7 Virtual Graduation Party Must-Haves

Throw a memorable celebration for any graduate with these virtual graduation party ideas, planning tips, and grad party must-haves.

One thing the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us is that you don’t have to be in the same place as your friends and family to celebrate together. You can create a fun and memorable virtual gathering with the right technology and a bit of planning. We’ll even go as far as saying that your virtual graduation party might have some advantages over an in-person event, like more people being able to attend without having to travel, or the cost savings of not having to feed and host everyone in your home.

A virtual graduation party is also less formal, putting less pressure on guests to show up with a perfectly wrapped present. Instead, you can focus your energy on connecting with family and friends online and making memories that are easily captured and shared.

How can you make your virtual graduation party fun? Follow these party planning tips and virtual party must-haves to make your graduate’s day unforgettable.

Virtual Graduation Party Ideas At Home

Don’t think of your virtual graduation party as a sub-par alternative to the real thing. There are plenty of ways to make your celebration a day to remember for the new grad.

Start by making a list of everything that is important to your grade school, high school or college grad and see which items can be incorporated into your party. You might have to get creative, make some compromises, or simply scale back certain activities or ideas. As a last resort, you can try to postpone something that’s truly important to your grad, like celebrating at a specific location, traveling abroad, etc.

As you start planning your virtual graduation party, consider some of these must-haves your grad might be asking for.

1. Virtual Graduation Party Theme

Ask the grad about their preferred party theme, colors and decorating ideas. Yes, decorating for a virtual party is a good idea. No, a Zoom background, no matter how festive, is not a good alternative.

You don’t have to spend a fortune, balloons can go a long way. Just remember, the party is for the grad so let them pick what they want to see for the party décor. Same, of course, goes for the food and party treats!

Some popular graduation party themes for include:

• School colors theme
• Sports theme
• Travel theme
• Aloha summer luau theme
• Donut you forget about me food theme
• Mexican fiesta taco theme
• Glam rose gold or black and gold theme
• Photo theme
• Teaching/Teacher theme

2. Virtual Party Entertainment

Consider some form of active entertainment for the grad and family along with your virtual guests. Creating a simple outline of events and what you have planned will be helpful for everyone involved. You can include this with your virtual graduation party invitation or update everyone as they join in on the day of.

You can follow the typical graduation day timeline, starting with a commencement ceremony, streamed or recreated in your home, and the handing of the diplomas. Some families love to incorporate a photo slideshow and even some video shorts of the graduate. You can also include their favorite music, video clips and more. Get creative!

3. Virtual Graduation Party Games

Virtual graduation party games aren’t just suggested, they’re sort of a requirement. Keeping things fun, entertaining and most importantly, interactive is the way to go. And luckily there are tons of great ways to keep the party going with virtual party games for you and all your guests.

First, consider creating separate virtual rooms for different games and your guests. For example, parents might be more inclined to play games with grandparents, uncles, aunts and long distance relatives. Grads, on the other hand, can hang out virtually with their friends. Our recommendation is to start and end the party with everyone in one virtual space, but offer flexibility and options in between to keep guests upbeat and entertained.

Classic games like bingo, charades, Pictionary and others are always a good idea. You can also host a virtual trivia game and include facts about the grad.

4. Virtual Dancy Party or Karaoke

Perfect for music and dance lovers, a virtual dance party and/or a Karaoke party is another great way to keep your guests entertained and involved in the festivities. Make sure to research and test out any apps, tools or equipment you might be using and get ready for fun!

This is another opportunity for different virtual rooms, based on musical preferences or ages of guests. The best fun is in popping into the other rooms to see how everyone is celebrating.

5. Virtual Photo Booth

A virtual graduation party offers plenty of opportunities to capture and share memories the grad can look back on. Encourage guests to submit their photos by creating a virtual photo booth or simply asking them to post to social media with your own custom #hashtag.

6. Virtual Comedy Roast of the New Grad

Another fun way to make your virtual grad party more memorable is to host a comedy roast of the new grad. Friends, family and loved ones can join in with funny memories and light-hearted jokes about the grad, all recorded for posterity, of course.

7. Socially Distanced Drive By Food Truck

Food always brings people together. If you want to offer food, snacks or dessert for your guests, look for a local food truck to serve at your party. Invite family and friends for a timed, socially distanced drive by your home to say congrats to your graduate. Have each guest schedule a time they’d like to stop by and place an online order for food or treats they can pick up when they stop by to celebrate.

Make it festive by decorating your front lawn with personalized banners, signs, balloons and other decorations. We recommend adding some seating for the grad and the family celebrating together. You can also consider creating a space where guests can take photos with the grad. Tip: Have face masks available for everyone who wants one.

Share Your Favorite Virtual Grad Party Ideas

What are some of your socially-distance friendly and virtual graduation party must-haves and ideas? Share with us on social or in the comments below.