There are many occasions when friends and family may be moving away. Maybe for a job relocation, off to college, safety, loss of a loved one, heading to Hollywood or any number of other moving away reasons. In any case, it’s always a nice gesture to throw a farewell party to allow friends and family to show that person or persons just how much they mean to you and how much they will be missed.
Farewell Party Ideas: Traveling
Getting a group together to say farewell to loved ones is a terrific time to purchase some moving away gifts. It’s not just about having a party. It is a scary time for the ones who are leaving. They will need many things they probably haven’t thought of yet. Instead of getting on the road and wishing they had these items, send out invitations for the farewell party to allow guests to purchase items that could come in handy while the loved ones are traveling.
When decorating for the farewell party, try to come up with party ideas that will keep the guests laughing. Keep the sad farewells until the day they will be going away. At the party, decorate with items that can be used later or given as a moving away gift such as: maps, Hollywood or college-bound posters that can later be attached to the vehicle, suitcases, make-up bags, and a basket with sunscreen, lotions, sunglasses, motion sickness pills, bottled water, paper towels, and non-perishable snacks. Arrange these items on tables and throughout the party area with tags labeled with the names of the recipients.
For someone who is new to traveling, the following moving away gifts could really come in handy:
first aid kit fire extinguisher warning flares flashlight batteries maps GPS (as a group gift) tire changing kit spare tire empty gasoline can antibacterial wipes new set of windshield wipers tissues Tylenol/Motrin/aspirin vehicle garbage can cell phone charger for car
Family Going Away Party Ideas
Often, when people leave, there may be a whole family that will be going away. Try to allow for each family member to have a special day along with special moving away gifts. If there are kids that will be leaving, throw a party for their friends to say see you soon. Try to keep the good-byes to a minimum and have fun at the party.
Rent some inflatables for the kids to jump on or have a pool party. One great idea is to have a circus or fair party. Make or borrow some games such as: a football throw, a bucket for tossing balls, a duck pond, ring-toss on 2-liter pop bottles, and so on. The kids will have a blast and have something to remember about their last days where they lived. Take tons of pictures and send some back to the friends left behind inside Christmas cards along with some new pictures of the new place.
Here are some moving away gift ideas for the car and road trip:
DVD player DVD movies headphones basket with cups/napkins/paper plates/plastic ware books coloring books/crayons/markers dry erase boards/dry erase markers Crayola mess-free items snacks pens/pens/notebooks cooler filled with drinks/sandwich meats/cheese travel pillows
Going Away Ideas
One thing most people do not think of when they move away is to get everyone’s address. Phone numbers change, so don’t count on calling them up to ask for an address. At the farewell party, pass around an address book for guest to fill up. Wrap up a picture album filled with pictures, but tell them not to open it until they are settled in their new home.
Also, take up a collection of money at the party with the honored guests unaware to send with them on their trip. Unexpected expenses often creep up and this will give them some extra cash to get them through until they arrive at their destination. If the ones who are going away are not in any hurry to arrive at their destination, here are some gifts they might enjoy. Do your research to check for these places and activities en route on the family’s road trip.
amusement park tickets museum tickets hotel accommodations campground reservations fairs/festivals/special events concert/play/sporting event tickets
Remember, gas cards are always a nice surprise gift too. Another great way to send them off happy would be to ask for volunteers at the party to help clean the old house. This will save the ones moving away a lot of time and trouble. Schedule a work day and bring along some cleaning supplies to help do some cleaning. You may need to bring along a lawn mower, brush cutters, tree trimmers and so on to clean up the outside too.