Everyone loves a good Graduation Party and since we must practice social distancing we’re taking our parties online. Let me show you how easy it is to plan a virtual graduation party on ZOOM or Skype. Let’s get a group of people together and enjoy a celebration with them even though we can’t be together in person.
Do everything you would normally do to prepare for a party. Send invitations, get decorations, and get your grads favorite snacks or cake.
Choose a Platform to Host Your Virtual Party
Choose something you are personally comfortable with or one that you know your friends and family have. A lot of people have been jumping on video chatting to stay in touch with loved ones during this time of social distancing.
Zoom
You can video chat with up to 100 people for up to 40 min for free. Or you can upgrade for unlimited video call minutes.
You can get a Personal Meeting ID and just share the link with your guests so they can join at the appropriate time.
Skype
It’s the tried and true method of video chatting and probably the one your family and friends are most likely to have. It’s very user friendly. You can call up to 50 people at once and it’s free!
Facetime
If all your peeps have an Iphone or IPad Facetime is a great app but…You’ll be leaving out all your Android buddies.
Google Hangouts
You can video chat with up to 10 participants worldwide using Google Hangouts in its free, basic version.
Send Invitations
Don’t skimp on invitations for your graduation celebration. I think physical graduation invitations are a must. It’s such an important milestone and your family wants to have a keepsake to remember it by. You can put the graduation date and the virtual party information all on the same invitation.
If you want something less formal you can send digital invitations via text or email.
Decorate
Since your guests won’t be roaming throughout your house or yard you only need to decorate a small space that will be used as your background for your virtual graduation party.
Banners, balloons, and maybe a nice table setup are really all you need.
Put on Your Cap and Gown
Have your grad dress in their cap and gown for all to see. Ask your grad to prepare their own commencement speech and give it to your family and friends on the video chat.
Put Together a Speech
Either have the graduate write their own commencement speech to read during the live celebration or ask a mentor, pastor, or teacher to join you on the video call and give a short speech. The goal of this is to keep things as normal and inspiring as possible. It’s hard not having things go as planned.
Have Cake
Have a cake or your grads favorite snacks for those of you in the household to enjoy during the celebration. You can cut the cake on the live video call if you want or wait until it’s just the immediate family. Either way it’s another one of those things that just keeps it feeling normal.
Have a Graduation Parade
If your family and friends live close by ask them to drive by in full parade fashion during an appointed time of the celebration. Decorate vehicles, hold signs, honk, and yell as you drive by the grads house.
Cars lined up for a graduation parade
Have the Senior Share Their Future Plans
It’s a little difficult when you have so many people on one video call. If everyone starts talking at the same time you can’t hear anyone. Give each person a chance to give their congratulations then let the grad or host do most of the talking. Let the graduate share their future plans with their family and friends. Everyone would love to know where they’ll be going and what they’ll be doing in the future.
