Are you sending a kid (yours or a niece or nephew) off to college this fall? I am dreading the day. But least I have 10 years to go and I am hoping those years go slow. And when the time comes, I’ll be referring back to this awesome College Send Off Party Idea. It comes from my cousin, Jody. Her family planned this great night for her nephew last summer before he went off to school.
I love not only that it gets the whole extended family involved, but it also shows the college student how much they are loved and supported as they start a new chapter in their life.
This College Send Off Party Idea has three parts:
Story time!
Have aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and siblings email a personal story about the college student to the party organizer before the night of the party. Then at dinner, read the stories and have the guest of honor try to guess who wrote each story. Impose a penalty for incorrect answers. Jody’s nephew had to lick a dollop of ketchup each time he guessed wrong.
And the Answer Is…
Let family members answer questions about the college student, from serious to silly. Some of the questions Jody’s family asked were: how many instruments her talented nephew could play, what was his first girlfriend’s name, what is the mascot of his college, what is his favorite music album, how old was he when he started walking, or what was his record for number of pancakes eaten…
Advice for the Journey Ahead
Every family member wrote one to two lines of advice for the college student on a note card and put them in a decorative jar. Each day at school, Jody’s nephew was to pull out a card to read and enjoy.
Entries included Bible verses and words of wisdom as well as jokes and fun statements like, “May the Force be with you” and “Nephew, You’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.”
Don’t you just love this supportive way to send off a student to college? This was the first of among Jody’s nieces and nephews to head off to school. What a wonderful family tradition to keep through the years!
What do you think about this college send off?
My name is Kristen. I'm a former Wedding & Event Planner blogging about fun ways to celebrate each and every day and the special occasions of life. Here you'll find inspiration for family fun, children's activities, party planning and a faith-filled life. 
