The Best End of Summer Party to host for Grandkids

By Grandma Sandy | September 10, 2025

Last week, I advocated planning ahead for the holidays. But on Sunday, I reverted back for our annual end of summer party for the grandkids.

There'a a lot of laughter as we run around, tagging each other, playing games. — **We play games and laugh a lot.**

I hosted our first summer party during the pandemic when schools were closed and kermesse, the kids’ end-of-year school fête, was cancelled.

To mitigate the disappointment, I created our own kermesse, complete with games and refreshments. We’ve had such a party every year ever since.

Benefits of an End of Summer Party

While our first summer party was held to celebrate the end of the school year, more recent parties have turned into a last hurrah before returning to school.

Mother and daughter do the newspaper relay race. You can only proceed forward by stepping on a newspaper. — **Summer Party 2023 featured a newspaper relay race.**

A party for no reason–not a holiday or a birthday–focuses the event as a special celebration just for the two children. It enables three generations to connect.

We play games together, laugh together, and enjoy each other’s company. There is no agenda but to have fun. This is pure family time.

Keep Food Simple

At one summer party, I spent too much time preparing the food and not enough planning the games. I asked for a redo; we had a second games afternoon.

The simple lunch: open a single-serve bag of Fritos or Doritos, crush the chips, then fill bag with taco-seasoned ground meat, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and other toppings and fillings. Eat from the bag. — **Bags of Fritos and Doritos, taco meat filling and all the trimmings.**

This year, I reintroduced walking tacos. Crush slightly a single-serve package of Fritos or Doritos in its bag, then add fillings and toppings; eat from the bag.

Walking tacos: Doritos bag is opened with meat filling, lettuce, cheese, and salsa spooned inside. Eat from the bag. — **Walking tacos–it’s fun to eat from the bag.**

Filling and Topping Suggestions

Ground meat filling using my favorite taco recipe
Sour cream
Salsa
Sliced tomatoes
Shredded jack or Cheddar cheese
Cilantro sprigs
Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce

I made a crudité basket and for dessert, we had ice cream, served in a waffle cone or on poundcake with fresh berries and chocolate sauce.

Preparation for the Party

Set the stage for your end of summer party by pushing deck furniture to the side to clear a space for relay races. — **Move the furniture and plants to make an open area for game play.**

Clear the deck for your end of summer party. We pushed all the furniture and potted plants to the sides. Balloons added a festive touch.

Tip: Use a marker to note on your helium tank the number of balloons you filled so you can keep track of how much helium is remaining for your next party.

Start with Giant Bubbles

I set out bubble solution and bubble wands before the kids arrive. It gives them something to do until lunch is set and before we start the games.

Grandkids can make giant bubbles when they first arrive, before lunch and games. — **N makes giant bubbles.**

Grandchild makes giant bubbles as a preliminary activity before lunch and games. — **Miss T shows her bubble making skills.**

Relay Races

Choose teams and let the races begin! This year, the children’s dad had wrenched his back and grandpa was also a bit under the weather, so the remainder of us carried on, with the injured reserve watching and cheering.

Balloon Balance Relay

For this simple game hold a balloon between your knees and run a traditional relay race.

Balloon relay: grandma and grandson race with a balloon between the knees. Guess who won. — **Ready, set…waddle down and back without losing your balloon.**

Rock, Paper, Scissors Relay

The first player on each team runs to the opposite side and plays rock, paper, scissors with their opponent. Only when they win can they run back to their side and tag the next player, who then makes the next run.

This fruit sorbet is made simply by freezing a can of fruit and processing it in a food processor until smooth.

Lemonade, a Pantomime Game

Grandma and grandkids playing the game, Lemonade, try to avoid being tagged. — **Grandma is trapped and about to be tagged.**

We played this game as kids. Form two teams that will come from opposite sides to meet in the middle.

Team 1 decides on a job they will mime, such as chef, hair stylist, or carpenter, for example. Team 2 has to guess what the job is.

Playing Lemonade: Team 1 mimes being a carpenter; Team 2 must guess the occupation being mimed. When Team 2 guesses correctly, Team 1 runs back to base to avoid being tagged. — **Show us some: Team 1 mimes working as a carpenter, while Team 2 tries to guess the job.**

When Team 2 guesses correctly, Team 1 runs back to their base. If any members are tagged before they reach their base, they join the other team.

There is a chant that goes with the play:

First, Team 1 shouts: “Here we come!” and marches forward.
Then, Team 2 steps out to meet them, replying, “Where from?“
Next, Team 1 responds by answering “inside” or “outside,” based on their occupation (chef is inside; gardener is outside)
Asks Team 2, “What’s your trade?“
Responds Team 1, “Lemonade“
And finally, Team 2 says, “Show us some!” At which point, Team 1 mimes the job,
Team 2 begins guessing, and once they guess the occupation correctly, Team 1 runs home and team Team 2 tries to tag them before they return to their base.

Grandmas in action. Grandma 1 tries to tag Grandma 2 while playing lemonade. — **When a team guesses the answer, the team miming runs to home base to avoid getting tagged.**

Water Balloon Games

Everyone should have an extra set of clothes. Provide towels.

Musical Water Balloons

Instead of musical chairs, set water balloons around a table, one balloon fewer than the number of players. Players walk around the table and when the music stops, each player grabs a balloon. The players peg their balloon at the unlucky one, who is “out.”

Reset the table with one balloon fewer and one player fewer and continue the game until one (dry) person is left.

Water balloon games turn into a water balloon fight with kids getting splashed thoroughly. — **Use the rest of the balloons for a water** **balloon fight.**

Water Balloon Toss

Line players opposite each other in sets of two. Play catch until balloons burst. Expect this game will devolve into a water balloon fight.

Fishing Game

Child scores an atomizer set playing fishing. — **Miss T hooks a set of perfume atomizer bottles.**

One year, I thought the kids were too old for the fishing game. But they insist they are not.

Make a pond by covering a blue sheet over a table or large box. Make a fishing pole by tying yarn to a yardstick and a large binder clip to the end of the yarn.

Crouch behind the pond with the “fish.” Some fish will be prizes for the kids; others will be clean trash, such as a wad of printer paper, a sock, or a tin can.

When the child casts the line into the pond, attach a fish with the binder clip, alternating between prizes and trash. Tug on the line so the child knows they have a bite.

The Party Finale

We end our party by setting off a confetti cannon. Fearless Miss T is in charge.

Child sets off a confetti cannon to signal the conclusion of the end of summer party. — **Miss T shoots off the confetti cannon.**

Colorful confetti fills the air. — **A shower of confetti makes a fitting finale.**

Summer Party Summary

For more ideas for games and food for summer parties, check out past posts:

June 2020, our first summer party, with simple games.

Grandkids at the first summer party playing games, masked for Covid in 2020. — **Miss T and Little N play games at our first summer party during the pandemic.**

August 2021–A party to celebrate the end of my Camp Grandma program for the grandkids. At this summer party, I showcased the kids’ artwork and accomplishments for their parents.
September 2022–For a change of pace, we had an ice cream party and shot off a confetti cannon for the first time.

It rains confetti to signal the end of the summer party in 2022, our first use of a confetti cannon. — **Kids delight in the rain of confetti; dad set off the confetti cannon.**

September 2023–At this party, we introduced new games and Walking Tacos.
August 2024–At this end of summer party, we played a variety of games and enjoyed a simple menu of grilled hot dogs, and fruits and veggies on skewers.

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