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!
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- 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)
Close-up Photo Quiz
It’s an easy-to-understand quiz where you show a photo taken extremely close up and have people guess what it is.
The fun part is that even familiar things become hard to recognize when you can’t see the whole picture.
You can build excitement by gradually zooming out from the close-up, letting more and more participants realize the answer.
It’s recommended to use answers that people in the room feel close to—like enlarged photos of participants’ faces or items closely tied to school life—so that when they figure it out, they can’t help but laugh.
Minor’s Claim
In the popular variety show Gakkō e Ikō, the segment ‘Minor’s Declaration’ was a fan favorite.
You’re not a minor when graduating from university, but to mark the occasion, let’s shout out in front of everyone—your ambitions for the future, the things you thought during your school life but never said, from big dreams to trivial little anecdotes!
[2026] Games to Energize Your Graduation Party & Thank-You Banquet (31–40)
School Quiz
Since it’s a graduation party, how about a quiz related to the school that has taken care of us all this time? Even though we spent every day at school, there are probably a lot of things we surprisingly don’t know.
Turning topics like the “Founding Anniversary,” the “number of classrooms,” and the “number of teachers” into multiple-choice questions would likely get everyone excited.
A game of guessing childhood photos
It’s a simple quiz game where you look at baby photos of alumni and teachers and guess who they are.
It’s a lot of fun—some people look exactly the same as they do now, and you also get to see super cute baby pictures, so it gets lively no matter the pattern.
It could also be fun to include photos from age 5, age 10, and so on, gradually getting closer to the present.
Truth or Lie Game
Friends you’ve spent time with up to now—how well do you all really know each other? At a thank-you party or graduation celebration, why not liven things up with a game that helps you reaffirm your bonds? The “Two Truths and a Lie” game is, in short, an icebreaker: each person gives four statements about themselves, but one of them includes a lie.
Everyone else listens and tries to figure out which statement is the lie.
“You had that side to you?” “We’ve been together all this time and I never knew!”—it’s a great way to deepen your connections.
Balloon Battle
It’s a survival game where players try to pop each other’s balloons tied to their ankles.
Flailing around to pop balloons helps break the ice and can spark communication.
Larger balloons can make a startling pop, so smaller ones are recommended.
The way you manage distance from your opponents is key to winning, which keeps the tension high.
You can play one-on-one or have a lively game with a big group.
Why not try this easy-to-learn party game that everyone can enjoy?
Number guessing game
You clear the game if the number of people standing matches the number that was called! The “Number Guessing Game” gets everyone excited even though all you do is stand up or squat down, making it perfect for parties and thank-you gatherings.
It feels like something you’d enjoy playing at school.
At parties with lots of different segments, setting up the next activity can sometimes take time.
A no-props number game is ideal for bridging gaps or filling downtime, so organizers should definitely keep it in mind.
