30 Adorable Kindergarten Graduation Ideas for a Day They’ll Always Remember

Celebrate your students!

Kindergarten graduation ideas

Looking for creative and memorable ways to celebrate the end of kindergarten with your students? Look no further! We have a list of kindergarten graduation ideas that you can add to your plans. Whether your school has an official graduation ceremony or not, there are plenty of exciting and fun ways to commemorate your students’ achievements and growth throughout the year. From DIY decorations to graduation-themed games and activities, this list has everything you need to make your students’ graduation day a truly special and meaningful event.

1. Hold a graduation ceremony

Kindergarten students wearing red graduation caps and gowns

One of my favorite things at the end of each year is to watch my students put on their fancy clothes/cap and gown and receive a small rolled-up piece of paper to celebrate the end of the year. We sing a few songs and recite a poem or two. Parents are overjoyed and it’s a great time for all.

2. Hand out certificates or diplomas

Kindergarten graduation printable diplomas

Whether you hold a graduation or not, you can print off Kindergarten Graduate Certificates for your students. I give them away after graduation or put them in their end-of-the-year baggies with goodies that I send home like a memory book.

Buy it: Keri Brown

3. Have a photo booth frame

Creating a DIY graduation photo frame can be a fun and inexpensive way for students to showcase their graduation photos and memories.

4. Put together a slideshow

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Kindergarten Slideshow featuring illustrations of kids with and their names

Gather all the pictures you’ve taken over the year and turn them into a kindergarten slideshow. For years, I would make DVDs of the pictures for parents to take home. Now, I make the video and turn it into a QR code. No worries about messing up a DVD. They can play the video for years to come.

5. Decorate the classroom

Kindergarten classroom decorated for a graduation ceremony

Decorate the classroom for graduation day. If the graduation ceremony is in your classroom, add colorful paper, arrange the chairs for students and families, and wish them well with simple grad decor.

Learn more: Keepin’ It Kool in KinderLand

6. Make a time capsule

Kindergarten Time Capsule as an example of kindergarten graduation ideas

Students can make a time capsule for their senior graduation. Parents can donate a shoebox, then students can fill it with their favorite things and memories from kindergarten. It’s a simple and very memorable idea to save for when they graduate high school.

Learn more: Joy’s Jots, Shots & Whatnots

7. Invite families

Kindergarten graduation invitation from teachers

I send a letter to invite families and friends to our kindergarten graduation or ceremony. It helps to build a little excitement.

Learn more: Enchanted Kinder Garden

8. Create class T-shirts

Two kindergarten students wearing green shirts to celebrate their graduation.

Self-portrait class shirts will be a keepsake that they’ll never forget. Students can draw themselves and then turn each drawing into a class shirt. How cute are these?

Learn more: One Sharp Bunch

9. Host a kindergarten picnic

Collage of four picnic foods for kids.

Have a picnic with all the kindergarten classes. Students can bring cookies, snacks, and juice to have a nice picnic outside with friends.

Learn more: Natural Beach Living

10. Make a memory book

Memory book for kindergarten.

Creating a kindergarten memory book is a wonderful way for students to preserve and cherish their memories of their first year of school.

Learn more: Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten

11. Write personalized notes

Framed kindergarten graduation letter with photo of student and teacher.

At the end of each year, I write a short note to each student. It can be a memory that we had together, something I really enjoyed about their personality, or just saying how much I loved having them in my classroom. I usually write these in their memory books, but you can put them anywhere. I found a wonderful example from Keepin’ It Kool in KinderLand.

12. Create a graduation wall

Wall with string and kindergarten students' graduation photos hanging from it.

A graduation wall can help students look toward the future. Have them take a picture with a sign. Then, you can add each picture to your editing software of choice and add what they want to be when they grow up in the font of your choice. This is perfect for those with less-than-stellar handwriting. Print the pictures off and you’ve got a wall to celebrate!

13. Celebrate with songs

Firework by Katy Perry lyrics quote as an example of kindergarten graduation ideas

Looking for song ideas for your kindergarten graduation? Sing and dance to one or more of these tunes from our list of the best graduation songs.

14. Hold a talent show

Microphone and program with text that says How To Host a School Talent Show

End the year with a showcase of your students’ amazing talents. Invite the entire school to come to watch.

Learn more: Firstieland

15. Read graduation books

Boy reading a book

Reading a kindergarten graduation book to students can be a fun and engaging activity that helps to build excitement and anticipation for the graduation ceremony. It can also provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their growth and achievements over the past year.

Learn more: Best Graduation Books for Kids of All Ages

16. Take cap-and-gown photos

Kindergarten girl wearing blue cap and gown.

Take photos of your students in their caps and gowns. I take my own cap-and-gown pictures and add them to our end-of-the-year slideshow. I’ve also made really cute fridge magnets out of the pictures for parents.

17. Make DIY graduation gifts

Close up of graduation cap decorated with yellow stars.

Create a DIY graduation cap for your students.

Learn more: Powerful Mothering

18. Frame a poem

Graduation poem framed with photo of kindergarten student.

Create an end-of-the-year graduation-themed play or skit with your students. They can sing, dance, and perform graduation skits for their families. Here are some of our favorite graduation poems to inspire students.

Learn more: Keepin’ It Kool in KinderLand

19. Fill a memory jar

Printouts of memory jars with student words and drawings inside them hung on the wall.

One activity that students can do near the end of the year is to think about all of the memories from the year. They can complete a printable memory jar and draw in their favorite moments from the year.

Learn more: LittleYellowStar

20. Look ahead to post-graduation

Self portraits made of construction paper featuring student writing about what they want to do after kindergarten graduation.

This adorable craft can be done before graduation. Students can create their mini selves and finish the sentence prompt with what they want to do after graduation.

Learn more: First and Kinder Blue Skies

21. Construct a DIY cupcake stand

DIY cupcake stand with graduation cap on top.

You can easily create this DIY cupcake stand themed for graduation. It will be the perfect complement to snacks and refreshments after the kindergarten graduation.

Learn more: Six Clever Sisters

22. Take a class photo

Graduation photo backdrop

A class photo to commemorate the year is a perfect end-of-the-year gift. You can even frame each photo for students or add a poem below.

23. Decorate graduation goodies

Graduation cap chocolate pops

How fun are these DIY graduation cap pops? Know a baker? Have them create some for your classroom or try them yourself.

Learn more: Six Clever Sisters

24. Play “Pin the tassel on the cap”

Pin the tassel on the grad game.

Looking for game ideas for your kindergarten graduation? Students can play “Pin the tassel on the cap.” Print off a cap or create one with card stock. Then, allow students to pin paper tassels on the cap.

Learn more: By Sophia Lee

25. Make self-portraits

Graduation self portrait held by kindergarten students.

Students can use construction paper, glue, and crayons to make the cutest graduation self-portraits.

Learn more: KinderCraze

26. Create DIY tassels

Use this DIY tutorial video to help create quick and easy graduation tassels for your students. They can be placed on DIY graduation caps.

27. Celebrate with bubbles

Two bottles of bubbles with graduation labels as an example of kindergarten graduation ideas

Have a day of bubbles to celebrate graduation. Create this DIY set of bubbles by adding a printable wrapper to the bubble containers.

Learn more: A-Manda Creation

28. Make a pallet backdrop

Photo backdrop made from pallets and balloons as an example of kindergarten graduation ideas

Create a photo backdrop with balloons and a pallet. Find numbers for the graduation year.

Learn more: HubPages

29. Countdown

Alphabet Countdown bulletin board

Celebrate with an alphabet countdown. Go backwards from Z to A with themed days.

Learn more: Kindergarten Smorgasboard

30. Have a candy buffet

Candy buffet as an example of kindergarten graduation ideas

After the graduation, greet everyone with a candy assortment decorated just for the big day!

Learn more: Shower of Roses

What are your favorite kindergarten graduation ideas? Share in the comments below!

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This list of kindergarten graduation ideas will help you plan for your next class graduation. Easy DIY ideas are included.