End of year activities: Making the most of term's final weeks
As the school year draws to a close, it's time to reflect on growth and achievements. It's also an opportunity to engage your class in imaginative activities that celebrate the end of the year in a fun, memorable and meaningful way.
From creating cherished memory books to organising classroom award ceremonies and outdoor adventures, we've compiled our favourite end of year activities that will help you and your class celebrate their achievements. Browse our end-of-term resources for even more practical ideas to make the last few weeks of term both meaningful and enjoyable.
25 engaging activities to celebrate the end of the school year
1. Memory book
Create memory books that document achievements and memories from the school year. This can make an engaging project and children will love swapping and sharing their memory books to collect autographs and notes from their friends.
2. Classroom awards
Hold a classroom awards day. Awards could be serious or funny, but they should celebrate each child's strengths and characteristics. These classroom awards and certificates focus on both personal and academic qualities.
3. Time capsule
Have the class create a time capsule, to be opened by their future selves. They can include letters to their future selves, objects of importance or predictions about the future.
4. Classroom play
Put on a play or musical that children can perform for the school or their parents. This is a fun way to end the year and can build teamwork skills.
5. Indoor heptahlon
Organise a sports event with various games and activities. This encourages physical activity and team play. This school heptathlon is a great indoor option using everyday items and encourages children to use their maths skills.
6. Art exhibition
Host an art exhibition displaying the children's best artwork from the year. Invite parents and other classes to view the exhibition.
7. Reflection circle
Hold a reflection circle where children can share their favourite memories from the year, what they learned, and their hopes for the next year.
8. Classroom clean-up
Transform tidying the classroom into an engaging game. This builds responsibility and teamwork while helping you make a start on end-of-year organisation. Create different roles for children or introduce challenges to make it competitive.
9. Book bingo
Help children explore their interest in books to share with others with book bingo. Combine with a book swap where children bring in a book they enjoyed and swap it for another. This encourages reading and sharing.
10. End-of-year quizzes
Create a quiz that covers all the things the children learned during the year. This can be a fun way to review and reflect on the year's learning. These Year 2 and Year 6 end-of-year quizzes are perfect for reviewing key stage 1 and key stage 2. Or try the Brilliant book quiz! to test children’s knowledge of books from Reception through to year 6.
11. Robotics competition
Organise a robotics competition where students can design and build their robots using kits or recycled materials, showcasing their creativity and understanding of mechanical and electronic principles.
12. Cooking class
Organise a cooking class where children can learn how to prepare a simple dish. This can be a fun way to teach them about nutrition and healthy eating, as well as basic cooking skills.
13. Storytelling workshop
Organise a storytelling workshop where students can craft narratives and share them with the class. This can foster creativity, improve communication skills and help students appreciate the art of storytelling. Try these story openers and teaching ideas to help get you started.
14. Class picnic
Have a class picnic in a local park or the school grounds. This can be a relaxed and enjoyable way to end the year. You could even create picnic food during your cooking class!
15. Plan a holiday
Have children plan and budget for a holiday. They can decide on a destination, and research the costs of flights, accommodation, activities and so on. They could even design a postcard to send!
16. Charity event
Organise a charity event, such as a bake sale or fun run, where children can raise money for a good cause. Get older children more involved in the organisational side of things, creating sponsorship forms and promoting the event.
17. Treasure hunt
Complete a treasure hunt around the classroom or school. Clues can be related to puzzle-solving, completing challenges, making observations and so on.
18. Class games
These whole class games inspire a love of words and are suitable for any age from Reception to year 6. For even more games to play with your class, try our classroom games templates.
19. Class Olympics spectacular
Organise a fun-filled Class Olympics with non-sporting challenges like spelling bees, times table races and art competitions. Celebrate achievements with special Olympic certificates for every participant.
20. Outdoor exploration
Take the class for a nature walk or try an outdoor learning activity. This encourages an appreciation for nature and can be a fun, hands-on learning experience.
21. Letters to new teachers
Help children write thoughtful letters to their new teachers, sharing their interests, strengths, and what they're looking forward to in the next academic year. This helps ease transition anxiety while practising writing skills.
22. Reflection and goal-setting workshop
Help children reflect on their year and set goals for the future using these age-appropriate resources for KS1 and KS2. Children can take it a step further by creating vision boards or writing about their aspirations.
23. Pen pal project
Start a pen pal project with a class from another country. This can be a fun way to learn about different cultures and practice writing skills.
24. Mindful moments
End the year with calming mindfulness activities and relaxation exercises. Children can explore their creativity through these free, mindful colouring sheets.
25. Euro 2025 celebration
Get ready for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 with football-themed activities. Use our Euro resources featuring writing tasks, map skills activities and programming challenges that combine sports with learning.
