So, we have almost made it to the end of the year! We are on the final countdown! Many of us have had our state tests and some have had finals… but we still have school! Here are a few ideas to make the end of the year fun, but still keep it academic: 

1. Have your students help you write math problems for next years students. Have them brainstorm all of the types of math problems they have learned how to solve and then let them work in groups to write problems.  After they write problems, have them switch and solve (& edit if needed). This helps them stay engaged while reviewing key concepts. If you have computers in the classroom, have them type the problems up. You can also have them turn the problems into games and center activities.
2. Take class outside! If your weather is warming up, designate a day that students can bring in beach towels and take your work outside!
3. Play games! Have centers set up with skill reinforcing games for your students to play. Give students a chance to pick their favorite games and centers from earlier in the year.  You can even “sneak” in  a few skills they will be learning next year to help prepare them.  Grab a deck cards and play Multiplication War.  Students each turn over two cards and find the product. The student with the highest product gets all 4 cards.  After a specific amount of time or specific number of rounds, the player with thee most cards is  the winner.
4. Pick a fun theme such as SWEET TREATS, BEACH WEEK or POOL PARTY and decorate your classroom. Tailor your end of year activities as much as possible to reflect his theme!
5. Make an end of the year memory book. Here is a cute one I found on Pinterest:
6. Write letters to next years class: Runde’s Room has a great post on this!
7. Beach Ball Autographs. Get a beach ball for each student and have your students write end of year notes to each other on the beach balls.  Check it out here!