How to Give Your Kids a Good Send Off.
Year 6 school leavers celebrations are a time to mark the end of an era and celebrate all that your child(ren) has achieved in primary school. It’s a time for them to look back on their memories and friendships, and to look forward to the next chapter in their lives.
As a parent, you want to make sure your child has the best send-off possible. But planning a party can be stressful, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s why I’ve put together this guide to help you plan the perfect Year 6 school leavers celebration.
Budget
It’s important to set a budget for your school leavers party before you start planning. This will help you avoid overspending. Costs that you’ll need to factor in include:
- The cost of renting a venue (unless you are using the school hall or playground, or perhaps a local park)
- Food and drinks
- Decorations
- Activities and entertainment
- Leaving gift/ party bags and fillers
Venue
- The school hall or gymnasium
- The school playground or playing fields
- Hire a local venue; you could even find one that offers party packages, including food and entertainment, to reduce the workload
- Host the party in a nearby park
- Hire a party bus to collect the kids and deliver them to the party
Invitations
Once you’ve planned all the details, it’s time to send out invites. You can either send out paper invites or perhaps for ease and to be planet friendly you could create an online invitation – check out paperlesspost.com.
Be sure to include all the important details, such as the date, start and end time, theme, dress code and location of the party. You should also include the RSVP information so that you know how many people to expect and also ask for any food allergies and dietary requirements.
Themes, Activities and Decorations
A theme is not imperative but they can be fun for the kids, it also gives you a focus for all your party planning (the decorations, the food etc) and it helps bring all the different aspects of the party together. Some popular themes for Year 6 leavers celebrations include:
- Beach Party: Decorate with beach balls, shells, and sandcastle props. Serve up some mocktails in coconut cups, and play beach games like Limbo and Pass the Beach Ball. Dress code: Hawaiian shirts and hula skirts.
- Sports Day: String up the coloured bunting. Organise a sports day with classic races like egg and spoon and three-legged races. You can also set up a mini golf course and a penalty shootout. Provide medals and trophies for the winners. Dress code: Airtex’s, shorts and plimsolls.
- Hollywood Party: Roll out the red carpet and create a photo booth with props. Have a movie marathon or singalong and serve up popcorn and hotdogs. Don’t forget to give out Hollywood Walk of Fame stars to your guests! Dress code: Dress to impress in a red carpet outfit.
- Disco Party: Get the disco lights and glitter ball ready! Play some classic tunes and teach your guests some funky dance moves. Dress code: 80’s disco outfits.
- Neon Party: Set up a disco and a DIY photo booth with neon props. Dress code: Wear everything neon.
- A Movie Night: Fill the hall with beanbags and a big screen. Provide a selection of snacks in clouding popcorn, pic ’a’ mix, nachos and fizzy drinks. Dress code: Onesies and slippers.
- A Picnic: Have a picnic in the park. You could perhaps combine this with the sports day theme, or turn it into a water fight with super soakers. Dress code: Summer skirts and linen shirts.
- Harry Potter Inspired Party: Transform the school gym into hogwarts with cobwebs, owls and broomsticks. Dress code: Wizarding outfits and magic wand.
- Zorbing: Turn the school playground into a Zorbing haven. Dress code: Dress comfy.
- Lazer-tag: Make each end of the playground a base and split the year into teams for a tournament. Dress code: Wear running shoes.
- Colour fight: With powdered holi paints – definitely one for the outdoors. Dress code: Old white clothes that can get trashed and sunglasses to protect eyes.
You will find some other ideas that might work for your leavers party in my blog post Activity Based Birthday Parties.
Food and Drink
No party is complete without food and drinks! The kids are unlikely to want to site down to a formal style meal. It’s probably best to organise finger food or food on the gol. Here are a few ideas:
- Pizza truck
- Hot dog stand
- Hamburger van
- Wraps, burritos or tacos
- Chips and toppings
- Popcorn maker
- Chocolate fountain
- Ice cream stand
- Pic ‘a’ mix table
- A leavers cake
Games and Entertainment
The party theme may have already dictated the games and activities, but if not, here are a few extra ideas for you:
- Hire an inflatable slide
- Set up a craft table where kids can make their own personalised leavers gifts
- Host a talent show
- Provide a Polaroid camera and pinboard, so the kids can create a wall of photos of the night
Party Bags / Leaving Gifts
No leavers celebration is complete without some kind of party bag or leaving gift.
- A white t-shirt and fabric pens, so they can all sign each other’s t-shirts….?
- A disposable camera, even if they all have smart phones, the old school way is still fun!
- A little book each so they can all write each other messages – like a guest book at a wedding.
- Funky socks and the kids swap one sock with their friend, so they have odd socks that match their best mates odd socks.
- Rubin’s cube
- A year book
- Geometry set
- Bus pass holder
- Key ring with the school logo and year of graduation, or class photo.
- Personalised tote as the party bag, with the school logo and year of graduation.
- A personalised water bottle with the child’s name and a Year 6 leavers design.
- Personalised banners, posters, and balloons with the school name and year.
- Personalised t-shirts or hoodies with each child’s name and class printed on them.
- Mugs with a photo of the class.
Contingency Plans
It’s always a good idea to have a contingency plan in case of bad weather or other unexpected events.
Relax and Enjoy The Party
After all your hard work, it’s time to relax and enjoy the party! Sit back, watch your child have fun, and take some pictures to remember the day.
So there you have it! A complete guide to planning the perfect Year 6 leavers celebration. Now all you have to do is get started. And don’t forget to have fun!
