They may be little, but graduation day is still a big deal for kindergarteners. Young kids love to celebrate and while mastering the ABCs and 123s may not compare to earning a college degree, it warrants some type of ceremony.
Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank honoring your little graduate. Rather, keep the shindig simple by selecting a theme that yields itself to inexpensive fun. For example:
Books: Ask your child’s teacher what books the kids read in class during the course of the academic year. Then, select a few titles and incorporate them into the theme. You could have guests dress-up as a favorite storybook character or have a few inexpensive props on hand for them to put on as they enter the party. Keep the decoration budget down by displaying books you have at home. You could also use a cheap chalkboard to write out congratulatory messages instead of purchasing an expensive banner. Affordable games include “Pin the Eyeglasses on the Bookworm” which you can make yourself by drawing a worm and printing clip art eyeglasses from the Internet.
When I Grow Up: This theme is easy and affordable to pull off with a kindergarten crowd. Simply have your young guests come to the party dressed in costumes that showcase what they want to be when they grow up, such as a firefighter, police officer, cowboy, construction worker, chef or doctor. The decorations and activities can be an eclectic blend that incorporates various careers. For example, you could play a game of “dentist” by having kids roll dice and filling a cut-out paper mouth with mini marshmallow teeth. The first player to fill all 20 empty spots on the mouth picture is declared the winner. Finally, visit the Dollar Store for inexpensive party favors, such as gold badges, mini trophies, sticker books, pencils, finger paint and colored chalk.