10 Ways to Make Virtual Graduations Special

Time to get creative and celebrate your grad.

May 07, 2021

By: Amanda Mushro

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Make Virtual Graduation Unforgettable

This school year has been anything but traditional. However, it’s time to celebrate your graduate’s accomplishments — even if that means changing things up a bit. While the typical graduation celebrations may be scaled back and look very different this year, you can turn up the creativity and celebrate your grad in unique and fun ways.

Fan Favorite

Our first pick is perfect for outdoor ceremonies and your own celebrations. These giant graduation heads are not only hilarious, but we bet they’ll quickly become a fan favorite of your graduate. Just snap a picture of your grad wearing their cap and have a few of these big heads made for the big day.

BUY IT: Shindigz, $19.99 - 29.99

Personalized Graduation Speech

Sure, commencement speeches are a time-honored tradition, but your graduate might find it more entertaining to receive a message from a celebrity. Check out Cameo, a website that allows you to purchase personalized video messages from the stars. From famous TV and movie actors to athletes and even some of your favorite reality TV personalities, Cameo has hundreds of stars to choose from. Your grad will cherish their special message forever.

Upgrade the Drive-By

Drive-by celebrations gained instant popularity when Covid hit, but you can get creative and make this new tradition a little more fun. From adding balloons to the outside of the car and decorating the windows with these fun markers, you can turn a simple car ride into something memorable for your graduate.

BUY IT: Amazon, $12.99

Outdoor Viewing Party

If some of the graduation celebrations are outdoors, there’s no need to simply watch on a small computer. Move the ceremony outside and make it a real party. Turn a shoebox, a phone, and a bed sheet into the ultimate viewing party. Then, pull up some comfy chairs and pass around some snacks! Here’s how to hack an outdoor showing of the graduation party.

No Basic Balloons

If you love the look of a fabulous balloon arch, but you really don’t love the price tag, you’re in luck. You can create your own balloon arch with a DIY kit. There are tons of step-by-step tutorials online as well. So, you can transform any space into a gorgeously decorated party area for your graduate.

BUY IT: Amazon, $19.99

Notes of Encouragement

If having friends and family at the graduation ceremony isn’t a possibility, you can still find ways to include them in your grad’s special day. Ask loved ones to write notes of encouragement ahead of time, or see if they’ll make a short video for the grad. On graduation day, give your graduate the notes and let them watch the videos — when they wake up, before lunch, a few in the afternoon, and save a few of the most special messages for the end of the day. This way, your grad will feel the love all day long!

Take a Walk Down Memory Lane

It’s time to break out those adorable baby pictures and remind your grad that even though they are onto bigger and better things, they sure were cute growing up. Create a fun slideshow to share with your graduate or decorate your space with some of the best photos. You can even grab a fun banner like this one for the party. Of course, you have to include a few pictures of missing teeth and bad haircuts.

BUY IT: Etsy, $18.58+

Creative Cash Gift

Money is always a great graduation gift, but simply putting the cash in a card or writing a check isn’t nearly as fun as it could be. Whether you turn the cash into a "money cake," or place the bills inside a cute container like this one, it’s all about presentation and creating a little more fun for your graduate.

Smart Cookie

When it’s time to party, you’ll need food. We love the idea of a cookie party for your smart cookie. Just grab a few of your graduate’s favorite sweets and let them indulge — and don’t forget the milk.

Finish with a Bang

Be sure to play "Pomp and Circumstance," have your grad move the tassel on their hat, then finish with a bang by giving everyone confetti wands to launch at the end of the ceremony!

BUY IT: Amazon, $18.80