at graduation parties and are always a huge hit!
26. Have A Personalized Cake Topper
If you are planning to have a cake at your graduation party, you can totally add your own touch to it and customize it with a personalized cake topper like this!
If you like the idea of something else, there are a ton of other graduation-themed cake toppers on Etsy that cost under $15, so you have a variety of options to choose from. It’s a simple detail that people will LOVE to see at your graduation party!
27. Photo Balloon Wall
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Here is another simple photo booth idea that will look stunning as ever at any graduation party. It’s super easy to set up and can be simply done with things you already have around!
All you’ll need is a large white cloth as a backdrop and a few balloons and gold foil to put it together. Super simple and easy, this is definitely one of my favorite high school graduation party ideas that will make your pictures look bomb!
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28. Sign The Globe
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If the graduate is moving to college somewhere out of town or is a travel enthusiast, then have people sign a globe at their graduation party! It’s a super fun activity and your guests will love this modern twist from the usual guestbook.
Plus, this way the graduate can also bring the globe and well wishes with them to college and remember them all!
29. Honor Your Future College In Balloons
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I have seen so many high school graduation parties this year that honor their future college whether it is through decorations or themes and I think it’s soo nice! One way you can do it is through school-themed balloons that you can easily order online!
You are going to be having balloons at your graduation party anyway so why not have custom ones that will be perfect for pictures too?! This makes your party feel more personalized and adds that extra detail to it.
30. Hang Paper Lanterns for Outdoor High School Graduation Party
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If you are having an outdoor high school graduation party, then hang some string lights and attach paper lanterns to them!
This graduation decoration idea is simple but creates the perfect ambiance for your party and makes it look well-decorated.
31. Incorporate Details In Small Decorations
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I love going to graduation parties and seeing how people have incorporated decorations into their parties. It could mean anything from having graduation straws, and centerpieces, to even themed bottle labels.
Incorporating decorations into the smallest details is super easy and inexpensive and I promise you, your guests will totally notice them at your graduation party!
These were all the best high school graduation party ideas you’ll want to use.
