A lot has changed in the last 25 years when it comes to Pre-K graduations, but the basics are still the same! I knew when I moved to teaching Pre-K I couldn’t just do a simple graduation for these kids! So, I have thought about how to plan the perfect graduation all year long. Here are the tips and tricks used to pull my Pre-K graduation off!
Ceremony Our ceremony is simple. The students all come up to the stage in their caps and gowns and sing a song. Then, one at a time, they come up to the microphone and tell their favorite part about Pre-K. We even made a book that compiled all of the students' favorite memories. You can get the template here.
As they come up and tell the audience their favorite part of school, we will display their drawing on the overhead projector. This gives the parents a chance to see their kiddo's drawings. After the students are done talking, it is my turn to tell MY favorite part of Pre-K. Then after we have finished reading our book, it is my turn to read to the students. I read "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Finally, I call them one at a time, present them with their "diploma" and allow mom and dad to snap a picture or two. That is our whole ceremony. It is simple, but at the same time, gives parents and students that special moment they have been waiting for all year.
Setting the Stage We based our whole Pre-K graduation off of the book "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. My favorite line in the book, is what I want my students to remember! "Kid you'll move mountains!" I wanted my students to know that the world is at their feet and they can do anything that they choose! Since Dr. Seuss uses a lot of hot air balloons in the book, I wanted to have clouds and hot air balloons be the main focus. I used Cloud Print Gossamer as the backdrop and then hung Beach Ball Hanging Paper Lanterns and Chipwood Baskets to create hot air balloons. I then hung the lanterns from the ceiling. The makes it appear that I am standing in the clouds during the ceremony. I also added another iconic Dr. Seuss image to our stage. In the front of our podium, I made truffla trees! I used Floral Tile Print Hanging Tissue Pom-Poms, Pink Modern Print Hanging Lantern, and Violet Print Hanging Pom-Poms to decorate the top of the podium. To make the base of the tree I took a simple pool noodle, cut it in half, and wrapped it in black butcher paper. After I added yellow stripes to give it just an extra bit of flair. It just makes the stage whimsical and fun! Just to add a little extra pop! I used the Hot Air Balloon 3D Cardboard Stand-Up to offset the weight on the stage. I also hung two sets of the Bright Tassel Garland to frame the projector. After Graduation After our graduation is over, my students and their families have a little social hour! They will stop to take pictures with our Photo Backdrop, on the stage, or with their friends. The parents also get to see their darlings up close and personal in their caps, gowns and their DIY stoles. This is my favorite part of graduation! When I graduated from college, I got to personalize my cap. But in Pre-K students get to personalize their stoles! You can read how we made our own DIY stoles HERE. Another fun way to remember Pre-K graduation is with these Personalized 2017 Photo Frames. Our post graduation social hour also gives students time to enjoy our snack table. You can't have a graduation without a little snack! We served cupcakes and a special cloudy punch! Use plates that match your color scheme or incorporate these graduation plates to make students feel special. You can read more about how we set up our snack table HERE. I hope this post gave you lots of good ideas on how to plan the perfect Pre-K or Kindergarten graduation for your own students! Be sure to check out the rest of my Pre-K graduation posts including a Graduation Photo Backdrop, DIY Graduation Stoles, and how to put together a Snack Table.
