Are you looking for ways to celebrate summer break with your kids? Here are 15 Last Day of School Year Traditions you can do this year!
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How to Celebrate the Last Day of School
School’s out for summer!! The last days of the school year are some of the most exciting times for kids! Do you remember that feeling of anticipation to summer break? Those final days of the school year are SO FUN for kids between the field days, parties and traditions. There is no better feeling for a child than to experience those last few days of school.
The kids do some many fun things at school at the end of the new year. So, I like to come up with a few fun last day of school traditions for our family. I really want the kids to remember that awesome feeling of finishing another year of school! The school days can be long but the school years do fly by!
I’ve got a list of 15 ways to celebrate the last day of school! Whether you start one or several of these end of school year traditions, your kids will never forget the last day of school!
15 Last Day of School Year Traditions
1. Have a Family Water Balloon Fight
This is a yearly last day of school tradition that we typically do with friends. However, my kids also love to have a family water balloon battle!
These water balloons are an almost must! You can fill hundreds of water balloons in minutes.
Everyone picks a water balloon color and then we each fill up a bucket with balloons. I recommend filling the bucket with some water so the balloons do not easily pop when they are placed on top of each other.
Once the water balloons are used up, the battle quickly turns to a water blaster fight. Then, usually the kids are just dumping buckets of water on each other. I hope we have good weather this year because this is our absolute favorite tradition on the last day of school.
2. Make Your Own Sundae Bar
Another festive last day of school year tradition is to have a special dessert. We always have a make your own ice cream sundae bar. I stock up on all the toppings and offer a variety of ice cream flavors. The sundae bar is a perfect treat after the water balloon fight!
Another fun option is to make your own snow cones! We have this snow cone machine and we make snow cones all summer long. You will want some flavored syrups and serving cups.
3. Take a Last Day of School Photo
Do not forget about a last day of school year photo of each of the kids.
One little tip I have is to create a folder on your phone for each kids’ school pictures! It makes it so easy to look back on past years and it will be very easy to put together graduation party photos!
4. Have a Celebration with Friends
The last day of school is a fun day to celebrate with friends! Decide on a celebration time and gather up all of your friends for a end of school year farewell! Everyone can share their favorite memories from the school year.
The celebration could have a theme like silly hat, crazy outfit or pajamas! You can serve a Build Your Own Sundae bar or make these walking tacos!
5. Set up a Field Day or Family Olympics at Home
Do your kids have a lot of energy to burn off on the last day of school? Perhaps the family would like to engage in some friendly competition with a Family Olympics!
At Home Field Day Activities
- Corn hole
- Water Balloon Toss
- Tricycle Race
- Potato Sack Races
- Obstacle Course
6. Tie Dye T-Shirts
Every summer we spend an afternoon doing Tie Dye.
We always use this tie-dye kit. It comes with everything you need and it very easy to use. This would be a fun last day of school tradition that would be a visual reminder all summer long when you wear your tie dye shirt!
7. Set up a Backyard Campout
Another fun way to kick off summer break is to set up a backyard campout! We love having a backyard camp out every summer. This is a perfect step before having a family camp out in the woods. We love having the ability to run into the house but yet we still make it feel like a real campout.
We roast marshmallows, watch a movie in the tent and stay up late telling stories. It is always one of our favorite memories of the summer.
When you roast marshmallows or make S’Mores, these roasting sticks are a must. They are color coded so everyone can pick one. The sticks expand to a long length so you do not have to worry about anyone roasting to close to the fire.
8. Go on a Picnic
Another way to celebrate the last day of school is to have a family picnic. Gather up some snacks or supplies for a dinner in the park. Bring a Frisbee or whiffle ball set for some family fun.
9. Set up the Sprinkler or Pool
If you have a hot day, you can celebrate summer break with some water fun. Keep it easy and carefree when you get out the sprinkler or pool!
10. Create a Summer Fun List
One thing we like to do to kick off summer vacation is to come up with our summer fun list. We usually write our list on our kitchen chalkboard so that we can keep track of what we have done and what need to still do.
If you do not have a chalkboard, create your list on a piece of paper or a poster and make sure to display it where the whole family can see.
11. Purge School Papers
When I asked my kids for suggestions on things to do on the last day of school, they suggested get rid of all of their school papers:) Usually the kids come home with stacks and stacks of papers to sort.
We like to purge the papers right away because if we don’t do it at the end of the year, we forget to do it all summer. You can read about how I organize school papers in this post.
12. Let Older Kids Have a Sleepover with Friends
Your kids might be begging you to let their friends sleep over. Why not? This is their first day they do not have to get up early!
The kids can watch movies together, play games and just chat. You can make s’mores or order pizza. Keep it simple.
13. Have a Family Award Ceremony
It is always important to look back and all that your kids accomplished in the last school year. They had so many tests, projects and homework assignments. Not to mention all of their extracurricular activities they were also balancing!
You could work together as a family to come up with some end of school year awards. These do not have to be serious awards. If your family has a good sense of humor, you could give prizes for child who was late to school the most, person most likely to forget their homework, best dressed child, etc. Just keep it light and fun and make sure everyone wins:)
14. Create a End of Year Time Capsule
One way to commemorate the end of the school year is to put together a time capsule. Write down some of your favorite memories of the school year plus add any special papers or notes. You might want to add a picture and writing sample from each of the kids.
Then, decide on when you want to open the time capsule and put it in a spot that you will not forget.
15. Write a Letter or Send a Gift to Your Teachers
One final last day of school year tradition is to send a note of thanks to your teacher. My mom was a school teacher and one gift she appreciated the most was a heartfelt note from the parents or the students. These special cards or letters are the most meaningful gifts you can give a teacher. You could also include a gift card or small gift as a token of appreciation.
Our teachers have worked so hard this year and have been so creative in keeping kids engaged in learning whether virtual or in person. A note of thanks to your child’s teacher would go a long way in making the teacher feel appreciated.
Every year my kids bring in this book to have the teachers sign it. It is a great keepsake to have all of the teachers’ special notes to my kids.
How will you celebrate the end of the school year this year? What are some of your last day of school year traditions?
Stress Free Summer with Kids
Once you get through the last day of school, it is time to think about summer activities! Join the Stress Free Summer Workshop and you will receive the Stress-Free with Kids Summer Guide. This is for busy moms who do not want to feel overwhelmed and exhausted this summer! Keri and I are sharing our secrets for a Fun Summer with no guilt and less stress.
If you have ever gotten through a summer and felt like it did not go as you wanted it to, this workshop is for you. Do you want to make the most of your 18 summers with your kids? Make this summer the year of no regrets! Sign up HERE!
Are you looking for more end of school year activities? Check out these posts:
Miss Sue Living to grab an End Of School Year Interview Printable.
Keri has more last day of school year ideas too!
Looking for more end of school year posts?
How to Create a School Memory Book
6 Unforgettable Summer Traditions
How to Create a Simple Summer Schedule for Kids
Organization Coaching for Moms
If you would like help with home organization, routines, meal planning, chores and family organization then you can benefit from organization coaching! We work 1:1 to tackle your challenges and find the best solutions that bring peace and order to your home. Book a free 30 minute consult here.
Love all of your ideas- we still have a good 8 weeks left here but holding on to this post for sure! 🙂
I love these ideas, especially the camping or bonfire! This really creates great memories with them.