Where’d the year go? It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year here in the U.S. is quickly drawing to a close. A nice way to wrap up the year is to have a project or two to reflect on friendships built during the year and highlights of the months together. If you’re looking for some ideas for end of year activities for elementary students, here are a few:

• Write compliments: Give each child slips to write compliments to each child in the class. Have students glue the slips onto construction paper so each child leaves with a book filled with kind things written about them from their peers and teachers. Need a template? Here’s a freebie you can use!
  

  Scrapbook slips to use for writing notes or compliments

• Create scrapbooks: Have children compile favorite pieces of work from each curricular area and create a scrapbook. Add photos of events (parents may have some, too) and decorate. I’ve done this with upper elementary students and they really love it. It’s fun to overhear the conversations, too, while they make their scrapbooks, reliving the events of the year.
  

• Share favorite memories as a group: One of my favorite activities to do at the end of the year is to do a class “web” using a ball of yarn. The teacher can start by holding the end of the yarn and sharing her favorite memory of the year. The teacher then tosses the yarn to a student and that person shares. The person who shares holds onto the yarn before passing it. Continue until all students have had a turn. When you’re done, you’ve created a big web bonding each of the class together (literally and physically!). *Note: Make sure that your yarn doesn’t have any knots before starting!

This activity is also fun at the beginning of the year as an ice breaker to introduce each other.

I hope these provide some help during these last few weeks. If you have you tried any of these end of year activities for elementary students, please tell us more below!