Organizing for the end of the school year doesn’t have to be difficult when you break it in to smaller pieces.

You know there are things you really don’t need in that classroom.

You might even tell yourself, “I’ll come in early in the fall and organize it before school starts.” The problem with that is you’ll be trying to squeeze every last vacation day out at the end knowing you want to savor the time off so coming back in early (for many of you in the July or August heat with no A/C) won’t become a reality. I have been in a sweaty and stifling classroom digging through plenty of boxes during the dog days of summer myself.

Now, imagine what it would feel like to be able to leave for the summer knowing that when you return, all the clutter has been cleared? Would you feel freedom in knowing that in the fall you will know exactly which box to unpack and when, and that your classroom setup could be done in half the time? And that it will only take you one week of staying after school for a couple hours?

Let’s get started!

Classroom Cleaning Tips

Begin simply by grabbing 3 containers in which to gather materials. These can be boxes, bags, baskets, or anything else. For now it is just important to start.

Pick ONE wall in your classroom that you will attend to after school. Personally, I suggest picking the smallest wall or the wall with the smallest amount of items housed on or near it. Start on one end of the wall and grab anything. Each item will fall into one of the three containers (you already have) listed below.

Trash

This container is reserved for broken crayons, dried out markers, books with pages falling out, old gum wrappers, folders with chewed up corners, and more. If it truly is trash and cannot be reused by anyone in any classroom, toss it.

If it is a sentimental item, then take it home. Students, parents, and administrators won’t appreciate the item anywhere near as much as you and if it is in a broken or worn-looking state, it will appear as though you are a pack rat and keep everything. (Even if you are now, we are hoping to alleviate that a bit.)

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

Recycling also makes this container by the way. Old papers with dog ears, copies that will never be used again, and tiny pieces of construction paper you think one student might get a circle out of should all go. Recycle it – don’t toss it – but make sure it heads to the appropriate place.

Treasure

This box or bag is reserved for the items you use daily or at least twice a year in your classroom and are in good working order. This is important! Do not place items in this container that you have had for the entire school year and never used {tissues or other consumables are the exception to this rule}. If it is a game or manipulative or poster you have not used in the past year and you knew it was there, don’t put it in the Treasure box. Why? It is not treasured if it wasn’t used.

Transfer

Last up, place whatever is leftover into the last container, which is the transfer pile. This pile should be filled with great teaching resources, professional development books, trade books, lesson files, and other fun teaching materials you just didn’t have time for in the last school year, or that have been used in the past but never took off the way you thought they would. This pile has a wonderful collection of ideas – just not ones you will necessarily use yourself every year.

Finishing It Up

After your entire chosen wall is in one of the three containers, take a 5 minute break and celebrate! You have made it further than 95% of what your colleagues will do to prep their classrooms for the end of this year AND for the upcoming school year already! The hardest part is over for the night!

After you have had a small break, grab your Trash container. Make sure the recycling gets to the right location, and toss the rest. Your container is now empty again and ready for the next night of organization.

Take your Treasure container and you can then repack items from this container into boxes for summer.

After everything is nicely packed and condensed, grab a piece of colored duct tape or even a marker and slap that color on every side, and top of each box.

When you do this same step for each of the other walls, make sure each set of boxes has a different color. That way in the fall upon returning, you can organize your boxes in front of the walls and know where everything in those boxes already go.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

The last container, Transfer, is usually the hardest. It is where you are not necessarily giving away your items, but rather sharing or allowing another teacher to borrow them. If you are sharing the items with others in your building, you are actually just maximizing your storage space.

If you are really on the shelf about whether to give the item away to someone else, make a quick note on your cell phone about who has that item – or just download the free form below. Then, if you really need it again for that obscure lesson where you think you have to have it, ask, and borrow it back again.

Personally, this is my favorite part of the process. All teachers love new doodads for their classrooms and you get to play the part of Santa. Even better if you deliver to their classroom with a handwritten note about why you feel they are the best recipient. They will feel honored to be able to share your materials with their students and take care of it like so.

Trash, Treasure, or Transfer

Just remember the 3 steps above and take your time to clear one wall at a time as you are packing up your classroom. If you use this method, your room will be organized and free of clutter, trash, or other materials that are no longer in use.

Grab your free Materials Transfer Form here!

You will feel great knowing you are not only completely ready to relax and rejuvenate over summer break, but you can also know that you won’t have to return to school early to organize – it is already done!

~Charity

The post Finishing Up the School Year in a Flash appeared first on Organized Classroom.

While you may already have finished up – or even have the rest of the year planned, if you are someone who still has some time left to fill, I just created a fun new activity that you can also easily recreate on your own!

As the school year comes to a close, it’s important to consider how to keep kids engaged and learning during the summer break.

One effective way to achieve this is by using end of school year worksheets that review and reinforce the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the year. These worksheets can cover a wide range of subjects, from math and language arts to science, social studies, art, music, physical education, and more.

By incorporating these worksheets into summer learning, parents and educators can help prevent the “summer slide” and ensure that students are ready to hit the ground running when the new school year begins.

Or just do an activity for “fun” that includes creative writing and drawing skills – yay!

Your students will love it, parents will get a chuckle, and you will think it’s hilarious {or NOT}!

End of Year Writing Prompts and Creative Writing Activities

Creative writing is a valuable tool for self-expression and language development. End of year writing prompts and creative writing activities can inspire kids to write during the summer by providing them with engaging and thought-provoking prompts.

These activities can include writing a short story, composing a poem, or keeping a journal of their summer experiences. By engaging in creative writing, students can enhance their writing skills and explore their creativity in new and exciting ways.

My Teacher’s Summer Break Book is a fun activity to wrap up the school year that doesn’t involve technology, outside activities, or cooperative learning groups.

I can see students coming up with sentences like:

• I think my teacher will read a book by the pool while doing laundry over Summer Break.
• I think my teacher will go to Disneyworld every day over Summer Break.
• I think my teacher will eat chocolate over Summer Break.
• I think my teacher will not wear shoes at all over Summer Break.
• I think my teacher will sleep the entire time over Summer Break.
• I think my teacher will be shopping for cake over Summer Break.

Last Days of School Book Activity

Of course, it’s really easy to recreate your own template if you don’t want to use the one I have provided. Choices are the best!

Here is how to make your own:

1.  Grab some blank paper, pass out to the students.

2.  Ask them to write the following sentence:  “I think my teacher ____________ over summer break.”

3.  Have them fill in the blank with their own answer.

4.  Draw and color in a matching image on the rest of the paper.

When all students have finished, either scan the pages and use for an end of the year slideshow or just share and send home.  If you choose to scan the papers, make sure to save the hard copies and bind together for a memento of your own of this year’s class!  Fun!

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

Celebrate Other School Staff Members Too

Now, if you want templates already made, I have templates created which also include 17 other options for the sentence. 

There is one for the principal, specials teachers, cafeteria staff, and more! 

And each template is available in full color and grayscale!  Click HERE to see some examples of the templates!

End of the year staff appreciation gifts for the specials teachers, office, cafeteria, or custodial staff

You could have each student do the specific templates you choose and then bind them together to give to the staff member who is mentioned on that template – or take pictures of those particularly memorable and then bind the rest for the students to take home as a gift for the end of the year!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

The choice is up to you, but either way, I am sure the responses will certainly bring on some chuckles!

Math Review Worksheets to Keep Skills Sharp

Math is a subject that requires continuous practice to maintain proficiency. Over the summer, it’s easy for kids to forget the math skills they’ve learned during the school year. That’s why math review worksheets are essential for keeping these skills sharp.

These worksheets can cover a variety of topics, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions.

For example, a worksheet might include a series of addition and subtraction problems that gradually increase in difficulty, or a set of multiplication and division problems that require students to use their knowledge of times tables. By regularly practicing these skills, students can prevent learning loss and be better prepared for the next grade level.

Science and Social Studies Worksheets for Summer Learning

Science and social studies are subjects that provide valuable knowledge about the world around us. To continue exploring these topics during the summer, worksheets can cover a wide range of subjects, including animals, plants, geography, and history.

For example, a science worksheet might include questions about the life cycle of a butterfly, while a social studies worksheet might ask students to identify different countries on a map. By engaging with these subjects over the summer, students can expand their knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of the world.

Fun and Engaging Art and Music Worksheets for the End of School Year

Art and music are essential for fostering creativity and self-expression. End of school year art and music worksheets can include drawing prompts that encourage students to explore different artistic techniques, music theory exercises that teach the fundamentals of rhythm and melody, and art history activities that introduce students to famous artists and their work. By incorporating these worksheets into summer learning, students can continue to develop their artistic and musical abilities while having fun and expressing themselves in new and exciting ways.

Physical Education and Health Worksheets to Stay Active and Healthy

Staying active and healthy is important for overall well-being, and summer is the perfect time to focus on physical education and health.

Worksheets can promote exercise, nutrition, and wellness by including activities such as creating a weekly exercise plan, tracking daily physical activity, and learning about the importance of eating a balanced diet. By engaging with these worksheets, students can develop healthy habits that will benefit them for years to come.

End of Year Reflection and Goal Setting Worksheets

Reflecting on the past school year and setting goals for the summer and upcoming school year is a valuable exercise for students. Reflection and goal setting worksheets can encourage self-assessment and planning by prompting students to think about their achievements, challenges, and aspirations.

By setting goals for the summer, such as reading a certain number of books or learning a new skill, students can stay motivated and focused on their personal and academic growth.

Summer Reading Lists and Comprehension Worksheets

Summer reading is essential for preventing the “summer slide” and improving literacy skills.

To support this, parents and educators can provide recommended summer reading lists for different age groups, along with comprehension worksheets that accompany the books.

These worksheets can include questions that test students’ understanding of the text, as well as activities that encourage critical thinking and analysis. By engaging with these materials, students can develop a love for reading and improve their comprehension skills.

STEM Activities to Keep Kids Engaged and Learning

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities are essential for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. End of school year STEM activities and worksheets can cover a wide range of topics, including coding, engineering challenges, and scientific experiments.

For example, a coding activity might ask students to create a simple computer program, while an engineering challenge might require them to build a structure using only toothpicks and marshmallows. By engaging with these activities, students can continue to develop their STEM skills and explore new and exciting concepts.

End of Year Celebrations and Memory Making Worksheets

Celebrating the end of the school year and creating lasting memories is an important part of the summer experience. End of year celebration activities and memory making worksheets can include creating a memory book that highlights favorite moments from the school year, reflecting on personal achievements, and setting intentions for the upcoming summer. By engaging in these activities, students can celebrate their accomplishments and look forward to new experiences in the months ahead.

Whether it’s math, language arts, science, art, music, physical education, or any other subject, there are endless opportunities for students to explore, learn, and grow during the summer months. I encourage parents and educators to utilize these worksheets to provide a fun and enriching summer learning experience for students of all ages.

Need a freebie page to get things rolling? Grab it below!

Have fun and enjoy the end of the school year without getting too crazed!

~Charity

The post My Teacher’s Summer Break Book appeared first on Organized Classroom.

O, my stars…
Is it May or June?
Do most of us only have a few weeks left of school?
I believe that is right.
The End of The Year is in clear sight.

I have two Fun & FREE printables to share with the OCB peeps today that may make celebrating the end of the year more fun for you and your STAR students!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

First up is a printable that when printed looks like a Webpage. What a special webpage this is!!!! It’s all about the STAR student in your classroom and we all know we have a classroom filled with stars – of course we do!!!

Print one out for each student to complete (if you can print them on card-stock and in color I suggest you do as I am sure they will be cherished).

When they are finished you can laminate them so they last forever. Then display them until the end of the year.

Send the stars students home on the last day with the finished product.

I know that parents will keep this one as a remembrance of the year! I know I did!

Below is the one my third grader did. He drew himself, but you can take pictures of the kids and put a real picture in the box to make it look more official.

To download and then print this Star Student Online printable keep reading.

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

How about another STAR themed printable?

Time to say goodbye to those STARS of yours is around the corner… Tears of sadness and some of joy will be shed I am sure!

Send them out with something fun from you. Keeping with the star theme; you may want to read your class the book, Incredible You! 10 Ways to let your greatness shine through.

Before reading tell your star students that when you wish on stars you wish these 10 things for them.

After reading and discussing the book remind them that they are your stars! You can then give them a treat to take home that will remind them of the star they are.

Grab a pack of STARBURST candy and this tag and you have a great inexpensive treat to send your stars home with!!!

I hope these two ideas and printables will come in handy for the end of the year. Have a great one with your stars!

Grab your 2 freebies below:

Colleen Gallagher
Teaching Heart

The post End of the Year Stars appeared first on Organized Classroom.

I grabbed some new tape from a Pick Your Plum deal, and Downtown Tape has also graciously sent me 25 rolls of their awesome tape as well, so I have to tell you in advance:  I have an entire summer of washi tape projects on the roster for your classroom!  I have a list as long as my arm, and am so excited to see how some of the projects come out!  Yay!  {Check out my Downtown Tape stash below.}

To kick off things, I am starting off with a super fun end of the year awards ceremony change from the routine:  washi tape student awards!

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

Note: I am one of the least crafty people out there, so if I can make these, so can anyone.

Let’s get this party project started!  You will need only a few items:

• Washi tape in one or more colors of your choice
• Craft hole punch – I used a 2.75″ punch for the larger ribbons and a 1.75″ punch for the centers, as well as for the smaller ribbons
• White cardstock for the hanging ribbons and for printing the award centers on
• Set of Student Award Ribbon Centers {optional as you could certainly make your own if you want to take the time to do so}

1.  Start by punching one circle and using your tape, start on one side with the tape flush.  Start pleating the tape (creating the pleats by sticking the tape to itself lightly) gently turning the circle as your continue around the circle.  This is something that will come out way crazy at first, but as you continue to practice, it comes along nicely.

As you can see from my example below, it wasn’t quite a circle when I was done – lol.

2.  If you use large circles, you will either want to add another large circle with the award on top (see next step) or add another row of tape in the same or in a coordinating color.

3.  Add your award circle to the top of the center with a looped piece of tape {shown above}.

4.  Next up, place several pieces of tape right onto cardstock.  These will be your ribbons hanging down.  Cut them apart and with corners as you like.

There are a million ways you can customize your ribbons.

5.  Attach to the back with a piece of tape.

That’s it!  Create your award centers before adding to the front of your awards or play around with colors and textures some more.  For example, with the green one, I added washi tape to the cardstock before using the round hole punch to punch the center.

While I haven’t tried it, you MIGHT even be able to run the washi tape on top of the cardstock through your printer before using the hole punch.

The final products! 

The best part?  The tape hangs off the circle, so they stick on clothing without needing an extra pin or clip! 

You could also use this same idea for Star Student of the Week, weekly winners during the school year as student motivation, or create a class set as part of a birthday treat.

Again, if you are looking for printables with all the awards, I have just listed these Student Award Ribbon Centers if you prefer not to take the time to create your own.

Either way, I would love to hear how your award ribbons turn out!  Have fun creating something your students will be sure to love!

Need a quick sample of award center pieces? Grab one below!

~Charity

The post DIY Washi Tape End of Year Classroom Awards! appeared first on Organized Classroom.

I understand feeling deflated on the last day of school. This was the last opportunity to show my students and families my appreciation – and yet it was just like every other day. No bittersweet ending to my school year.

Funny, because I remember other years when the last day was still still being talked about into the beginning of the next school year.  How was one year different from another?  After reflecting, one thing came to mind:  How we celebrated the last day or even last week of the school year DID make a difference.

What are some fun things to do on the last day of school?

End of school year activities don’t have to be just a party, but something special and out of the ordinary daily grind will be remembered by students quite possibly throughout their lives.  While a movie and popcorn day sounds like a wonderful relaxing “free” day for students (and an opportunity for you to get some much needed end of the school year paperwork and/or packing up completed), it most likely won’t be a day that students will have fond memories of for years to come.

Here are some things you might want to consider when planning your end of year party ideas:

• Memory books
• Field day activities with matching class last day of school t-shirts
• Letter that is addressed to next year’s incoming students
• Party games
• Themed centers
• An awards ceremony
• Gift ideas for students -even just eating with the teacher for a slice of pizza can be considered a pretty awesome gift
• Graduation ceremony  – this does not have to be limited to the traditional kindergarten graduation.  Any grade should be filled with fanfare and fun.
• Use scrap construction paper to have students create a class mural to print for each and allow them to sign to display every year in your classroom.
• Put together a slideshow to jog students’ memories about how much growing they have done since the beginning of the school year
• Stage a “final walk” for the oldest students in your grade who will be exiting the building for the last time.  Line up the entire school in the hallway at the end of the day and have the “graduates” walk down the hall for the last time while the onlookers cheer and applaud them on to the next chapter.

Need more celebration ideas?   Check out this post of 150+ ideas, a summer reading incentive, a fun way to ask students what they think you do during summer break, and even an end of the year magazine with even more suggestions!

How do you plan an end of school year party?

Even if you don’t love party planning, here are 5 steps to consider when planning a classroom celebration that is memorable for many many years to come:

1 – Choose a theme

This is the best part!   You can choose a theme based on pretty much anything your students would enjoy.  Make sure it is a theme that all students might have at least a small interest in, otherwise you might lose a few right from the beginning.

Then, when creating the activities, song list, snacks, invitations and more, it is super easy to center around that theme to make the entire day a bit more cohesive.

Examples: animals, robots, science, around the world, sports, movies, your students’ current interests

2 – Choose at least 3 activities that tie to your theme

Make sure to consider whether you will be inside or outside. Vary your choices.  For example, you might have activities planned that are active in nature and need to be outside.  Or you might want something more educational and aligned with the curriculum like letter writing.

Another option is to do a combination of both during learning stations – or even have students rotate through different grade level classrooms in the building with each teacher in charge of just one activity for the day.

3 – Set the tone – literally

Make a party playlist that matches your desired feeling and theme.  Finding fun songs to match the overall topic of the day can really set your classroom party apart from the crowd.

Examples: KidzBop songs or monster mash titles

4 – Awards

Even something simple like certificates or candy bar awards are super special and remembered.  It can be as formal as you like if you want to invite parents and caregivers in to school for an official ceremony – or it can be something jovial and spread out throughout the school day.

Example: Fun certificate or trophy

5 – Memorabilia

I still have an autograph book signed by my friends the last day of school in 4th grade.  And I smile every time I happen to come across it over the years.  That little piece of memorabilia means the world to me.  You want your students to feel the same way years later when reminiscing about your classroom.

Example: Buttons, custom stickers, tattoos, or a memory book

If you follow those 5 easy steps, you will have a day not to soon be forgotten.

Would you like all the steps in a handy free Classroom Celebrations Party Planning Sheet?  Make sure to grab that below.  

And check out an even better resource I have already pulled together for you:  a Dog Themed Classroom Celebration Pack!

It will save you tons of time to focus on the end of the year paperwork and packing – while still having a party your students and parents will be raving about for months or years to come!  

Don’t miss out on your chance to create a stellar party the easy way – Click HERE to learn more!

What are some other things you have done for end of your school year with your students that was a hit?  We would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

~Charity

The post End of Year Classroom Celebrations: Be the Memorable Teacher. appeared first on Organized Classroom.

I know it is hard when you know your students might not be reading as much in the summer as you would like.  Or worry that your incoming students will also suffer from the “summer slump” before returning to school in the fall.

Well, how about a fun little incentive that you could use to enforce the idea that reading is actually F-U-N??

Check out my Rocket Reader Summer Reading BINGO Card!

For those of you who are just finishing up the school year, this would be perfect (if all your current grade level teachers are on board with it) to hand out to all the students in the grade prior to yours who will be with you for next year. 

For example, if you are a 4th grade teacher, the 4th grade team would pass this along to the 3rd graders before leaving for the summer. 

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

When they return as 4th graders in the fall, they would come to you for their prizes.

OR

If you just want to encourage your current students to read, send home with them, and then they will return to you in the fall to redeem for a prize.

OR

If your students have already gone for the summer, if you are lucky enough to have a list of the students’ addresses that will be returning to you in the fall, you could mail it to them – and they would complete and bring back to you after the break as well.

Or you could do whatever you like.  Those are just some ideas to get your wheels turning.

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

What about prizes?

Do some yard sale shipping this summer for small toys and prizes that you can toss in a basket to allow students to choose from – you can find them super cheap and they will be fabulous for reading rewards! Have students that complete one line (or more) to select from this basket.

For the students who complete the whole card, allow them a choice from the basket as well, and then check with local companies to see if you can find some that would be willing to donate prizes and/or small gift cards. 

Perhaps a local McDonald’s might donate $5 gift cards or a coupon?  Maybe the movie theater would offer up a free child’s ticket?  Even the local bank might have some pens, notebooks, or coloring books. 

Put together a little prize pack for those students who have worked hard over the summer – and hopefully they will have gained much more than just the prizes.

What other ideas can you add?  Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Happy summer reading,

~Charity

The post Summer Reading Rockets – BINGO Style! appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Denise here from Sunny Days in Second Grade.

Since we have to make it through the last few weeks before those heavenly lazy days of summer are upon us, I have a little idea I’d like to share with you.

I’ve never really been one for the end of the year countdown idea.

Mostly because I like to keep the kids unaware that we’re actually winding down because that seems to translate in them amping up, if you know what I mean! But this year I decided to give it a whirl and see how it goes. So far, I’m pretty pleased and the kids are having a ball!

When I started planning for this, I didn’t want to spend a fortune, so I came up with a mix of activities that were either inexpensive or free. Some items I’ve asked parents to help donate, some I just picked up myself or actually had leftover from other activities.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

Here’s the list I decided upon and some tips in case you want to try them out!

1. Shaving cream desk writing. I have found that the yellow Barbasol works the best and three cans were MORE than enough for my class of 18.

2. Gum balls. Could not be simpler! I recently did a class activity that included gum balls and I could not believe how excited the kids were to actually chew gum in school! It was hysterical. They were almost scared to do it! I had some left-over, so day 2 we busted out the gum balls again and they were just as excited. This time we had a little bubble blowing contest which they loved. You can get gumballs at Dollar Tree. Super easy and cheap.

3. Playdough. In second grade, I don’t use playdough so much during my everyday routine. But seriously, what kid doesn’t dig this stuff? I asked for parent donations and thankfully, we have enough for each kid to have their own can AND lots of fun tools to explore with. After some free time playing, I’m going to stop and ask them to sculpt certain objects, like an animal, the sun, a certain letter, etc – just to keep them engaged a bit.

4. Bubbles. What says summer better than blowing bubbles outside? Bubbles can be picked up pretty inexpensively this time of year. This will be a fun little diversion this week!

5. Ice cream sandwiches. I’ve done popsicle treats before and the kids love them, but I thought it might be fun two switch it up. I’m planning on taking them outside for snack (which we do every day because of a g-r-o-s-s bug problem in our room) and then surprising them with the ice cream sammies. Should be fun!

6. Dance Party! We recently had a big event at our school with a D.J. When he played the Cha-Cha Slide, almost every kid in my class ran to participate! Seeing that, I knew I had to figure out a way to bring that into the classroom. Try YMCA, Macarena, Chicken Dance, Electric Slide. Don’t worry if you don’t know the dances  – the kids do!

7. Show & Share. This is my second grade version of show & tell. I don’t really allow kids to bring in things to share with the class on a regular basis. I know that sounds mean. I actually used to, but then it seemed like every day I had kids wanting to show things that really weren’t all that significant and it became a big time killer. I know that the “fossil” they dug up in the back yard is awesome to them, but to the rest of the class (and me) it was just a dirty rock that was taking up valuable class time. So, having a designated day to bring in one cool thing to share is going to be a big hit with my group. {Need a printable? Keep reading!}

8. Gimp Keychains. You remember making those with these plastic strings, right? Here’s a link that gives simple directions, but google “gimp keychains” and you’ll find links and videos galore. I know I was hooked on these as a kid and I can’t wait to get my kids started!

9. Beach Ball Autographs. I’m going to write a little message on each child’s ball, but let them blow them up themselves. I think they’ll be surprised to see the message, and then be thrilled that they can have the rest of the class write on it as well. Sharpies are best for this! When the balls are all signed, we’ll head outside with them for a few minutes.

10. Silly String Fight. Ok, I’ll admit I’m a little nervous about this one! I asked for donations for this one and a parent generously donated a can per child. She left the receipt in the bag and I was shocked to see that it was almost $60, eek! If you do this one, maybe a few parents can pitch in together. My grand plan is to take them outside and let them have at it! I know they’ll have fun and I’m hoping it will be a very memorable moment of their last day of second grade!

Have fun, my friends and I’ll see you all (poolside, hopefully) next month!

Need a Show & Share printable from Organized Classroom?

Simply download, print, and attach to a brown paper bag for a stress-free activity to wrap up the school year!

The post Countdown to Summer! appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Trying to pack up your classroom, get all the extra inventories and student cumulative folders complete, and plan special award ceremonies for your amazing students – all things that must be done, but also all things that are very time consuming on their own, let alone when they are all stacked on top of one another.

Perhaps I can help you out, even if just a little.

I noticed that a few fans on The Organized Classroom Blog’s Facebook fan page were looking for end of the year award certificates for their award ceremonies. 

Well, I just happen to be working on something new at the moment, so I thought I could throw in a little extra help for those who were interested.

Below is a customizable award template pack that you can grab for free! 

This pack includes 4 templates:  2 with flowers, and 2 that do not have the flowers (not sure some of the students would like the fancy flowers).

Use whichever you feel the students would like best. Just make sure your printer is set to print all the way to the edge of the page – no margins, otherwise it will cut off some of the borders.

You can edit the text in either Power Point or Google Slides, print, and go!

It doesn’t get more simple than that!

Grab the ultimate end of the school year resource guide for teachers!

Wrapping Up the School Year in Just 3 Days!  27 page guidebook with checklists and a plan of action so you can enjoy the last week of school with your students – rather than feeling overwhelmed with your task list!  Click HERE to download it now!

How Can You Create Your Own Printable Certificates?

Are you looking for something more unique to your own classroom theme?  Maybe you prefer to create certificates of appreciation for students to fill out and give to their favorite staff members the last week of school?

I’ve got you covered and it’s way easier than you may think too!

Canva has some amazing free award certificate templates that you can customize to make completely unique to you!

Here’s how:

1 – Create a free account at Canva.

2 – Go to “Find Templates” in your left sidebar from your account page.

3 – Click on “Certificates” and choose whichever template you like!

Don’t worry too much about the colors – those can easily be changed.  Instead, find the format and design you like and then you can customize the certificate maker to your particular preferences.

Here is one example:

After I edited the text, I also made a few changes to the colors to make them more suitable to my tastes.  

Literally all you have to do is point and click to change the colors, font, and text.  Or create a blank template which will be given to all students and add names and the date by hand.

After your design is completed, make sure to save it so you can use it again next year, and download the file as a .pdf to your computer.  Print and done!

Using this free program for your kids’ award certificates, you’ll have super professionally designed looking documents in a fraction of the time!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for your end of the school year routine?  This 70 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 10 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Printable Award Certificates
• How To Pack Up Your Classroom Faster Than Ever
• Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Students
• DIY Unique Award Ceremony Ribbons
• Planning Your EOY Party in a Snap
• Super Cute Tag for EOY Student Gift

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price! 

See it HERE.

Other Things to Consider for Your End of the Year Student Award Ceremony

A few other ideas for prepping your end of the school year party:

• Music:  Make sure your list of tunes matches the feeling you wish to convey to your students, their guests, and additional staff members.  Create a fun and upbeat playlist, one that is more formal filled with classical tracks, or choose to play the graduation march on a loop.
• Slideshow:  Using PowerPoint of Google Slides, put together a slideshow of pictures from the school year.  Play it as parents and guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin.  You can also make a copy of the slideshow and either burn it on a CD (which I did in the old days), upload it to a jump drive for each family, or just add it to a Google Drive folder and email the link to the parents so they can save the file wherever they choose – and it doesn’t cost you a penny.
• Invitations:  While these are completely optional, I think it is a super nice touch to send a formal invite to family members of students in order to really talk up how excited you are to celebrate the learning their child has done this past school year. You can make these in either Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, or use Canva again to create invitations (using their invitation templates) that match your printable award certificates in a snap.

How else do you prepare for your last day of school? We would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

~Charity

The post Free End-of-the-Year Award Certificates! appeared first on Organized Classroom.