10 Ways to Celebrate the Last Day of School
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You might already have some fun traditions for the first day of school…but what about the last day of school?
We are in our fourth year of homeschooling (my oldest son is finishing 3rd grade), and the last day of school has always been kind of uneventful. We typically finish up different subjects at different times, so everything just kind of winds down gradually (is that normal? Tell me I’m not alone!). We have never had an official “last day” before summer break.
I’m sure many of you might school year-round, and really, we do a lot of learning in the summer too! So while we still may not have a specific “day” we end on this year, I thought it would be fun to implement some new traditions to celebrate the end of another fun year of learning.
Here are some of the ideas I came up with:
1. Celebrate with Food
You can make ANY occasion feel special with festive food!
Start the day with a special breakfast you don’t make too often: possibly donuts from a local shop, a fun pancake recipe, or cinnamon rolls (you can never go wrong with those!). Or, pack a fun picnic lunch to enjoy at the park.
We end our first day of school with a trip to the fro-yo shop; I’m thinking the last day of school calls for a similar celebration.
2. Last Day of School Photo
Did you take a photo on the first day of school? Recreate it, possibly in the same location! I love comparing photos – the kids change so much just over the course of one school year, and you don’t realize it until you do the side-by-side comparison.
I love these chalkboard signs that are easily customizable and can be used a the beginning and end of the school year.
3. Write a Letter or Email
We have had an email account set up for my son for a while, and I recently taught him how to send an email. Occasionally I will write an email to him in the evening that he can enjoy reading in the morning when he wakes up (he thinks it’s the coolest thing right now!).
What a fun way to end the year than by writing a sweet email or hand-written note to your child. Recap the year and talk about how much they have accomplished; let them know what you are most proud of and share some of your favorite moments with them. They will cherish it!
4. Countdown Activity
A week before the last day, you might set up a little count-down activity for your kids, with a surprise activity each day until the last day of school arrives. You could use balloons with a little rolled up note inside that the kids would pop each day, or simply an envelope with a card.
Make sure to label the balloons or envelopes with a number for the countdown. Depending on the ages of your kids, some examples of activities might include: movie day, backwards day, park day, chocolate day, etc. Use your imagination and make it fun!
5. Summer Bucket List
There are sooo many fun things to do in our town that I always love to brainstorm a list so I can plan and don’t forget anything! Grab the free printable below, sit down with your kids, and come up with things you just can’t wait to do this summer.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Go swimming
- Grow something
- Pick strawberries
- Create a lemonade stand
- Host a BBQ party with friends
- Campout in the backyard
- Go to a baseball game
- Go bowling
- Visit a museum
- Go to an amusement park
…the possibilities are endless!
6. Photo Collage
Print out some pictures from your favorite school-year activities and events, and have your kids create a poster to showcase your year.
You could also do a little photo album or scrapbook – how cute are these little scrapbook photo albums?? So perfect, and at such a great price you can get one for each kiddo!
7. Fun Field Trips
The week before, let your kids each pick out some place fun they would like to go for a field trip (within reason).
It doesn’t necessarily have to be educational, although let’s be honest, us homeschool moms can make just about anything educational!
Plan to include a special trip in your last week that each kid has picked to do. It will make the end of the school year that much more memorable!
8. Summer Gift Baskets
Fill a beach pail with summer goodies and gift it to your kids on the last day to welcome in summer! Ideas to include (tailor this depending on the age of your kids!): Glitter Chalk, beach balls, bubbles, water balloons, new swimsuits, water toys, jump ropes, freezer pop sleeves, summer stickers, and any fun snacks/treats.
9. Show & Tell
I love this idea, and it’s a great way to get the rest of the family involved that might not know what typically goes on during your homeschool year!
Prepare a “Show & Tell Expo” where your kids get to show off what they’ve learned throughout the year. This could either be in-person, where you invite people over open-house style, or online via something like Zoom.
You can make this as involved as you want, having your kids help prepare invitations, plan snacks, and set an agenda.
The most fun will be taking out the projects, unit studies, pieces of art, etc. that you have completed over the year and deciding what to present and share. You’ve accomplished so much!
10. Write Thank You Notes
On the last day of school, have your kids pick someone (other than you!) who has helped them learn and grow this year, and write them a nice note to put in the mail.
This could be a coach, a Pastor or Sunday School teacher, a co-op teacher, or an enrichment teacher…it might even be a relative who helped tutor or a friend who lent encouragement throughout the year. It’s always beneficial to practice gratitude and share with those who have helped you just how much of a difference they have made.
Reader Ideas
A couple of readers reached out to me with some great ways that they celebrate the last day of school with their kids:
We homeschool year round but take a 1-2 week break around July 4th. We have a “moving up” ceremony at the end of June right before the break starts. The kids each get a small trophy (we print out a little star or sunburst with their grade number on it and use some packing tape to affix it to the trophy) and certificate for finishing their year of school. – Aimee
Our tradition has become to bake cupcakes the night before and make pink lemonade. Then early the next morning dad piles the table with balloons. When we wake up we dress in our fanciest outfits, and enjoy cupcakes and lemonade for breakfast. And everyone gets a cute certificate! -Jennifer
I would love to hear in the comments below: how are you planning on celebrating the last day of your homeschool year? I hope that by implementing some of these ideas you can create a memorable, enjoyable celebration for your last day of school!
You also might enjoy my FREE Student Summary Sheet as a great way to wrap up the year – grab it below!
Related Posts
- Effortlessly Create and Organize a Homeschool Portfolio
- Creating Lasting Memories with a Summer Bucket List
- How to Establish Your Family Tech Policy This Summer
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