End of Year 2024 Activities Teaching Resources
Get ready for end of school holidays with end of year activities that students love as much as teachers do! This collection of printables, games, worksheets and so much more was all created by teachers to help you get ready for the end of term and the end of the school year.
So what's ahead?
Created by our expert teacher team, this resource collection includes end of year gifts for students, student awards, graduation crafts and more ways to make those last days of class fun for students from foundation through year 6.
Read on for tips from our teacher team to prepare for your end of year!
When Is the Last Day of School in 2024?
It may feel like this year has rushed past — or perhaps you're keen to keep it going a bit longer? Either way, the last day of school has already been planned out.
Here's a quick look at the important dates to add to your calendar!
Last Day of School by State or Territory
- Australian Capital Territory last day of school — 17 December 2024
- NSW last day of school — 20 December 2024
- Northern Territory last day of school — 13 December 2024
- Queensland last day of school — 13 December 2024
- South Australia last day of school — 13 December 2024
- Tasmania last day of school — 19 December 2024
- Victoria last day of school — 20 December 2024
- Western Australia last day of school — 12 December 2024
How to Prep for the Last Day of School
The last day of school and those summer holidays are coming! So how do you get prepped?
Our teacher team has got you covered with some fun ideas and some 'don't forgets' too.
On the one hand, you've got activities that are all about celebrating the end of the school year and the holidays that are about to start — activities that are focused on fondly remembering the weeks and months you've spent together as a class and revisiting some of the learning accomplishments.
On the other hand, our teacher team knows that this is the time of year when students want to get up and move, and we've put together options that will get them out of their seats ... and thinking!
Build a Bridge Challenge
STEM activities are what we like to call hands-on and minds-on for students, and they're perfect for those last few days of school not only to engage your students but to help use up some of those classroom supplies that are left over ... especially if you're going to have to move from room to room over the summer!
Challenge your students to build a bridge with a variety of items in the classroom that you set out for them. Don't forget to throw in some of those items you're trying to use up (craft sticks? leftover paper straws? paper clips?).
The bridge should cover the gap between two level surfaces — ideally two desks, but you may want to add the challenge of determining the surfaces to up the challenge for older students — and groups will be judged on the strength of their bridge when you (the judge!) begin to load it down with weight.
Write a Class Comic
Your students have gotten to know you so well over the past school year. Who better to help next year's class of students?
As a whole class or in groups, students can brainstorm and write a comic for the students who will be in your class next year. What advice, tips, and hints would they give them on how to survive and do well in your class? What were the hardest parts? What did they enjoy?
Play Summer Would You Rather
Would you rather go swimming or hiking? Would you rather eat lollies or ice cream? Decisions, decisions!
Give your students a needed brain break for the end of the year with a fun summer-themed game of Would You Rather, encouraging them to walk to a specific wall in the classroom to answer the questions.
Cup Challenge
Another great STEM challenge to add to your end of year activities list takes the traditional cup tower challenge and adds a major twist.
As usual, students work in a small group to build a pyramid with 10 small cups. Once they're done, they then need to add a small figurine — such as a LEGO minifig or action figure — on the top of the tower. Seems easy?
Ah, but they must do this without touching the cups or figurine with their hands. All you will provide to make it happen is craft sticks, string and a rubber band.
Sit back, and watch the problem-solving begin!
How to Clean the Classroom After the Students Leave
Once the students are gone, you will be aching to get your summer break started, but not so fast! It's time to get your classroom cleaned out.
Here's how our teacher team divides and conquers to clean that classroom out in no time!
To start, get yourself set up with four large containers:
- one for recycling
- one for giveaways
- one for items that need to find a new home, outside of your classroom
- one for garbage.
1. Sort by Category, Not Location
Sort through your classroom by category, not location. Beginning with the categories that are least sentimental to you.
Here are some categories you might find in your classroom:
- Maths equipment/manipulatives and games
- English resources and games
- Other subject area resources and games
- Class readers or classroom library books
- Board games
- Scripted programs, lesson plans, and syllabus documents
- Meeting and professional development notes
- Decor
- Sport equipment
- Office supplies
- Art and craft supplies
Write them up on your board in the order that you'll work through them.
2. Use It or Lose It!
It's time to get tough with yourself and those persistent 'I might use this for something later' tendencies! Lay out everything you have in a single category.
Consider each item. If it falls into one of the categories below put it into one of your boxes (recycling, giveaway, relocate, garbage).
- You didn't use it this year
- It's broken or incomplete
- It's out of date
- It's not something that you need
3. Not Many, If Any
If you're having trouble letting go of some of the older bits and pieces that were handed down from the classroom teacher before you, try reframing those feelings by asking yourself one of the following questions:
- How many of that type of resource/object/book do you actually need for your class to function as it does throughout the school year? If you have enough, then it's time to realize that the older, damaged, half-used or outdated items have served their purpose to many kids in the past and they can be let go!
- How much is that object/book/resource worth right now if you were to sell it second-hand? Ask yourself 'If I didn't already have this item/book/resource, would I be willing to pay that for it?'
4. Host a Teacher Swap Party!
You might really enjoy hosting a resource/office supply/teacher resource swap party with teacher friends, especially if you got a notice from the principal that you'll be changing grades this year (again).
Invite your teaching buddies and provide them with the following instructions:
- Bring resources, books, office supplies that you no longer use, but that are in good enough condition that IF you did need one, you'd buy it off the shelf for yourself.
- Bring a plate of deliciousness to share.
- Bring a beverage or two that will make you smile.
You might find that some of your friends who work with different age groups have been hoarding something that would be wonderful for you to use with your kids, and vice versa! It is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of waste generated by your classroom clean-out, as well as limit the new products you might purchase in order to get some new resources for your students.
5. Stick it
Hands up if you've heard of the old wardrobe decluttering trick of hanging your clothes hangers in the reverse direction? Each time you wear a piece of clothing, you hang it back the right way. Then at the end of six or 12 months, you'll be able to see what you have actually worn and which items of clothing you haven't touched in that time. You may not have a lot of clothing in your classroom, but the same concept applies here.
Non-Paper Items
Sticky dots are one way you can implement a similar process with physical items in your classroom. Place a sticky dot on each item or container. When you use the item, take off the sticky dot. Next time you go through your classroom, items that still have their sticky dots may be perfect for the "donate" pile.
Paper Items
Have a large number of printed resources stored in filing cabinets (likely filed by content and/or subject area)? Give this idea a try: If you have space, keep the top drawer of your filing cabinets empty and move all of your paper files and folders to the bottom drawers. Each time you use a printed resource, put it back into a new folder in the top drawer. At the end of the year, you'll see which resources you've actually used in your planning and teaching. This helps you decide if you can recycle the rest of the unused printed resources.
6. What to do with it all?
So, now you've got a whole lot of things that need to make a journey out of your classroom to make space for your mind, space for the resources you actually use, and space for your students to learn! But what to do with it all? Being aware of your environmental footprint is so important and can be a great future motivator to help you reduce the amount of stuff that you bring into your classroom.
Sell or Give away If it's something that you'd buy in its current condition, that you know has value to others, consider selling it second-hand or giving it away.
Recycle Provided the papers you have for recycling do not contain personal or sensitive information, make sure they end up in a recycling bin.
Did you know that you don't need to remove staples for paper to be recycled?
Reduce After all of this, hopefully, you'll have a slightly different perspective when it comes to the items you bring into your classroom. Not only does each item we create and consume need to have a 'home', which adds to the year-long clutter in your classroom, but we must be aware of the environmental impacts of everything too. We've even turned many of our popular printables into Google Slides to help cut down on all that printed paper, so don't forget to download them for next school year!
- Plus Plan
End of Year Activity Booklet - Middle Years
An activity booklet to use at the end of the year.
- Free Plan
End of the Year Mindfulness Colouring Sheet
Calm the end-of-year chaos with a printable end-of-the-school-year colouring page.
- Plus Plan
End-of-Year Activity Booklets - Differentiated
Have some end-of-school fun with a printable End of Year activity book!
- Plus Plan
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Make outdoor play a learning opportunity with our fun nature scavenger hunt worksheet.
- Free Plan
End of School Year Newspaper Reflection Activity
Spread the news of a fantastic year with a printable End-of-Year newspaper template.
- Free Plan
Procedural Writing Activity - How to Make a Sundae
Inspire students to generate procedural writing texts with a fun, summer-themed end-of-year writing assignment and craft.
- Plus Plan
Memory Jar - End of Year Reflection Craft
Capture all the amazing memories from the school year and place them inside a memory jar with a fun end-of-year craft.
- Plus Plan
Dear Future Student – Trifold Template
Use this template with your class to write about interesting information, experiences and tips for incoming students.
- Plus Plan
Food Truck Frenzy! Project Based STEM Learning Activity
Introduce your students to the world of Food Trucks as they master maths, STEM and art to design and run their own food truck.
- Plus Plan
Island Resort Design - STEAM Project
Create and design your own Island Resort with a fun art and STEM project for primary students.
- Plus Plan
End of Year Writing - Advice for Next Year Pennant Banner
Reflect on the year, work on writing skills, and make something special for your next group of students with an End-of-Year Advice for Students activity.
- Plus Plan
Memory Suitcase - End of Year Reflection Craft
Take a trip down memory lane and end the school year with a suitcase full of memories from the school year with a printable end of year reflection craft.
- Plus Plan
End of Year - Build a Board Game STEM Project
Make classroom games that review learned content with an end-of-year S.T.E.M. project.
- Plus Plan
Last Day of School Printable Bookmarks
Send your students off on holiday and inspire them to read with printable End-of-Year bookmarks to colour.
- Free Plan
This Year Was a Ball! End of the Year Craft Template
Reflect on the year and ‘have a ball’ making a fun beach ball craft on the last day of school.
- Plus Plan
Let's Cooperate Code Cracker - Middle Years
A whole class game including a collection of 6 activities which students need to solve to reveal numbers to combine for a lock combination.
- Plus Plan
Would You Rather? - End of Year Summer Fun Game
Kick off your summer holidays with a fun “Would You Rather?” Brain Break activity.
- Plus Plan
End of Year STEM Challenge
Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills with this set of STEM challenge cards.
- Free Plan
End of School Year Craft - My Summer Quilt Block Template
Celebrate the end of the year and look forward to summer fun with a printable quilt block collaborative art template.
- Plus Plan
Let's Cooperate Code Cracker - Upper Primary
A whole class game including a collection of 6 activities which students need to solve to reveal numbers to combine for a lock combination.
- Plus Plan
End of Year Activity Book - My Memories
Make an All About Me book with a printable get-to-know-you activity template for kids.
- Plus Plan
Last Day of School Snapshot Activity
Print a fun camera-themed last-day-of-school activity for students to reflect on their school year.
- Plus Plan
'Nacho' Average School Year - End of Year Craft
Create an end-of-year craft to show how it was ‘Nacho’ average school year!
- Plus Plan
Class Compliments - SEL Worksheets
Encourage kindness and boost morale by creating a wall of compliments for each student with a printable self-esteem activity.
- End of Year 2024 Activities Templates
- End of Year 2024 Activities Worksheets
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Preschool/Kindergarten
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Foundation Year
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 1
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 2
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 3
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 4
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 5
- End of Year 2024 Activities for Year 6