The last 26 days of school can be rough. The kids are tired, the days are long and you need just an extra umph to get the kids to the end of the year. I love counting down the last 26 days. Not that I am excited to see them go, but I love doing fun things with my kids to celebrate their progress! Here’s what my classroom does for the last 26 days of school! Each of the last 26 days of school is assigned a letter and based on that letter, we do specific activities.
Art Day: This is the big kick off for the A-Z count down. We start strong! My coworkers think I am a little crazy but the kids have fun! I drag out all the craft supplies and let them go to town. They can use any supplies they want to make their own unique creations. Some of their favorite supplies are feathers, pom-poms, stickers, sequins, and pipe cleaners. The things they can come up with using various items, some glue and construction paper, are amazing! But the best thing that they make is a MESS. And when the inevitable mess is made my favorite thing to say is, "Excuse the mess, we are making memories!"
Bubble Day: I give the students some bubbles and let them have free reign of the playground to blow bubbles and catch them.
Chalk Day: On "C" Day, we take our kids out to the basketball court. Some kids will practice writing their name a couple million times. Others will practice writing their letters and numbers, or they simply just color with the sidewalk chalk!
Dino Day: On "D" Day, I get out all my dino books and activities that I don't get to use during the rest of the year. We read dinosaur-themed books, do dino puzzles, and learn all about the dinosaurs. Experiment Day: On "E" Day, I do the Mentos® and Coke® science experiment! This experiment shows how Mentos® make Coke® explode out of a liter bottle when the candy and soda combine. The kids love talking about how each type of pop has a different reaction to the Mentos®.
Frisbee Day: On "F" Day, we bring frisbees and learn how to throw them! We use the Frisbee Golf Set to practice our aim.
Game Day: On this day, we play lots of board games! A new favorite is to make a giant version of Twister®! We use spray paint and the Outdoor Bend Game to make our own BIG games in our playground! Hat Day: Students are able to show off their favorite hats! This is a fun day because it shows off their own, personal style. Ice Cream Day: "I" day might be another of my favorites! We have ice cream for snack!
Jump Rope Day: On jump rope day, we get out the jump ropes and work on our coordination skills! Kickball Day: On "K" Day the competition gets serious! We do class vs class kickball. I am not bragging, but my class has won the last two years in a row! Lemonade Day: On "L" Day, we work together to make a giant container of lemonade. We read the recipe and then make it together.
Movie Day: We fill up our Popcorn Bags, and watch a new children's movie on "M" day! Noodle Day: On "N" Day, we cook noodles and use them to paint. We hang paper on a fence, dip noodles into paint, then splatter the noodles against the paper! It is messy, but so much fun!
Obstacle Course Day: On obstacle course day we set up a giant obstacle course on our playground! I think the kids were most excited to use the Inflatable Tire Obstacle Course Set. They have not stopped asking me to get them back out! PJ Day: "P" Day is my absolute favorite! Who doesn't love wearing PJs to school? Quilt Day: On "Q" day, we each decorate a square of cardstock then display them in the hallway. We put the squares together like a quilt. Reading Day: On "R" Day, each student brings their favorite book from home, or picks one from our library, and throughout the day I read all of them to the class.
Sad to See You Go Day: This day marks the students' Pre-K Graduation. You can see more about how we celebrated HERE. Teddy Bear Picnic Day: On "T" day, we all bring our teddy bears and blankets and have a picnic on the playground. USA Day: On USA Day we actually have a field day, but to make it fun, we all wear Red, White and Blue and make it into a mini Olympics!
Vrooming to the PD Day: On V Day, we go to the police department. It is a fun field trip, and one that I think is necessary! You can see more of what we do for our police officers HERE. Wonderful Memories Day: On "W" day, we fill out our class memory books and sign oeach other's yearbooks! I usually make a slide show of all the pictures I have taken over the year and we watch it during snack time. Exciting Park Day: This is a day the kids absolutely love! On "X" day, we go to the park and PLAY! This is super easy because we have a park about a block from our school. We get to play on new playground equipment, take all of our sports balls, have a sack lunch and even skip nap time!
You Day: This is the day we celebrate YOU! One of the ways we celebrate "you" is by having a birthday party for everyone with a summer birthday! We have cupcakes and do all the fun birthday activates, except do it 5 or 6 times! We all wear party hats and have a good ole time! Zooming into Kindergarten Day: This is our last day of school. We play "Minute to Win It" type games, watch movies and have playground time. I also give out lots of hugs and love! I hope you have been inspired to add some themed days to the weeks leading up to the last day of school!