Showing posts with label last day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label last day. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2012

Fun Activities for the Last Days of School

The last 3 days of school are upon us! I cannot wait to spend these days making memories and finishing strong with my students. Here are a few things I plan to do with my students. How will you be spending your last week?

1. Freckle Juice
All of the 2nd grade teachers read Freckle Juice to their classes and then serve them "Freckle Juice". I always make a big deal about it and say that Mr. Morgan and I stayed up all night making the Freckle Juice exactly like the recipe in the book. I take the first swig and then distract the kids by having them look in another direction. While they are not looking I quickly add freckles to my face with a blue marker. When they turn back around, they see my freckles and want to drink the juice too!  Of course, my students are so smart, they usually figure out that we are drinking Hawaiian punch and want to have freckles added to their face with the blue marker. It's so cute to see all of them leave school with blue freckles!
2:  Whiteboard Drawing Competitions:


Miss over a A Faithful Attempt has a great idea for White Board Drawing Competitions. Give the students a word like "zombie", "vampire", "clown", "monkey", etc and then give them a few minutes to create. You could pick a winner or two for each round or have the students vote. I have a feeling my kids will like this one.
3:  Shaving Cream!

 Denise over at Sunny Days in Second let her kids use shaving cream on their desks. I used to do this when I taught pre-k, but I know that my 2nd graders will LOVE this activity. My plan is to remove all of the name tags and stickers from their desks and let them "clean" with shaving cream!
3: Write a Final Blog Post

My students are writing their final blog post: This is a time for them to reflect on their past year, tell about what they are doing this summer, and to look ahead to the next grade. Some of mine have expressed interest in having a certain teacher for next year so I have sent the link to that teacher for comments.
4: Skype!
Revisit a class that you Skyped with earlier in the year and ask what they will be doing for summer vacation. 
5: Hands-On Fun
Allow students to explore manipulatives before they get packed away. Mine love exploring with magnets, balance scales, linking chains, linking cubes, and geometric shapes.

6: Board Games
Games: Set up stations around room with different games and have students rotate through: Candy Land, Twister, Don't Break the Ice, Connect 4, etc..
Finish Strong, Make Memories, and Have Fun!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Books for the Last Week of School



I am excited about my new collection of books for the last week of school. What will you be reading to your kids?

Gilbert is worried that he won't get an end of year award, but is surprised at the end when he receives the "Good Friend" award.

Companion to the "First Day Jitters". The students worry that Mrs. Hartwell will miss them over the summer.

Companion to "First Day Hooray!" captures the excitement of the last day of school.

A play on "The Night Before Christmas" as a family prepares for summer vacation.




I love this book - it reminds me to be grateful for what we have.

Makes me cry but I read it anyway.