When I was teaching in the classroom, I started planning end of the year activities for the last week of school at the beginning of May. Ok, maybe not writing actual lesson plans, but I was definitely thinking, “What am I going to do to keep my students busy and contain the chaos so that I make it through the rest of this year?!” Ha! Am I the only one, or do you feel the same way, Teacher Friend?
While finishing a school year is a huge accomplishment, planning for it can feel overwhelming when you’re completely exhausted and ready for Summer!
So give yourself permission to lighten up a bit and finish the year strong with activities that are sweet, simple, and won’t cause you any added stress.
Here are ten end of the year activities that I have used in my classroom to say goodbye to another school year and hello to Summer!
1. Letters to your Future Self
This is one of my favorite end of the year activities because it’s literally zero prep and my students get really excited to write a letter to their Future Self so they can remember what they were like as a kid!
Start by asking students where they see themselves in the future (you decide the time: in 5 years, at High School graduation, etc…). Tell students to write a letter to their future selves detailing this school year, things they currently like, advice they have for themselves, their hope for their future self at the time they’re reading the letter, etc…
When students finish writing, you’ll keep these letters stored and give them back to your students when the time comes! It may be 5 years or more, but eventually, they will read these letters again!
For future delivery, have students fill out envelopes with their mailing addresses written on them so you can mail the letters or simply give them to the Guidance Counselor or Teacher at the school they are attending when they need to be delivered.
Keep these letters in a folder marked with the date you plan to send them back to the students clearly on the front. Once you get to the year you need to return the notes, write a reminder in your planner on the month you want to send the notes back.
This activity can be completed using plain old notebook paper or you can grab a done-for-you template in my Last Week of School Survival Pack in my TPT Store!
2. End of Year Class Survey
Are you curious about what your students think about how the school year went? I always was! If you want to know what activities your students enjoyed, what you as the teacher should do the same or differently next year, or what your students loved most about this year…. just ask!
A survey is a great way to gather information about what worked well and what you could improve. Plus, the answers your kids share might give you new ideas for activities to include or systems to implement next year!
Type up a few questions you have in mind or use the Student Survey in my Last Week of School Survival Pack to learn what your students thought about the year!
P.S.- Don’t get upset if your students say things like, “Reading Class is boring. Let’s have more PE!”
Kids can be pretty straightforward and sometimes what they write doesn’t come across to you the way they meant for it to. Just take certain comments with a grain of salt, being willing to dive deeper into their responses with more questions of your own. “What makes Reading Class boring? How could I help make it more fun?”
Chances are they just hate the Testing portion or sitting still for long periods of time during internet-based educational programs and it has nothing to do with you or your actual teaching!
3. Make Persuasive Grade Level Posters
End of the year activities that don’t require a lot of time to prep were a staple in my class!
One activity that my students loved but also took no prep was making Persuasive Posters!
Using plain white paper or colored construction paper, have your students create posters for the grade level below yours to help get those younger students excited about coming to a new grade level next year!
On these posters, students can draw pictures and write words or sentences that would share the cool aspects of your grade! Make sure they use lots of color to make the posters as “pretty” as they are convincing!
When the posters are finished, sneak down the hall and hang the posters up on the walls around the lower grade classrooms! Once you’ve gotten those younger students attention, you can move on to Activity #4!
4. Be Pen Pals with younger students
Coordinate with teachers from the grade below yours to partner up Pen Pals! Have the younger students write a letter asking your students questions about their grade level.
When you have the letters from the younger students, give each of your students one to read.
Once they have finished reading the letter, they must respond to the questions they read with a letter of their own! Students can use plain paper or the pretty template included in my Last Week of School Survival Pack!
Encourage your students to draw pictures and tell as much information as they can! This will ease the anxiety the younger students may have about “moving up”! Send the letters back to the younger students so they can read your students’ responses.
If you love this end of the year activity, it also works in reverse! Have your students write a letter to the students in the grade above them asking questions about their new grade!
5. Host a “Move Up” Day!
Hot on the heels of making persuasive posters and writing letters about next year comes another one of my favorite end of the year activities- “Move Up” Day! And it’s exactly what it sounds like…
Basically, “Move Up” Day is when you invite your upcoming students to come visit you! This allows new students to get a peek at your room and really goes a long way in building excitement for next year!
For a more relaxed, less-stress-for-you experience, have your students “buddy up” with the upcoming students. They can sit and chat about what to expect next year! You can even give them time to tour the room to talk and ask questions about what they see.
Want to make “Move Up” Day even more impressive?
Offer snacks like ice cream or cookies! Students can eat together and have a good time while the younger students ask questions about their new grade level.
For the easiest Move Up experience ever, try my “Move Up Day Class Project and End of Year Activity” in my TPT Store! It includes a beautiful Google Slides presentation for your students to add information to beforehand and share with your visitors!
You’ll also find the printable resources you need to plan and carry out Move Up Day!
- Move Up Day Invitations
- Conversation Cards to guide student/buddy discussion
- Encouragement Notes for upcoming 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students
- “I can’t wait for _____ grade!” Reflection Page (for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades)
Allowing your current students to welcome your upcoming students gives them the feeling of responsibility and pride for helping lessen the anxiety of their visiting friends, while your upcoming students see what they have to look forward to next year!
No matter how you choose to do “Move Up” Day, it will be a wonderful experience for your current and upcoming students (and will give you a glimpse of what’s to come!)!
6. Make Friendship Bracelets
If you’re looking for end of the year activities that are laid back and offer your students some downtime, try letting your kids do something different that keeps their hands busy while hanging out together too!
Making friendship bracelets is super easy to do, doesn’t cost a whole lot of money, and is a fun activity that you can pull out any time over those last few days of school (it’s a lifesaver on rainy days when you can’t go out for recess!).
Purchase a bag of embroidery floss and allow students to choose 3 colors from the pack.
Cut a 12-inch long string of each color and tie the 3 strings together at one end. I like to tape the knotted end to a desk or clipboard to give students a sturdy base for the next step.
Braid the 3 colors together like you would braid hair. You may have some students who don’t know how to braid, but I quickly taught them how. Other students who already know how to braid well also make perfect teacher’s assistants!
Keep braiding until you get to the end of the string, then make a second knot.
Make a second bracelet using the same colors and method. Students will keep one bracelet and share the other with a friend.
I always allowed my students to make as many pairs as they wanted so they could give bracelets to lots of different friends.
Your students will love making bracelets and most likely want to make more, so keep your string and scissors handy for another day! It’s perfect for any time those few days before Summer when you have nothing left in the tank!
7. Hold a “Family Meeting”
Before you go home for the Summer, make time to hold a “Family Meeting” with your class! This is a wonderful way to wrap up your year by sharing memories, giving heartfelt compliments, and gifting a beautiful certificate to each one of your students!
Gather your students together, sitting on the floor or in chairs as a group. Ask your students questions about what they remember about the year:
- What was your favorite activity?
- What is one thing you’re proud of that you’ve accomplished this year?
- What’s the most important lesson you learned this year?
- What is your happiest memory?
- What word best describes this year?
Come up with more questions or simply let your students decide what they want to share!
Once everyone has gotten a chance to speak, call on each student one at a time and tell them why you’re happy you got to be their teacher this year!
For an extra special touch, add a beautiful “Thank You” certificate like the ones included in my Last Week of School Survival Pack to give to each child when speaking to them.
I suggest keeping the tissues close because this “Family Meeting” could inspire a few tears.
Hearing you say in front of the entire class how amazing you think they are will be such a confidence boost and a special way to end the year! Your students will love the sentimental end of the year activities as much as they love the “fun” ones- maybe even more!
8. Pass Around Signatures
Yearbook signings are a staple in everyone’s end of the year activities plans, but not all students can afford to buy one. That’s why I always made each student a Signature Book to share with their friends!
Simply take 5 sheets of plain white or colored paper and fold the stack in half, stapling in the middle, to make a booklet. I let students decorate the front with their name in huge letters. Then I gave the students time to sign and write messages in each other’s books.
Looking for something a little more unconventional than plain paper?
Allow students to bring in a t-shirt that their parents don’t mind being written on. Students can have their friends sign their t-shirt!
A fun little gift could be buying a beach ball or frisbee for each student and then allowing their friends to sign the item! Kids love it because they get the novelty of signing each other’s item but then get to keep their own!
No matter how you choose to let students participate, just keep it simple and easy for you! Students will enjoy this activity regardless of how much effort or money you put in!
9. Write a story based on a Summer- themed Movie
When Summer is on the horizon, kids start thinking all things Summer! A fun way to celebrate it’s upcoming arrival is to watch a movie or tv show with characters enjoying Summer (did I mention this also gives YOU time to work on End of the Year teacher tasks as well?).
Here are some of my favorite Summer movies:
*Moana
*A Goofy Movie
*Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
*Finding Dory
*The Parent Trap
*Phineas and Ferb (TV show)
Feel free to only show the movie, but if you’d like to keep it educational, add a writing activity! Have students write a story where they get sucked into the movie along with the characters! Students could use the plot of the movie to inspire a fictional story about what they wish would happen to them this Summer.
10. Have a fun End of the Year Dress up Day!
The last week of school is a great time to have a fun day where you and your students dress up and follow a theme for the day! I have planned many end of the year activities during my time in the classroom, and I have to say, Theme Days are the most fun! Here are a few of my favorites:
Decade Day/Week: Dress up in clothes from the 50’s through the 90’s and teach a bit about the fashion, toys, food, history, and popular trends of each decade.
Superhero Day: Dress up as superheroes and complete Superhero themed reading and writing activities! Check out this amazing Superhero Quiz in my TPT Store!
Detective Mystery Day: Dress up as Special Agents/Detectives and solve the mystery of who robbed jewels from the museum in my Catch This Criminal activity in my TPT Store!
Hawaiian Luau: Dress up in Summer Clothes, play Hawaiian music, and make (and eat!) Pineapple Whips! Watch Lilo and Stitch for an end of the day treat!
Have fun with a Dress Up Day! The year is almost over and soon your kids will move on. Enjoy them while you can!
Need more End of the Year Activities?
I hope these ideas help you make it to Summer, Teacher Friend! I know those last days are all about surviving when you really don’t have much left to give.
If you need a little extra help to get through the end of the school year, check out my Last Week of School Survival Pack!
In it, you’ll find printable end of the year activities and resources designed to wrap up your year with your current students, get your current students to help welcome next year’s students, and celebrate Summer all in one print-and-go resource!
Several of the activities mentioned in this post are included as well as:
- My Proudest Moment
- Welcome Pennants
- Creative Thinking and Writing Pages
- and more!
This resource will surely make your last week of school less stressful with the print-and-go activities included.
Best wishes for a wonderful end of year time with your students!
Pin These End of the Year Activities
Save this post of End of the Year Activities to your favorite School Pinterest Board so that you can use these ideas on the last week of school.
If you have any questions or want to bounce any ideas off a colleague, I’m here for you! Teacher Sparkle always grows when it has other Teacher Sparkle to share in the excitement! ❤️
