Even as the year winds down, many kids love to finish goals in their subject areas. I’m big on earning badges through the year to mark learning accomplishments. For example, in my math class, we have 30 topics in an online assessment program (Learning Farm) that kids can earn medals as they show mastery. As they do, they put badges (stickers) on a chart on their locker. Students who receive medals in all topics earn a special “technology party” on one of the last days of school. For our technology party, students can bring in handheld gaming devices or phones and play school appropriate games during the party. Pizza parties and ice cream parties make fun incentives, too.
My students beg for escape games and break out experiences. My 4th grade end of year review escape game has a fun scenario in which a hacker named “The Krakken” breaks into our school network and erases all of their grades. The students must break the codes or be sent back to Kindergarten to repeat elementary school. I cracked up when when I overheard one of my students say to their teammates, “C’mon guys. Let’s go! I don’t want to have to go back to learning my letters and numbers again!”
Silent reading outside is awesome on a nice day. I like to have the kids do a measurement scavenger hunt outside. How many bricks tall is one meter? Can you find something that is 42 centimeters long? How many meters wide is the blacktop? Or, why not just take the kids out for some extra recess!
This product I created has something for every type of puzzle lover – hidden pictures, number puzzles, word puzzles, logic puzzles, and more. My students love these digital monthly puzzle challenges. This is typically work for early finishers, but at the end of the year, I challenge students to work with a partner to see how many brain teasers they can solve.
Pentominoes. My students have really enjoyed working in partners on this hands-on activity with pentominoes. It is a great review of area and perimeter, too!
My 4th grade teacher did this when I was in school, and I loved it. So when I started teaching, I’ve always done the same. I set up a bracket with a double elimination tournament and at the end, we crown a class champ. You may be surprised that it isn’t always your top student who wins. Believe it or not, many students do not know how to play checkers, so I usually start by teaching the rules and then having them play at this website. The first ones to beat the computer earn a first round bye in the tournament.
We are lucky to have a great one one nearby. Even blurred out, you can tell these kids are smiling. Yum!
We have two fun field trips that we do at the end of the year. We visit a nearby fort and museum to learn about Ohio history and the War of 1812. We also do a Bike Hike to our local metropark for a full day of fun. This is the most anticipated event of the year. While at the park students do a bicycle obstacle course, a nature hike, geocaching, and play on the playground. It is one of the most anticipated days of the year.
STEM projects are always a hit. Kids love working together to solve problems.
This has become a last day of the year tradition in our building. The “teacher act” always finishes the show and is a big surprise. This is a video that our staff did that the kids really loved of our staff racing, Mario Cart style.
My best advice to you at the end of the year is to enjoy every day you have with your students. While some of them might drive you a little crazy sometimes, you’ll probably miss them when they’re not “your kids” anymore. Make it a great end of your school year.
