Planning a Preschool Promotion Celebration: A Comprehensive Guide

I’m down to the last couple of weeks of school until summer! And grade promotion celebrations are coming up. With those on my mind, I thought it a great time to share preschool promotion celebration ideas, including songs, decorations, food, gifts, and more.

Holding a celebration for students going from preschool to kindergarten may not seem like a big deal, but to parents, it means a lot. I have been a preschool teacher and the parent of a preschooler, so I have seen it from both sides. Until I was a parent, I didn’t realize the significance. It really marks the end of babyhood for your child as they enter into grade school.

Having that celebration acknowledges that transition and is, most likely, more meaningful to families than the student. Following are some ideas to make your preschool promotion celebration memorable for your families.

Preschool Promotion Celebration Songs

The songs chosen should be selected several weeks in advance of the celebration, so students have plenty of time to practice them. Make sure to, also, have them practice in the location where the celebration will be held at least once. It’s best for most of the songs to be songs your students have already heard and have enjoyed throughout the year! Tip: Parents love songs where students do cute dances/hand motions that go with them!

1. “Tooty-ta”, I prefer the hip-hop version by Jack Hartmann

2. An ABC song (I did a Zoo-phonics song, but that probably isn’t used much now.) Other good choices include: “ABC Rock” by Greg & Steve or “ABC Song” by Mister B!

2. A math song like “Count to 100 by 1s” by Jack Hartmann

3. A “graduation” song like this cute one I found by Mr. C “Pre-K Had Me a Blast” (Grease parody) and the one I actually used is to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot” and it’s called “I’m a Little Graduate.” Here is a version from Courtney White.

Preschool Promotion Celebration Decorations

Decorations do not need to be elaborate. Make them easy to put up and take down. Usually your celebration will be held in a gym or auditoreum, so you won’t be able to hang things from the ceiling. Here are some suggestions.

1. Table decorations- Get items such as a plastic table cover, confetti, and table toppers. You will need 1-2 tables out for food and gifts (if you give them!).

2. Balloons- You could either tie balloons to a balloon weight or make a balloon arch! Be warned, though, balloon arches are time-consuming to put together.

3. Photo Booth- Place this in an area for families to take pictures with their “graduate” after the ceremony completion. You may want to purchase a backdrop and props for this.

4. Picture Slideshow to Music- Create a slideshow with pictures that showcase the school year and set it to music. This can play as families come in before the celebration begins. The slideshow could even be sent to families after the event!

Preschool Promotion Celebration Food

Food should, also, be simple. Easy for families to grab and go, with no utensils needed! Be sure to get plates and napkins for the food as well.

1. Cupcakes are a popular choice, but can get pricey. Check grocery stores and local bakeries to find the best deals.

2. Cookie trays are, also, a good choice. That’s what we did at my school.

3. Brownie bites for chocoholics.

4. Applesauces pouches or fruit tray for a couple of healthier options.

5. Juice boxes of assorted flavors are easy to grab to drink or water bottles.

Preschool Promotion Celebration Gifts

A gift is not required for the preschool “graduates.” However if you have the resources to get them, it is a fun addition!

1. Bubbles

2. Summer Coloring Book with Crayons

3. Book from Scholastic or First Book

4. Class Photo

5. Sand bucket full of goodies like coupons to local places, sunglasses, mini-beach ball, sidewalk chalk, etc.

Misc. Preschool Promotion Celebration Ideas

You will need to decide if you want students to dress a certain way and share that with families. Then, students can wear graduation caps, if desired. We made ours with cardstock. We cut out squares and thick strips. Then, we sized the students’ heads to personalize each cap. There was a rectangle strip glued to the square and the sides were folded down on each end. Then, the sized strips were stapled together and stapled to each folded down piece. Last we created tassels from yarn and attached them with paper fasteners. You could, also, purchase caps.

Another item you will need are graduation/promotion certificates. These can be downloaded and printed from your computer or purchased.

One last item that can be created are programs. These can be created on Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or my new favorite, Canva. In the program, include the date, the songs, the teachers’ names, admin names, the students’ names, and thank the parents.

Another thing to consider is if you want the principal to speak briefly at the celebration. If so, be sure to arrange that well in advance.

Sample Preschool Promotion Celebration Schedule

The whole celebration should last no more than an hour due to the short attention spans of preschool students. And it’s best to hold the celebration near the end of the day, but not so close that it will hold up dismissal. That way families can take their child home when it’s over. Here is a sample timeline to follow. Also, make sure you have the celebration location reserved and decorated in advance. Some schools need quite a bit of notice if using the gym or auditoreum.

1 hour before the celebration begins start sending students to the bathroom and getting their caps on.

15 minutes before, get the students lined up in the order you want them and begin walking to the location of the celebration.

When the celebration begins, play the “graduation” music selected and have students enter and be seated. Next, welcome families and introduce the principal to speak (if desired). The principal will speak for 3-5 minutes and, then, let families know the students will be performing some favorite songs. The students will perform the songs for about 10 minutes.

Then, hold the ceremony where students names are called and they come get their promotion certificate. The timing for this will depend on how many students you have. Hopefully, this will not last more than 15 minutes.

Close out by saying, “We present to you the class of 2025!” And, then, tell families the expectations for the rest of the celebration including how to come get their child. With an hour time limit, there should be about 25 minutes left for food and pictures.

Final Thoughts

Be sure to practice, practice, practice. Not just the songs, but the whole event should be practiced. You can practice in the classroom and, then, in the location where the celebration will be held.

As for financing the celebration, check with your admin if there is money available in the budget to pay for supplies. If not, you can try asking local businesses for donations, starting a Donor’s Choose months in advance of the event, and, as a last resort, ask parents for supply donations.

A preschool promotion celebration may seem daunting at first, but with these ideas, you are well on your way to hosting a promotion celebration that families will remember for years to come! If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out a couple of my other end of the year posts: 10 Gifts for Students for the End of the Year and 5 Awesome Activities for an Unforgettable End of the Year!