Tag: high school quarantine graduation

Graduation Crafts for Kids of All Ages

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Happy Graduation, Shopkickers!

With an introduction like that, we think you likely have a great idea about Mrs. Lamb’s topic from today’s Facebook Live. Yes, graduation! But, rather than simply talking about what it’s like to graduate from preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, or even graduate school and beyond, Mrs. Lamb chose to share unique and fun crafts you or you and your graduate can make together. Below are all of her suggestions!

Graduation Lollipop Craft:

This craft is fun and simple! Mrs. Lamb also shared a great idea if you’re celebrating a high school graduate – make a lollipop for each year they spent in school, then present all of the lollipops together in a bouquet.

You will need:

  • Rainbow Lollipop
  • School Picture
  • Graduation Cap Sticker (or DIY)

How to make:

  1. If necessary, cut the photo down so it can fit onto the front of the lollipop. It does help if you cut the photo into a circle.
  2. Glue the photo onto the lollipop wrapper. Mrs. Lamb used a glue stick.
  3. Add a graduation cap to the top of your graduate’s head in the photo.
  4. Enjoy!

Graduation Label the Graduate Craft:

As Mrs. Lamb notes, this craft is perfect for kindergarten graduates. They will be able to color their graduate, and they will also practice cutting and pasting. They’re all great fine motor skills for young learners!

You will need:

  • This PDF
  • Markers, Crayons, or Colored Pencils
  • Scissors
  • Glue Stick

How to make:

  1. Print out the PDF.
  2. Ask your student to color it in.
  3. Ask your student to cut out the labels.
  4. Match each label to the correct item, and glue it on.
  5. Hang up your graduate’s art!

Graduation Make a Graduate Craft:

This craft will allow your graduate to create a self-portrait. It’s a wonderful choice for a preschool or kindergarten graduate if you would like to help your student. We also think it’s perfect for older kids who have fine tuned their skills, especially a high school or college student who is majoring in art.

You will need:

  • Computer, Sketch, or Construction Paper
  • Pencil, Markers, Crayons, and/or Colored Pencils
  • Lined Paper
  • Glue

How to make:

  1. Create a self-portrait on a piece of sketch or construction paper.
  2. Add a cap! Mrs. Lamb created the one in her son’s piece by cutting out a black square from construction paper and adding a tassel she made with thread.
  3. Ask your student to describe their favorite thing they learned and why they enjoyed school.
  4. Enjoy your graduate’s art!

Graduation Smarties Craft:

Smarties are fun and delicious, and they are also sold as oversized candy, which means they look like a diploma! If you’re celebrating a graduate who is getting ready to leave for college, this would be a wonderful way to present them with cash in a creative fashion.

You will need:

  • Oversized Smarties – Mrs. Lamb found hers at Walmart.
  • Tassel
  • Tape
  • Cash

How to make:

  1. Wrap your bill around the Smarties. We found it’s best to tape it into place to make sure it stays put.
  2. Tie on a tassel.
  3. Present your graduate with candy and cash!

Graduation Memory Jar:

For students who are leaving for college (hopefully!) in the fall, Mrs. Lamb shared an excellent idea. Create a memory jar filled with pieces of paper that are either rolled up or folded. On each one, share things that will make your graduate smile, like quotes, drawings, song lyrics, short notes, and obviously memories you have shared with them.

You will need:

  • Paper
  • Pen, Pencil, or Marker
  • Mason Jar

How to make:

  1. Write your memories onto small sheets of paper.
  2. Roll up your completed sheets and add them to your jar.
  3. Seal and decorate the outside of the jar (if you want to!).
  4. Gift the jar to your graduate!

Graduation Water Bottle Craft:

We are all trying to stay hydrated, and a custom water bottle makes hydration more fun! Decorate a water bottle, and fill it with something that’s meaningful to them. Cash and quarters are definitely a welcome surprise for high school seniors heading to college!

You will need:

  • Water Bottle
  • Permanent Markers
  • Graduation Cap (feel free to make one or purchase a sticker!)
  • Interior Items (cash, change, candy, etc)

How to make:

  1. Decorate the exterior of the water bottle using permanent markers. Think about adding the graduate’s next school or their name onto the bottle!
  2. Drop anything you want to gift inside.
  3. Top with a graduation cap.
  4. Gift to your graduate!

To all who are graduating, we are celebrating with you! Stay tuned until next Thursday to watch Mrs. Lamb’s next segment on Facebook Live.

8 Ways to Celebrate Graduation While Quarantined

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We have celebrated birthdays and even a few holidays as the quarantine continues throughout the United States. But, many of us have remained hopeful that students, especially high school and college seniors, would be able to return to school in time to finish their years surrounded by friends. Instead, graduations are being postponed or cancelled entirely. But, graduates should still celebrate and feel hopeful about their futures. To inspire your graduation festivities while in quarantine, we’ve come up with eight ideas below! This might not be the graduation you or your student had planned, but it will certainly be memorable for everyone.

1. Car Parade:

Although we cannot gather together, we can most certainly still celebrate. So, plan a car parade to surprise your graduate! Consider inviting family and friends, and ask them to decorate their cars. Ask your senior to wait outside, and enjoy as they see their own personal parade arriving car-by-car. The great perk of these parades is we’re able to see and shout a few words back and forth with our favorite people who many of us haven’t seen face-to-face in weeks.

2. Send Flowers:

Flowers are still able to be shipped and delivered, so think about sending a bouquet and a card with a note to your graduating senior. Everyone loves getting mail and packages, especially now! If you’re looking for a flower source, consider 1800Flowers.com.

3. Watch a Commencement Speech:

The great thing about YouTube is you can find just about any video online, so watch a commencement speech (or a complete series!) together. John Krasinski recently released an episode of Some Good News, his weekly show, in honor of graduating seniors, and well-known figures, like Steven Spielberg, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and more shared plenty of inspiration.

4. Zoom Cocktail Hour:

If you know a student celebrating a college graduation, plan a Zoom cocktail party! Before the call, think about dropping off champagne on the graduate’s doorstep or having some shipped right to them. Then encourage everyone joining to sip their favorite drink while you catch up for an hour or more. A bonus would be if attendees shared a favorite memory of the graduate or offered their best advice. 

5. Ship a Gift:

Consider sending a high school or college graduate a gift they can enjoy now under quarantine or when they begin their next steps in their collegiate or professional career. Apple AirPods, a backpack that can transition into a briefcase, a gift card for Uber Eats, or any other tech are all great ideas that can be enjoyed now and later.

6. Yard Decorations & Signs:

We have seen houses in our communities decorated to celebrate birthdays, and the same companies are offering to decorate for graduations! Another option is to purchase a sign for your front yard or window to celebrate the college your student will attend or the school where they should have been graduating from. 

7. Share a Meal:

Many graduation parties are celebrated over lunch or dinner, so consider calling a restaurant you know the graduate loves and placing an order to surprise them with takeout. Another idea is to have dessert from a favorite bakery shipped or honor the place where the student plans to move next with food from that area. 

8. Capture Photos:

Although this might not be the graduation experience anyone expected, it should still be documented. Capture pictures of your family together, and encourage your student to put on their cap and gown. You can also search #PorchPhotographer or #PorchPortrait on social media in order to uncover local photographers who are capturing pictures for families on their porches or front lawns. It’s a fun way to have family photos taken while also ensuring everyone remains at a safe distance apart.

How are you celebrating graduation? Share your plans with us and our Shopkick community on Facebook!