The end of the school year is a time that is very busy for most classrooms. Here are some end of the school year project ideas, end of the year gift solutions, celebration tips, and diplomas.
Plus, I’ve found a set of alphabet countdown ideas to help make the end of the school year fun with a different thing to do or incorporate each day.
These end of the year ideas as so creative, I know you’ll just love them. Most are very simple or can be simplified to meet your classroom needs.
End of the School Year Projects
1. Screamin’ Good Year – This tutorial was originally created to show a fun idea for summary writing. I think the large photo piece is so beautiful and would make for an excellent end of year display.
My spin on it is to change their writing portion to a “screamin’ good year.”
Have students write about their favorite classroom theme or trip or summarize their year in school. {Free download}
2. Create a Class Quilt – Here is a beautiful example of how you can create a class piece to bring the entire class together for an end of the school year project.
This quilt was made with handprints in order to fit the alphabet, but you could easily input your own artwork or writing ideas with beautiful borders to tie it all together. What a statement!
3. “I’m a First Grader” Photo Shoot – Set up a photo area to snap a fun set of end of the school year photos. Have each student hold up a speech bubble that says, “I’m a ___ grader!” to celebrate their moving onto the next grade level.
This is a quick idea that parents are sure to love.
4. End of the Year Election – Get students thinking positively about their classmates by describing them in an end of the year election.
Let them think of the funniest, happiest students and to nominate them for the election.
Tabulate the results for some end of the year fun. {Free download}
5. School is Cool – Get students reflecting on their year and have the year in a snapshot piece. This is a craft with a girl and boy template for students to write what they like best about the school year. The sunglasses really make this project a keeper!
Have you already got your end of the year teacher shirt? Here are my current favorites. Hurry – there’s still time to order.
6. Hallway Countdown – If you celebrate any type of graduation for your grade level, start a countdown in the hallway.
This idea was designed for kindergarten, but why not host your own mini-graduation ceremony in your classroom with red bulletin board paper as your red carpet to celebrate the end of a hard working year! {Free download}
7. Memory Gift Books – Create a collection of items that our students have made over the length of the school year {get those files cleaned out}.
When you add a poem and a picture of you and your student together you have a very personal, meaningful gift together.
Bind or assemble to make it special and a gift for each student.
8. Memory Books – There are tons of memory books and pieces available to create your own template. During the last weeks of school, making books that are like personal yearbooks is a great plan.
This activity fits well in between the craziness that we all find our selves in the last weeks of school.
9. Bulletin Board Displays – Bring on the end of year cuteness with a sailing inspired bulletin board display. Have your students’ photo displayed along with the title, “Sailing into ___ Grade.”
10. Handprint Poem (Kindergarten) – This cute project will also work for an end of year parent gift or make a great page in a memory book.
Students add their handprints into the empty space on the page or could mount this onto a larger piece of construction paper with handprints beside. {Free download}
End of the Year Gifts
11. Teacher Poem – Send your students off with a poem from the teacher to remind them that they are special. Pair this with a picture of you and your students, or a photo with you and each student one on one.
Sign it to make it personal and you’ve got a simple, meaningful gift. {Free download}
12. Create Parent Gifts – Use a beginning of the year assessment piece and it’s comparative end of the year piece as a gift for parents.
This tutorial shows you how to laminate two pieces of writing side by side to show growth and remind parents of how much they’ve learned.
13. Learning With Toys – Here is a great step by step set of toys to put together to give as student gifts (with a tip on getting books at a fraction of the price).
This tutorial gives you a printable for kindergarten that explains each toy and how it can have educational value for over the summer fun. {Free download}
Host a Celebration
14. End of Year Celebration Invitations – Are you planning a celebration at the end of the year and inviting parents?
This printable set includes summer themes that are bright and fun!
You can print on these in Powerpoint too making them print and go. {Free download}
15. Celebration Event – Here are some great tips on hosting and end of the school year celebration event. Includes photos of table displays, student gifts and how to make it a smooth event.
16. Luau – Have and end of the school year luau. Host fun activities throughout the day that fit a Hawaiian theme and pass out small favors like leis to your students as a gift.
Here are some stations that are designed for kindergarten as sample ideas.
Take multiple photos throughout the day to put together as a gift for each student.
17. Camp Read a Lot – This week long idea will transform your classroom during one of the last weeks of school.
Find different lesson plan ideas to do each day with your students to keep it fresh and to keep them excited and engaged. Most of all, I love that this one celebrates reading.
Such a clever idea using probably lots of camping gear you already have in your closet.
18. Photo Slideshow – If you put together a slideshow for your students to show the last days of school, here is a list of music suggestions and titles that might be a great fit.
Also, a great list if you create parent gifts of CD’s filled with photos from the school year.
19. Kindergarten Graduation Event – If you are planning on hosting a kindergarten graduation event, here is a cute craft to create.
Use simple shapes to create graduation kids.
Add a quick little poem or tag to make this a keepsake.
End of Year Awards and Diplomas
20. Diplomas – Most often if graduations are held at the end of a school year, they are done in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
Here is a quick glance at how a teacher uses diplomas and her classroom management tips for making the day work. {Free download}
21. Awesome Awards – Don’t you just love the sound of this one? I love this idea since it makes students focus on the positive attributes of other classmates as they create awesome awards for one another.
Great idea for any grade level! {Free download}
End of the Year Countdown
22. Countdown Balloons – Decide how many days you’d like to countdown, and set up that many balloons as a colorful display in your classroom.
Place a special activity idea inside each one {love that these ideas could all be free!} and keep them guessing what kind of fun could be in store!
23. Countdown Printable – This clever countdown printable set will cover you for the end of the school year and then some!
You’ll be able to show how many days are left in school by placing this printable in a photo frame and writing on it with a dry erase marker. {Free download}
24. ABC Countdown – When you come down to the last 26 days of school (or less if you combine days) there are so many fun options to celebrate in small fun ways each day.
Here is an editable version of a parent note and an ABC countdown for you to use and make your own. {Free download}
25. Alphabet Countdown Calendar – Turn your last month into a countdown calendar for students with a fun theme or activity for them to look forward to each day.
Your creativity of coming up with titles to match a letter of the alphabet is all it takes to make this idea happen. You can do all of them for little to no money. {Free download}
26. The Alphabet Countdown – Want to see more options for ideas of things to do with each letter of the alphabet as you count down your last 26 days of school?
Brainstorm with your students to create a list to fit their interests or use these ideas. {Free download}
Get more alphabet countdown ideas for kindergarten here.
Ready to finish out the year strong? Check out these 17 Simple End of the School Year Student Gifts and Writing Activities.
Thanks to these teachers for their free downloads and ideas that are creative and memorable. Your ideas are fabulous! Feel free to grab the “I’m a Featured Teach Junkie” blog button as your creations are definitely worth the shout out.
More End of the School Year
- How to Send Home Work SIMPLY {End of the Year}
- How to Manage the End of the Year Behavior
- 17 Simple End of the School Year Student Gifts and Writing Activities
- End of Year Gift Idea… Fun, yet Academic!
Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.