It is the final COUNTDOWN!!! The students (along with the teachers) feel the sunshine, the longer days, baseball/softball practice, fun outdoor weekends, and more. This sometimes causes some classroom management concerns and long days for teachers. So with the end of the school year upon us, we are all looking for some fun end-of-year classroom activities.
End of The Year Classroom Activities
Need any ideas for the end of the school year? Here are a few of my favorite end-of-the-year activities to do with my students. Warning: These end-of-year activities are fun, but some may get messy, so be prepared (wink, wink). You’ll also notice a lot of these activities are freebies or low-budget. I know we are all getting ready for a summer of no paychecks, so I want to make sure you have some $$ to spend during those months!
Activity #1: Last Day Blues Freebie
Last Day Blues is probably one of my favorite read-aloud. This Last Day Blues freebie by Stories by Storie is definitely a must-do in the classroom, and it comes with discussion cards and free printable activities your students can complete.
Activity #2: End of the Year Writing Activity Freebie
I love a good writing activity that doubles as a craft and a hallway display! This free Summer Kids writing activity from School is a Happy Place is the perfect end-of-the-year classroom activity for older students. They all love to discuss and imagine the fun activities they will be doing during the summer weeks. Although they all pretend they are “too cool,” every student loves a fun craft.
Activity #3: Math Spiral Review for 2nd Grade Freebie
This is a little plug for my resource, but I promise you’ll love it. Students have been learning so much this year, and we don’t want them to forget everything over a couple of weeks. Send home this 2nd-grade spiral review with students or complete it in class during those last few hours.
If you are looking for a summer packet to send home with your students that reviews all of the math concepts learned during the school year, I have a 2nd-grade spiral review packet you may enjoy! Although not free, your students will be able to stay on top of their skills during the summer months.
Activity #4: Giant Bubbles For Class
This activity isn’t completely free but is still a super fun activity! Create a giant bubble around your kids using a hula-hoop, soap mixture, and fun! I enjoy giving my students bubble wands as gifts at the end of the year. These bubble tags from School is a Happy Place are free!
Activity #5: End of the Year Letter
You have spent a lot of time with your students, and it is always nice to let parents know how much you enjoyed it! Send this cute end-of-the-year letter to parents and show them your appreciation. They are great to send home when your students go home with their memory books if you do this type of activity. Here are two options: Option #1 from Kindergarten Works and Option #2 from Love Those Kinders.
Activity #6: Word Cloud Collages
These are so much fun, and students love to create them! I have students move from computer to computer and write two-three words that describe the person whose desk/computer they are sitting on. The more the word is used, the bigger the word gets within the cloud collage. Sunshine and Hurricanes has excellent directions and ideas for one option for a word cloud. The Polka-dotted Teacher also has another option for a word cloud.
Activity #7: Mentos Geyser Experiment
I do this activity with my students EVERY year! If you are looking for end-of-school-year outdoor activities, this one should be close to the top of your list! It is a fun way to keep students learning while having a ton of fun at school! I suggest buying this Geyser Tube. It makes the experiment a little more intense and totally cool!
Activity #8: End of the Year Memory Book
The last book is always a favorite among teachers. A memory book where students can reflectively write and read about their year in the future. It is always a fun way to fill some time when looking for last week of school ideas. They can write about their summer plans, the top 5 moments of the year, and more. Great Minds 123 has a great free memory book available.
End of Year Classroom Activities
These are just a few free end-of-the-year classroom activities. There are so many more options available, and I know teachers have come up with ideas I have not even thought of! No matter how you choose to celebrate, no matter what activities in school you decide upon, your students will enjoy any fun school activities that give them a little break from learning and a taste of summer!
