End of Year Countdown to Summer Made Easy

Inside: Try this end of year countdown to enjoy those last 10 days of school with your kiddos.

The Need for a Flexible End of Year Countdown

Once May hits, I find myself doing double duty preparing for the arrival of next year’s kindergarteners, while still trying to wrap up loose ends with the current group.

Sound familiar?

Yet, it’s always important to me that our last days together be meaningful and marked with special memories as I send my kiddos off to summer and eventually the next grade.

So I needed something simple and flexible, knowing there would be many end of year, school-wide events competing for our time!

Enter the Kindergarten Countdown!

I created this end of year countdown using a “sliding scale” of activities that work well no matter how much time we have (or don’t have!) each day.

Here’s how you can make this work for you:

Create Your Own End of Year Countdown

Step 1: Get Organized

Gather 10 small gift bags (Dollar Tree sells them in a 3-pack) and label them with your countdown numbers.

Step 2: Create Themed Days and Activity Circles

Choose a theme for each day and create activity circles equal to the countdown number for each countdown day. For example, if day 5 is Dance Day, you would create 5 circles that list 5 dances for your kiddos to do. Color-code them to match the numbers for quick and easy storage.

Step 3: Add in Some Extras (Optional Step!)

Brainstorm additional activities for each themed day that you might do if your time allows.

On some days, we are jam-packed and on others I find myself looking for things to do!

Step 4: Display Your End of Year Countdown PLUS Balloon Pop

Place the activity circles in the bags and tack them up on a bulletin board in countdown order. Add a “balloon pop” for extra pizazz!

Step 5: Let the Countdown Fun Begin!

As each day arrives, just remove the bag and let kids take turns pulling out the activity circles throughout the day. If you have extra time, use the additional activities found on the sheets. If not, that’s okay too! And then, end your day with a much anticipated balloon pop!

Create a Countdown Calendar

You can also send home a Countdown Calendar to let families know about your end of year fun!

End of Year Countdown – It’s in the Bag!

If you are short on time or have ideas for your own themed days, you can grab our Kindergarten Countdown and use the Editable Slides to make it your own!

You’ll find this bundled together with a Kindergarten Moving Up Plan to help ease some of the anxiety your kiddos might have about going to the next grade!