Tip #1: Use a Pacing Guide

The first tip for planning ahead for next school year is to look at your grade level pacing guide. Look to see which skills you'll need to cover in the first few weeks and months back to school.

A pacing guide serves as your go-to reference when planning your units, themes, and lessons throughout the year.

While you definitely don't need to start planning your lessons right now, it's helpful to see which skills you'll be working on right away. Therefore, you can print and prep materials over the summer.

It's also helpful to see the entire year at a glance so you can prep materials in bulk, such as yearlong centers, morning tub activities, etc.

By knowing exactly what key skills you'll be teaching throughout the year, you can also be on the lookout for teacher professional development opportunities or Facebook groups to join over the summer.

You can grab this Kindergarten Pacing Guide Freebie by filling out the form at the bottom of this blog post.

Tip #2: Take a Classroom Inventory

Taking an inventory of what you currently have in your classroom is helpful when planning ahead for next school year. Your school might even require this as part of your teacher checkout process at the end of the school year.

By going through your classroom and taking inventory, you also prevent yourself from holding onto items that you haven't used in awhile.

You can even have your students help you do this during the last week of school. They can help you organize manipulatives and supplies (while practicing teamwork and sorting skills…yay!) They'll feel so good knowing they're helping prepare your classroom for the next group of students.

Make a pile of items you want to get rid of or donate to another teacher (first year teachers are always appreciative).

Then, go through your files of centers and worksheets that you printed and see what is left over or reusable. Put these items in a pile to use next year. Finally, look at what you have and make a list of what you still need to purchase and prep.

Don't forget to take inventory of what's in your teacher space. Need to clean out your desk and replace pictures in your picture frames? Do you have a stack of random books and papers lying around?

By getting organized now, you can come back to school after the summer feeling lighter and more prepared.

Tip #3: Plan Ahead with Bundles

Bundles are your best friend when planning ahead for next school year. By purchasing and prepping bundles that will get you through the first months of school or even the entire year, you'll take a lot of time, work, and stress off of your plate when the school year rolls around.

Reference your handy pacing guide and look through your pile of resources you're saving for next year. Then, determine what you have and what gaps you need to fill in your curriculum. Think about strategies or units you want to implement with your students. Do you want to use morning tubs, seasonal centers, etc?

Once you have your wishlist of items you need and want to implement, treat yourself to some teacher retail therapy and shop for bundles.

Not only do bundles save you money, but they also provide consistent activities for your students and allow you to prep ahead of time. Imagine having skill-based, seasonal, and yearlong activities ready to go before the school year even starts!

Tip #4: Print and Laminate Early

Finally, to make planning ahead for next school year effective, take advantage of the slow copy room traffic at the end of the year. Print and laminate your materials before you head home for the summer.

Most teachers aren't using the copy room during the last week of school, but you know how crazy it can get in there come back to school time.

I know summer is calling you, but stay disciplined and hang on for just a bit longer. Go print and laminate all of the resources you want to prep over the summer. You don't need to cut or organize them just yet. Just print and laminate and put them in a box to take home.

While you're enjoying your slow mornings or afternoon quiet time, you can cut and organize your materials into labeled file folders or large zipper baggies without rushing around.

I think it's actually kind of therapeutic sitting down to cut perfectly laminated centers and resources. It's one of those mindless activities that you can do while catching up on a show or listening to a great teacher podcast.

I hope these tips for planning ahead for next school year help you get organized, feel confident, and minimize stress as you look to the new school year. By implementing these tips, you can focus your time on your students and planning amazing lessons when you get back from summer break.

Check out this blog post with tips for prepping ahead for the new year along with a few must-have items that you can cut and prep over the summer!

Want a copy of the Kindergarten Pacing Guide freebie? Simply fill out the form below and get it delivered right to your inbox!

Reflect

The first step in the end of the year reflection for teachers is to simply look back on the year and notice its ups and downs.

Each school year brings different challenges, twists, and turns. It’s okay to acknowledge that not everything was perfect and there were tough moments. However, you should also acknowledge the positives, big and small. Think about all of the ways that you adapted, changed, and overcame those challenges. 

Whether you take some time to reflect by journaling in the peace and quiet, while out on a walk, or as you pack up your classroom, I encourage you to make some time for reflection. It will help you decompress and leave this school year on a positive note so you can enjoy your summer. 

Overcome

As you are reflecting on those challenging and tough moments of the year, it can be easy to slip into a negative head space. Some of these moments might be difficult to revisit or feel uncomfortable.

However, I encourage you to begin to shift your perspective of the situation. Sometimes we only see how we “failed” or “fell short”, but we forget to acknowledge what we did right or the positive intentions that we had.

For example, you may have had a tough moment with a student where you lost your patience. It would be easy to see this as a failure, but what if you acknowledge how you apologized to that student? Or the great conversation you had with this student later? Or how you maintained your patience during the next tough moment?

Grow

As you begin to examine this year's challenges, you’ll probably also notice your growth! 

Ask yourself: What did you learn through your challenges and tough moments? Did you overcome challenges that you are proud of yourself for? What new strategies and techniques did you learn because of these challenges?

No matter what was thrown at you, I bet you found different ways to teach, motivate, and inspire students. And that is something to be proud of. I encourage you to look for the good that came out of this year’s tough moments.

Connect

You might also notice in your end of the year reflections that connections were essential to your job. Relationships with your students, their parents, administration, and other teachers are important to being the best teacher you can be.

With colleagues and administration.

Think about the connections you’ve made with your colleagues. Who was there for you during the tough moments? Who helped you see the light when things felt overwhelming? Those are the people you want to keep around!

During your end of the year reflection, you can also ask yourself: How did your relationships grow this year? Did you work collaboratively to solve problems, plan lessons, and provide opportunities for students to learn and enjoy school? How did these relationships affect the school morale this year?

With your students and their parents.

Your connections with your students are one of the most powerful ones you have! These connections can help you make strides in learning and help you out when there is a behavior issue.

Of course, the relationships with their parents can also make a big impact, especially with kindergarten students. Having a parents trust and support can impact your year in a really positive way.

During your end of the year reflection, ask yourself: How did you feel about the connections you made with students and their families? Is there anything that worked really well? What do you wish you did more of? How did positive relationships impact your year? Was there a method of communication that was really helpful?

I hope this end of the year reflection inspires you to honor the challenges, celebrate the growth you’ve made, and appreciate the connections you’ve formed. No matter how this year went, you have powerful lessons and experiences to bring to next school year!

Tip #1: Be Present While Looking Forward

The first tip is to be present in the moment while looking forward to next year. Your students have grown attached to you over the last nine or ten months of school.

The thought of not seeing you every day or next year can be sad, scary, or unsettling. This is the time to give extra hugs, compliments, and words of affirmation!

You can also help your students get excited about what is to come next year. If you are able to, have a few of the teachers from the next grade level pop in to say hello and introduce themselves.

Meeting these new faces ahead of time can help calm students’ nerves and apprehension about next year.

Tip #2: Practice Patience

Practicing patience is always important as a teacher, but especially at the end of the school year. Understand that your students are just as excited for summer as you are.

They may be more wiggly, giggly, and off-task. Channel this extra energy into productive activities with kindergarten students by playing review games or outdoor learning games. If you need to redirect your students, do it calmly instead of yelling.

Tip #3: Take Time For Self-Care

Summer will be here before you know it! This is a great time of year to practice self-care and give yourself grace, especially since we all know it is a busy time of year.

Don’t forget to take time for yourself. Grab a cup of coffee and drink it before it gets cold. Put your cell phone away and get lost in a Netflix series. Whatever self-care is to you, take the time to do something for yourself. It’ll make surviving the end of the school year so much easier.

Tip #4: Remember and Reflect

At the end of the school year, it’s important to set aside time for end of year activities for kindergarten students to talk about and reflect on their school year. They can write about their experiences, draw a picture, or simply talk about it with their friends and teachers.

Memory Books are a fantastic way for students to reflect on the year and document their thoughts and experiences from the year. Students will have a blast being creative while remembering the special times they’ve had.

Tip #5: Attitude is Everything

Even though you may be stressed out, worn out, and on the verge of checking out, it’s important to keep a positive attitude. It’s so easy to get upset or frustrated over an unexpected schedule change and snap at your kiddos. Try your best to go with the flow, have a back-up plan, and keep cool.

Instead, play music, do a brain break, go outside with your students, and do something fun! Eat a piece of chocolate if you need to! 

Above all else, remember why you became a teacher. Take time to enjoy the last days of school. You will never have that exact same class or group of students again. Celebrate them, enjoy them, and love them.

Tip #6: Activities on the Fly

One of the best tips for surviving the end of the school year is to plan ahead and have a few creative, no-prep activities with kindergarten students that you can pull out at any time.

Maybe you have a few minutes to spare between the end of a lesson and the start of an assembly. Have students make a welcome banner for your class next year. Make an autograph page for their peers to sign. Something quick and easy!

If you’re looking for quick and fun activities you can easily put together, these no-prep math and literacy worksheets can help you review key skills students have learned. 

Tip #7: Routines Are Important

Just because the school year is winding down doesn’t mean routines should change. In fact, this is one of the most important times to keep your routines consistent!

Changing routines leads to behavior changes. Stick to your normal routine of having morning meetings, read alouds, literacy and math rotations, etc. Keep working on key skills and learning with fun, engaging summer review activities for kindergarten.

Now is not the time to be too relaxed or make big changes in your schedule. Doing so will cause more stress than it’s worth!

Tip #8: Brain Breaks Are a Must

Just like you, your students are working hard to survive the end of the school year. They will likely struggle to stay focused for extended periods of time.

Instead of pushing students into the frustration zone, get them up, moving, and actively learning! Incorporate fun activities and games into your day. Have dance parties. Play Simon Says. Practice counting with jumping jacks or spelling CVC or CVCe words with squats. Be sure to incorporate plenty of brain breaks.

If you’re looking for a fun class game to get your students up and moving, try these FREE End of the Year Class Games!

Tip #9: It's Okay to Start Over

Seriously, it’s okay to review expectations for the last month or week of school. Sometimes a reminder of the rules and your expectations is needed.

You might have to remind students how to sit on the carpet, how to walk in the hall, how to handle classroom materials, or how to behave during specials and in the cafeteria.

If your students are extra chatty in the hallway, try these activities with kindergarten students. As you walk down the hallway, have them think of their favorite thing about school or their favorite read aloud. When you return to the classroom, pick a few students to share what they were thinking.

Tip #10: Plan Something Special

Whether you do an end of the year countdown or just plan a few special days or activities planned, give your students something to look forward to.

You can ask your principal to read your students a story. Plan a lesson that can be done outside. Have students bring in a stuffed animal and have a picnic that day. 

You can even hold an end of the year awards ceremony and award each student a special class award. This is a great way to celebrate each student.

Tip #11: Get Students to Help

There’s so much to do at the end of the year, so let your students help whenever possible.

Students can help sort classroom manipulatives and puzzle pieces. They can sort markers to find the ones that are dried out and don’t work. They can toss empty glue sticks, wipe down tables, sort crayons and pencils, etc. Think of easy jobs that they can do that will save you time!

Summer will be here before you know it! Incorporating some of these end of year activities for kindergarten will help you survive the end of the school year!

What Are The Benefits of Using Review Games?

What’s not to love about playing games, right? Using review games for kindergarten, especially at the end of the year, is a fun way to practice and review important skills learned throughout the year.

Review games keep students engaged and actively learning. At the end of the year, students tend to be a bit more wiggly. Playing games is a great way to channel their energy into something productive.

Another benefit of using review games for kindergarten is that you can work on multiple skills, such as math and literacy. As students play, teachers can easily assess their students informally to see what skills they still need to work on. This is a less stressful way for students to show what they know.

Using review games in kindergarten helps students foster independence as they play, learn, and problem-solve. They also build collaborative learning skills as they work together and bond with their classmates. This is especially important before summer break, as students tend to miss their classmates and socializing at school over the summer.

End of the year review games do not have to be complicated or hard to prepare. They can be simple and easy to add to your lesson plans at any time of day.

When you’re short on time, have a few extra minutes, or sense that your students need to get moving, work some of these quick time filler games into your day.

Using Materials Already In Your Classroom

When you hear the word games, you might think about all of the materials you may need. However, there are many games for kindergarten that you can play using basic materials you already have in your classroom.

Here are some of the best, most versatile manipulatives to use for your review games:

• Dot cubes
• Dominoes
• Plastic math cubes
• Bingo dabbers
• Play Dough
• Pom pom balls
• Bean bags
• Whiteboards and dry erase markers

Spin and Cover CVC Word Families Game

A fun CVC word family review game for kindergarten uses only two basic manipulatives, spinners, and mini erasers (or another type of game marker).

Spin and Cover is perfect for practicing, recognizing, and reading CVC words and word families. This game is great for small group review, partner games, independent learning, and can even be used as an early finisher review game.

Each player gets their own CVC word mat. They spin, identify the picture, and cover the word that matches. The first player to cover all of their words is the winner.

When playing in partners or small groups, students will learn how to play together, take turns, and be good sports. Anytime you can work those important social skills into your day, the better!

Kindergarten Summer-Themed Review 

What better way to get students excited about summer (and prepared for first grade) than with a summer-themed review?

This Kindergarten Summer Review Packet uses simple and fun games to help students review essential literacy and math concepts from the year. 

Students will play games like Roll the Dice and Color by Code to review CVC words, rhyming, writing, measurement, addition, and more.

These are great low-prep activities for morning work, centers, time fillers, and even a take-home summer packet to help beat the summer slide.

Hands-On Math Review Games

Keep students' math skills feeling fresh and fun with these review games for Kindergarten. The best part about these math games is that you only need a few materials!

Starts things off with the Roll and Race Numbers to 50, 100, and 120 games. Students will roll a dice and color or cover that many numbers on their gameboard. Students can play with a partner and race to complete their game mat. This makes for a really fun and collaborative activity!

Keep the good times rolling with the Addition and Subtraction Activity Bundle. You’ll have tons of Solve and Cover, Mystery Math, Color by Number games, and more to review addition and subtraction with students. Plus, these activities cover equations and word problems, so students get a well-rounded review.

DIY Review Games for Kindergarten

You can get creative with your review games by making up your own DIY games. These games make great whole group or small group review!

Beach Ball Review

This review game will most definitely get students in the mood for summer! Write different skills and questions on a beach ball. You can write sight words, CVC words, color words, number words, math facts, teen numbers, etc.

Students will stand in a circle and toss the beach ball gently. You can play music while students toss. When the music stops (or when the teacher says “stop”), the student who last caught the ball will answer the question/read the word that their right thumb lands on. Hurray for a little extra left and right practice!

To give students an extra challenge, you can have them solve the question that BOTH of their thumbs land on. You can review various subjects and skills with this beach ball review game. If you wanted, you could have multiple beach balls and have one be filled with all math review questions and the other be filled with all literacy review questions.

Trashket Ball

You’ll want to add this one to your games for kindergarten toolkit! Trashkit ball is a fun and simple classroom game that you can use to review any skill. There are different versions of this game as well, so you can mix it up. 

One way to play is by printing out several worksheets, task cards, or slips of paper. Students will complete the question or problem on the paper and then check their answers with you. If they are correct, they get a chance to wad up their paper and shoot it into the trashcan (or recycling bin) like they are playing basketball!

For another version that requires less paper, display a problem on the board. Have students write their answers on a worksheet or whiteboard. Then, select a few students with the correct answers to shoot a ball into an empty trash bin.

Sparkle

If you need quick and easy games for kindergarten, try playing Sparkle! You can play this game when you have extra time or use it as a dedicated time to review. Sparkle is great or reviewing sight words, counting, or spelling.

Here’s how you play. Have students sit or stand in a circle. Then, give students a prompt like, “Spell the word cat” or “Count to 10”. Then, students will go around the circle giving a single number or letter.

After the last letter or number is said, the next person has to say sparkle! The person who says sparkle is then out for the round. The game continues until there is one student left.

Students love this game! You can play a few rounds to give everyone a chance to participate.

FREE Editable Summer Stand and Sit Review Game

If you’re looking for a fun, versatile summer review game for kindergarten that gets students up and moving, you’re going to love this!

This Editable Summer Stand and Sit Review Game FREEBIE is the perfect way to review any skill while keeping students active.

Simply type in the words, letters, numbers, or questions you’d like students to review, print the suns and recording sheet, and you’re set!

You can grab your free download by filling out the form below, and it will be delivered straight to your inbox.

I hope you enjoyed these end of the year review games for kindergarten. For more activities and strategies for end of the year review, click here!

A:

Art Day – Devote extra time to a special art project or give students extra time with the art supplies and let them create something on their own.

Animals Day – Allow students to bring in their favorite stuffed animal.

Other ideas: autograph day, eat apples or animal crackers, celebrate August birthdays, “Away We Go” (if counting down the alphabet)

B:

Beach Blanket day – Have students bring a beach blanket to lay on the floor and sit on to complete their work.

Book Day – Allow students to bring in a favorite book from home to share.

Other ideas: balloon toss or relays, board games, bubble gum, bubbles, bingo dabber day, beach ball games

C:

Crazy Hair Day – Encourage your students to show up with the wackiest ‘do’ they can manage.

Chalk Day – Frame out an area of your recess space and let your students tap into their inner Picassos!

Other Ideas: coloring contest, crafts, cookie decorating, construction theme day, compliment day, card games

D:

Dance Day – Plan random dance breaks throughout the day or set up for one big dance party at the end of the day.

Dot Day – Decorate plain white tees with paint dots. 

Other Ideas: donuts, detective theme day, dinosaur theme day, drawing

E:

Eat Together Day – Arrange to eat lunch in the classroom or outside with your students.

Exercise Day -Take breaks throughout the day to exercise. You can randomly call out “Time for 10 jumping jacks!” throughout the day.

Other Ideas: experiment day

F:

Flying Day – Make paper airplanes in class and take them outside to fly.

Flashlight Day – Read with a flashlight while the lights are off.

Other Ideas: make tissue paper flowers, flip flops in the classroom, make a fort day, frisbee day, make paper fans, fancy dress up day

G:

Game Day – Break out the board games and let them play. Another idea is to plan group indoor games or outdoor group games.

Graph Day– Ask questions and have students create class graphs to show their opinions.

Other Ideas: goldfish snack day, glitter craft day, gum day, wear green day

H:

Happy Day – Have students share what makes them happy or do things to make others happy.

Helping Hand Day – Do something kind for others, like make cards for a local nursing home or school staff members.

Other Ideas: hat day, crazy hair day, hopscotch day, hula day

I:

Impress Day – Have students dress to impress!

Interview Day – Pair students up and have them interview each other with a list of questions about their favorite part of this school year, their plans for summer, and how they’re feeling about moving up a grade. Have a whole-class share afterward.

Other Ideas: wear your clothes inside-out, play I-Spy, enjoy ice cream or ice pops

J:

Jump Rope Day – Round up a supply of jump ropes and let them play. Be sure to supply a couple of long ropes and teach them how to double jump.

Joke Day – Tickle their funny bones by taking joke breaks throughout the day. If students have any favorites, give them the mic and let them share.

Other Ideas: wear a jersey day, celebrate June and July birthdays, jumping jacks

K:

Kickball Day – Organize a game of kickball and play!

Kindness Day – Take some time to write and read shout-outs to one another.

Other Ideas: kite day, hunt for kisses day (like the 100th day of school activity), kick off your shoes

L:

Lazy Day – Invite kids to bring in a small pillow or blanket and listen to a story or two.

Laughter Day – Read your funniest read-alouds or tell jokes and start a flurry of giggles.

Other Ideas: lollipops, Legos, lunch with the teacher, lights off day, lemonade day, limbo day

M:

Music Day – Round up as many musical instruments as you can and lead the orchestra.

Memory Book Day – Put together a memory book for students to reminisce and share their experiences and favorite moments from the school year.

Other Ideas: movie day, Mother's Day gifts, wear mismatched clothes, use markers instead of pencils, musical chairs

N:

New Name Day – Make name tags and have students come up with a new name!

Noodle Day – Make a pool noodle obstacle course for the kids to enjoy.

Other Ideas: make noodle necklaces, no homework, wear neon, nature walk

O:

Oreo Day – Eat an Oreo cookie and make a graph of how students eat their Oreo.

Opposite Day – Do as many things backward as possible that day, like wearing your shirt backward or starting the day with a different activity.

Other Ideas: make oobleck, wear orange, outdoor read aloud or lesson, obstacle course

P:

Pen Day – Use pens instead of pencils.

Puppet Day – Make sock puppets or paper bag puppets.

Other Ideas: pajama day, popcorn party, dress like a pirate, play dough, puzzles, popsicles, picnic outside

Q:

Queen and King Day – Make paper crowns and wear them around all day.

Quilt Day – Have everyone decorate a square and put them together into a quilt.

Other Ideas: play 20 questions, Q & U day, quiet day (throughout the day announce quiet and have everyone be still and silent for a set amount of time)

R:

Read-a-thon Day – Set aside an extra long reading time. Have students read half of the time by themselves and the other half with a friend or arrange for a buddy reading with an older grade level.

Read and Feed – Read books and eat a snack.

Other Ideas: extra recess, relay race day, wear red, root beer floats, rock collecting, dress like a rainbow (dress in lots of colors or wear your favorite color), rainbow day (make rainbows in sidewalk chalk outside)

S:

Silly Socks Day – Students wear their silliest socks or mismatched socks of their choice.

Scavenger Hunt Day – Go on a class scavenger hunt.

Other Ideas: sunglasses day, school shirt day, stuffed animal day, summer birthdays, sit where you want, shaving cream, sing songs

T:

Time Capsule Day – Plan a time capsule activity for kids to remember what a memorable year it has been.

Thank You Day – Write thank you notes to staff members and other helpers or parent volunteers to thank them for their efforts or have students write something they are thankful for.

Other Ideas: bring a toy day, dress like a teacher day, talent show, tie dye shirt day, teamwork day

U:

Up, Up, and Away Day – See if you can borrow a parachute from the gym teacher and play with it during your recess break.

Unusual Day – Check out a few volumes of Ripley’s Believe it or Not books, or similar titles, and let kids learn some weird new facts.

Other Ideas: upside down (switch your schedule), sports uniform day, under the desk day (work under your desk)

V:

Visit Day – Give them a tour of next year’s classrooms and meet the teachers.

Voice Day – Hold a singing competition.

Other Ideas: wear violet (purple), dress like a vacationer day, volunteer appreciation day, arrange for a special visitor, vest day (using brown grocery bags)

W:

Walk Day – Walk all kinds of ways: backward, sideways, like a robot, slow like a turtle, or fast like a road runner. Or go for a walk as a class!

Window Day – Let your students decorate the classroom windows with dry erase marker graffiti.

Other Ideas: western day (dress like a cowboy or cowgirl), snack on watermelon or waffles, make a windsock, water games day

X:

eXtra Recess Day – Extend your recess times or add in an extra at the end of the day.

eXcellence Day – Make up award certificates to recognize your students’ special contributions during the year.

Other Ideas: eXercise, eXchange autographs, host a book exchange (with parent permission)

Y:

You Day – Celebrate each student by having classmates share what they love or admire most about each student.

Year End Cleanup Day – Enlist your students’ help and clean out desks, cubbies, etc. Give away used school supplies or overstocked items. Ask students to bring in extra bags to bring stuff home in.

Other Ideas: yo-yo day, everyone wears yellow, watch a YouTube video on yodeling and have students try, year-end party

Z:

Zoo Day – Make paper cup animals with markers, glue sticks, and construction paper. Or have students act out their favorite animal and have students guess what it is.

Zoom Day – Allow students to bring in Matchbox cars or other vehicles to play with at recess time.

Other Ideas: dress like a zebra (in black and white), Zero the Hero day, Zip Up and Zoom Out of School – it's the last day!

Memory Book Pages

If you decide to create your own memory book, I suggest coming up with various topics to help students explore and reflect on the entire school year. If you grab the ready-to-go Kindergarten Memory Book, I've included 40+ prompts and various page options, so all you have to do is choose a writing option and print!

Each page of the memory book focuses on one theme. The themed pages are offered with options for differentiation, which allows you to pick which layout works best for your students.

I also like to pair writing and drawing with each other. In the Kindergarten Memory Book, many of the pages include different options: only drawing a picture, writing a simple response plus a drawing, and writing 1-2 sentences and drawing.

A few of the themes included are:

• Recess activities
• A special day
• Class parties
• Favorite lunch
• A map of my classroom
• In school, I learned
• My friends
• My teacher
• You're special (great for paras or parent volunteers)

There are also subject- and skills-centered pages where students can share what they learned in reading, math, science, social studies, and so on.

You'll also find pages for students to record their summer plans and what they hope to learn next year.

This memory book is jam-packed with options and pages, but you do not need to use all of the pages in this book! There are several options and differentiated levels included in this resource. Pick the topics and levels that work best for you and your class.

How to Make a Memory Book

To create a memory book, I recommend working on it throughout the last month or so of school and completing just a page at a time. This will keep you and your students from getting overwhelmed and avoid students rushing through the activity.

Let's face it though, sometimes life happens, and you get in a pinch. If you're in a time crunch, you can space out the pages over a week or two. You can do one page in the morning, one mid-day, and one in the afternoon. However, I would avoid this if possible.

Students can get confused and overwhelmed by doing too many pages at one time. Plus, this doesn't give students enough time to organize their thoughts and put their best effort forward. It's okay to have a smaller memory book!

Completing the Memory Book

It's simple to bring a memory book into your classroom, especially if you're only completing a few pages each week. You can have students work on the memory book during your writing block, small group instruction, or centers.

Here's how I recommend prepping for memory bookwork:

First, select the page that you will be working on. If you are using the Kindergarten Memory Book, simply print the pages you will need.

Next, as a group, have students brainstorm a list of ideas surrounding that theme or topic. This is a super important step to refresh students’ memories. Record or draw their ideas on the whiteboard for them to refer to.

Lastly, give students a generous amount of time to draw and write to complete the page. You may work with a few students during this time if they are struggling or provide some sentence starters for the class.

If you have extra time, ask students to share their writing. You can read a few examples to the class or have them share with a partner. This is a fun way to look back at the school year together!

As your students complete the pages, I recommend collecting them and storing each child's pages in a folder with their name on it. Then, before they head home for the summer, you can staple the pages together with the front cover (or use a binding machine) to create the books. You can even add a special ribbon and notecard to the front to make this a special gift for them to take home!

Example Memory Book Pages

Are you ready for a little sneak peek? Read on to check out a few examples of the pages included in the Kindergarten Memory Book!

My Favorites

This is a fun page for students to share their opinions on their favorite things, such as their favorite colors, sports, food, animals, etc. Students can write out their responses or draw an image for each category.

My Teacher

On this page, students can write about their teacher. There are two options included, one with three different prompts and lots of writing space. Another is with a space for students to write their teacher's name, a bit of writing, and space to draw a picture.

In School, I Learned

There are lots of prompts and pages that cover various subject areas. For example, pages specifically for reading, math, science, and social studies. In addition, there are pages for students to record how they write their letters and numbers.

There are also more general subject-area prompts, like asking students what they read this school year and their favorite book.

Free Kindergarten End of the Year Games

In addition to making a kindergarten memory book, the end of the year is also a great time to play games and spend quality time with your students who now feel like family.

I've put together a pack of two of my favorite end of the year class games for Kindergarten and First Grade students!

Pair and Share

The first game is called “Pair and Share.” This game is great for a quick time filler at the end of the year. It's a fun way for students to reflect and share with their classmates while getting them up and moving!

Students will each receive a partner card and find a classmate with a matching partner card to stand next to. Then, the teacher will select a question card and read it to the class. Students will turn to their partner and share their answer to the question along with a reason to support it.

Play continues as students find new partners to share their answers to various questions with. You can play music and have students stop and find their new partner when the music stops. As a bonus, you can add your own questions and keep the game going!

Find Someone Who

The second game is called “Find Someone Who.” This game is no prep and will also get students up and moving around. Use it as an indoor recess game, or just a fun game to play during the last few days of school.

Each student will need a copy of the “Find Someone Who” page. Before the game begins, read each space with the class and draw attention to the picture cues. Students will circulate the room and find someone that fits each description. The classmate will write their name in the space. Students can only use each classmate once.

You can download these end of the year class games by filling out the form below. They'll be sent straight to your inbox!

I'd love to see your finished Kindergarten Memory Books and hear how your class liked these free games! Snap a picture and come share in my Kindergarten Teacher Facebook Group!

After you've taken some time to look at your kindergarten pacing guide, you can determine what you have, need, and want to incorporate next year.

This is the first step in the “getting ahead” process. Once you've followed these 4 tips for planning ahead for next school year, it's time to start PREPPING.

What Are The Benefits Of Prepping Activities Ahead For Next School Year?

The last thing you may want to do at the end of the school year is plan and prep ahead for the next school year. However, you will be so glad you did come August! Let me tell you why.

Save time and stress

By getting ahead before summer break, you'll save yourself a ton of time and stress during back to school season.

When all of the other teachers are rushing around to print and prep materials, you'll be able to feel confident knowing you've already done yours.

By getting everything printed before school is out for the summer, you'll be able to avoid the copy room chaos in August.

Plus, at the end of the year, the copy room tends to be a little quieter. Therefore, you can print and prep in peace.

More time to organize and prep

With all of your copies made before leaving for summer break, you can get them organized and filed just the way you want them. Then all you have to do is pull out the files you need for the first weeks of school.

If you have more prep to do, such as cutting, laminating, and organizing, you can easily take those materials home over the summer to prep in your own time.

Instead of rushing to do it all in the jam-packed week before school starts, you can do it gradually over the summer in your PJs with your coffee and favorite Netflix show.

More time to find storage solutions and label materials

As a kindergarten teacher, there are a lot of materials, manipulatives, and supplies to organize in your classroom.

Finding storage solutions and labeling materials is a great way to stay organized and keep your classroom tidy.

By prepping activities ahead for next school year, you'll have more time over the summer to find storage solutions and get everything labeled just the way you want it.

You'll also have time to think through the flow of your classroom and where materials should be placed for maximum efficiency and easy access.

Your classroom inventory will be fresh in your brain

Have you ever been home over the summer, browsing Teachers Pay Teachers, only to forget if you already have that bundle of materials purchased or if you still need to purchase and prep it for your students?

By prepping activities ahead for next school year, it'll be fresh in your brain. This can save you a lot of money and frustration.

Make a quick classroom inventory before heading out for the summer. This way, you'll know exactly what you have prepped and what you still want to search for over the summer.

Prep for the entire year

Prepping activities ahead for the first few weeks of the new school year is a great start.

However, if you really want to go all out and save yourself a ton of time and stress during the school year, you can prep materials for the entire year at once.

One of the best ways to do this is by purchasing bundles of resources and materials for your students to use throughout the year. You can print them all before school gets out and prep/organize them over the summer.

Imagine how good that will feel in August knowing you are prepared for the entire year.

Using bundles is also a great idea because it gives students consistency in the activities and directions. This will help them be more successful and confident working independently.

4 Must-Have Kindergarten Bundles to Prep Ahead for Next School Year

1. Kindergarten Morning Tubs Bundle

The Kindergarten Morning Tubs Bundle is the perfect way to create a consistent morning routine from the get-go in your classroom.

Students will love the hands-on math and literacy activities as they warm up their brains first thing in the morning. These activities give students a soft-start to their day.

The activities are easy to prep and work perfect for morning tubs, early finishers, or even math and literacy centers.

2. Kindergarten Math and Literacy Centers Bundle

The Kindergarten Math and Literacy Centers Year Long Bundle is your one-stop shop for all of the math and literacy centers you'll need every month of the school year.

This is an all-in-one bundle that includes 17-25 monthly math and literacy centers in fun seasonal themes.

Each monthly set comes with hands-on centers, recording sheets, and bonus no-prep pages for additional practice and review.

Skills progress throughout the year to accompany your students' developmental levels and needs.

3. Kindergarten Writing Centers Bundle

If you're looking to make planning for writing instruction easier, the Kindergarten Writing Centers Bundle is for you!

This bundle of monthly writing centers will help you provide the writing instruction and support your students need as they progress their skills throughout the year.

You can use these writing center activities for writing centers, small group writing instruction, or independent learning.

Each month, your students will get a new set of themed vocabulary words and activities to make writing fun!

The activities are easy to prep and only require basic student and classroom supplies.

4. Kindergarten Emergency Sub Plans Bundle

Take the initiative to have sub plans prepped and ready to go for the whole school year!

Sub plans often end up being the last thing on our list to get done as we prepare for an absence. By having monthly sub plans prepped and ready to go you're setting yourself and your substitute up for success!

This Plans in a Pinch bundle includes a variety of literacy, math, science, and social studies activities for your sub to complete while you are gone. Everything is no prep or very low prep, which means they can be ready quickly when it's an emergency or you’re short on time and in a pinch.

These are also perfect when you need some quick and easy activities for your class. They work great for early release days, special schedules, the day before a school break, before or after a field trip, etc.

FREE Kindergarten Pacing Guide

Ready to plan and prep activities ahead for next school year, but aren't sure where to start? Grab this FREE Kindergarten Pacing Guide to help!

This pacing guide will give you an overview of what your kindergarten students will need to learn each month of the year.

You can get this kindergarten pacing guide delivered straight to your inbox by filling out the form below.

I hope these tips for prepping activities ahead for next school year have been helpful!

If you're looking for more ideas and support, be sure to join our Kindergarten Palace Facebook Community, where you'll be surrounded by thousands of other amazing kindergarten teachers!