Gifts for Graduating Preschool

They grow up so fast. Preschool zoomed past, and kindergarten is right around the corner. Celebrating the littlest graduate with a special preschool grad gift can send the message that they’re on the road to becoming a big kid. That’s why the experts at American Greetings put together a comprehensive list of graduation gift ideas for preschool to help you applaud their good work and mark this step in their young journey.

Let Them Know The Places They'll Go

Help the mini grad in your life transition from pre-K to kindergarten by unlocking their wishes and dreams with new experiences that will fuel their creative fire. As a gift for your graduating preschooler, take them on an outing that’s enjoyable as well as educational that might come up in discussion the following year. Do they love animals? Take them to an animal sanctuary where they can pet and feed lots of different animals. They’ll learn how different animals live, what they eat and who knows, a future veterinarian might be born! Do they love rocks and digging? Lots of children’s museums have a dinosaur exhibit where kids can dig for bones and fossils. Got a mermaid or merman on your hands? A trip the aquarium is always a day full of deep-sea adventures. Print all your pics from the day and work on a scrapbook together that they can take for show-and-tell. Not only will you and your little one have made a wonderful memory, but you’ll be setting the stage for the possible roads their lives could take.

Make a Custom Preschool Graduation Song

For the child that loves music and dancing, a preschool graduation song personalized by a Songfinch artist will make their day! Simply share your child’s interests, traits and school memories, and they’ll customize the perfect song in days. Imagine your child’s joy hearing a melody celebrating all their achievements. It might become the next tune they play on repeat! This heartfelt grad gift for preschool can then become a tradition for every grade completed, creating cherished memories for years. Pair it with an American Greetings card by selecting “Add a Digital Gift” for a complete celebration experience.

Stuff a Big-kid Backpack

Upgrade your grad’s mini-backpack and snack bag to a larger backpack and lunch box to show they’ve hit the big time. Fill the new backpack with school supplies and the lunch box with a new water bottle. Consider monogramming the backpack for a grown-up touch. (Psst! If you want to plan ahead with a fun idea, give this a try: grab a bunch of blank note cards or colorful Post-its to leave in your child’s lunchbox for a fun pick-me-up during the day. A simple, "I ♥ you!" or "You can do it!" make for a fun find along with their PB&J.)

Cultivate Their Artistic Side

Here’s a fun graduation gift idea for preschool: Wrap a deluxe, kid-friendly art easel for the child who is bursting with creativity. Let your post-preschooler know it’s time to move beyond glitter and to work with real paints, canvas and paper. Some easels have two sides, one for painting and one with a chalkboard or white board. Either way, tap your creative juices, and spell or draw a congratulatory message to the grad before wrapping it all up.

Send a Shout-out From Their Favorite Cartoon Character

Looking for the perfect gift for a preschool graduate who loves cartoons? Check out Cameo for personalized video messages! Pick their favorite character, choose the occasion (like preschool graduation) and you’ll get a special video in less than a week. If you record their reaction, share their excitement with us @americangreetingsdigital on social! Plus, you can send Cameo gifts for graduating preschoolers with American Greetings ecards. Just follow the steps to “Attach a Digital Gift.” It’s that simple!

Big-kid Desk Set

Perhaps your grad is already familiar with the “H” word — homework. If not, they will be. Provide them with a go-to homework spot complete with desk, chair and supplies. If they already have a kid-friendly desk, then freshen up the space with new crayons, rulers, books, pencils and maybe even a new, colorful desk lamp.

Graduation Day Fun

What better way to celebrate a preschool graduation than to make the moment as special as possible? Give them a new pair of shoes before the event or a brand new outfit. To cap it off, give your grad a card with a little spending cash, just like the big kids get. You can find printable preschool graduation Creatacards™ to delight your pint-sized scholar

Signify It's Summertime

What better gift for preschool graduation than a summertime toy? Spring for a water toy, new beach towel or fun floating tube to let them know they’ve successfully completed the school year and are now taking a summer break. It’s a great way to reward them for their hard work and signal the end of one season and the start of another.

Bucket of Alphabets

Kindergartners are expected to know their letters, making it an ideal time to give this type of gift for a preschool graduation. Make learning the alphabet a joy by filling a bucket full of alphabet cookies, alphabet soup noodles, alphabet books, alphabet games and maybe a pillow or wall hanging with their initials.

Make Math Prep Fun

One of the skills kids need for kindergarten is a sense of numbers, so prep them the fun way. Make math cool with hands-on activities like puzzles — which are good for fine motor skills, too — cooking and baking kits and money games. Or give a cool coin sorter and a jar filled with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters for an educational preschool graduation gift.

Kindergarten Countdown

Starting a new grade can be scary and exciting at the same time, and while no one wants to rush summertime, counting down to the first day of school can help ease anxiety and create fun anticipation. Celebrate their preschool graduation with a construction paper chain like the kind you make at Christmas but give it a schooldays spin using fun bright colors, and hang it on the wall with a picture of their school or a school bus at the top. Or work together and create a big smiling summer sun and glue sunrays, like petals, all around it. Write an activity on each ray or link that you can do each day (go swimming, read a new book, explore nature, etc.). Have your child remove a link or sunray each day to fill summer with fun activities, boost confidence, and minimize first-day jitters.

Send a Digital Preschool Graduation Card

Preschool graduation is such an important milestone, it deserves a special kind of greeting card. That’s where American Greetings comes in — we offer a wonderful selection of graduation greetings that you can personalize with your own heartfelt message and digital add-ons like photos and video. And if you’re searching for the perfect grad gifts for preschoolers, we’ve got you covered! It’s easy to add a digital gift for that extra touch of magic to your little one’s special day. Say goodbye to ordinary and embrace the extraordinary with American Greetings!