How to Plan for a Safe and Sober High School Graduation Party
Graduating from high school is a huge milestone in a student’s life. This rite of passage does not only celebrate the successful end of secondary schooling but it also officially recognizes the transformation of teenagers as young adults.
In Australia, high school graduation is held at the end of the year. Schoolies or schoolies week is a tradition in Western Australia and coastal areas in the Australian Capital Territory when high-school graduates revel in weeklong holidays as school year ends in late November and early December. Schoolies week means tons of parties to say goodbye to schoolmates before they go their separate ways. It certainly calls for celebration to congratulate the graduates for completing high school education.
Sometimes, however, high school graduation party is perceived as an excuse to leap beyond bounds of what responsible adulthood means. It is seen as freedom from the prying eyes of parents and teachers. Worse, a graduation party can serve as a bridge for alcohol intoxication, drug use, and even sexual promiscuity. What can you do to discourage this trend when it’s time to host a graduation party for your teenage son or daughter? Here are some tips to use when planning for a safe and sober shindig once graduation time rolls around.
Venue: It is always safe to host the graduation party at home where you can be on top of the situation without being a spoiler of fun. There’s nothing like home-cooked food, good music, clean fun, and a warm hearth to enjoy in the perfect venue for any party. However, if you decide to have the party elsewhere, there are many options to consider. Depending on your budget, you can choose a city park, community center, or a facility fully equipped with amenities at your disposal.
Theme and Decorations: Whether the grad party is held at home or in another place, it is important to conceptualize a certain theme to pull all the elements into one cohesive concept. Regardless of theme, partiesonline has a large range of graduation decorations to lend a festive atmosphere that starts with a giant Happy Graduation banner yelling out the triumphant occasion to black and white graduation celebration scene setter to serve as great backdrop for picture-taking sessions . All these are guaranteed to make the graduates and guests remember the event for years.
Food and Drinks: Make it easy on yourself. Start by thinking of what food and drinks make up the graduate’s favorite then start from there. Dare to be more imaginative in serving popular food items like pizza and pasta by presenting them with a unique twist. Set up a pizza and pasta bar where silver service oval platters are filled with several different pastas and all kinds of toppings, sauces, and condiments so everyone to create their dish combining the ingredients. Keep the pastas and pizza crusts warm in chafing dishes.
Inflate an Aussie table top drink cooler as a great way to serve bottled water, fruit drinks and other beverages. For more spirited drinks, order kegs of root beer and have them set up near the inflatable cooler. If desired, gallons of vanilla ice cream can also be securely positioned in the cooler for guests wanting to enjoy root beer float. Make sure to have plenty of disposable cups and paper straws for non-stop slurping.
Use a sweet station or cupcake tree to tempt grads with your offer of mouth-watering cupcakes with cute black cap party picks. With all these make-your-own stations, you don’t need to tire yourself in serving the guests. This setup also encourages lots of mingling as everyone shuttles from one station to another.
Spirit-free Activities: Arrange something unique like hiring a DJ to keep people moving to high-octane beats, catchy riffs, and hip grooves. Dancing is one physical activity for a bunch of sober kids to experience a natural high. You can also host a singing contest. Who’s to tell if the next singing idol is among the new graduates? For ultimate fun, record each song and give it away as a novelty memorabilia to guests. Finally, you can hire a fortuneteller who can give a hint as to what the future promises for the graduates.
Meaningful Favors: Think of party favors that will not just be relegated as junks once the party is over. A few affordable options include a commemorative t-shirt to immortalize the event, sunglasses that can be handy for the summer ahead, flash drives to store images captured during school vacation, or a bubble bottle with graduation cap filled with tiny essential school supplies.
Hosting a parent-sponsored and supervised graduation party is the key to a safe and sober event. A “spirit-free” party is far better than what an alcohol-laden affair can achieve in terms of fun and safety. It communicates to the graduates that there’s no need to subscribe to underage drinking just to belong. Creating an atmosphere that is frivolous and entertaining where alcohol is not in the picture can be challenging for parents. In the end, you’ll not only merit a high passing grade from kids and parents alike, but you’ll earn the label as the “coolest” parent a student can have.
