The end of the school year always brought a mix of excitement and chaos to my classroom. My students were ready for summer, and honestly, so was I. But. . . I still wanted to make those last weeks meaningful. That’s why I leaned into engaging end of the year activities that kept my students learning, reflecting, and having fun. Whether it was math practice, creative writing prompts, or certificates to spotlight my students, these activities helped us wrap up the year on a high note. Today, I’m sharing some tried-and-true ideas to keep your upper elementary students engaged while making the most of those final days.

Why End of the Year Activities Matter

The last weeks of school can feel like a whirlwind, but end of the year activities serve a bigger purpose than just filling time. These activities give our students a chance to reflect on their growth, celebrate accomplishments, and recognize just how much they’ve learned throughout the year. It’s easy for our students to forget their progress, especially when they’re focused on summer. Well-planned activities can help them see how far they’ve come.

These activities also offer valuable review opportunities. Our students can reinforce key concepts in a fun and engaging way. Instead of handing out another worksheet, these activities turn review into something memorable. This helps us to solidify skills before they head off to the next grade. Plus, structured activities help keep that pre-summer energy in check. Making those last days both meaningful and manageable.

Making the Most of End of the Year Activities

By the time the last few weeks of school roll around, keeping our students engaged can feel like a challenge. That’s why end of the year activities need to be more than just busywork. The key is to strike a balance between fun and purposeful learning. This gives our students a chance to review while keeping them excited to participate.

One of the best ways to do this is through student choice. Letting students pick from a few different activities, whether it’s a creative writing prompt or a review game, gives them a sense of ownership. When our students feel like they have a say, they’re naturally more invested in the activity.

Another way to make end of the year activities more engaging is by incorporating collaboration. Team-based review games or partner activities allow our students to work together while reinforcing skills they’ve learned throughout the year. Plus, it’s a great way to help them practice communication and teamwork before heading into summer.

When planning out your last few weeks, don’t forget the power of reflection and keepsakes. Whether it’s a class memory book, an “advice for next year’s students” project, or a certificate, giving our students a chance to look back on their progress makes those last days feel even more meaningful. When our kiddos can see how much they’ve grown, they leave your classroom with confidence.

Engaging End of the Year Activities to Wrap Up the School Year

Now that we’ve talked about why end of the year activities matter and how to make them meaningful, let’s explore some actual activities you can use in your classroom! These ideas will help your students review key concepts and stay engaged during those last few weeks. Below are six engaging end of the year activities your students will love!

1. Turn Review into Games

One of the best ways to keep your students engaged during end of the year activities is by turning review time into a game! My game show-style review games for math and reading bring energy into the classroom. They also reinforce key concepts your kiddos have learned throughout the year.

My Math Masters Game Show transforms math review into an interactive challenge. It’s set up like a Jeopardy-style game where your students select categories and answer questions to earn points. Topics include number sense, geometry, fractions, and problem-solving, making it a great way to refresh concepts before summer break. This game works well for whole-class play, where your students take turns answering questions while their teammates collaborate on solutions. You can also use it in small groups, having your students rotate through questions at their own pace. One effective strategy is allowing teams to “steal” unanswered questions. This ensures that all your students stay engaged throughout the game.

My Reading Rocks Game Show follows the same format but focuses on reading comprehension skills. Categories challenge your students to think about vocabulary, main idea, inferencing, and summarizing. This helps them revisit key reading strategies in a fun and low-pressure way. You can structure the game as a full-class competition, divide your students into teams, or set it up as a literacy station for small group play. You can encourage your students to think deeper by requiring them to answer questions and explain their reasoning before earning points.

These end of the year activities provide the perfect blend of review and excitement. They ensure your students stay focused while reinforcing essential skills. Whether used as a friendly competition or a collaborative learning experience, these games create a lively classroom atmosphere that keeps everyone engaged.

Summer-Themed Word Work

As the school year winds down, end of the year activities that reinforce literacy skills while keeping your students engaged are a must. This summer-themed word work activity perfectly combines spelling, vocabulary, and creative thinking in a fun and interactive way.

In this activity, your students use letter tiles to create as many words as possible from a given set of letters. Each challenge has a summer-themed clue, such as a summer treat or a game on the sand. This prompts your students to think critically about words that fit the theme. After generating as many words as they can, your kiddos then use all the letters to decode a final mystery phrase.

This activity works well as a literacy center, partner challenge, or independent practice. You can also make it a class-wide competition by seeing who can create the most words or correctly solve the challenge phrase first. The built-in differentiation makes it easy to adapt to different ability levels. Plus, your students can work at their own pace and challenge themselves to think of more complex words.

Directed Writing and Drawings Add Creativity

When our students start counting down the days until summer break, keeping them engaged in meaningful writing can be a challenge. That’s why end of the year activities that combine creativity with literacy are a perfect solution! My directed writing and drawing activity gives your students a chance to express their ideas while reinforcing writing, handwriting, and fine motor skills.

Each page provides a summer-related directed drawing that guides them through a simple 6 step process to learn to draw a summer themed object. After your students draw the picture, it’s time to add in some writing. You can choose between the handwriting and writing pages, as both are included. Students will then trace and write the provided sentence for handwriting practice, or they will use the image as a writing prompt to write a story or informational writing.

These directed drawing and writing activities work great as a morning warm-up, in the writing center, or as an early finisher activity. You can also use it as a fun way to wind down at the end of the day by letting your students share their drawings and sentences with the class. The summer-themed prompts range from beach adventures to favorite summer treats. This helps your students connect their writing to real-life experiences, which makes it engaging and personally meaningful.

Would You Rather Writing Prompts

My Would You Rather writing prompts put a fun writing spin on a familiar game for our kiddos! This activity gives your students an engaging way to practice opinion writing while encouraging reasoning skills.

Each prompt presents your students with a summer-themed choice, such as “Would you rather build a sandcastle or be buried in the sand?” or “Would you rather swim in the ocean or a swimming pool?” After choosing their answer, your students write a response explaining their reasoning. This helps them develop their ability to support their opinions with specific and logical explanations.

You can use the prompts as a morning warm-up, journal entry, or discussion starter. They can also be assigned as a digital writing activity using Google Slides. This allows your students the choice to type their responses. For an interactive twist, your students can share their answers with a partner or participate in a classroom debate where they defend their choices.

Since these end of the year activities focus on personal preferences, your students will naturally invest in their responses. They love reading their classmates’ answers and comparing perspectives. This keeps engagement high even as summer break approaches. Whether used independently or as part of a group discussion, these prompts bring energy into the classroom while reinforcing essential writing skills!

Digital Mystery Picture Math Activities

Digital mystery picture activities are a great mix of skill reinforcement and interactive fun. These self-checking, summer-themed activities help your students practice essential math facts while uncovering hidden images. This makes them a great addition to end of the year activities.

Each digital mystery picture focuses on a specific skill, such as division by 10s and 12s or multiplication by 10s and 12s. Your students solve math problems. With each correct answer, part of a hidden image is revealed. The instant feedback encourages accuracy while keeping your students motivated to complete the activity.

They can be used for independent practice, math centers, or as a whole-class challenge where your students race to uncover the picture first. Since they are digital, they can be assigned through Google Classroom. This makes them easy to prep and accessible on student devices.

What makes these end of the year activities so effective is their ability to turn math practice into a game. Instead of feeling like just another set of problems, your students stay engaged as they work toward a goal. Whether reviewing division, multiplication, or other key math skills, these activities provide a fun and interactive way to reinforce learning while keeping the excitement high in those final weeks.

Classroom Certificates and Awards

Celebrating student achievements is one of the best ways to end the school year on a positive note. End of the year activities that highlight your students’ growth, hard work, and unique strengths help create a sense of accomplishment and leave them with lasting memories. That’s where classroom certificates and awards come in!

These printable certificates are easy to use, making them perfect for recognizing a variety of accomplishments. From academic achievements and reading milestones to character awards and end-of-the-year celebrations, these certificates allow you to celebrate every student in a meaningful way. Popular options include Perfect Attendance, Star Student, Way to Go!, and general End of the Year Awards. The collection also includes blank certificates that can be customized for any occasion.

I recommend printing the certificates on cardstock to add durability. You can host an award ceremony where each student receives their certificate in front of their classmates. You can even pair certificates with a small prize or handwritten note to make the recognition extra special.

Send Them Off in Style

If you are are sending students off to a new campus, you might help them celebrate this special time with a graduation. Even if you don’t do a special ceremony, you can create a special bulletin board or hallway display that will celebrate all of their accomplishments.

Additional Resources

While end of the year activities help create a fun and meaningful close to the school year, wrapping things up as a teacher can feel overwhelming. Between finalizing grades, packing up the classroom, and saying goodbye to our students, it’s easy to feel stretched thin. That’s why having a plan to end the school year stress-free is just as important as making it memorable for our students!

If you’re looking for ways to streamline your end-of-year tasks and transition into summer feeling refreshed, I’ve put together two posts full of practical tips to help. Whether it’s organizing your classroom for an easier start next year or giving yourself permission to truly unwind, these ideas will help you close out the year smoothly and step into summer without the extra stress.

7 Tips for a Stress-Free End of the School Year
5 Essential Teacher Self-Care Strategies for a Stress-Free Summer

Make End of the Year Activities Meaningful and Stress-Free

The final weeks of school should be a time of reflection, celebration, and engaging learning experiences. With the right end of the year activities, you can keep your students focused, reinforce key skills, and create lasting memories that make their time in your classroom feel special. These activities help your students wrap up the year feeling confident and accomplished. By balancing fun and structure, you can make those last days count for your students and yourself!

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