How to Host a Virtual Graduation Party

April 29, 2024 byElizabeth Preston

4 min to read

With over 20 years of teaching students in online school, Connections Academy® students have had in-person and virtual ceremonies as well as graduation parties, and we know how to throw a good one! Here are some virtual graduation ideas and tips on hosting an at-home or virtual graduation party for your online school student.

Virtual Graduation Party: Gather for a Zoom Celebration

Whether you choose Zoom, FaceTime, or some other platform for your virtual celebration, you can:

1. Make a slideshow to highlight your student’s journey

Some virtual graduation slide ideas include:

Photos and videos from when your student was growing up
Pictures and videos of your student’s achievements
Short descriptions of major projects your student completed
Photos and videos of field trips
Photos and videos of your student with their friends and family
Slides describing your student’s plans for after graduation

Consider using a slideshow app PowerPoint to share memories of your student’s school journey. The best part of this idea is that you can use it to celebrate birthdays or other milestone celebrations.

2. Create a special graduation Zoom background

You can make a special graduation background and share it with all your partygoers to set as their background on Zoom. The background is a fun way to unite everyone in a shared experience and give your graduate special recognition.

Graduation background ideas include a picture of your student, a collage that exemplifies something special or unique about your student, or an image that symbolizes the next step in your student’s journey. You may even consider having each of your guests use a different background that they feel represents something special about your student so that you have a sea of graduation backdrops that celebrate your student.

Download Pearson Zoom Backgrounds

3. Play a group game

Many families and friends gather virtually to sing karaoke, play bingo, or play other games together. Some Zoom graduation party games are polls with questions about your graduating student, trivia about your student’s favorite topics, or other online party games.

The point is to make this time fun and to create memories.

4. Dress up for the occasion

High school graduation is a major life milestone, and if your graduate wants to celebrate in style, then encourage this natural desire of self-expression and joy. Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean that your student can’t wear a special outfit for an at-home or virtual graduation party.

5. Share memories online

After the party is over, encourage everyone to post screen grabs or other pictures of your shared experiences to their own social media accounts. This will keep the conversation going and continue to celebrate your student.

6. Give speeches

Your student can give a virtual graduation speech to their attendees. You can also give a speech as the student’s Learning Coach or caregiver, and you can open the mic to others to give speeches celebrating your graduate too. You may want to ask attendees to prepare a speech beforehand.

Make Your Space Festive

Having your home decorated can help your student to feel special and proud of their accomplishment. Also, you are showing the world that you are proud of your student graduating—this support can mean the world to your student. Here are some ideas for graduation decorations.

1. Put up signs

Mark the special day with signs around your home or outside that let the whole neighborhood know you have a high school graduate in your house!

2. Make a photobooth or backdrop

Create a fun area for selfies. The easiest way is to decorate your doorframe, outside entryway, fence, or arch with banners, garlands, flowers, or balloons. This gives your graduate a graduation backdrop for the perfect photo to mark the big day.

3. Leave out grab-and-go snacks or party favors

Just because there may not be guests at your student’s virtual graduation party doesn’t mean you need to skip out on all the sweets and snacks a typical graduation party would have. Set out a spread of your student’s favorite party snacks and celebrate with them. Encourage your virtual graduation party guests to bring fun snacks of their own, too.

High school graduation can be a bittersweet time—it can be a happy time when you celebrate your graduate’s accomplishments, but it marks the end of an era. It shows that your graduate is growing up, and it can be both exciting and scary for your graduate to see that they are on the edge of adulthood. You can help them by celebrating this milestone with them via a virtual graduation party and ensuring them that you’re going to be there for them no matter what the next step may be.