Kindergarten Graduation Ideas
Kindergarten Grad Ideas: 1 2 3
Getting organized
Searching for kindergarten graduation ideas in June can become one more chore during an already busy school month. Like everything else when teaching, planning ahead keeps things peaceful for students, parents and teachers.
Kindergarten is a time for children to learn to be separated from their family, to learn to be more independent, to learn how to be a good friend, and to learn how to work as part of a group. It is great to honor these achievements at the end of the students' first year of school but once again my advice for this age group is keep it simple.
Keep it Simple
Today many parents are working full time, children are scheduled for after school daycare, sports and lessons and busy teachers are expected to be involved in many non-teaching extra curricula activities.
Read the following kindergarten graduation ideas for gifts for grad, gifts for parents, grad ceremony and grad performance tips.
Kindergarten Graduation Ideas - Gifts for children
At times parents and grandparents ask me for suggestions for children's gifts, especially for graduation or birthdays.
When choosing DVDs as kindergarten graduation gifts, I highly recommend the Reading Rainbow 4pack DVD pack.
Reading Rainbow is a television series put out by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The show, which promotes a love of books, has won 8 Emmy awards for Outstanding Children's Series over the last 11 years.
Puzzles, art activity sets, children's stationery, calendars, and journals, sticker sets and educational games and dvds make great gifts for young children. For more ideas for young children's gifts, read "kid's gift ideas"...
Plan gifts for parents early in the school year
Graduation Books
In September start a folder for each child.
Have a stack of slightly heavier 8.5 x 11 papers stored to use all year.
Add a page or two a month. By May the pages are ready to make into a book that will be a great graduation gift for the children to give to their parents at the end of June. It is also a record of the children's progress during the year.
Many children in our society are focused on getting things and it is beneficial to give them opportunities to give.
Book Cover
Take photos of each child in September, print them and store them away to add to the book covers in May.
First page
During the first week or two of kindergarten have the children attempt to print their name and draw a picture of themselves. Label the pages September.
Label one month at a time and have the children draw pictures of their favorite activities. Add a few samples of activities, such as creating patterns, thatreflect what the children have learned. Children are very much in the here and now so they will probably all talk about current activities.
In May staple the pages together. Before things get hectic, rent or buy one kindergarten graduation hat and gown. Ask a parent to take photos and attach this photo and the one taken in September to the cover of the book. Label the pictures, September, 20__ and June 20__. Label the last blank page in the scrapbook, "Graduation Ceremony 20__" and a spot all ready for the parents to attach a grad class photo which will be taken at the graduation ceremony.
Kindergarten graduation ideas - Ceremony
If you would like to have a grad ceremony, schedule it near the beginning of June and during regular school assembly times. Take pictures for the parents who cannot attend.
Kindergarten graduation idea - Performance
Instead of purchasing or renting traditional graduation gear for each child, have the children dress up with the theme of, "What I want to be when I grow up". Ask parents to keep it simple. A stethoscope for a doctor, a fire hat for a firefighter, a briefcase for a business woman etc. The children can hold small signs to clarify their choices...future doctor, future teacher...
Kindergarten graduation idea - Reciting poems
I have the children learn one or two poems a month through out the year and add each poem (with rebus type illustrations) to a duotang with the children's name on it. They read the whole book of poems over and over during the year.
June is a busy month with field trips and sports days. If the children have a back up of poems they are already familiar with, choosing two or three for the grad ceremony is easy.
After the ceremony, hand out the diplomas one at a time and ask a parent volunteer to take the last photo for the book as the children are receiving their diplomas. Add to the graduation book for the children to take home at the end of the year.
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