OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:
Fresh Air Reading:
Have the students bring in sheets or beach towels from home. Spend some time outside reading in the fresh air. Give the parents a head’s up so that they may apply bug spray or sunblock.
Sidewalk Chalk:
Use sidewalk chalk to create some outdoor art to enhance a lesson. Anything you would normally do on paper can be done using chalk outside. Some ideas include: webbing stories, character sketches, illustrating scenes from a book, etc.
Water Painting:
Take the kids outside with cups of water and paintbrushes. Let them “paint” their spelling or vocabulary words onto the wall of the school or the playground.
Detail Writing:
Use clipboards and allow the kids to sit outside and journal, compose poems or write descriptive paragraphs about an object that they can observe outside.
So Many Nouns:
Go on a walk around the schoolgrounds and list all of the nouns that can be seen.
SUMMER SAFETY:
Now is a great time to do some safety lessons and activities. Topics such as sun safty, water safety, bike safety and fireworks safety are timely and important.
Have kids write persuasive paragraphs on why bike helmets should be worn.
Research summer safety tips and design posters that can be hung around the school or town.
Contact the local police and fire department. They are often willing to come to schools and do presentations on these topics.
CAMP THEME:
Read and write campfire stories.
Research and write about woodland creatures. Use model magic to create them.
Make “solar s’mores” by wrapping marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers in foil and setting them in the sun.
Tye-Dye tshirts or use watercolors and coffee filters to make pretend shirts.
PLAY GAMES:
Give the children posterboards and allow them to create their own board game. Provide them with parameters and guides. They can design the game board, write trivia cards, write out instructions for play, etc.
Do an “in-class game day” where the students bring games from home. Allow them time to teach each other how to play the game and let them enjoy playing together.
Use online programs to create word searches using words that relate to your school year.
Play a whole class game of Pictionary.
Challenge another class to a kickball game.
CREATE:
Make playdough and allow the children to be creative.
Collect recycled items (newspapers, egg cartons, cans, etc) and let the kids create interesting artwork.
Make collages.
Water color murals. Put on some quiet music and see how calm the classroom becomes.
Read the book, It’s Not a Box. Have each child bring in a box from home and use classroom supplies to transform it into something else. Allow time for each student to share with the class.
TAKE TO THE STAGE:
Print out reader’s theaters scripts and have your students work in small groups to plan a performance. Supply them with some art materials to make props, costumes and scenery.
Hold a “class talent show.” Let kids practice and perform on their own or with a friend.
LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
It’s so tempting to put in a movie during those last few days. Justify it by reading a novel that has been made into a film. My personal favorite is Charlotte’s Web.
Watch SchoolHouse Rocks and then have the kids make up their own songs to teach a concept.
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