Throw An Outdoor Graduation Party In Five Steps

As summer approaches, you may realize that your son or daughter is about to graduate from high school or college. You may even want to honor his or her achievements by celebrating with family and friends. But you probably don’t want to rent out an expensive venue or spend hours cleaning your house for guests.

Have you considered throwing an outdoor graduation party for your son or daughter? With the weather warming up, the outdoors can be a perfect setting for an upcoming celebration. Follow these steps for a simple yet unforgettable outdoor graduation party.

1. Grill Up Some Goodness

Arguably the most important part of any party is the food, and graduation parties are no exception. If you’re inviting both your friends and your son’s or daughter’s friends, you’ll have a wide range of ages at the party—and you’ll need to please all of them.

 Some grilling ideas that will please most people include:

• Beef brisket
• Pulled pork
• Ribs
• Kebabs
• Smoked salmon

Make sure your grill is ready to handle the crowds. Prepare it by tightening any loose screws, replacing any worn or broken gas tubes, and refilling your propane tank. You should also clean your grill by scrubbing the metal grates with a wire brush and washing them in the dishwasher.

If you’ve had your grill for years, the upcoming party is a good excuse to upgrade your grill. Consider investing in a larger grill that can quickly cook the large amount of food you’ll need to feed all your hungry guests.

2. Relax Around the Fire Pit

You can add to the celebratory atmosphere at your outdoor graduation party with an outdoor fire pit. A fire pit is especially important if you’re planning the party at a later hour when the air starts to turn cold. Guests can gather around the fire pit to talk or roast s’mores.

If you don’t yet have a fire pit, an outdoor graduation party is a good reason to get one. While you’ll get great use of it during the party, you’ll also enjoy it for years to come.

3. Get Competitive With Some Outdoor Games

The main reason people will come to the graduation party will be to wish you and your son or daughter well. But they’ll also need an activity to do that will give them motivation to linger.

Outdoor lawn games are a good idea because guests can play them whenever they wish while other guests eat and talk. Consider setting up some of the following games.

Corn Hole

Players throw bean bags at a wooden platform and try to get the bean bags to go through a hole in the platform. A player gets three points if the bean bag goes in the hole and one point if the bean bag lands on the platform.

Ladder Toss

Players throw bolas (two balls with a string between them) at a ladder with three rungs. They get points depending on where the bola lands on the ladder. The top rung is worth one point, the middle is worth two points, and the bottom is worth three points.

Horseshoes

Players throw horseshoes at stakes and get different numbers of points depending on how the horseshoes land. A player gets three points for a horseshoe that goes around the stake and one point for a horseshoe that’s six inches or closer to the stake.

4. Leave Memories Behind

After graduating, your son or daughter might plan to move far away. Thus, he or she will want to keep in touch with friends back home. To help, you can set out an address book at the party so guests can write their names, addresses, phone numbers, and notes to your son or daughter.

Another idea is to have guests sign an object that represents your son or daughter. That object could be a globe, a basketball, or a guitar. Or, if you want to keep things simple, the object could be a graduation photo.

5. Smile at a Photo Booth

Your daughter or son will treasure pictures of the party as a way to remember who was there. But you don’t want to have to walk around with a camera the entire night. You can solve this by setting up your own photo booth.

You could designate a specific spot in your yard for photos. If you want to have fun with goofy photos, include a box of props such as glasses, hats, boas, and false mustaches that guests can wear. Rather than hiring a professional photographer, encourage guests to take selfies and post their pictures on a shared social media space.

Outdoor graduation parties take minimal preparation and are enjoyable for all guests. If you’d like to add a new outdoor fire pit to your space, count on Alpine Fireplaces. We carry a wide range of customizable fire pits. Regardless, to plan a graduation party that your family will always remember, you can just follow these tips.