The end of the year is always an exciting time. Teachers and students are all excited for summer, and the opportunity for a nice long break from school.
While teachers may be even more excited for a long break than the students are, teachers also know that getting to that break is not easy! In fact, while it is one of the most exciting times of year it can also be one of the most difficult.
If you have been teaching for at least a year, then you know how overwhelming it can be to keep students engaged during this time of year. In addition to simply being excited about summer break, students (and even teachers) may be distracted by disruptions to the school calendar.
From assemblies, to field day, and some end of year testing, it can sometimes feel like school is already over. So, what do you do to continue to keep students engaged when their brain has already gone on break?
End of Year Activities to Keep Students Engaged
Keeping students engaged during the last month of school does not mean you have to give-up on teaching quality content. Remember, learning IS fun!
Check out our end of year countdown activities.
As former teachers ourselves, we know exactly what this time of year feels like. We also know what activities worked for us! Activities that kept students engaged AND continued to teach core content. So, that is what we have created for you.
End of Year Countdown Activities
Our all time favorite end of year activities are all found in our 10 Days until Summer Survival Kit. This resource was one we developed while we were teaching to help ourselves survive the last two weeks of school! So trust us when we say, it works!
This set includes activities for 10 days of learning. Not just short activities for part of the day, but full themed activities that will cover a full day of teaching – for 10 days! These are not only fun themed activities, but include themed activities for math, science, reading, writing, and even a craft.
Themed Digital & Printable End of Year Activities
While we originally designed the 10 day survival kit for the last 10 days of school, we quickly realized it had the potential to be so much more. Since each day of the survival kit is its own theme, we made each day its own resource!
If you don’t want to do the full 10 days, checkout some of our individually themed activities. All of our themed days are available as either a digital resource or printable. This allows you to use the format that is best suited for your classroom.
End of Year Reflection Activities
Reflecting is one of the best ways to enrich your students’ learning and the end of the year is the perfect time!
Providing guided reflection encourages students to take ownership of their learning for the year, by asking them to think and respond. This allows students to not only reflect on their experiences in your classroom, but to thoughtfully prepare for the next year.
End of Year Digital Research Activities for Elementary Students
Mini-research activities are a great way to keep students focused and engaged. Not to mention, they continue to provide students with valuable core content.
Learning Quests are our favorite research activities because they cover everything you need. They are ready to teach and can be used digitally or printed, while also still covering several core standards. They are also one of our most popular activities!
If you are looking for engaging activities to use throughout the last two months of school, you definitely want to try one of these! Check out our May bundle for 4 mini-research activities you can start using today!
Related blog: end of year read aloud lessons
The end of the year is exciting, but yes, it is also overwhelming. The lesson planning and implementation doesn’t have to be overwhelming though! Give one of these activities a try and see how it helps you have your best end of the year yet!
