Preschool Graduation
Program Theme Ideas
A preschool graduation is a significant time in a child's life. It marks the end of a child's first experience with school and shows that she is ready for elementary school. During preschool, she has learned and discovered so much about herself and the world. A preschool graduation gives students the opportunity to show what they have learned throughout the school year and how much they have grown. For teachers of preschool, selecting a theme for graduation will help the class put their best foot forward as they delight their parents with all of the knowledge they have gained.
A Patriotic Theme
A patriotic theme for a preschool graduation can include different songs, poems and finger plays the children have learned about their country throughout the school year. This theme also ties in nicely with the end of the year as holiday's like Memorial Day and Independence Day are approaching. Some ideas for such a theme may include having children wear red, white and blue and march in to their graduation singing "You're a Grand Old Flag" while waving small American flags. Children can recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and then offer parents a patriotic craft that they have made, such as an American flag wind sock. Visit dltk-kids.com/USA/m-sam-windsock.htm for a windsock template. To close the graduation, children can sing "This Land Is Your Land."
How Much We've Grown
From the beginning to the end of preschool, children grow so much. Have them showcase how much they have grown during graduation. Activities for this preschool graduation theme can include displays of physical and intellectual growth. For physical growth, you can have the children show what types of physical activities they have learned during the school year. Perhaps they have learned hop on one foot, skip, leap and so forth. You can create a clever poem or speech that goes along with this display of physical growth, and children can recite it as they perform.
For intellectual growth, children can display their knowledge of the ABCs, 1,2,3s and the months of the year. You probably have taught your students about these things using various songs and finger plays, which is a common approach to teaching in preschool. Incorporate these things into graduation to show how much the students have grown. Children can sing "I Wonder if I'm Growing," by Raffi, to close the ceremony.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" is a children's book written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault that is very popular among preschool-aged children. Perhaps you used this book to teach your children about the alphabet during the school year. If you have, you can consider using this book as a theme for your graduation. Children can recite the story while using props that they have made to illustrate it. For example, you can make a coconut tree that one student holds. The tree has letters and the other students tell stories using the letters. In keeping with the alphabet theme of this book, you can have children recite each letter of the alphabet followed by a word that starts with that letter.
Hawaiian Theme
A fun theme idea for a preschool graduation is a Hawaiian theme. Children can be dressed in grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses. To start their ceremony, they can perform a hula dance. Children can give their parents leis to welcome them to the graduation. Potted flowers and pictures of coconut trees can be used for decoration.
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss books are commonly used in preschool classrooms. You can have a Dr. Seuss-themed graduation by incorporating some of his stories in the ceremony. Children can wear hats that resemble "The Cat in the Hat" and wear T-shirts that say "Thing One" or "Thing Two." They can use colorful fish to re-enact the book "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." Dr. Seuss books can be placed around the room for decoration. To conclude the ceremony, "Oh The Places You'll Go" can be read by the teacher to the audience.
Tags: they have, preschool graduation, have learned, school year, have grown, they have learned