Countdown to Summer Vacation

Keeping students engaged in classroom activities during the last few weeks of school takes someone who can be part entertainer, part juggler, part creative, and part calm...to keep the sanity in the classroom during those final moments together. Well this year, I discovered something that worked like a charm to build some engagement while counting down the final week to our glorious summer vacation....scratch-off countdown cards. 

Countdown to Summer Ideas

Now I love doing countdowns and have done them for years. I have tried the balloon countdown, where you have a balloon for every day and then get to pop it to see an activity on a slip of paper inside...super fun! I've tried a bulletin board countdown where we start with a scene on the bulletin board and each day remove one piece as we count down the days....a great visual. I have tried the simple countdown chain where each day we remove one link...another great visual. During Zoom school, I created this countdown poster that showed an activity for each day of the final week. It was lots of fun too. 

Countdown to Summer Scratch-Off Cards

But this year, I decided to do something a little different. I had a couple of sheets of scratch-off stickers that I had used earlier in the year, and it sparked an idea. So I created a scratch-off card to help my students count down the last moments of the year. I designed multiple different cards and printed some off, slapped some stickers over the activities and voila...instant engagement. I took some to school and allowed the each student to choose the design they liked best. 

Countdown to Summer Activity Ideas

Everyday, we had a special activity to look forward to. Students were able to scratch off one sticker each day (in order) and reveal their special activity. The first day, we made ice cream in a bag. It is super simple, but lots of fun, not to mention a tasty cool treat for those hot summer days ahead. If you would like to try out this activity with your own class, you can find the recipe I used over here. 

The next day, was slime day. If you know kids, you can imagine what a hit that was. I found some cheap glue at dollar tree...who knew that had colorful glue and color-changing glue too. Students got to choose whichever glue they wanted to use for their slime, and created their own batch. (On a side note, A year or so ago, I picked up some measuring cup & spoon sets from Dollar Tree and I keep them in a bin. Those have been incredibly handy and we use them so often for different projects, including making slime. I have four sets, because that is usually how many different groups I have for activities and projects.) If you are looking for some great recipes for slime try this one.

  
On Wednesday, our surprise was actually a talent show. Now because of the nature of talent shows, I knew the students would need a little time to plan ahead. So we scratched off this circle the day before, that way we had time to get our act together...literally. Most students love sharing a talent with this class and this year was no exception. We had a magic show. One student, who is passionate about space and rocketry made a Powerpoint and literally taught us rocket science. Another student wanted us to know how talented they were at collecting things and brought in a large collection of mini real items for us to see. We also had a student show us her musical talent by sharing a couple of numbers on the piano. Another student created a super cute craft to show the class and then she gifted it to me. It was fun, it was silly, it was a learning time, and most importantly, it was a time where each student was able to find their own way to shine and build community.

Thursday, I hosted a game time. We scratched this one off the day before also, so students could bring games from home. We spent about a half an hour or so enjoying games. It was not only fun, but we continued to build classroom community.

On Friday, we had a half-day. Our final activity on the scratch-off card was a classroom award ceremony, but not just any award ceremony, a candy one. everyone was excited to see what candy they would get and which award it would be linked to. It was a smashing success. I found the candy award resource over here on TPT. 

Counting down to the end of the school year does not have to be something that is a ton of work. It is something to keep your students pushing toward the end of the school year with a little something fun to look forward to each day. If you are interested in checking out the editable countdown to summer cards, you can find them here.  You can also click on any of the pictures below.

These cards are editable, so you are able to type in your own special activities to fit your class. 

Happy end of the school year!

Author's Celebration

Writing...the kids either hate it or they love it. Making it fun with an author's celebration helps students find the joy in writing...or at least celebrating their hard writing work. I LOVE doing class transformations, and author's celebrations are the perfect time to make a huge impact. Trust me when I say, it does not have to take a lot of work to make it great! Here are some things I have done previously to bring some joy into the writing classroom.

I was inspired when seeing what the teachers at the Ron Clark Academy where doing. they were creating AMAZING lessons that got the students excited, but still kept them learning. One lesson that I saw was something called Camp Share-a-Story. I loved it so much that I have been doing it ever since. You can go all out or keep it simple. If you want to go all out, create a camp sign out of construction paper to hang on your door. Inside, pop up a tent or two. Bring in a fake fire (one of those flame lights could work). A long time ago, I had a camping themed classroom for the year and so I use my felt fire from that. I also make pillows that look like logs for the students to sit on, so those also come out during Camp Share-a-Story. If you have a Christmas tree, you could even put that up to simulate a wooded area. Bring a camp chair for the students to take turns sitting in as they share their stories. Bring lanterns or a flashlight in for the reader to use. Set your smartboard to display an outdoor theme and play outdoor sounds for an added touch. 

This year, I could not find all of my things, so we went super simple. I brought a lantern and a little sign that welcomed the class to the campfire. We sat in a circle on the floor and that. was. it. Easy, right? Even though this year was simplified, the students were just as excited!

Every year, I bring a little treat for my class to enjoy once we have read all of our stories. With a camping theme, what could be better than s'mores? Since we cannot have a real fire, I make s'mores pops, which are super simple. Start with one of those oversized marshmallows. Poke a lollipop stick in the middle. Dip in melted chocolate flavored almond bark. Dip in crushed graham cracker crumbs. If you use almond bark, this will dry relatively quickly, probably in an half hour or so. Stick into a clear treat bag and tie the back with a piece of twine or a twist tie. 

One year, we did essays about different animals. To end the unit and share our writing at our author's celebration, I created an animal circus theme. Students got to share their writing from under the big top. Reflection sheets were filled out about each essay that listed positive things and how the student could improve next time. Once all the essays were read, students got to get some cotton candy that we made on our machine. 

To say that this circus theme built excitement would be an understatement. It was the perfect way to celebrate these young learners and one I hope they have never forgotten. 

For me, the circus transformation ways super easy because it was created around mostly items I had already from previous years. One year my classroom theme was the circus and I sewed this fun circus tent. I had other circus decor that I used that year that I brought back for my circus transformation. It was so fun!

 With a little creativity, you can make writing amazing and celebrate it in big ways! 

If you want to find out more about how to spice up your writing block in the classroom, be sure to also check out these other blog posts below.

Nature Journaling

Poetry Slam