End of Year Graduation - Whimsy Workshop Teaching

As the end of the year approaches there’s always a scramble to get things finished and keep students engaged. Personally, I’m always also looking for ways to help students reflect on the past year. I encourage them to recognize their hard work, their accomplishments in learning, as well as the friendships they made. Here are some of the fun activities I’ve used to make things fun and memorable.

Balloon-Pop Countdown

Imagine student walk in to the classroom and see little balloons taped all around the main white board. Lots of excitement and interest about what might be happening with them! Students will be excited to find out that inside each balloon is a fun end of year activity to do!

Prepare by gathering Post-it notes and balloons. Write a special activity on the Post-it notes, roll the notes into a tight cylinder, and push them into the balloon before blowing it up. Pin the balloon on the wall.

The rest is up to you! You can choose one student each day to pop a balloon of their choice, or you can use this as incentive for motivating certain students or small groups. This is very exciting – students love to anticipate what the special event might be! Pro-tip: if you have students who don’t like the loud pop sound, just put some tape in an X over the balloon and poke on top. It will let the air out without the pop!

Wondering what to put on each note? Anything your students would love that takes no extra prep, such as “music while we work,” extra play time, or a movie. You could also let students generate some ideas!

Class Memory Quilts

This is a simple collaborative project where each student contributes a picture to make a paper quilt. Each student gets one piece of paper (mounted onto colorful paper) to draw and write about their favorite memory from the school year. Once completed, pieces are glued or taped together in a grid to make a class quilt. If there are odd numbers of students, consider having small groups work together in groups of two our three. Hang the quilt on the wall or the hallway to show it off. Take a photo of the quilt and email it to parents for a nice end of year memory! If you have more tech available, you can make a quilt of student faces, or even self-portaits!

End of the Year Memory Shirts

For this activity, students will bring in an older t-shirt. I usually grab a few extras at the Dollar Store for students who forget. Then, slide some cardboard inside the shirts and ask students to write their names using Sharpies or fabric crayons in the middle. Students will pass their shirts to the right so their peers can write their names or draw a small picture somewhere on the shirt. When students get their shirts back, they will be covered with all their friends’ names! This is an excellent end of year keepsake.

This technique also works with other items such as fabric bags, inflatable beach balls, or pillowcases. Honestly, this is such a fun activity!

End of Year Video

I used to make an end of year video and burn 23 CD copies. Now, most of my students don’t have CD players, so I’ve switched to posting the video online. Teachers can upload the video to a private Youtube or SafeShare channel, or on a password-protected teacher blog page. Student privacy is a primary concern, so use the preferred method at your school. Then, just send the link and password to parents through email, and they can watch fun events from the year!

Honestly, there are many different video options! I’ve made simple photo collages with music in the background. I’ve also recorded and compiled short clips of students talking about what they want to be when they grow up. I used iMovie to compile the clips, but any movie editing software will do.

The best part about hosting the video online is that they can easily share the link with grandparents and family friends!

Teach the Teacher

This is a NO PREP activity for the teacher, but still educational and interactive for students! Students can choose any topic they are an expert in: a sport, musical instrument, Pokemon, a hobby, or even current events. They will put together a presentation to “teach the teacher.” This means they will present information to you and the class in any format they choose. The format could be a poster, a speech, a slideshow, drawings, or even just taking questions from the group.

Take it Outside

If possible, spend lots of time outside with various end of the year activities. For example, we have a water balloon fight and relay each year on the main field. Usually, several classes participate, and usually, everyone wants to drench the teachers! Or, go on a scavenger hunt around the field, playground, or forest. You can also keep it simple and take books outside so students can find a quiet place to read in the sunshine.

Memory Books

Students will love reflecting on the amazing year while working to create some fun Memory Books! Honestly, this is a fantastic way to reflect on the past year. The collection of printable activities that I use has lots of topics to help student focus their thoughts and reflect on the year. This includes our funny memories, what we learned, field trips, and letters to our future selves. Students also write about plans for the summer, complete “teacher report cards”, and other fun things. It usually takes a few weeks to complete because there are so many different printables to choose from.

Growth Mindset Certificates

We always work hard to create a Growth Mindset classroom throughout the year. We have Growth Mindset posters, journals, and even STEM activities. So when it comes to their end of year certificates, it makes sense for us to use Growth Mindset-themed certificates!

We celebrate students’ accomplishments in problem-solving, accepting challenges, being educational risk-takers, and being patient. We also celebrate character traits such as being kind, including others, and being a positive role model.

You can see the set we use each year below. It’s editable, so I can add my titles and personal messages! Students will love reflecting on the amazing year while working on end of the year activities.

Be sure to check out the Memory Books and Editable Certificates Bundle! There are tons of certificates to ensure there is the perfect one for each student! Students will love making their memory book and having their hard work recognized.

MORE FREE DOWNLOADS

You may also be interested the FREE downloads in the posts listed below!

I hope you find some helpful resources!

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Posters: Free Math Posters Collection

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Stories: Free Online Stories Collection