This Fun Mom

Ah, the end of the school year—the time when pencils get shorter, attention spans get shorter still, and teachers start dreaming of sipping coffee in peace. The excitement in the air is palpable (and so is the chaos). It’s the final countdown— students start mentally packing for summer vacation… even if their backpacks are still full of crumpled worksheets and mystery crumbs.

After months of learning, growing, and occasionally remembering where their shoes go, your kids have earned a proper celebration. So let’s reward their hard work with some fun, memorable ways to end the year with a bang—not just a bell.

Here are some awesome ideas to help your elementary schoolers go out with giggles and good vibes!

Classroom Party

A classroom party is always a favorite among students.  It’s fun and exciting and offers a break from the typical school day.  Also, unlike other options like field day, it doesn’t have to be a school-wide celebration. You can plan 2-3 fun summer themed games for the students to play and ask for other parents to bring in snacks and prizes for the students.  

MyClassroomParty sells a party in a box that is perfect for this occasion.  Three fun summer games come neatly packaged complete with summer themed printables and all the supplies and instructions.  There are even QR codes on the games that show you a quick video on how to set up and play each game.  This is nice for the teacher or party volunteer because it requires no planning or shopping.  It’s the best teacher, volunteer, mom-hack that makes it possible for even the busiest parent or teacher to throw an amazing end of year celebration.

Field Day

Field day is another classic end-of-year celebration that elementary school students look forward to every year. It’s a day filled with outdoor activities, games, and friendly competition. Students can participate in relay races, tug of war, sack races, and more. Field day is a great way to promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and physical activity.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to get the students outdoors and allow them to enjoy the (hopefully) beautiful late spring weather. Below are some awesome resources to help you start setting up and planning a field day at your school.  

End-of-Year Awards Ceremony

An end-of-year awards ceremony is a great way to recognize students for their hard work and achievements throughout the school year. Awards can be given for academic achievement, sportsmanship, creativity, and more. It’s also an opportunity for students to celebrate each other’s successes and show their support for their classmates.  Come up with a fun award for each student so that no one get’s left out. Click the image below to get ideas for different awards and a template you can use to create your own. 

Game Day

On one of the last days of school, when the students can no longer focus, have everyone bring in their favorite board games and have a game day. This is a great way to promote socialization and teamwork while giving students a break from their studies.  You could even have the students practice their presentation skills by having them get up in front of the class and explain what game they brought and why.  They will be working on their public speaking skills and not even realizing it.  

Outdoor BBQ or Picnic

Celebrate the end of the school year with a fun outdoor BBQ or picnic. This is a great opportunity for students to spend time together, enjoy some good food, and celebrate their accomplishments.

If organizing food sounds like too much work (totally fair), turn it into a picnic and have each family bring their own snacks. Or go full hero mode and order a bunch of pizzas—nothing gets kids more excited than seeing someone walk in with ten boxes of cheesy happiness.

As you can see, there’s no shortage of fun ways to wrap up the year. Whether you go big or keep it simple, what matters most is making the students feel celebrated and giving them a joyful sendoff into summer. So cue the sunscreen, roll out the picnic blankets, and get ready to make some end-of-year memories—ones that don’t involve standardized tests!

❤️ Christa Siladie