• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sweet Tooth Teaching

Engaging resources, ideas, and organizational hacks for elementary teachers!

  • Home
  • Blog
    • Literacy
    • Math
    • Classroom Management
    • Organization
    • Student Leadership
    • Seasonal
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Shop TPT
    • Shop Etsy
    • Amazon
    • LiketoKnow.it
  • About
  • Free Resource Library
    • Sign Up
    • Login

End-of-Year Activities that will Save your Sanity!

May 27, 2022

This picture shows a teacher with her head on the desk. The desk has books stacked on it. The teacher has a book on top of her head. Text reads '6 Ways to End the School Year and Keep your Sanity' End-of-year activities

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. You can also click images to shop directly!

leadership writing prompt

End of Year Writing Prompt FREEBIE

Students will write a letter to themselves 10 years from now about the things that they will have accomplished by then. This writing activity is a sweet way for students to set goals while giving them something to look back on as they grow older.

Download the FREE Writing Template

If you’ve ever taught you know there’s nothing quite like end of year teacher tired. The school days are dragging, your students are wild, and you’re dreaming of hot summer days. You can almost taste the cold margarita bound to be in your hand.

You have last-minute grades to put in, end-of-year activities to plan, and a room closeout checklist to complete. At this point, exhaustion is your middle name.

So how can you work smarter and not harder to survive these last few weeks of school? Let’s take a look at 6 end-of-year ideas and activities that will save your sanity and help control the chaos in your classroom.

Photo of a chalkboard that reads 'Summer Break'. A stack of books, a half eaten apple, and a cup holding colored pencils are displayed on a table in front of the board. End-of-Year activities

1. Do Something for Yourself

Teacher burnout is real, so we have to do whatever we can to avoid it. What better way to do that than self-care? The end of the year is hectic, but that doesn’t mean your mental health has to suffer. I challenge you to do one thing each day that might spark a little joy. Try grabbing your favorite Starbucks drink on the way to work, reading a book, enjoying lunch without panicking about your neverending to-do list (it’ll get done, I promise), or going out with your teacher besties after school. Ask yourself what ways you’re going to do something for yourself each day this week.

2. Early Finisher Activities to the Rescue!

Do you have students staring around the room or causing mischief because they’re “Done with their activity” or “Don’t have anything better to do”? Having early finisher activities ready to go in an accessible spot in the classroom sets the expectation of what students can do when they are done with their work without causing you a big headache. 

You can set up an ‘I’m done, now what?” station in your classroom. Print out these ELA and math no prep review worksheets and place them in a bin. Students know they can head over to that area in the room to grab a review activity to work on. 

Worksheets attached to a clipboard displayed on a flat surface with sunglasses and a sun graphic in the background. End of year activities and printables for students
may ELA and Math No Prep Printables for 2nd grade

May ELA & Math No-Prep Printables

Students will complete ELA and math activities to review 2nd grade literacy, grammar, and math standards. This resource requires no-prep and is printable for your convenience

Shop Now

3. Take Learning Outside & Incorporate Movement in your Lessons

Your students are probably just as ready for summer as you are, so consider ways that you can mix up the school day. Teach your lessons outside for the day or move students to the hallway for a change of scenery. Allow students to trade in their notebooks and pencils for mini whiteboards and Expo markers. Have students complete a task card SCOOT with a partner. Incorporating movement keeps students engaged in your lesson.

Need other teaching strategies to get your students moving and make your lessons more engaging?

Check out these 10 activity ideas involving movement

engaging strategies for fidgety students

4. Make End-of-Year Memory Books to Reflect on the School Year

Nothing says “End of Year” like a fun memory book activity. Students can work to complete each page with their friends while you pack up and organize your classroom for summer break. It’s a win-win! 

School year memory book laying flat on a surface surrounded by colored papers, crayons, and markers
Memory book featuring a page titled 'Shinning Moments' displayed on a flat surface surrounded by colored papers, markers, and scissors

Not only will memory books keep your students busy the last few weeks, but they also serve as an end-of-year student gift. Each page will have your students reflect on their favorite moments of the school year and is a keepsake that they will cherish forever. 

end of year memory book  activities for students

End of Year Memory Book for Elementary Students

This print and go end of year memory book allows students to reflect on their school year as they fill out pages about their classroom, the books they read, and their teacher, among other memories!

Shop Now

5. Get Crafty with an End-of-Year Craftivity!

Craftivities can seem too time-consuming during the school year, but with plenty of time during those final days of school, they’re perfect end-of-year activities! Do a writing craft with your students to keep them engaged and continue practicing those writing skills.

paper craft with an orange goldfish inside a fish bowl. The craft has a header that reads 'Ofishally splashing into summer' and the fishbowl has text that reads 'My Summer Goals' End-of year activities

This O-Fishally Summer craft encourages students to reflect on their leadership skills with prompts such as “My summer goals are…” and ‘I will continue demonstrating leadership this summer by…”. If you teach at a Leader in Me school, then this is right up your alley.

6. Incorporate Fun Review Games

Review games are a great way to allow students to show what they’ve learned while also unleashing their competitive sides! Consider playing Jeopardy, Kahoot, or Jenga with students as a great review of their year!

Photo shows a colorful Jenga block game stacked up next to cards being used for a grammar test prep review game.

This Jenga review game targets grammar and math standards. All you need is these colored Jenga blocks.

Check out the Jenga Review Games on TPT

Learn More about Jenga Review here

I know you’re 10000% done and the school days are dragginggggg, but you’re almost to the finish line! I hope that you can put some of these end of year activities into action to help you survive the end-of-year madness. You’re almost there friend. You got this!

8 summer reading ideas and end-of-year activities

Get your students excited about reading over summer break with these fun Summer Reading ideas and end-of-year student gifts.

Like this Post? Pin it for Later!

Graphic with tired teacher and a heading above that reads 'End of Year Activities and Ideas to Save Your Sanity'
Graphic with heading above that reads 'End of Year Activities and Ideas to Save Your Sanity'
  • Related Posts

    • Heading in colorful letters reads: Project-Based Learning in the Math Classroom. Photo of completed worksheets featured underneath title.Project-Based Learning in the Math Classroom
    • interactivenotebook-for-mathFive Star® Interactive Notebooks
    • Teacher in a classroom surrounded by red heart balloons. Large heading reads 'Kindness Activities' and smaller text underneath reads 'For elementary students'Kindness Activities for Elementary Students
    • fall themed activities for elementary studentsFREE Fall Activities for Upper Elementary

    Literacy, Math, Organization Tagged: end of school year, end of year

    Previous Post:Earth Day Picture BooksGraphic with heading '25 Earth Day Picture Books + Activity Ideas'. Background contains pictures of different Earth Day picture books for children.Next Post:Classroom Essentials First Year Teachers Need

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    Shop My TPT Store

    • Classroom Decor
    • Digital Resources
    • Grammar/Writing
    • Reading
    • Math
    • Holiday/Seasonal
    • Classroom Management
    • Organization
    • Strategy Posters

    Blog

    • Literacy
    • Math
    • Classroom Organization
    • Classroom Management
    • Holidays & Seasonal
    • Student Leadership
    • Free Resource Library

    Join the Sweet Teacher Community!

    Become a Sweet Teacher and get access to free resources, ideas, and surprises straight to your inbox!

    Copyright ©2022 Sweet Tooth Teaching · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

    • Home
    • Blog
      • Literacy
      • Math
      • Classroom Management
      • Organization
      • Student Leadership
      • Seasonal
      • Lifestyle
      • Back
    • Shop
      • Shop TPT
      • Shop Etsy
      • Amazon
      • LiketoKnow.it
      • Back
    • About
    • Free Resource Library
      • Sign Up
      • Login
      • Back