How is it possible
that we are here already? Is it just me teacher friend, or does the end of the
school year creep up on you too? It feels like yesterday was September and we
were welcoming a new group of kiddos, and now Summer vacation is right around the
corner! But what do you do with your kiddos in those final days before Summer
vacation? What lessons or activities for the end of the school year will leave
a lasting impression on your student? As the end of the school year bounds
towards us, I thought I would share some of my favorite activities for the end
of the school year.
Activities for the End of the School Year: End of the Year Read Alouds
Read-aloud time is
something that's near and dear to my heart. As the school year winds to a
close, there are so many emotions for our students to process; stress, anxiety,
excitement, loss, joy, worry, and happiness just to name a few. One way to help
students make sense of the crazy emotion stew that’s brewing inside of them is
to share and discuss these emotions in a story. Below I have linked some of my
favorite end of the year read aloud stories. These read alouds and a hearty
discussion after, are great activities for the end of the school year.
- Last Day Blues
- And Then Comes Summer
- The Last Day of School
- I Wish You More
- Only One You
- Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden
Activities for the End of the School Year: End of the Year 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.
Activities for the End of the School Year: End of the Year Countdown Calendar
I love countdown
calendars and so do my students! I take the number of students I have and count
backward 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 at our VIP desk and everyone else will write them compliments
on our whiteboard 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. If 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.
Activities for the End of the School Year: End of the Year Student Gifts
In the year that we
spend together, my students and I become a little family. At the end of each
year, I like to get them a little parting gift to say thank you for the time we
spent together and the memories that were made. How is a student gift an
activity for the end of the school year you may be wondering? Well, I like to
give my kiddos gifts that they can play with. For example, I might give them a
colorful chalk pack then take them outside to make a giant mural together, or
coloring books that we can go outside and color together on the last day of
school. If you’re looking for student gift ideas that you can also use for
activities to end the school year, CLICK HERE to check out my student gift tags for some
inspiration and ready to go gift tags!
Activities for the End of the School Year: End of the Year Student Memory Books
One of my all-time
favorite activities for the end of the school year is a student memory book! 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.
There are so many activities for the end of the school year, but the most important are the activities that build memories for you and your students. So soak it all in teacher friend, because you have conquered another year and now it is time to celebrate and have fun with your kiddos!
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