Left Right Game for Graduation Party

Short: The Handshake

At the rehearsal in Fairview, the teacher in charge said it three times. "It is simple. You walk up. You shake with the RIGHT hand. You take the diploma with the LEFT. You smile. You keep walking."

Jordan practiced at home with Grandpa Lou, who played the principal and handed over a rolled-up newspaper. Shake, take, smile, walk. They did it eleven times. It was perfect every time.

Then came the day. The gym was hot, the gowns were hotter, and the line moved one name at a time. Jordan stood in it, saying the words quietly. Shake RIGHT. Take LEFT. Shake RIGHT. Take LEFT.

The name was called. Jordan walked up the steps, did not trip, and reached the principal.

The principal held out the other hand.

Nobody had practiced that. Jordan shook the diploma. Then Jordan took hold of the principal's hand and tried to walk off with it. For a moment the two of them stood there, holding on, like people about to dance.

The whole gym laughed. Grandpa Lou laughed loudest, and took a picture.

Then the principal let go, bowed, and started again from the top, and this time it went as planned. Jordan walked down the far steps with a diploma, a red face and the loudest cheer of the afternoon.

That picture is on the wall now. Of all the photos from that day, it is the only one LEFT that anybody asks about.

Congratulations, Jordan. Whatever you are holding now is yours to keep.

All 5 stories

Show the list

Short: The Handshake Short, about 2 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 3. Eleven rehearsals, one diploma and the other hand. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × town.
The Cap That Would Not Sit Standard, about 3 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 2. A flat square, five bobby pins and a stiff neck. Gifts end two seats left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × town.
The Empty Cover Standard, about 3 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 2. The graduate opens the diploma cover in the driveway. Gifts end two seats left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × town.
Five Parties in One Afternoon Standard, about 3 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 3. Five cards, five tents and the same ham sandwiches. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × town.
Rhymed: Caps in the Air Rhymed, 14 couplets, about 3 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 3. The ceremony, from the march in to the caps coming down. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × town.

The kinds of words the game asks for

Name a first name; a made-up one is fine. More examples: Sir Reginald, Professor Plum, Doctor Noodle.

How these stories were written: All five stories were written for this site in October 2026, and none is adapted from a left right story in circulation. The graduate, the guest and the town are the names you type, or samples; no real person or school appears, and the ceremony customs are the stories' own. Pass counts are counted from the final text. Licence: own work

How it works

In a left right game for a graduation party, every guest holds a small prize and passes it one seat at each LEFT or RIGHT. Press Start: give me 3 words to put your graduate's name in The Handshake.

Read the full guide

How to play

Hand each guest a small wrapped prize and gather three or more in a circle, sitting or standing. Read slowly. At each LEFT or RIGHT in capitals, every prize moves one place that way. At the last line, guests keep what they are holding.

Pick a story

The Handshake is the shortest, with six quick passes back and forth before the name is called. The Cap That Would Not Sit is the hour before the ceremony. The Empty Cover is the drive home. Five Parties in One Afternoon is for a guest with a full Saturday. Caps in the Air is 14 rhymed couplets.

One prize for the graduate? Start it with the guest on their right and read The Handshake: it ends one seat left.
Two graduates at one party? Read a story for each and type a different name each time.

Questions and answers

How long does a graduation left right game take?

The Handshake takes about 2 minutes and the other four about 3. The Handshake, Five Parties in One Afternoon and Caps in the Air have 7 passes; The Cap That Would Not Sit and The Empty Cover have 6.

What do you pass in a left right game at a graduation party?

Small wrapped prizes of about equal value, one a guest: candy, a mug, a pair of fun socks. With three or more players, nobody finishes with the prize they started with.

Does it work for a high school and a college graduation?

Yes. No story names a school, a grade or a degree, and the ceremony is a gym, a gown and a cap. The Handshake has a principal and a teacher, and the graduates in Five Parties in One Afternoon go on to study.