When the school year is coming to an end, teachers start brainstorming for fun activities for their students to do. These activities usually involve a particular subject studied during the year (such as the discovery of America) or they act as a way to review the school year. Some teachers, however, have come up with creative and fun activities for their students to do in honor of their school year coming to an end.

One activity for the end of the school year is to have the students write a letter for the incoming class. The letter can tell the new students things they may not be able to know on the first day in class. Things such as what the teacher is like, the most fun homework assignment they had, what some of the tests were like or how they liked the class are just some of the things that can be included in these letters.

Another activity is to create a memory book. Students can paste a picture of themselves posing with the teacher at the beginning of the book. A caption underneath the photo can read: “This is me with my teacher, (name).” The next pages can include pictures taken during the year which the student appears in, as well as decorations from the students. The student can write things on the pages such as what they liked best about the school year, things that they learned, and things they did with friends in their class. After the book pages are done, they can be stapled together and students can take them home.

One other activity students can do at the end of the school year is a game called “Talking Behind Your Back.” A blank page is taped to the back of each student. The students take turns writing positive things about that person on their backs. For example: “I like your smile. From, Timmy.” When the time is called, students can remove the pages and read them.

The last day of school can also be a “dress up from someone in history/fiction/movie” day. During the last week of school, it can be decided which era of history (such as the colonial period), which popular novel (such as The Chronicles of Narnia) or which movie (such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) they want to dress up as characters from.

It doesn’t have to be the last day of eighth or twelfth grade to give the departing student a “graduate” certificate. The last day can be a special “graduation” day in the classroom in which each student is given a graduate certificate by the teacher. One such certificate can be downloaded free here. The certificate can even be personalized with a photo of the teacher and student.

Finally, assign story starters to the class on the last day of school. Write on the board starters such as “The person who most surprised me in class was…” or “The first day of school was…” and ask students to finish the sentence. Students can take turns reading their stories to the class.

A number of fun activities and ideas abound for making that last day of the school year all the more memorable. Whether it’s having a pajama party complete with a movie or allowing students to read a book all day in class, teachers can make sure the last day of school is fun, engaging and a day to remember all summer.