Hello friends, welcome back and happy Monday!

For many of us, summer is a time to host gatherings, catch up with family and friends and embark on vacations.  This year, however, is different.  While some places are starting to reopen, there’s no denying that due to COVID-19, many things have been postponed, or cancelled.  

One thing that’s been derailed by the virus is my son’s kindergarten graduation.  Although, I know there are much bigger problems in the world, and understand the need for cancellation, I cannot lie that I felt sad.  That may seem overdramatic, but he is our only child and it was also a huge year for him. Not only was kindergarten his first year of formal education but it required him to be more disciplined and more focused.  

So, rather than letting the pandemic spoil this milestone, I took it as an opportunity to organize an at-home party for my little guy because his achievement deserves to be celebrated.  

Today, I am sharing some of the simple things I did to make this party happen.  

Let’s start with decorations!

Graduation Banner

Every party needs a banner, right? 

And there’s nothing quite like commemorating your little one’s achievement with a big banner that says congratulations! Not only was it the perfect décor for our front room but it made for a great background for photos too.

 

Table Decorations

As for the table? 

Since this was just a family celebration which we didn’t have any guests, the set up was simple.  I used the matching table cover that came with the banner on top of my son’s smaller table to display his cake and homemade graduation diploma.  I did have to trim the table cover for it to fit a much smaller table but that was an easy fix.  After I determined how much material I wanted, I simply cut off the excess.  Done!

Apart from the table cover, I also bought a cascading graduation centerpiece but had totally forgotten about it.

Balloon Arch/Garland

Thanks to Instagram, I was convinced I needed to try a balloon arch.  After some research, I settled on this balloon arch-making kit.  Buying this was a game changer and I must say, it’s worth every penny! Not only was it so easy to use but it truly made my son’s day one of a kind.  With the help of my little graduate and an electric balloon pump, it only took about an hour to put together.  The only negative, and it is minor, was tying a knot in all the balloons.  

If you are looking for a unique flair to spice up an event like a graduation, wedding or a birthday, I would recommend a balloon arch or garland.  There are so many to choose from and the hardest part is picking a style or color! 

Cake

I hemmed and hawed about the cake.  I was planning to make the cake, but I knew it would be hard to do while also decorating, cleaning, taking pictures and being a mama! In the end, I decided to keep it simple and asked the hubby to purchase a pre-made cake from our local Safeway.  

Unfortunately, it slipped my mind to ask for the cake to be personalized.  I could have asked the hubby to go back to the store to get it done.  Instead, I used my scrapbooking stencils to make letters “YOU DID IT” to add personalization.  I simply traced and cut the letters I needed then taped them to a toothpick.  Looking back, I could have added a few stars so note to self for next time. 

You can also buy a cake topper if you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route.  

Diploma

You can find plenty of blank certificates online, and even an adorable printable but for our event, I opted to create a simple and fun diploma.  Since this graduation party is unconventional, I wanted to add my own flair.  I simply cut some letter pieces of colored paper and I placed each letter on construction paper to spell the words “KINDERGARTEN DIPLOMA”. I then used a stencil with cursive lettering to personalize it with my own text, added some stars, signed it with love and it was ready to go!  

Ceremony

And what’s a graduation without a ceremony?

Once graduation day arrived, I got all the teddies involved! The full ceremony included a march across our front room, complete with our TV playing the graduation march, a keynote speech and diploma presentation by dad. It was definitely a day to remember and my heart was full.

All in all, my son’s at-home graduation party turned out great! I am so glad we decided to put it together. It was a good reminder that pandemic or not, it’s important to celebrate the positive things in our lives and do everything we can to make our loved ones feel special. When I saw the smile on my little one’s face, I knew it’s not a day I will ever forget.

First Grade, here we come!

Are you planning any parties coming up? How are you celebrating milestones these days?

PIN IT FOR LATER

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you).