The end of the school year can be incredibly stressful! We’re trying to wrap up testing, make sure everyone has what they need finished or turned in, and squeeze out those last moments with students who will be in a different classroom next year. Because it is so busy, you want to make sure you make time for end of the year activities that will leave a lasting impression!
End the School Year with Good Memories
Throughout the year, you have had a lot fun! Maybe you had some dress up days, had a special guest come in and speak to your class, or simply had a fun day. Whatever memories you made can be put together in a cute memory book. Students can draw what they remember and write about it or if you took pictures, you could put them into a book for your students along with their drawings. You can give them a memory book template to help guide them and make sure they aren't missing anything. This is a fun end of the year activity because you get to go back and remember some great learning moments!
Take a Trip and Never Leave the Classroom
While some schools are full force back to normal, not all of them are ready to bring students to different places. For many, end of the school year activities usually ended with a field trip. Don’t let not being able to go stop you from going somewhere with your students. There are so many virtual field trips you can go on with your students. From seeing a cool museum to exploring a different country, your students can go somewhere they may never go and learn along the way! You can even add these to your memory book!
Take End of the School Year Activities Outside
The end of school year can have some students (and teachers) getting a little bit antsy. Instead of doing everything in the classroom, take some time and plan a field day. This can be inside or outside depending on where you are and what the weather is like. This is a great way to collaborate with other teachers. You might even want to bring in the students and the teacher your students will have next year. That way this end of the school year activity is not only fun for students but an easy way to get to know someone they are going to be with next year. If you're inside, you can play bingo or use your centers to move students around the space to keep students organized. My students always loved Sports Bingo which you can have for free!
And the Winner Is…
Every student in your classroom is memorable for something. An end of the school year activity that celebrates those amazing differences and memorable traits is an award show. Make sure you have a “Best” award for every single student in your classroom. This doesn’t have to be a really serious award it can be “Best Pencil Sharpener” or anything you want! Here are some ideas as to what you can give awards for.
- Smiley Award
- Author in the Making
- Best Storyteller
- Artist in the Making
- Best Friend
- Picasso in the Makin
- Best Reader
- Giggle Box
- Best (Insert the Next Grade Here)
This is a short list of end of the year awards you can give. However, the last award you can give to anyone. If you want to, and you have the funds, you can give them a little patch or a sticker to go with their award so they can wear it proudly. You can also make medals out of string and paper to go with this amazing editable award.
An End of the Year Activity with some Fun!
Kids love to dress up! You can end your year with fun dress up days or theme days. The theme days can correlate with costumes, or you can simply have theme days that correlate with your end of the year activities. For example, if you have an awards day, you can send a note home to have students dress their best. If you are going on a field trip whether virtual or real, you can have students dress like explorers or scientists or whatever matches up with what you are going to be doing.
End of the school year activities should be educational, yes, but also memorable. You want your students to enjoy their last few days of school. Plus, let’s be honest, we can use some fun too! If you like any of these end of the school year activities, you can find great resources here or you can check out some freebies. So, pick an end of the year activity or two and have some fun with your students!
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