How to Survive the End of Year By I Love First Grade

Most of us are in survival mode as we near the end of the school year, or at least I am!  There is so much to do: testing, cleaning, report cards, class lists, end of year movie, field day, memory books...I'm tired just thinking about it!

To make the last 2 weeks bearable, I try to do something fun each day.  I think about ten fun activities for the students to work towards, write each one on a piece of paper, and stick them in a balloon.

The students cannot wait to see what is in the balloon and work really hard to get to pop the balloon.  This makes for a VERY happy teacher!

Here is what we did this year:

-Dance Party

-Game Day

-Mud Day (chocolate pudding, gummy worms and crushed Oreos)

-Stinky Feet Day

-Sit by a Friend Day

-Extra Recess

-Bubble Gum Day

-Popsicle Day

-Movie Day

-Shaving Cream Day

Here are some highlights of mud day:



  

And speaking of survival, we worked very hard to get through our Memory Books!  

You can get the memory book here.

We also spend time playing math games, doing fun activities, such as acting out Mo Willems' books with the pigeon, and Directed Drawings, from First Grade Blue Skies.
I just ADORE this product.  Children have to listen carefully and follow directions.  They have to understand temporal words, too.  And the end product is just ...precious.
Check out this product for yourself.  You will love it as much as I do--I am sure!

This year FLEW by!  I'm sad to see my kiddos move on to second grade and I am always reminded of what a great year it was when I make the end of year movie.  It takes me forever to make them but it is so worth it!

 It is nerve-racking to my firsties off for summer only to wonder if they'll forget everything in the ten weeks off!  So I send them off with a little summer practice:

I also created this for kindies going into first grade.  Who knows better than a 1st grade teacher how they should enter 1st grade?

This is how I survive the craziness of the end of year.  What about you?

Cecelia
I Love First Grade