5 Fun End-of-School-Year Ideas

At the end of each school year, your class likely is buzzing with excitement for swimming, outdoor adventures and summertime fun. With the summer countdown in full swing, there are many end-of-school-year activities that can spark excitement for the season and highlight some of your classroom’s most important lessons over the year.

As you celebrate your final days together as a class, you can make a lasting impression with hands-on activities, reflective capstone projects, adorable take-home items and quick handouts that will empower your students to continue learning this summer. Read on to find inspiration for end-of-school-year activities, templates and gift ideas to make your final days count!

Create End-of-Year Mystery STEM Kits

Do you have a supply closet or bin that got mixed up during fun projects throughout the year? Keep up student engagement in the final days by using your remaining classroom materials for an interactive challenge. Give each student a bag and ask them to select five to 10 pieces of recycled cardboard, pipe cleaners and any other available materials to create a mystery STEM kit. Students then can use their unique kits to build anything they can imagine!

Illustrate Mini Yearbooks

Get creative with your students and illustrate a mini yearbook that details standout moments, field trip memories and fascinating lessons that will help them remember your awesome year together. Check out this template where students can feature their experiences.

Kick Off a Summer Reading Challenge

You can encourage good habits throughout the summer by helping students create a summer reading log or a color-as-you-go reading challenge. Consider having a read-a-thon to kick off your challenge, giving students a strong start to reaching their summer reading goals. Reading rewards are a nice incentive to incorporate too!

Give Coloring Handouts

As the school year winds down, students will enjoy some downtime with mindful coloring. Consider trying these inventor coloring sheets, encouraging students to add color to images of these inspiring inventors. You even can put together a joyful coloring playlist for students to hum along to.

Share Plant Take-Homes

Encourage your students to keep growing over the summer and celebrate how much they’ve bloomed with a plant take-home. Consider using mini succulents or propagating a spider plant as a class! This feel-good gift will give students a new responsibility and help bring STEM into their home this summer as they take care of their new plant.

Gift a Pet Rock

If you need an inexpensive gift that will put an instant smile on your students’ faces, look no further! Create adorable pet rocks by gluing googly eyes on small stones and rocks that you collect. Ask students what they will name their new pet rock, and as an extended activity, ask them to write a list of “cool facts” about their new pet rock to describe its unique personality.

Keep the Learning Going This Summer

Time flies when you’re having fun! For more activity ideas and classroom inspiration, keep exploring our website.