Preschool Graduation (page 2)

Set Up the "Get to Kindergarten" Obstacle Course

1. On the day of the party, create an obstacle course in the backyard with a cardboard "school" at the end. Kids participating will race through the obstacle course trying to reach the schoolhouse. Once they get there, they've made it to kindergarten!
2. Start by creating the cardboard schoolhouse. Use one large cardboard box for the building, and cut the other up for the roof. Cut out a door and windows from the first cardboard box, then decorate it with paint or markers. Glue the roof on top, and finish by writing or painting "KINDERGARTEN" in big block letters on the front.
3. Choose a flat, wide open space for the obstacle course. Place the schoolhouse at the end of the course.
4. Now arrange "obstacles" throughout the course that kids will have to interact with before they can progress. Set up a few physical obstacles such as cardboard boxes or large toys that kids will have to run around, but also include a variety of activities that kids will have to do. A few ideas:
   • Letter or number hopscotch
   • Alphabet bean bag toss: lay large construction paper letters on the grass and have kids toss bean bags on them in the correct order.
   • Hula hoop: challenge kids to hula hoop for 10 seconds, or simply hold up the hula hoop and have kids jump through it.
   • Jumping jacks
   • Juggling: challenge them to juggle for 10 seconds (they don't have to juggle successfully, just ask them to try).

Your child's preschool graduation party should be a special time to celebrate her achievement and toast her future success in big kid school. As a tasty and sweet end to the festivities, delight guests with a special, brightly colored graduation cake or cupcakes decorated with fun frosting letters and numbers.