Keep students engaged with these 5 activities for the last 2 weeks of school!
It’s here! The birds are singing, the sun is shining well past the time when you leave the classroom for the day, and the countdown is on to the end of the school year.
Whether your year ends in May or in June, you are trying to nail down those last few lessons and activities that will help keep students engaged and learning even in those last precious days of the school year.
To help you out as much as possible, we have put together 5 activities that will work perfectly for those last 2 weeks of school.
In this list we have projects, outdoor activities, memory makers, reflection…the works. There is something in here for everyone!
And now for 5 activities for the last 2 weeks of school…
Activity #1 | Summer Bucket List [Free Download]
Use this fun activity to get students thinking about what they will do with their summer (besides play on their screens).
Students have the space to write ten activities they would like to do over the summer. There is also space for them to explain why they’d like to do that particular activity.
I have the students come up with at least five free things to put on their list, but you can use this resource any way you’d like!
Although the Summer Bucket List is designed as a simple, fun activity, you can also use this activity to do some formal assessment of student writing, or you can add a research component (where they research and write about somewhere they want to go or something they want to do).
No matter how you choose to use the Summer Bucket List, it is a easy-to-prep activity that you can use for fun or to meet final classroom goals/standards.
Activity #2 | Task Card Hopscotch (Outdoor Activity)
Use some chalk, pebbles, and all those task cards you’ve collected over the years to create a fun task card hopscotch game out on the sidewalk or in the parking lot. The full hopscotch activity can be found in this blog post: 3 Unexpected Ways to Use Task Cards.
Special ‘End-of-Year’ Variation: Since it is the end of the year, and students are reviewing information, set up a whole series of task card hopscotch courses, and have students rotate through them. You could also keep track of scores and winners tournament-style or have a class bracket.
Activity #3 | End of Year Memory Books
Memory books are a fun way for students to look back at their year and remember all the fun things they did, what they were into, what their favorite things were (musician, video, color, friends, etc.). Memory books also make a great addition to the students’ graduation memories when they get older.
We have a whole bunch of memory books available for both digital and in-class use, you can read all about them in this blog post, or you can check out our Tpt store to see more pictures and previews!
Activity #4 | Student Survey Task Cards
Use the answers from these Student Survey Task Cards to see what worked and what didn’t work this year through the eyes of the children.
I truly believe there are always going to be things I need to work on and what better way to know your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher than to ask the students with whom you spend most of your day!
These task cards are Rock-n-Roll Themed and include a variety of questions that you can use with students to initiate a whole group discussion about the year, play “Scoot” (with the included recording sheet), or you can hang the cards up around the room, and have students walk around the room recording their answers to each question on their own recording sheet.
Teacher Review:
Perfect! Thank you for helping me get the student feedback I need and want in a different format. Relaxed kids are honest kids plus it helps the kids stay on task and provides purposeful focused movement! (Sarah Beth G.)
Activity #5 | Create-Your-Own Games (Project)
Finally, we have a project that you can use in those last couple of weeks of school that will really get your students thinking and creating!
If you are a fan of Fun in 5th Grade, then you are a fan of games, and what better way to end the year than with students creating their own games.
In this blog post, we provide the entire unit plan for this activity. +++PLUS+++ we also provide you with a free download that includes game piece templates, rubrics, student handouts, etc. Seriously, this post will give you everything you need!
It is the end of the year, and it is time to celebrate all the great things that have happened this year. As you finalize your class activities for those last couple of weeks of school, consider trying out one of these engaging, interactive activities for the last 2 weeks of school!
