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This post is all about celebrating the end of school year with kids.
It’s officially the countdown to the end of the current school year. A time to rejoice and finally relax into summer freedom! While you parents may be counting down the days until your kids can enjoy some extra screen time, long lazy mornings, and hours spent playing outside, I can guarantee that your kids have probably thought about it more.
The annual celebrating end of school year hurrah! A commemoration of the entire school year in one epic day.
To transition your children into the glorious days of summer, let’s plan an epic last day of school that will become a tradition in the years to come and forever live in their hearts and become one of their favorite memories.
Last Day of School Countdown Ideas
Before we plan that epic day and bring this year’s class to an end, we need to do some fun activities in the last few weeks to keep your students engaged.
Following are some great ideas and fun activities for counting down those final days.
Make a list of all the things you’re looking forward to. Include things like sleeping in, no homework, swimming, and barbecues.
Make paper chain links out of construction paper in your school colors. Every day, tear off one link until there are none left.
Put sticky notes all over your calendar with fun things to do each day leading up to the final days of school. Include things like watching a movie, going for ice cream, having a picnic lunch outside, etc.
Keep track of how many days are left until the last day of school by making a game of coloring each calendar square with a different color and placing a big X on each day that passes. Once the coloring is all done and there’s an X on every day, it’s officially summertime!
Giving your child a gold star for each day until summer break starts is a really fun idea. You can put them on a chart or keep track in a journal.
Each day on the calendar, encourage your child to write down everything that they are grateful for or their favorite memory about the past school year. Reflecting on things like making new friends, learning new things, and participating in extracurricular activities and writing them down will make a great keepsake for years to come.
Encourage kids to create summer bucket lists or a summer plans list of all the things they want to do over the break. Include items like visiting a new place, trying a new activity, and learning a new skill.
One thing is for sure whether you have elementary students, middle school students, or high school students, you can make the end of the year and the last day so much fun and memorable!
Read on for 10 unique suggestions to get your kids excited about the last day of school.
Celebrating the End of School Year – Throw a Party
Throw a Party – Invite friends and family together to celebrate the end of the school year. You can plan games, brainstorm ideas about summer get-togethers or playdates, and serve delicious snacks. You can even order a cake with a celebration theme.
Create fun decorations with butcher paper, display a bulletin board with students’ pictures and accomplishments, or create a game day challenge or obstacle course.
You could even display a memory book to have attendees sign and write letters for the future or reflect on something meaningful from the past year to be read aloud at the party.
Or you could just celebrate with music, dancing, and fun!
Visit Their Favorite Place
Plan to visit your child’s favorite place on the day school ends. If you have multiple children, have each choose a location, then make a plan to visit each place. Make sure to take them somewhere that they love but that perhaps they don’t get to visit often. Whether it’s the beach or the zoo, let your kids pick out the perfect place for their end-of-year celebration.
Have a Movie Marathon
If the end of school is on a Friday, cancel bedtimes for that night and spend the time binge-watching your family’s favorite movies. Buy theater snacks and pop popcorn.
Let each child pick their favorite film so there’s something for everyone. Get cozy on the couch, dim the lights, and let the magic of cinema transport you to different worlds and adventures.
Who knows, you may even discover a new family favorite! So, grab your remote and get ready for a movie marathon like no other.
This is a great activity to ease the whole family into summer fun.
Have a Scavenger Hunt
Another great way to end the school year is to have a summer-themed scavenger hunt. Hide items around your house or your yard that remind your kiddos of summer (sunscreen, sunglasses, swimsuit, etc.) and give your children points for each one they find.
Then at the end of the day, the family member with the most points wins and gets to choose where to go for dinner or dessert.
If your kids are older, you could even indulge in a scavenger hunt at your local bookstore, indoor mall, or downtown area. There are a variety of websites that you can use to create a great afternoon worthy of any memory book. Click here to get an idea and get the creative juices flowing.
Have a Family Campout in Your Backyard
Make memories by grabbing your tent, some blankets, and a few snacks, and transform your backyard into a camping oasis. Spend your evening snuggled up with hot chocolate and s’mores by the fire pit. Or spend a few minutes gazing at the stars and reflecting on our amazing world or play games. Then snuggle up in your sleeping bags or blankets inside your tent and tell a story or two until everyone falls asleep.
Not only is this a fun activity, it is also budget-friendly. In addition, you get the bonus of a hot shower that is just steps away. Who says you need to go far to have an adventure?
Play Tourist and Visit all the Local Landmarks
Play tourist for a day and explore all the landmarks that make your hometown unique. From the towering skyscrapers to the charming historical sites, I’m sure that there’s no shortage of sights to see.
Take a stroll through the bustling downtown area and snap selfies with an iconic statue. Or, visit the quaint park that’s been a staple in the community for years. Not only will you and your children learn something new about the history of your town, but you’ll also get to experience it from a fresh perspective.
So, as soon as the last school bell rings, grab your children and your camera, put on some comfortable shoes, and get ready to discover all the local landmarks that have been right under your nose this whole time.
If you live in a town with many landmarks or historical treasures, you could visit several over the course of the last week of school. It will be like going on a vacation but getting to sleep in your own comfy bed.
If you would like to create an incredible afternoon for your family, Viator offers amazing experiences and tours in your area. Use this link to get started on that great afternoon.
Brainstorm Fun Ways to Enjoy Summer Reading
If your kids like to read, this could be one of their favorite activities at the end of the year. Create a summer bucket list reading challenge.
Have your children write down all of the books that they would like to read in the coming weeks. Maybe you could look for the best children’s stories lists at your local library, peruse the books in a new section, or ask the reading specialist at your child’s school for summer reading recommendations.
Discuss with your children ways to make this a summer reading game with prizes and special treats at the end of the summer for those who finish their goals or for the child who reads the most.
Check out this post for some reading suggestions.
Have a Pool Party or Visit your Local Water Park
Host a pool party or hit up your local water park; there’s nothing like splashing around with friends and family on a hot summer day. So, once your child is out of school, grab some sunscreen, your favorite swimsuits, and make a splash.
If your family decides to hit up the waterpark, make sure to jump on every ride you can find. Don’t be afraid to scream at the top of your lungs because, hey, it’s summer, and it’s time to let loose.
However, if you have a home pool, I suggest going all out with fun floaties, colorful décor, and a music playlist that screams fun. After all, you can’t win a game of Marco Polo without some blaring tunes.
Visit Grandma or Another Beloved Family Member
Grab the kids and visit Grandma! Not only will Grandma be thrilled to see her grandkiddos, but your children will have a blast exploring her house. From the old photo albums filled with pictures of various family members in their awkward teenage years to the antique clock that still chimes on the hour. Grandma’s house always has special memories.
Plus, you’ll get to catch up and maybe indulge in a slice of her famous homemade apple pie. Load up the car, buckle up the kids, and head on over to Grandma’s for an afternoon full of laughter and love.
Create a Photo Scrapbook
Gather up all the pictures from the just-finished school year and spend the afternoon creating a beautiful keepsake photo album that your child will cherish. This is something that the whole family can do together.
Not only will it be a fun bonding experience, but it’s a great way to reminisce on memories from the year. Plus, you can put your creative skills to use by decorating each page with stickers, washi tape, and other scrapbooking materials.
And let’s be real, who doesn’t love flipping through a physical scrapbook rather than mindlessly swiping through their phone?
Final Thoughts
Now that you are equipped with some new ideas and insight on how to make the last day of school extra special, go forth and start off your vacation right. Whether it’s a beach day, a movie marathon, or a pool party, your child’s last school day should be something they remember forever.
As much as they will miss their friends and schoolmates over the summer break, a day to celebrate can really lift their spirits and set the tone for their well-deserved vacation. Let them bask in the glory of completing an entire academic year with lots of success and honor all their hard work.
So make a plan and start a new tradition. What are you waiting for? Grab your kids and enjoy every moment of their epic last day of school!
xooxoo
