End of Year Classroom Party Ideas
By: Sue Kirchner of ChocolateCakeMoments.com
The last day of school is meant to be celebrated. Kids and teachers are eagerly looking forward to some summer fun and let’s face it, no one wants to do school work today. Some last days of school are only a couple of hours long so there isn’t a whole lot of time for lessons. Why not plan some fun activities for the kids in the classroom, so they remember their last day of school party just as much as their summer break? Here are some ideas to get teachers and students smiling!
T-Shirt Memories
Have every child bring in a plain white t-shirt. Get some fabric markers and have everyone in class sign their name, write a fun note, or draw a picture on each kid’s t-shirt. It’s a great memento to keep.
Summer Scavenger Hunt
Have the Room Moms bring in some little summer-themed trinkets and hide them around the room for the kids to find. Look around your house for items or see what you can find at the dollar store. Seashells, swimming goggles, sidewalk chalk, lemonade stand sign, and a pail and shovel are all things that can be hidden in the room. Hand each child a list of items they need to find and let them hunt. Or, have each child find one item and sit at their desk. When all of the items are found, let each child stand up and say what they would do with the item they found over the summer.
The ABCs of the School Year
For a fun activity, give the kids a sheet of paper with all of the letters of the alphabet going down the left side. Then ask them to write something they remember about the school year for each letter. A is for the art fair. B is for our butterfly garden, etc.
Fun Last Day of School Stories
You can take this time to read the kids some fun summer books like Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies or Arthur’s Family Vacation by Marc Brown. Older kids (4th grade and up) will love listening to Bill Harley’s stories about school and summer from his new CD High Dive. Or download his story Mrs. Ammons and the Boys Room which is all about the last day of school. His fabulous stories always have kids and adults laughing out loud.
Write some notes
Although this might be sneaking in some writing practice, you can still have fun by having the kids write a letter to next year’s students on what they loved most about this grade or their teacher and what to expect in this new grade. Or, have the kids write thank you notes to the school helpers like the office staff, nurse, custodian or even the room Moms for all of their help throughout the year.
Mock Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympics will take place in London this year so get the kids into a competitive spirit with a Mock Summer Olympics Game. Sack races, relay races, long jump and paddle ball competitions are always fun. Have the kids make Olympic Torches and Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals to hand out to the winners. Here are more ideas for games for your Mock Summer Olympics.
Have a super fun last day of school this year. Here are some fun and easy ideas on how to make it a family tradition to celebrate the last day of school at home with your own kids.
Photo Courtesy of Kaboose.com
Sue Kirchner is the founder of ChocolateCakeClub.com and ChocolateCakeMoments.com, where she sells products and shares ideas that help busy families have more fun together, so they can have more ‘Chocolate Cake Moments’ – when they are smiling, relaxed, and enjoying their family time. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, magazines, newspapers, and family blogs. Check out her other kids’ party and family fun ideas at ChocolateCakeMoments.com.
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