Whether you are teaching in a distance learning or regular classroom, you will want to celebrate the end of the year with fun activities. I’ve compiled a list of fun and engaging end of the year activities for the elementary classroom which will also work in the distance learning classroom.
Talent Show
Students can show off their many talents in an end of the year talent show. Some students may claim they don’t have a talent. Remind them to think outside of the box.
Reflect on the Year’s Goals
Did your student set goals for themselves at the beginning of the year? Even if they didn’t, have them reflect on the accomplishments they have made this year. Students have made so many gains this year despite the difficulties. Think about all areas including: in technology, math skills, and definitely writing skills.
Create a New Goal
After reflecting on what they have accomplished in the year, students can create a new goal for either the summer or the next grade level. Writing it on a special piece of paper will help them keep it and maybe even hang it up at home. Additionally, students need to create a plan on how they will meet their goal.
Virtual Field Trip
Now is the time to plan a virtual field trip for your students. You could even try letting your students find different trips and present them to you. This way they are invested in their field trip.
Genius Hour
Students pick a topic of interest, research and create a presentation on their topic. Teachers can create boundaries such as a Texas history topic or open it up to the student’s choice.
Kahoot
Students can create a Kahoot on different topics and then have the class play them. Their Kahoots could cover topics from the year, class events, or their Genius Hour Project.
Future Student Letter
Students can write a letter to next year’s students. They can talk about what they liked, what they learned, and offer advice to the future student.
Summer This or That
The teacher poses several summer questions, and students can select their favorite. They could stand, use a Zoom poll, raise their hands, or hold up a paper with their answer.
- Mountains or Beach
- Sleep In or Get up Early
- Watch a Movie or Play Video Games
- Get Dressed or Pajamas All Day
- Ride Your Bike or Go for a Hike
- Hotdogs or Hamburgers
- Stay Home or Go to Day Camp
- Go Swimming or Water Balloon Fight
How To
Students pick something that they already know how to do or something they want to learn how to do. Then they teach their classmates how to do it. They can create a video, google slideshow, or a presentation.
Memory Book
A memory book is a favorite tradition among teachers and students. This year maybe a virtual memory book would be appropriate if your students have been working digitally throughout the year. Perhaps, students could even create their own on a google slideshow.
Classroom Karaoke
Students can take turns belting out their favorite songs in front of their classmates. The other students could even judge their performances like American Idol.
End of the Year Awards
Students love to receive awards at the end of the year. Plus, there is no shortage of awards available on Teacher Pay Teachers. My personal favorite to give out are candy awards.
Student of the Day Balloon Popping
This activity is always a student favorite. Put each student’s name in a balloon and blow it up. Pin the balloons on a bulletin board in your classroom. Each day pop a balloon and the name inside belongs to the student of the day. That student is special for a day! They can sit where they want, they can be the line leader, etc.
Classmate Compliments
The student of the day also gets their name on a slide and the other students write compliments about the student. By the end of the year, every student has had a chance to be the student of the day and gets a slide with really nice words written about them.
Challenge
Students love competitions! There are a variety of challenges in all different subjects that students can compete in. This End of the Year Grammar Challenge includes 5 challenges to review grammar skills.
As you can see, there are numerous end of the year activities that can be done in the social distancing or distance learning classroom.
An Author Study is a great unit to end your school year, check out the blog post here: Author Study for Elementary
Do you want tips on how to have a productive summer? Check out my blog post here: 5 Tips for Teachers to Have a Productive Summer.
