I'm at a loss since this is my first year in lower grades. Here is our schedule: tomorrow- field day Wednesday- Awards Day- report cards and EVERYTHING go home. Thursday and Friday- ??????????????WIDE OPEN??????????????? What do you guys normally do with the young ones? In 5th, we'd finish up a big project. Then, we (the teachers) would group all of our kids together in one room and do some games. We would take turns working on cumulative folders. With the little ones, I'm at a loss.
we had a celebratory end of year breakfast, movie of charlotte's web, letters to their third grade teachers, washing desks with shaving cream, some dancing to Michael Jackson, and some games outside....
I would do some team building activities. Even though you guys know each other, you can do some of those games and stuff. Or maybe you can do reflections on the school year? I usually like to ask my classes to write 3 things they liked and 3 things they would change about my class. Sometimes you get some good ideas!
We've still got 19 days left, but in the last days I plan to do some fun centers - play dough, water colors, coloring pages (they never get to do these! lol), blocks, puzzles, computer games, etc. We will probably watch a movie (I know I know, but it's ok at my school!) I plan to make ice cream in a bag. We are also going to have a glow in the dark party that the kids don't know about yet - music, glow sticks, glow stars, etc. I'll probably take them outside to play a couple of games, too. And maybe we'll go read outside in the sunshine if it's not a million degrees, which it probably will be by then. OH! And we are also doing memory books. The last day of school, we're going to do "awards" like I found on Pinterest. Every kid gets an award for something. I'm trying to decide between one kind I found that is a candy bar wrapper and another kind where the kids get different kinds of candy awards. Anyway, it's kind of a hodge podge in my mind, but we are still going full force here since we have 19 days left! We also are cranking out tons of projects for open house (which I've recently learned is not a nationwide tradition.)
Movies are forbidden. Even related to our curriculum movies. (We've read several novels that are now movies, but my P is firm!) We've made memory books already. We'll be finishing Wednesday. Our party is tomorrow. Classroom/silly awards will be given then. Big awards are given Wednesday. I only have 15 kids. I will probably only have 8-10 kids the last 2 days. Honestly, I wouldn't even have that many but the majority of my class is staff children! However, my teammate's MIL is very, very sick. She is not likely to last the week. Therefore, my teammate is out of town. They are having a hard time finding a sub for Friday. She has a sub through Thursday. Anyway, I might have half of her class as well on Friday. I know I'll work in "Time BINGO" for a good hour or so! They love it. Other than that, I am at a loss. Recess, but it is too hot to stay out for long. Oh, I also have to pack up my classroom. I'm moving rooms (AGAIN). I will only have about an hour and a half on Monday to finish. It has to be 90% done on Friday. Uggh! Maybe I really need to beg for a movie.....
On the last day I tend to have them make a memory book and then autograph the other children's book. I might read them some stories. I do a community meeting about the year. I might have them write something. I usually do a cookie party thing where they eat cookies and watch picture books that have been animated or play games they have enjoyed through the year. I have minimum day so it is not much time to plan for. I also have them watch the graduation time for the fifth graders. I tend to not watch movies much because first graders can often be frightened of things in movies. I do have them watch stories like Chrysanthemum or What's Under my Bed, it is kind of a listening center since it is the actual story being read.
Play minute it to win it games. Let each child bring in an item for show and tell. Show and tell is a big deal in my room because it never happens! Bring out a variety of art supplies (you know, those odds and ends you have) and let them be creative. Have them write a short story and share with the class. I have also given them paper divided into squares so they can create a comic strip to share. Have them bring a favorite book from home to share with a partner. Have them bring in card games like Uno.
On the last day I usually do some choice time in the room - they can play with the games, do free choice art, draw, colour, etc. We sign memory books and then the kids help me clean the room - straightening book shelves, dusting, washing desks, cleaning out their own desks, etc. We are going to watch the movie related to our read-aloud.
There are many varieties of checkers; teach them a new way to play the game. Get a long sheet of butcher paper and let them draw and write messages about the year. Have PJ day and a pillow and they can sit around the room and read. Practice skip counting while tossing a bean bag to a partner.
I forgot to mention board games - I have Jenga, Candyland, Don't Spill the Beans, and that electronic fishing one one where you have to get the fish with the fishing pole while the whole thing spins. (They love that one!) I may also teach them Uno.
I'm doing an "ant restaurant" the day before the last day of school. I saw it on Pinterest. Basically you put of a few ant-friendly foods on a paper plate and put it in a shady spot and come back a few hours later to check. I made a worksheet to go along with the activity where the kids will make predictions and then graph the data. I'm looking forward to it!
I got these very cute packets from TPT for FREE: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-the-Year-Advice-Book-246170 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/My-Memory-Book-End-of-The-Year-Sudent-Booklet-240495 I also had them create their dream vacation, complete with pics. We had an old fashioned Spelling bee. The kids used sidewalk chalk to make a timeline of our year outside the school. I provided characters (barnyard animals) and they worked in small groups one day to create skits that they shared with the whole class. I already had masks made up, but they could create those, too. We played Around the World Math. I found a FREE Summer edition of Would You Rather questions on TPT and I had the kids line up in the center of the room and go to either the left or right, depending on what they would choose to do. I called on a few of them each time to share why they made the choices they made. I googled Jeopardy games that go along with our Reading series and we played a couple of those.
Instead of a movie, maybe you can get away with showing a pick-me-up video like Caine's Arcade to your class! http://cainesarcade.com/
