10 Fun Ways to Celebrate the End of the School Year with Your Kids

As the final school bell approaches and backpacks start coming home a little heavier (hello, end-of-year art projects and broken crayons), it’s the perfect time to celebrate the countdown to summer with your school-age kids. These last few weeks of the school year are packed with excitement, exhaustion, and anticipation—and they’re a great opportunity to create simple, joyful moments that your kids will remember.

Creating Memorable Moments Without the Stress

Here are 10 fun, low-stress ways to make the end of the school year feel special—for them and for you.

1. Countdown Calendar

Make a simple countdown to the last day of school with paper rings, a chalkboard, or sticky notes. Let your kids tear one off or mark a day each morning. Add a small treat or silly activity on a few of the days to build excitement!

2. “Yes Day” (Lite Version)

You don’t need to say yes to everything, but try a “Yes After School” day. Let your kids pick the snack, the activity, or the playlist in the car. It’s a small shift that makes the day feel special and fun.

3. School Lunch Picnic

Surprise your kids with a packed picnic dinner outside in the backyard or at a local park—but fill it with their favorite school lunch items! Think juice boxes, string cheese, and sandwiches with crusts cut off. Bonus points for a checkered blanket.

4. Celebrate School Memories Night

Host a mini “Year in Review” night. Look through saved schoolwork, laugh at selfies from the first day of school, and let your child tell you their biggest wins (and fails) of the year. It’s a great way to reflect and connect.

5. Sidewalk Chalk Message Party

Decorate your driveway or sidewalk with chalk messages for the teachers, bus drivers, or classmates. Write things like “Almost Summer!” or “Way to go, 2nd Grade!” Kids love being part of this kind of neighborhood cheerleading.

6. Bookstore or Library Field Trip

Let each child pick out one “just for fun” book to read over summer break. It keeps the love of reading alive—and turns reading into a reward, not a task.

7. Make a Summer Bucket List

Sit down with some markers and a big piece of paper and dream together. Popsicles? Water balloon fights? Movie night in the backyard? Let them take the lead—then post the list where everyone can see it.

8. Teacher Thank You Craft Station

Set up a little space for handmade thank-you notes or crafts for teachers. It’s meaningful for kids to reflect on what they’ve learned and show appreciation in their own words (and glitter).

9. Spirit Week at Home

Make your own themed days leading up to the last day of school: Pajama Day, Backwards Clothes Day, Crazy Hair Day, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day…you get to make the rules at home!

10. Last Day Surprise Box

Prepare a small “Summer Starter Kit” for the last day of school: sunglasses, sidewalk chalk, a popsicle, water toy, or even a new swimsuit. Wrap it like a gift and leave it on their bed to find after school’s out.

Parents, you’ve made it too!

The last weeks of school can be chaotic, emotional, and surprisingly sweet. These little celebrations aren’t just for the kids—they’re a nod to the hard work you put in all year long: packing lunches, signing permission slips, and managing all the moving parts of busy family life. So go ahead—make a little magic, and savor the countdown.