Best homeschool graduation ceremony ideas, how to throw a graduation party at home and virtual graduation tips! Follow these simple steps to ensure your senior homeschool high school graduation ceremony is a memorable event. Just because you’re having a DIY home graduation / individual graduation, doesn’t mean it can’t be special celebration for your senior!
HOW TO HAVE A HOMESCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY
Is your senior finally graduating homeschool? Wondering how do you host a home graduation?
Follow these tips for your own homeschool graduation ceremony program and grad party!
So, you can stop wondering how do I start my own graduation ceremony and start planning TODAY!
How do you celebrate graduation at home?
- Select a date and time for your graduation ceremony.
- Select a graduation ceremony venue. (Will it be at home or somewhere else?)
- Send out graduation invitations.
- Order the cap and gown (don’t forget the stoles, cords, and tassels for graduation!).
- Do a real graduation ceremony at home (not a mock graduation ceremony!).
- Create an official graduation diploma to present them a homeschool diploma.
- Put together a graduation slideshow or photo board showing what the graduate worked on during different years.
- Create a graduation speech honoring the grad’s accomplishments over the years.
- Think of the details. Do you need tables and chairs? Will there be food? Where will everyone use the bathroom? Where you will keep monetary gifts safe?
- Enjoy the big day! You DIY graduation ceremony should be a fun day of family graduation celebration!
We have a lot of graduation at home ideas and tips, be sure to keep scrolling to see them all!
DON’T MISS: 12 Common Homeschool Graduation Ceremony Mistakes to Avoid
How do you make a homeschool graduation special?
- Order a cap and gown for your home school graduate to make it “official.”
- Get your homeschool graduate involved in the planning so that it has his/her style. It should be as formal or as casual as they want. Ask your senior about their at home graduation vision… and then follow their lead!
- Get professional graduation pictures taken. Graduation time is definitely an event to splurge on professional photographs.
- Plan a super fun graduation party after the official ceremony.
- Create special awards for your homeschool grad. Did they volunteer at a local shelter? Give them an extra award for that. Did they finish honors level courses? Give them an honors cord.
- Make your own senior yearbook of accomplishments, field trips, and work from the past years.
COLLEGE BOUND SENIOR? Check out Tips for Homeschool Graduate College Dorm Checklist
About Graduating From Homeschooling
So, your homeschooler is graduating high school (or kindergarten or you need 8th grade graduation ceremony ideas), but now what? Definitely don’t skip the graduation ceremony for a homeschool student!
I need you to pull yourself together because we have some work to do with planning a homeschool graduation ceremony.
You need homeschool graduation ideas for your homeschooling graduation.
I need you to pull yourself together because we have some work to do with planning a homeschool graduation ceremony.
Lucky for your we’ve got a ton of graduation ceremonies ideas because planning a graduation ceremony can be daunting!
No worries, though!
We’re going to walk you through common homeschool graduation ceremony mistakes, how you should avoid them, and give you some creative homeschool graduation ideas to rock this graduation ceremony party!
Before we get to the ideas for homeschool graduation ceremony and how to plan a homeschool graduation ceremony…
ALSO CHECK OUT MORE GRAD IDEAS: Middle School Graduation Ceremony Ideas
Do homeschoolers have a graduation ceremony?
Whether homeschoolers have a graduation ceremony or not will vary by family.
Some home schooling families or homeschool students may choose not to have a traditional graduation party or ceremony and may simply complete their studies and move onto the next phase of their lives.
Others will either have a graduation ceremony at home or will participate in a group graduation ceremony hosted by local homeschool co-ops or businesses or even their state homeschool association.
Do homeschooled students get a high school diploma?
Yes, homeschoolers graduate and can be issued a diploma by their home education institute, which is usually their parents or a homeschool co-op.
Just like in traditional school, homeschoolers have some level of state requirements (from basic to strict, depending on state) to meet in order to complete high school and get a diploma.
Here’s how to plan a high school graduation ceremony (or for any grade graduation) and graduation program ideas.
These are mainly graduation day ideas for high school, but you can adapt them for any homeschool grade or age and even find some things if your child’s if graduation canceled and you need to celebrate your graduate at home!
Before we get to the tips, let’s cover hosting a virtual graduation.
HOW TO HAVE A VIRTUAL GRADUATION
Graduation Canceled?
You may have landed here not because you’re a homeschool family who needs a homeschool graduation ceremony online.
Instead, you may find yourself in this weird time of having your graduation canceled or the need to include family members in your graduation ceremony from afar.
Having an online graduation party doesn’t mean that you can’t do special things (and even hold your own graduation ceremony) to make your grad feel special — whether it be graduation high school, college graduation, kindergarten /preschool graduation or middle school graduation, you can adapt these ideas for graduation fun.
What Is A Virtual Commencement?
A virtual graduation is a ceremony that is held via an online platform (like Zoom or FaceTime or other online platforms).
It allows friends and family to participate in celebrating with the graduate without actually being at the graduation or attending a graduation ceremony.
So … how does virtual graduation work?
Ideas for Virtual Graduation
Here are some virtual graduation ceremony ideas so you can still celebrate your graduate:
- Host a full on virtual graduation ceremony at home through Facebook Live, Zoom or other platforms where a small group of friends and family can observe. Ask each of them to prepare something to say about the graduate.
- Send out fun virtual invites with the graduation date. Be sure to include exact directions on how to connect to your chosen platform (like Zoom, etc.)
- Have friends and family come up with some awesome graduation music ideas playlist for your grad to use to walk into the room instead of the traditional graduation march song.
- Ask your grad to prepare a graduation speech and then have them give it during the virtual graduation.
- Make amazing (and even silly) awards and graduation honors to present to your graduate. (Even better? Ask your virtual audience ahead of time to come up with some award ideas!)
- Have your grad dress up in full cap and gown and take graduation pictures around your house, with pets, or even outside. Don’t forget to take pics of your Zoom screen with everyone who attends your virtual celebration! (You’ll DEFINITELY want to commemorate this time with graduation photos!) Don’t forget to have your grad decorate their cap!
- Decorate your front door or window with a banner and things about your graduate—their uniform from a sports league, favorite books, a football helmet, sheet music. Make it things that honor their time in school.
- Make signs for your yard or window about your graduate.
- Ask local friends and family to do a drive-by parade for your graduate!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Fun Senior Sleepover Ideas
How To Plan A Graduation Ceremony At Home for Homeschoolers
The next section is specifically for homeschool graduations, so read through it all.
There are great tips in there that you can even adapt to your school-at-home situation!
Simple Homeschool Tips for Your Graduation Ceremony:
- Get your homeschooler involved in the planning.
- Determine what homeschool graduation supplies you will need.
- Pick a date and location. (Will it be at home, an event center, or do you need church graduation ideas?)
- Save money by making your own graduation cake and invitations.
- Don’t forget your homeschool graduation cap and gown (or a special graduation outfit!).
- Brainstorm some fun graduation picture ideas and get them taken to include in the invitation.
- Decide on the type of homeschool graduation ceremony program you will have (formal, casual, etc.).
- Create an official homeschool diploma (and print out a homeschool transcript, while you’re at it).
- Surprise them with something special like a graduation picture collage or a cool DIY yearbook.
- Make it a time of recognition and gratitude for this important milestone by creating a graduation guest book so people can leave their well wishes for a keepsake for your homeschool graduate!
Fun Things To Do After Graduation Ceremony
- Eat! Have finger foods or a buffet for your family or guests (or rent a food truck).
- Or, reserve a room and go out to a favorite local restaurant if your group is small.
- Have a band or DJ and dance.
- Play yard games. (We love these oversized yard games that will definitely delight guests of all ages!)
- Set up an obstacle course and compete in fun (and easy) group challenges.
- Do karaoke (this is super cool for that!).
- Have a graduation photo shoot area for selfies and group graduation pics after the ceremony.
- Plan a fun family vacation or special graduation trip.
How To Celebrate Graduation Without A Party
Want a low-key graduation with no party (or a very small group of friends or just immediate family)?
- Reserve a table (or room) at a nice restaurant your grad loves.
- Plan a one-on-one spa day with your homeschool graduate.
- Set up a fake graduation ceremony with their friends and give out funny awards. (At the end, have a limo to take the group out to dinner.)
- Do a team scavenger hunt in your city. (There are many app companies that host scavenger hunt parties.)
- Take them to a concert or play they’ve been wanting to see.
- Give them the money you would’ve spent on a grad party.
- Rent an AirBnB with a pool and relax for the weekend or week.
- Take them on a shopping spree (if that’s their thing). (Set a budget limit before you head out to shop!)
- Plan a hiking trip (if that’s your grad’s idea of fun).
- Rent them a hotel room and let them have a senior sleepover with a couple of friends.
- Use Cameo and pay for their favorite celebrity to give graduation congratulations.
- Take them (or send them) on a trip.
FUN GRADUATION PARTY IDEA: Play the Sticky Note Game (Graduation Story Game)
We’d love to hear what at home graduation ideas worked for you!
Leave your homeschool graduation ceremony ideas or virtual graduation ideas in the comments so we can add them to the list!
My sister’s graduation will be virtual since we have this whole pandemic going on, which is why I’m currently looking for a custom kente stole that she may use for the ceremony. Well, I agree with you that it would be a great idea to ask her to prepare a graduation speech. I’ll also keep in mind to look for a gown and full cap that she can wear.
These are some great ideas!! thank you for the inspo 🙂