You've made it, teachers! The end of the school year is in sight! Celebrate all the hard work and breakthrough moments of your class, or take a deep breath of relief that the year is almost over. We have tons of end of year activities to keep students learning and having fun up until the very last minute of the school year. Say bye-bye to stressful end-of-year planning, and hello to summer vacation!

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Countdown to Last Day Ideas

End of Year Activities

End of Year Resources

Last Day of School

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Countdown Ideas & End of the Year Routines

1. Riddle Bags

With the end of the school year approaching, it's time to break up the monotony of every day. Introducing, Riddle Bags!

Each day when students arrive at school, a new riddle bag will be on display. Once students solve the riddle on the outside of the bag, they get to open the bag and see the surprise inside – often a fun activity or event to do that day to celebrate the end of the school year!

We know how wild the end of the year can get! Another idea is to have the class “earn” their riddle bag each day as a good behavior incentive. To download your riddle bags, click the button below.

2. ABC Countdown

ABC, easy as 123! Countdown to the end of the year with an ABC countdown. Each day, have a fun activity planned to match each letter. Example: A – Art drawing party, B – blow up beach balls and bubbles. It's often the simple things that students enjoy the most – no need to spend extra time or money. Something as easy as a dance party or choosing their own seats for the day is perfect!

Teacher Tip: Do “M for Memory” day, and talk about all your favorite class memories. Introduce memory books and do one or two pages a day.

“The ABC countdown is really what gets me through the end of the year. We start out with simple activities for the first half of the alphabet and then plan bigger or multiple activities for the last half to really fill those days!”

Erica H. 2nd Grade Teacher

3. Steppin' Into Summer

We love this cute idea from teacher Katie P:

I do a “stepping into summer” countdown. I print off shoe clipart (each a different shoe), one for each student to color. If I have 20 students, we put them up when there are 20 days left. Take down one shoe a day. The teachers in my hall look for the shoe countdown each year as a sign of summer coming up!   

2nd Grade Teacher

4. Step Up to 2nd Grade

“We do “step up to second grade.” We paired with a first grade class. My students would write their top 10 favorite things about second grade and then write advice or words of wisdom. The first graders would come to visit. We would pair them up and the second graders would share their letters/advice and show them around our class and the second grade wing!” – Melanie H. 

5. Thinking About 3rd Grade

Much like Step Up to 2nd grade, but this time, it's your students who ask the questions! What do they want to know about third grade? Pair up with a third grade class and visit a third grade classroom to discover a bit of what next year will be like.

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Favorite End of the Year Activities

1. Beach Day

What better way to bring in summer than a beach day classroom transformation?!  To find everything you need to make it a beachy-keen day in your classroom, check out this post. For more ideas about classroom transformations, check out our classroom transformation bundle.

2. Field Day

Take the fun outside with Field Day! Students can participate in classic relay games (potato sack, three-legged race, balance the egg on a spoon, water balloon toss, etc.), obstacle courses, and team games like kickball. Invite parents to help out and have a ball! Students will benefit from physical activity while practicing teamwork and fair play!

3. Teach the Teacher

Turn the tables, and allow the students to become the teacher! Each student will pick a subject on which they feel they are an expert (building a Minecraft world, playing Happy Birthday on the keyboard, showing how to take care of a goldfish – really, anything goes!). The students must prepare a lesson plan and a five-minute presentation on their topic of expertise, and teach the class! This is great for practicing oral presentation skills, building confidence, and sharing individual interests with peers.

4. Fort Day/Camp Read-A-Lot

This simple class reward is always a big hit! Have students bring supplies from home (sheets, pillow, etc.) and allow them to create their own desk fort for the day! Or, set up a classroom transformation with Camp Read-A-Lot! To find out how to set up your own Camp Read-A-Lot, click here.

5. More Must-Do End of Year Activities

For a complete list of exciting end of the year activities (Talent show! Glow day! Board Game Day!) click on the blog post image below!

6. End of the Year Read Alouds

Gather round for shared storytime. Many teachers find that read aloud time is one of the most special times of the school day. It is calming and centering and allows students to come together through the shared love of a good book. Some of our favorite end of the year read alouds:

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Be You by Peter H. Reynolds

I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman

Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg

A Letter From Your Teacher: On the Last Day of School by Shannon Olsen

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End of the year resources

We know the end of the year can be a bag of mixed emotions – for you, and the students. We've prepared several resources to keep the end of the year running smoothly, so your class can really enjoy this precious time together.

1. Slide into Spring Pack

Our spring pack has everything you need to keep you organized and motivated during this time of year. Our “Finish Strong” checklist includes:

• End of the year checklist (check out ways to pack up your classroom so you are successful in the fall!)
• Letter to students next year
• Graduation Certificates
• Student gift tags
• Memory book
• End of year awards
• End of the year countdown
• End of Year ELA & Math Review packets
• Theme days calendar
• Behavior chart
• Spring attention getters

2. Memory Book

This end of the year memory book will create a special keepsake for your students. It is editable and customizable – make it as unique as your class! This memory book can fill in your wiring schedule for the last few weeks of school. Students love to reminisce about the fun times and happy memories they shared together.

• This is me
• Bucket lists for the summer
• My teacher
• My friends
• Lunch
• Favorite books
• Field trips
• Autographs

Another benefit to these end of the year memory books? Students will love collecting the signatures of their friends when they’re done putting them together!

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Last DAY of school tips and activities:

1. A Letter to my 3rd Grade Self

Have students write a friendly letter – to themselves! Fill the letter with memories of 2nd grade, tips, and words of wisdom for their 3rd-grade selves. Save the letters, and mail them to students before the start of the new school year.

2. End of the Year Awards

There is so much to celebrate at the end of the year. Think of where your students started, and how far they've come. How lucky are you that you got to be part of their school journey? Celebrate the accomplishments of your students with a fun classroom awards ceremony with these end of year awards.

3. Artifact Bags

Have plenty of sturdy, reusable bags on hand to pack up everything students need to take home with them – supplies, workbooks, notebooks, and any special “artifacts” you have created together this year. Let student decorate their bag before they fill them up.

Teacher Tip: Offer students the option of donating their old school supplies to next year's class. Use these donated supplies as group supplies for centers and small groups

4. Class Photo Booth

Create a class photo booth! Use silly props and allow students to pose and take pictures with their friends. Use an Instax camera to print immediately, or print out the photos on printer paper. Add them to their memory books. Students can also create a digital scrapbook in Seesaw or Google Classroom.

5. Class Slide Show

Create a digital slide show of photo memories. Add some favorite songs from your class, and play the video on the last day of school. Sharing it with parents and caregivers is always a special touch, too.

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Now that you've got the last month of school covered, take a look at more ideas to make the last WEEK of school extra special and stress-free!

What special traditions or celebrations do you do for the end of year? Tell us in the comments below, or connect with us on Facebook. Now kick back, relax, and BE PROUD of all you have accomplished this year. Enjoy your summer vacation – we'll be right here waiting for you when you need us.