Consider these ten tips for saying goodbye to summer in style:
1. Host your party the week before school starts.
Chances are most people are back from vacation, gearing up for the start of school and would welcome a break for one last round of summer fun.
2. Include classmates.
Consider inviting families from around the neighborhood and families of your children’s school friends. Some teachers even send out class lists prior to the start of school. If you have one, consider inviting the entire class. Kids are dying to find out who will be in their class and on their bus. A goodbye summer party provides a great opportunity for students to mix, mingle and find out who they’ll be sharing their school time with and who their classmates will be.
3. Have a cookout.
Keep it simple by serving hamburgers and hotdogs or ask people to bring their own meat for grilling. Serve lots of munchies (chips, trail mix and pretzels), fresh fruit and veggies. Don’t forget something sweet, like brownies or cookies and to offer drinks like water and lemonade at your cookout.
4. Create your invitation.
Consider having a school themed invite by using white lined paper to draft your invitation on, or create an invitation that looks like a detention slip, asking students to report at the time, date and place of your party.
5. Ring a school bell to kick of your party.
Use a bell to get the attention of your guests. Ring it to signal the start of your party and to let folks know when food is ready.
6. Play games!
Host a scavenger hunt and play traditional outdoor party games. Have a water balloon toss and play dodge ball. Three legged races and egg tosses are fun too!
7. Create a class project.
Ask everyone to bring a plain white t-shirt, or give them out as party gifts, and use paint or fabric pens to decorate them. Have the children draw a picture of their favorite summer memory on their shirt.
8. Turn up the music.
Music makes the party! Choose some of the kid’s favorite music to play. Play freeze dance and have a limbo to some of their top tunes.
9. Get out the water.
Kids love to get wet and play in the water, so think about turning on the sprinklers and the hoses for added fun. If you’re considering this option, be sure to ask your guests to bring their swim suits and towels to keep things simple for everyone.
10. Take lots of photos.
Be sure to capture your party guests having a good time. As your kids grow up, they’ll treasure how you’ve documented their forming friendships if you make it a point to take photos of your celebrations and parties.
During the end of summer, everyone is gearing up for a huge time of transition. Take time to enjoy one last summer party and celebrate what you’ve done this summer and what you’ll be doing come fall.
Are you hosting an end of summer party? Share your party details below.
