Graduation Party Ideas: Elementary Education Major?

I will be graduating from college next year (I like to plan early). I am a non-traditional student and majoring in elementary education. I am trying to come up with ideas for my graduation party to help my husband. I don't like the normal grad party decorations from party supply stores.

I would like to maybe decorate with things I could use in my classroom later (why use decorations that will be thrown away?) I'm not sure what grade I will be teaching yet. I need help with ideas that are UNIQUE and not too cheesy! We may do a BBQ, but since it will be early May, that's not for sure.

K.H. from Missouri

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By dduty (Guest Post)

May 21, 20080 found this helpful

Have a "Christmas in May" theme. Have your guests bring small classroom items to place on an artificial tree with lights etc. Your guests will want to bring you a gift anyway so why not make it practical things you can use in your classroom. You can never have too many post it notes.

By Amanda (Guest Post)

May 22, 20080 found this helpful

If you wrap crayons or pencils around the outside of a jar or cup, they look really cute, and the containers can be used to hold plastic utensils on your table. You could also tape rulers together to make a napkin holder or a corral for paper plates. Also, you can visit a teacher's supply store for lots of cute paper decorations that you could use on bulletin boards later.

(I think Wal-Mart has a lot of stuff like that, too.) You might also think about getting the flannel-backed plastic tablecloths that you could use in your classroom for parties.

Mary Lou

May 23, 20080 found this helpful

How do u feel about apples as a centerpiece? You could mix real and fake and make a pyramid. For fun, I'd add little flags with excuses students give to teachers. Make your own with wooden or bamboo skewers cut in half and extra sticky post-it note pages. If its sitdown, u could make place markers with real apples. Stick a large paperclip in the stem end of each apple and put a small card with person's name in the paper clip. I like the previous poster's idea of a tree, but I would do a fall tree(when teachers strart work). Use a naked branch and attach silk fall leaves. Hang the supplies you use the most on it ie chalk, small blackboards, mini chalk erasers(or make these big ones) magnetic letters and numbers, etc.

I know that seem strange for May, but it fits the theme to my mind. I would also add some mini clothes pins so it can be a money /gift certificate tree instead of other gifts. Get some small plastic or paper cups and some short pencils(try dollar store)Glue the pencils on the cups points up and bottoms level with cup bottom. Add some silk flowers that sort of go with teaching eg. forget-me-nots and fun stuff like a blank excuse note form(where u check off the answers) Actually that last one could be enlarged and printed on paper placemats or napkins. if you look around you can find min apples made of cedar wood(put a few in a sheer cloth bag and add to the cups. These could be made for each guest as a take-home thing.

Kami Hartzell

May 23, 20080 found this helpful

I'm loving some of these ideas. Especially the pencils around a cup, I've seen pictures of colored pencils done that way and it is really cute and cheerful. Keep the ideas coming. I really appreciate it.

sandy
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May 23, 20080 found this helpful

How about making a bulletin board of yourself? I am a substitute teacher. Today the teacher herself was the student of the month. She had photos of herself along with a questionaire. She had it on the bulletin board where the students were once students of the month.

Don't forget you will need books to fill your classroom. For a game maybe the adults would have to guess to figure out what book goes along with story line, or compete who can read the best story.

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