Quarantine Graduation Celebration Ideas

While there is hope on the horizon with the U.S. population heading back to the new normal with vaccinations in progress, health experts are still recommending that we stay at home and practice social distancing if we do have to leave the house.

That leaves yet another set of students likely facing a virtual graduation ceremony. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to help make virtual graduation parties fun and exciting for your special grad.

Send Graduation Announcements
Whether your favorite student is graduating from grade school, high school, or college, it's an occasion that deserves to be celebrated. And, during a time where we're limited by who we can see, graduation announcements have never been more important. When you're designing the perfect graduation announcement for your student, include a picture and a few details, like which college the student is planning to attend, accolades from their high school years, etc.

From there, feel free to get creative and have a little fun with the announcements. And don't shy away from referencing the current state of the world. After a difficult year, you might include a message of hope in the announcement. You can reference hope for a brighter future or sentiments about the day we can all be together again. Or, you might use humor. Send quarantine graduation announcements, with a funny "senior picture" featuring a photo of your student attending virtual school in their pajamas.

You could also put a "technology" spin on shelter-in-place graduation announcements, referencing the rise of the popular video app, Zoom. For example, you could write that your student is part of the Zoom Class of 2021 or include a pun like, "Zoomin' into college."

Regardless of how you decide to celebrate, your friends and family will appreciate receiving an announcement about your student's special day.

Don't Skimp on the Decorations
During a normal year, you'd likely decorate the house with graduation balloons, banners, and other festive party items. Just because you're stuck inside doesn't mean you should forget about the decorations.

In fact, decorating around the house can make video celebrations feel more like the real thing. If you're planning a video graduation party, you might even send everyone on the call the same decorations, so that each household can decorate their space to match. This will make your student feel honored on their special day.

And, don't limit your decorations to the inside of your home. Put out graduation lawn signs so everyone who drives by your home knows you're celebrating your student and their accomplishments.

Get Your Friends and Family Involved
Graduations have long been celebrated by friends and family members. Virtual graduation parties should be no exception. After all, as the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

That village should be there to celebrate the wins just as much as they help during hard times. You can get your friends and family involved beyond just a video call. Start by sending out virtual graduation party invitations. This sets the tone for the celebration and helps to make sure that people will carve out the time to celebrate your child. You can send invitations for a video call, a socially distant drive-by celebration, or both!

You might also consider setting a menu for the event. Food is a key part of any party, virtual celebrations included. Consider creating a menu of food to make, then send the recipes to virtual party-goers and have all the ingredients delivered to them. Or, have everyone order takeout from the same restaurant for the party. When you're eating the same food, even from a distance, it can make it feel like everyone's together.

Take Advantage of Unique Virtual Resources
We're living in a unique digital age, where we have access to more online resources than ever before. This is especially true in the age of the pandemic, where companies have pivoted to take their services online.

Use these resources to your advantage to make your virtual graduation party special. You might look up an online commencement speech to watch at the start of your virtual party. Or, look up options to purchase an online video of your student's favorite celebrity, having them congratulate your child on their accomplishments.

If your graduate is heading off to college in the fall, see if the school's website has a virtual tour of the campus. Then, you can "walk" through the campus together and talk about plans for the future. Getting creative is the key to a fun virtual celebration.

Take It Seriously
Graduating is a huge accomplishment, and it's usually treated as one. However, during the ongoing pandemic, it can be easy to blow it off and not give it the attention it deserves. Instead, commit to taking it just as seriously as you would an in-person celebration.

To do so, you can dress up in nice clothes, just like you would for a normal ceremony. You might also play the iconic graduation song, "Pomp and Circumstance," to give the celebration a more "official" feel.

If you can, hand your child their diploma, so they still get that feeling they would walking across the graduation stage. And, don't forget to have your student move the tassel on their cap and toss it up into the air at the end of the virtual ceremony.

The more you can make the virtual ceremony and celebration feel normal, the less your graduate will feel like they're missing out on this special time in their lives.

Virtual Graduation Parties Can Still Be Special
Now that you know the best tips for throwing fun and exciting virtual graduation parties, it's time to start planning your grad's special day!

Looking for the perfect gift that your favorite graduate will treasure for years to come? Put together a graduation photo book with photos throughout the years.