Summer is revving up and it is time to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of warm weather.  Kids and adults alike love getting together with friends and having fun around a theme.

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If you are thinking about hosting an end-of-the-year school party, here are some fun ideas.

• Talent Show Party
  • In your invitation, ask guests to prepare for a talent show. . .sing a song, dance, do a magic show, tell jokes, do gymnastics. . .anything to show off what they can do.
  • Serve refreshments.
• Camping Party
  • Set up several tents as play stations.  Prepare nature crafts.  Play horseshoes and animal charades.
  • Serve hot dogs and s’mores.
• Go Hawaiian Party
  • Play the limbo
  • Hand out leis (or make your own).
  • Dig for beach finds in a sandbox-filled with shells.
  • Create ‘Island’ snacks like pineapple skewers and coconut treats.
• Old Fashioned Picnic
  • Decorate with checkered table cloths.
  • Play outdoor games like egg and spoon, three-legged race and water relays.
  • Serve sandwiches and lemonade.
• Water Party
  • Come up with as many outdoor water activities as you can think of.
  • Water balloons, water shooters, sprinklers, a kiddie pool, water baseball (soaking wet sponge ball,) bubble blowing and more!
  • Choose snacks that are okay around water like apples, carrots and celery sticks and popsicles.
• Summer School Party
  • Make it an American history, host a ‘colonial’ style party complete with old fashioned games kids played 200 years ago like hoops and jacks.
  • Make it an animal-themed party by creating a backyard a jungle or zoo.
  • Host several fun experiments and serve treats in test tubes for a science-themed party.
• Autograph Fun
  • Kids love collecting each other’s autographs at the end of school.
  • They can sign each other’s yearbooks, a titled piece of cardstock, e.g. “Mrs. Morrill’s 3rd Grade 2010-2011”, or the back of a printed photo-collage of the previous year’s fun.
  • Create an autographed t-shirt (provide colorful permanent markers and alert parents ahead of time).
  • You can also include an autograph opportunity (card, poster, t-shirt) where kids can celebrate and thank their teacher.
  • Serve Alpha Bits for a snack or allow children to turn berries into edible autographs.
• Post Card Grab Bag
  • Keep kids in touch over the summer and encourage them to practice their writing!
  • Each child writes their address on 3 post cards and drops them into a big cloth bag. One-by-one, kids choose 3 cards (not their own) and agree to mail their classmates silly summer news in the coming months.

How will you celebrate the beginning of summer?