5 Must Do End of the Year Activities

As the end of the year approaches, teachers are looking for fun activities to do with their students. I have compiled a list of my top five, must do end of the year activities! From countdown calendars to relationship building activities, it's all right here. Read more to learn my 5 must do end of the year activities!

End of the Year Activity #1: Letters to Students

Each June I have my current students write letters to my upcoming kiddos. I present my new students with these letters on step up day. This is such a fun activity because students will share what they love about you as a teacher and what upcoming students can expect. It allows your new students to get a peak at what their new teacher will be like before the year begins. Distance learning this year? No worries! Simply have your students type their letter in Google Docs. This way you will still be able to print them and give to your new students!

End of the Year Activity #2: Memory Books

At the end of each year I make memory books for my students. This is similar to a yearbook. Memory books are a fun way for students to reflect, write/ draw about their year, and gather friends’ autographs. Memory books are always a fan favorite in my classroom and one of my favorite end of the year activities as well! Click HERE to check out the memory books I use.

End of the Year Activity #3: Turtle Compliments

Turtle compliments are such a fun activity to build classroom community! I like to do this activity after winter break and then again as the school year comes to a close. This classroom community building activity is super easy and free. It allows an opportunity for children to learn about compliment giving and kindness. Each child will tape a paper plate or piece of white paper onto their backs. Then, each person in the room is responsible for going around the room and writing one kind thing on each person's back. I always tape a paper to my back and join in on this activity. I like my kiddos to see me active modeling as we do this activity and to remind them that I am part of the classroom community too. This is a wonderful end of the year activity to keep that classroom community growing right until the end of school. For a distance learning version, try creating a shared Google Doc that all your students can use to write compliments to each other on.

 End of the Year Activity #4: Countdown Calendars

I love countdown calendars and so do my students! I take the number of students I have and count backwards from our school closing date. On all of those days in between we celebrate specific students! On their special day in the countdown, the chosen student will sit in our VIP desk and everyone else will write them compliments on our white board to start the day. I teach students all about giving compliments and celebrating one another. You can do many creative visuals for countdown calendars. From balloon pops to spinners, there are so many fun ways to countdown and celebrate your students in this fun end of the year activity. Check out the VIP student resource I use, click HERE. I you are distance learning, do a video countdown calendar! Record little videos each day that help students count down to the last day of school. This is what I will be going this year, along with mailing my kiddos their VIP badge and end of the year awards.

End of the Year Activity #5: Student Awards

I love doing student awards at the end of the year. We host a little class party and each child gets a chance to be recognized for something wonderful. Core values and character education are a big part of my teachings each year, so I use end of the year awards that reflect that importance. Instead of giving my kiddos silly end of the year awards, I recognize each student for a character trait we learned during the year. For example, students in my room may receive an Integrity award or an award for showing great Compassion. I love this end of the year activity because my students are so proud when they receive their awards. Click HERE to check out the class awards I use.

Looking to explore all of my favorite end of the year teaching resources? CLICK HERE now!