5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Make the End of the School Year Memorable

It's the end of the school year.  You're tired, and you don't have money to spend on a big end-of-year celebration.  All is not lost!  Pick your head up off your cluttered desk and read on to find 5 cheap and easy ways that will give your students a memorable end of the year and won't cost you a fortune.

I went looking for ideas, and Pinterest bombarded me with countdowns galore - with balloons, paper chains and more.  I am more of a last-week-of-school activities teacher or a last-day-of-school activities teacher. What about you?   

So today I am sharing 5 things you can easily plan to do with students in the last days of school.  You can choose to spread these activities out, so you have something to look forward to each week or do a final week of fun.   Best of all, these aren't a lot of work and don't cost much!  WIN WIN

1.  Bubbles!  

Everyone loves to play with bubbles.  I have bought the gallon jugs of bubbles and brought my own collection of various bubble wands. Alternatively, I have asked parents for donations of bubbles. Last year, I got so many small bottles of bubbles donated that I am all set for this year.  Head outside and let them play!  Have a contest to see who can make the biggest bubble or who can keep their bubble from popping the longest, etc.  

2.  Sidewalk chalk!

This is another hit with kids of all ages.  You can use the chalk to create masterpieces with your students on your playground or on the sidewalks surrounding your school.  You could even create chalk frames, and each student has their own frame for their masterpiece.  Do you want/need to make the time academic-focused?  Another option is to use chalk for some skill practice.  Have students solve math questions - one student writes a problem, the other student answers it.  How about having your students trace each other on the pavement and measure the outlines using non-standard or standard measurement? What about practicing word families?  Write a variety of word families on the pavement and then have students move around and add a word to each word family.  All of these activities will be great fun, and they won't mind that they are learning.

3.  Pyjama party! 

Who doesn't love a pyjama day!  We have Pyjama Days in the winter and wear cozy PJs, but why not do it now to celebrate the end of the year, too?  Have students wear their PJs, bring their stuffed animals and have a pyjama party in your classroom.  Plan some additional story times during the day, and make sure students read to their stuffies during independent reading time.  They will eat that up!  To make the day extra special, bring in some sheets and blankets, and let the kids build a few forts around the classroom using tables and chairs.  These can become their learning spaces for the day.

4.  Games Day! 

Fill the day with games of all sorts.  Revisit some of your students' favourite literacy and math games. Take out all of your classroom games and give them time to play.  You could also ask students to bring in their favourite board games to play as well.  Another option is to go outside and play some group games like soccer or any variation of tag.  The list of games is endless.  I personally don't use technology for games on this day. Kids are inundated with devices and video games outside of school, so I want them to socialize with their classmates and play the old-fashioned way.

5.  Outdoor Learning!

Devote a day to learning outside.  Can you imagine the excitement when you tell your students that they are working outdoors for the day?  It is not as hard as you may think.  If you have a class set of clipboards and a bin for all the necessities, you can have a fun day working outside.  Your students will enjoy reading and listening to a story under the shade of a tree.  The opportunities for math are many when you are outdoors - patterning and measurement are obvious choices. Even working on a math worksheet will be more fun if you are working outside. The connections to Science are many, too.  With a little planning on your part, you can enjoy a day outside with your students and ensure they are learning also.  

A new end-of-the-year tradition I have for the final month is to have a snack outside and read them a book.  Students bring a beach towel or small blanket from home to keep at school.  We take them out and spread them out under the shade trees in our yard, eat a snack, and enjoy a story. Former students still tell me that it was a highlight of their year in Grade 1.  

However, you choose to celebrate the end of the year with your students, I hope you and your students have fun and make some lasting memories together!

Check out my Pinterest board for the End of the School Year for more ideas.

Don't forget to pin this post so you can return to it at the end of next school year.

Until next time,