Games to Liven Up Your 2026 Graduation Party and Thank-You Banquet
After the graduation ceremony, many schools might hold parties or thank-you gatherings.
And if you’re the organizer, you might be struggling to choose games or activities for entertainment, right? Since it’s a special graduation party, you’ll want to make it a wonderful and fun time that everyone will remember.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of ideas—from games related to school life to activities that get large groups excited.
We’ve also prepared plenty that let you look back on memories, so please use them as a reference!
- Games to Liven Up a Farewell Party: Ideas That Will Make Everyone Smile
- Recommended performances for elementary school thank-you parties: carefully selected games and skits that will liven things up!
- [2026] A roundup of crowd-pleasing gag/performance songs for party entertainment
- A collection of performance ideas that will liven up a graduation party. Crowd-pleasing entertainment.
- [For Elementary School Students] Recommended Recreational Activities to Enjoy at a Farewell Party
- [For Middle School Students] A Collection of Recreation Ideas to Liven Up Farewell Parties
- Fun activities for junior high school students. Recreation games.
- A funny song that livens up a farewell party
- Recreation Ideas That Truly Excite High School Students! A Fun Collection of Activities
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Farewell Party Songs] From hidden gems to the latest hits: a collection of classics to color the moment of parting
- Let's Make Memories! Fun Icebreaker Activities Recommended for High School Farewell Parties
- Games that liven up elementary school thank-you parties! A collection of ideas that both children and adults can enjoy
[2026] Party Games to Hype Up Graduation Parties and Thank-You Receptions (21–30)
What’s in the box? Showdown!
This game, where you guess what’s inside a box by touching it with your hands, is an exciting activity you can enjoy using only your sense of touch, without relying on sight.
If you fill the box with safe-to-touch items like stationery, stuffed toys, or handkerchiefs, anyone can join in easily.
Setting aside time for everyone to talk about what they felt by touch naturally leads to conversation—“What is it?” “I think I know!” You don’t have to reveal the answer right away; the time spent thinking is part of the fun.
It’s a perfect game for a thank-you party, where friends and teachers can all get excited together.
Paper Cup Tower
Here’s a game that gets both participants and spectators excited: the Paper Cup Tower.
Haven’t you played it at least once? The rules are very simple—stack paper cups into a tower, and if you knock it over, it’s game over.
The tricky part is placing each cup carefully so it doesn’t fall, while keeping up the pace to smoothly pass the turn to the next person.
It keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and makes them want to cheer.
If you get not only the participants but also the audience involved and have more people take part, it’ll get even more exciting!
A game I’ve never 〇〇-ed
A game that’s guaranteed to get everyone excited around the world is “Never Have I Ever.” In this game, players take turns saying something they’ve never done before, and anyone who has done it must take a drink.
The aim is to name things you haven’t experienced but others likely have, so you can make them drink.
It’s a great party game, but to avoid getting drunk and causing trouble on a special day, you can tweak it by swapping alcohol for bitter drinks like noni juice or senburi tea.
Telepathy Game
The Telepathy Game is a game where all participants try to give the same answer to a prompt.
For example, if the prompt is “What flower represents spring?” the challenge is successful if everyone answers “cherry blossom,” but it fails if even one person answers “tulip.” It’s a game where you don’t write the answer that first comes to your mind—you try to imagine what everyone else will write.
You can answer by having each person write a full answer, or by having players write one character each to form the answer together.
Try for a perfect score with your close friends!
Team Competition! True or False Game
@soramame.sensei Hello! This is Kotoba no Kyoushitsu Soramame Kids. We’re playing a team-based tic-tac-toe game! It gets surprisingly heated, so staying hydrated is a must. Give it a try!Kotoba no Kyoushitsu Soramame Kids#SoramameKidsChild Development Support ServicesAfter-school day serviceSpeech-Language-Hearing TherapistOccupational therapistNursery teacher / Childcare worker#KagoshimaRehabilitationKagoshima# developmental support (ryōiku)Recreation
♬ A comical long who seems to be chasing me(845594) – WataSound
It’s a simple competitive game that both kids and adults can enjoy together.
Participants split into two teams, and at the starting signal they take turns placing one O and one X for their team on the grid.
The rules are simple: each person must make exactly one move before switching to the next player, spaces are first-come-first-served, and you can’t overwrite a mark.
When time is up, the team that has lined up more of their marks vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins! Strategy and speed are the keys to victory.
With kids and adults cheering together, it’s guaranteed to be a blast.
Clap-Clap Game
@mimasakadaigaku A clapping game you can use for class activities! It’s super easy, so give it a try!#Mimasaka University#Pachi-Pachi GameClass party/activity
♬ Pretty and fun Marimba song – Azuline
It’s a simple, exciting game where you watch the person in front and enjoy their movements.
The person in front extends their left hand and moves their right hand as if to hover above it, and at the exact moment the two hands line up perfectly, everyone watching claps at once.
The suspense of waiting to see when to clap is fun, and occasional feints spark laughter—that’s the charm.
The rules are easy to understand, and you can join while seated, so it’s perfect for thank-you parties and similar events.
It’s a game that everyone can enjoy together and that creates a great sense of unity in the room.
Arm Wrestling Tournament
How about arm wrestling as an idea that requires no preparation or practice and is guaranteed to get everyone excited? Everyone knows arm wrestling: two people face each other, rest one elbow on the table, clasp hands, and start.
The winner is the one who pushes the opponent’s arm down.
It’s so simple and universally known that it’s bound to be a hit! You could make it a team competition where the next challenger steps in each time someone loses.
You could also split men and women into separate brackets, or if you mix genders, introduce handicaps to even things out.