As we head down the home stretch of this COVID year, I want to do as many meaningful and fun activities with my students as possible. But – I’m tired. So I am compiling some past ideas into this post so I can have them all in one place. I hope you get some ideas and inspiration here!
If you are in the school building with students:
*Have your students create a memory book about the school year. There are lots of ideas for this on Teachers Pay Teachers, but you can also make up your own prompts. Think about a list of favorites — favorite science unit, favorite thing you learned in math, favorite read-aloud book, etc. Open-ended prompts work best. You can make the memory book on paper, of course, OR you can make it into a technology project using Google slides. (A link to the memory book we use is in the “remote” section below.)
*Your students could also write advice for next year’s students. Think about open-ended prompts for this as well. While it’s fun to have a letter from every student that you can give to your students next year, it’s also fun to have groups of your students work on this project and create Google slides of that. You can show the presentations to your class next year.
*Write a six-word memoir about the year. We also do these on Google slides (clearly, we love that tool!) and our technology specialist incorporates them into a slideshow for our fifth-grade graduation event. You could create a slideshow for your own class. These are fun and meaningful.
*Do any of your students have a special talent or passion? Give them the opportunity to teach! This could be the result of a Genius Hour project, or it could be just a chance to share. This year, I have a student who has a passion for origami. We’re scheduling time for him to show some simple origami projects and my kids can’t wait. Another student developed a strong interest in the American Revolution and has created an entire Google slides presentation of his research. Ask your students if they would be interested in sharing something like this and you may be surprised at what they are capable of teaching everyone!
*Allow some (or all) of your students to interview a classmate — about the year, about what they look forward to for summer and for the next school year, about books they recommend. They can videotape the interviews. You, of course, have final editing rights! These are also fun to show the class.
*Have your students use Flip Grid or WeVideo to make brief videos about favorite books. Let them work together and create a script first, but encourage creativity and “selling” the book. You can show these videos to your class next year!
*If the weather and your school safety plan allow, spend more time outside. You could read outside, take whiteboards and do math review outside, play various review games outside. Take advantage of the spring and early summer weather.
*Your students could spend time writing thank you notes to adults in the school who make a difference to them. Rather than writing lots of notes (although that is fine too), encourage them to put some thought into it and only write two or three notes. This is an especially good activity for upper elementary students who may have been at the same school for several years.
*Make a graffiti wall out of bulletin board paper. Let students write things they will remember, funny moments or memorable moments from the year, what they will miss, etc. You could also let them use a whiteboard. Another fun graffiti activity is to do this outside with sidewalk chalk.
*My students love to answer “Would You Rather” questions during our class circle. Here’s a link to a great free resource for end-of-year and summertime questions!
*Get your students to help with end-of-year cleaning and organizing tasks. You’d be amazed at what they can do to help.
*Consider having an “awards ceremony” on the last day of school. There are some great ideas on Teachers Pay Teachers. This is one of my favorites. You can have your students vote on these or you could just award them yourself.
*Make plans for summer reading with your class. You could all brainstorm a list of books to read. Encourage your students to keep in touch with each other and talk about their books. Some options for talking to each other include actually getting together to talk, writing a letter and mailing it, using email, or using Edublogs.
If you and your students are remote learning:
*Make a digital memory book! HERE is a template for our fifth-grade memory book. You can make a copy and edit for your own grade level and needs.
*Here is a link to a distance learning memory book option from Not So Wimpy Teacher on Teachers Pay Teachers and another option from Teach Create Motivate.
*HERE are some fun writing prompts I am going to post in Google Classroom as extension writing activities.
*If you’re looking for a good math project, Jennifer Findley’s Extreme Playground Makeover looks like an engaging way to review geometry terms!
*Jennifer Findley also has an inexpensive math resource in Teachers Pay Teachers with several great review math activities for upper elementary grades.
*Make a Padlet wall for each student with the focus question “What do you like about . . . ?”. Send one Padlet wall link to your students daily (through email or post in Google Classroom). Then each student can add brief notes or stories about the focus student. You can print these Padlets and either email or snail mail them to your students.
*Have your students interview each other about the school year and put those interviews together. Some interview question options:
~what are your favorite memories?
~what were some funny things that happened this year?
~what will you always remember? (I bet I can guess one answer to this question!)
~what did you love about this class?
~what did you love about this grade?
~what was your favorite field trip and why?
~what were some favorite books you read or heard this year?
This is another good idea for having your students interact with each other.
*Collaborative class book – I love this idea because your students create the book together. This helps mitigate some of those feelings of being isolated from each other.
*Host an end-of-the-year talent show on Zoom or Google Meet. Other options are sharing your pet or sharing something you made or created.
*On the last day of school, have one last meeting together but make it a virtual picnic! Have kids bring a blanket or towel and some snacks. Just sit and eat and talk and enjoy the last bit of your school year together.
If you want more ideas, see my post on Distance Learning End of Year Activities.
If you are looking for some great picture books to share with your students at the end of the year, see my post HERE.
What are some of your favorite end-of-year ideas?