10 End Of Year Celebration Ideas For Your Elementary School Classroom
For teachers, the end of the school year can be bitter-sweet. You’re tired and ready for summer break, but you’ve formed a classroom family, and you’ll miss your sweet little kiddos. So make the most of this special time of the year with these easy end-of-year celebration ideas. This year will be the best end-of-year yet!
1. Start An End Of Year Celebration Count Down
The end of the year is an exciting time for most students. You can build on the excitement with an end-of-the-year countdown. Hang some twine along the top of a bulletin board. Use clothespins to clip on numbered balloons, paper bags, or folded sheets of paper with a secret activity written inside them. Each day, take one down and complete the activity together.
The countdown can be as simple or complex as you want. And, you can do it for the last month of school or just the last week. It’s flexible! Here are a few activity ideas to get you started.
- Extra recess
- Popcorn party
- Create thank-you notes for school staff (custodians, media specialists, lunchroom staff, etc.)
- Pajama party
- Stuffed animal reading
- Sidewalk chalk
- Outdoor read aloud
- Science experiment
- Watercolor painting
2. Make Warm Fuzzy Bags For Collecting Compliments
This is a super easy project to do. Cut strips of construction paper and grab a plain brown paper lunch sack for each kid. Have your kids write their names in big, bold letters and then decorate their bags however they choose. Then, have kids write compliments to each classmate and add them to each bag.
Tip: Start the project a week or two ahead of time and be sure to read through the notes before passing them out. That way, you can catch any messages that aren’t kind or any bags that are short of compliments in time to address it. Then, pass out the bags on the last day or week of school.
3. Break Out The Games For Some End Of Year Celebration Fun
Break out some classroom games. Bingo is a classic. It’s also a low prep activity that makes a great time filler for those odd schedule gaps that pop up at the end of the year. So why not grab some stickers, candy, erasers, or other small prizes and celebrate the end of the year with some bingo review games?
4. Make Popcorn And Watch A Movie
Popcorn is quick, easy, and cheap. Plus, most kids like it. So pair the popcorn with some video clips reviewing topics from the year and play this popcorn-themed math game to review addition, subtraction, or multiplication.
5. Reflect On The Year With An End Of Year Questionnaire
Grab an end-of-the-year questionnaire and see what your students say. These make great keepsakes!
6. Pack It All Up
If your school requires you to pack up your classroom each year, don’t do it alone. Get your kids involved. Let them pack up the classroom library, remove dried-out markers, or clean the cubbies. Put on some music, and set aside some time for packing up during the last day or two of school. The kids will enjoy helping, and you’ll have less to do.
7. Make And Sign Memory Books
End-of-year festivities and schedule changes can lead to more downtime than usual. Memory books are the perfect independent activity to complete during those schedule gaps. Plus, memory books make a special keepsake for kids, and they’re a great alternative to yearbooks. (Kids who didn’t get a yearbook can collect signatures in their memory book.)
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“My kids really enjoyed creating and using their books. Thank you for taking the time to make them. I can’t wait to use them again next year.” – Claudine
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8. Give Out Classroom Awards At Your End Of Year Celebration
Every child has qualities worth celebrating, and they need to hear about their unique strengths. Classroom awards are a simple way to celebrate each child’s gifts. These classroom awards make it easy to find a perfect fit for every student so that you can create a classroom set of awards in just a few minutes!
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“I absolutely love the wide variety of awards that are included in this set! They are great for the beginning, throughout, & the end of the year. There are so many to choose from that I had no problem finding at least one, if not more, to give to each of my students.” – Tara
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9. End of Year Gifts
Grab these gift tags for the end of the year. Pick up some cheap bubbles, and you’re all set! Check student gifts off your to-do list.
10. Hold Your End of Year Celebration On The Playground
End-of-the-year classroom parties don’t have to be complicated. Ask parents to donate some frozen treats, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and beach balls. Keep it simple and hit the playground for some extra recess. Let your kiddos enjoy spending some time playing with their friends before they head home for the summer.
I hope these end-of-year celebration ideas will help you make this year the best end-of-the-year season yet. Although it sometimes feels chaotic, the end-of-the-year season is special. So I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy it with your kiddos.
Get ALL of the End-Of-Year Celebration Freebies in one place!
Want the end-of-the-year freebies mentioned in this blog post? Simply enter your personal email below. (Many schools block outside emails with attachments.) I’ll send you the FREE popcorn party game, end-of-the-year questionnaire, and student gift tags.
