Countdown to Summer With This Fun Activity

The end of the year countdown to summer is on… the balloon countdown, that is!

At the end of the school year, one of my favorite (and super simple) activities is the balloon countdown to summer break. This end-of-year activity keeps your students engaged and makes for a fun way to celebrate the end of the year together. It is the perfect way to end the year at any grade level!

Grab the free download by entering your info below, and read on for all the tips and tricks on implementing it in your classroom!

Don't worry if you're already past the 10-day countdown or just want to save it for the last week of school. You can adapt this activity to be 3 days, 5 days, or however many days you want to do it!

SET-UP

The setup for this end of the year countdown activity is simple!

1. Stuff 10 deflated balloons with the prize slips. TIP: You can be super intentional about which prizes go in balloons (what day the prize happens.) For example, if you want to save the “extra recess” prize for a Friday, count out the days and what number corresponds with them, and put that piece of paper in Friday's balloon.
2. Blow up the balloons with the prize slips inside.
3. Stick them to a wall, bulletin board, or wherever you have a large free space in your classroom!
4. Tape the countdown numbers to the balloon or below them.
5. Pop one balloon a day during morning meeting or at the end of each day.

PRIZES

There are 10 ready-to-print fun ideas to stuff your balloons with included in the freebie. Of course, you can always add some of your own!

Pencil/eraser – Gift students a special pencil or eraser. There are some really fun ones in the Target Dollar Spot, The Dollar Tree, or Oriental Trading.

Snowball Fight – It's the end of the year, so you're already cleaning out desks, right? Have a snowball fight instead of tossing all of those papers left over in folders! Students create a pile of unneeded papers while cleaning out their desks. Once everyone is ready, students make “snowballs” from those papers. Split the room in two and have a snowball fight. Yes, this is a little chaotic, but it is SO MUCH FUN!

Pen All Day – What kid doesn't love the novelty of using a pen on their work all day long?!

End of Year Gift – This is where being strategic about what prize slips go in what number balloon comes into play. Make sure to plan this when you are ready to give students their end-of-year gifts. Check out this post for easy EOY gift options like ClassGram or memory books!

Switch Desks – Give students the option to sit at any desk for the day! Make sure to lay down some expectations about behavior and what to do (or not to do) about the items at their temporary seat.

Stinky Feet – No shoes in the classroom for the day! Be sure to discuss putting shoes back on for recess, lunch, specials, and using the restroom. Beware! This can actually get really stinky!

Fluffy Friend – Students can bring a stuffed animal to school for the day! (Check on your district's policies first! Some don't allow it due to health or traveling pests.)

Extra Recess – We all could use a little extra time outside at the end of the year!

Bubble Gum Day – Give students a piece of gum to chew on during the day! Don't forget to cover where the gum goes after they are finished with it. Trust me, you don't want to be scraping that off of anything!

Popsicle Party – Bring in popsicles for the class to enjoy!

Themed days (pajama day, hat day, etc.), classroom dance party, ice cream social, bubble day, or a paper airplane contest are some more fun activities you could add instead of the ones above!

DIGITAL BALLOON POP

With the printable balloon pop freebie, you'll get a digital countdown balloon pop. This includes even more fun prizes for the ten days and instructions on setting it up!

End of the Year Celebration

Celebrate all of the hard work you and your students have put in with some end of the year fun during the last days of school! On the last day of school, pop the final ballon as part of your celebration!

TIP: The final balloon is a great place to strategically stick the popsicle party or end of the year gift.

Whatever you choose to do, the memories you make with your students are the most important gifts. This is sure to be one of their favorite ways to end the year and I hope it's yours too!

What are some fun end of the year activities you do to end the school year? What prize ideas would you add? Let me know in the comments. I want to hear from you!

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