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!

#2 – Unplug

Nowadays, it’s hard to go a whole day without staring at a screen (inside and outside of the classroom). However, screens can actually cause us a lot of stress with the constant stream of notifications and things asking for our attention.

As a challenge, add a screen-free day to your summer bucket list. Take some time to get outside and enjoy nature. Pick up a new hobby or one you haven’t done in a while. Read a book. Play a board game with your family or friends.

It’s always nice to step away from technology, even if it’s just for a day.

#3 – Get Outside

Speaking of stepping away from the screen, another fun bucket list idea is to get outside. Whether you live near a body of water, a bike path, or simply have a backyard, it’s time to enjoy that summer sun.

Maybe you’ll find a new trail and take a long hike to breathe in the open air. Or perhaps you’ll head to the beach, lake, or neighborhood pool and take a refreshing dip in the water on a hot summer day. Either way, the sun is good for the soul.

Don’t forget to lather up on sunscreen and bring a hearty snack with you on your way!

#4 – Read a New Book (Just For You)

During the school year, you probably read books that you want to share with students or to help you gain more knowledge about teaching.

Now that it’s summer, you can pick up a book just for fun. Adding a book to your summer bucket list is a good way to relax and unwind. If you want to challenge yourself to a thought-provoking nonfiction, go for it! Or you can stick to a quick and light-hearted beach read.

#5 – Catch Up on Sleep

You’ll definitely want to add this to your summer bucket list! It’s time to catch up on those restless nights and take back your mornings. Pick a day (or multiple days!) when you can fall asleep without setting an alarm.

You can also enjoy some mid-day cat naps, especially if you have little ones at one. After a long day out and about, turn down the blinds and enjoy a little respite. Naps are one of those luxuries you don’t get during the school day, so soak them up!

#6 – Discover a New Series and Binge-Watch It

During those rainy or scalding hot summer days, settle into the sofa for a relaxing binge-watch session. This summer bucket list idea is perfect for catching up on a new season or rewatching your favorite series.

Of course, don’t forget to grab a snack, a tasty drink, and some comfy clothes to maximize the experience!

#7 – Make Memories

The days are long and the weather is (mostly) beautiful, which makes summer the perfect time for creating lasting memories. Do things you normally don’t have time for during the school year, like going to a drive-in theater, traveling to see family, testing out a new recipe, and more.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also create a family summer bucket list. Ask each family member to come up with a few things they would like to do over the summer. Write them down and check them off one by one.

#8 – Get Creative

As teachers, the school year can be so busy, and often our self-care time gets neglected. However, during the summer, you have the time, energy, and brain space to get creative.  

For example, grab some sidewalk chalk and head outdoors to create an obstacle course for the neighborhood kiddos. Head to the craft store and get items to tie-dye t-shirts or paint rocks. You could even take a class like cooking, art, or woodworking. Challenge yourself to tune into your creative side. Not only is it super relaxing, but you might also just discover new talent.

#9 Prepare for the Upcoming Year

When summer comes to an end, your brain might start thinking about back to school and the new year. While you should still soak up the summer sun while you can, it never hurts to start planning ahead for next year.

You can use moments over the summer to get organized, grab new school supplies, or even print and prep classroom activities. Additionally, you can try out meal prep recipes and even cook and freeze meals to make the first weeks of school a lot smoother.

Grab the Free Summer Bucket List

Want all of these summer bucket list ideas and more? Grab the free summer bucket list for teachers! You can complete these bucket list items alone or grab your teacher bestie and knock it out together.

Summer is the perfect time of year for you to breathe a fresh perspective into your life. Remember, it’s not selfish to take some time for yourself. It’s important to fill your cup before you can fill others. I hope these summer bucket list items help!

Join Teacher Facebook Groups

One of the easiest ways to get in your summer professional development for teachers (and look for year-round ideas) is to join Facebook groups and learn from other teachers out in the field. There are so many Facebook groups out there that focus on different grade levels, subjects, and topics.

You can find groups just for kindergarten teachers, groups about classroom management, and so much more. These groups are full of supportive educators that you can learn from, ask questions, and collaborate with. You can share tips, advice, ideas, brainstorm strategies, and ask questions.

There’s something comforting knowing you’re in a safe space with people that are in the same spot as you. Plus, you can ask people inside these groups about their favorite PD books, online resources, and more.

Read Professional Development Books

Summer is a great time to dive into a great professional development book. Teachers often struggle to find the time to read during the school year, let alone reflect on what they’re reading. During the summer, when your schedule is more relaxed, take some time to read a PD book on a topic you’re most interested in. 

You can align your PD book choices to an area in which you want to grow or improve next year. That may be classroom management, books surrounding a specific skill, or a book about a certain teaching strategy.

A couple of my favorite PD books are A Fresh Look at Phonics by Wiley Blevins and Teach Skills and Break Habits by Dan St. Romain.

Listen to Teacher Podcasts

Another way to get in your summer professional development for teachers is to listen to podcasts. Podcasts are great because you can squeeze them in mid-day. You can turn on a podcast while you go on a walk, garden, fold the laundry, or prep materials for next year.

Just like with PD books, you can find teacher podcasts on a variety of topics, subjects, and grade levels. You can go to your favorite podcast app and search for the topic or grade level that you want to learn about. 

Attend a Virtual or In-Person Conference

Attending a virtual or in-person conference is great summer professional development for teachers that allows you to connect with other educators and collaborate. 

If you want to travel, ask your administrator if there is a budget available for teacher PD. You can even research fun travel abroad or larger PD events and apply for a grant.

You and a teacher colleague can also attend together. It’s always nice to have a buddy to attend with so you can share ideas, go to different breakout sessions, and share what you learned.

If you can’t attend an in-person conference, there are several virtual conferences offered over the summer. Invite a teacher friend or your team over to attend with you. Then, grab a coffee and some snacks, and grow as educators in your comfy clothes together this summer. 

After the conference, you can brainstorm ways in which you can apply what you learned to your teaching, classroom, and school building.

Learn a New Classroom Strategy

One of the greatest summer professional development for teachers is to simply learn something new. During the school year, you’re so busy planning lessons, teaching, analyzing, and working with students. Therefore, it’s challenging to find time to learn something new or dig into PD.

Maybe this is the year you dig into morning tubs, commit to making writing centers more effective, or look for ways to make word work more fun.

If you want to kick-start trying these new strategies, grab the free morning tubs below. You can use these during your first week of school while you practice routines and expectations with students.

When deciding on your summer professional development, think about your goals for the upcoming year and what you are excited to dig into. Align your PD with those goals to truly become an expert and apply what you’ve learned in your classroom next year. 

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!

Why Use Summer Centers For Kindergarten?

There are so many benefits to using summer centers for kindergarten. Not only will hands-on and engaging center activities keep students on task, but they will likely improve their behavior if they are having fun while learning.

Summer-themed centers are a great way to review skills at the end of the school year.

They are also a great option if your school goes into the summer, you are on a year-round schedule, or you teach summer school.

At the end of the school year, teachers are especially tired as they try to manage the million things that need to be wrapped up.

Therefore, you need easy-to-prep and explain centers to help you get through those final weeks of school.

Summer Math and Literacy Centers For Kindergarten

These summer-themed math and literacy centers for kindergarten are the perfect blend of hands-on and easy-prep.

With 13 math and 13 literacy centers included, your students will have a blast practicing key math and literacy skills with fun themes, such as ocean, beach, camping, and summer.

Each center comes with a recording sheet and follow-up no-prep pages. You can add these no-prep pages to your morning work, early finishers, or any time of the day.

Literacy Centers

The 13 literacy centers included in the summer-themed math and literacy centers resource provide practice with kindergarten skills like beginning and ending sounds, short vowels, CVC words, blends, digraphs, CVCe words, nouns, sentence building, reading comprehension, and more. Each literacy center activity includes a recording sheet for students to complete.

Math Centers

The 13 math centers included in the summer-themed math and literacy centers resource focus on key kindergarten skills such as base ten, ten frames, teen number order, composing teen numbers, comparing numbers, addition and subtraction, shapes, and more. Each math center activity also includes a recording sheet for students to complete.

Free Summer Centers For Kindergarten

If you're looking for fun summer centers for kindergarten, I have just the thing!

I created a FREE Summer Centers for Kindergarten activity pack that you can use with your students to keep them learning into the summer.

You'll find hands-on centers for math and literacy skills such as teen numbers, numbers to 100, beginning blends, and CVCe words.

You'll need only basic supplies, such as spinners, dice, plastic math cubes, or mini erasers. Students can use these centers independently or with a partner to make learning even more fun!

If you'd like to get this summer centers freebie delivered straight to your inbox, simply fill out the form below and it'll be on its way!

I hope you enjoyed these super easy and fun summer centers for kindergarten.

#1: Sidewalk Chalk Word Family Ladders

The first summer activity for kindergarten takes you and your students outside for some colorful word family practice. To begin, draw a simple 5-rung ladder on the sidewalk using sidewalk chalk. Next, write a CVC word on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Taking turns, tell the student to change the beginning sound to make a new word and write it on the next rung of the ladder. The next student comes up, listens to the directions, and writes the next word. This continues until the ladder is full.

Once the ladder is complete, have all of your students recite the word family words on the ladder. You can also practice phoneme substitution with this activity by directing students to change the beginning or ending sound to make a new word. 

Another option is to guide your students to help them draw their own individual ladders. Then, all students can complete the word ladder activity at the same time in a whole group setting.

To make this activity more challenging, you can include up to 10 rungs on your ladder and practice nonsense words as well. 

#2: Ice Cream Cone Addition/Subtraction

To prepare the ice cream cones, cut out 10 medium triangles of tan or brown construction paper. Then write 1 addition or subtraction sentence within 10 on each triangle. For mixed practice, you can write a combination of addition and subtraction sentences within 10 on the triangles.

When all of the cones are prepped, mix them up face down in a stack. To play, students will draw a cone, read the addition or subtraction sentence, and model it with colored pom poms.

As they model the number sentence, they'll place the pom poms to build an ice cream cone. For addition sentences, use 2 colors of pom poms to represent each addend.

For extra fine motor practice, students can use jumbo tweezers to place the poms poms on the cone. This activity can easily be stored in a zip top baggie and reused as a small group activity or summer math center game.  

#3: Summer Review

At the end of the school year, it's important to give students ample opportunities for spiral review. The summer activities for kindergarten found in this Kindergarten Summer Review are the perfect way to engage your students in the last weeks of school and all summer long. 

Feel confident knowing that your students are getting in meaningful skill practice with over 120 pages of math and literacy review that you don't have to a) prep or b) search high and low for to put together yourself!

This summer review resource is comprehensive and can be used at school or sent home with your students to practice over the summer.

#4: Summer Sounds

Practice key reading skills all summer long with this fun Summer Sounds game. Students will roll a dot cube and find a space that matches the code on the side of the game board. They'll read the CVCe word family word and cover a picture that belongs in that word family. 

They'll gain a lot of CVCe word practice as they play independently. To make it a game, partner your students up and they can play a Summer Sounds Bump game! The goal is to cover the most spaces while trying not to get bumped off the game board by their opponent.

#5: Sand Pail Sight Words

Line up sand pails or plastic buckets in a pyramid shape. Write sight words on notecards and fold them, placing a few sight words inside each pail.

Students will take turns tossing a small ball, aiming to land in one of the pails. They'll draw a sight word notecard from the pail they landed in, read the sight word, and spell it aloud. To extend the learning, they can even say a sentence using that word.

If they say it and spell it correctly, they get a point and get to keep the sight word card. If they don't, it goes back in the pail. Students can keep track of their score by counting the sight word cards in their hand or by using tally marks with sidewalk chalk. 

You can play this game with teen numbers, comparing numbers with <, >, =, CVC words, word families, etc. Simply write whichever words or skills you'd like to practice on the notecards. You can even use this as a review game by putting notecards with a different skill in each sand pail.

#6: Summer Boom Cards

One of the best summer activities for kindergarten is one that students can do at school or at home over the summer…Digital Summer Boom Cards! These Boom Cards give students 8 different decks of math and literacy skill practice, all in exciting summer themes. 

Your students will be successful as they practice with audio directions, audio picture names, and immediate feedback. This is the perfect independent activity for students to do, especially on those stormy summer days. 

Skills include:

• CVC or CVCe Words
• CCVC Sentences
• CVCe Word Match
• Beginning Blends
• Comparing Numbers Using <, >, =
• Graphing and Data
• Counting by 5s and 10s
• Fluency within 5

#7: Silly Summer Stories

Writing is one of those skills that can easily fall victim to the summer slide if not practiced. Kids love to tell stories of their summer adventures, so why not turn that into a fun writing prompt activity? 

To begin, brainstorm a list of summer-themed words and write them on the whiteboard. You can even go on a walk outside or through the classroom to find summer-themed objects to record. Ask students to pick 3 words to write at the top of their writing paper.

Then, they'll write a silly story using the 3 words they chose. Encourage your students to add details to their silly summer stories and focus on proper writing conventions.

When they've finished writing, they can illustrate their story. To work on speaking and listening skills, they can take turns reading their stories to the class.

#8: Pool Noodle Base 10

To prepare this activity, you'll need 6 foam pool noodles. Take 5 of the pool noodles and cut them in half, making 10 pieces in all. This will represent the 10s. Next, take the remaining pool noodle and cut it into 10 smaller pieces, about 2 inches each. This will represent the 1s.

Write different numbers between 0-100 on notecards. Students will take turns drawing a notecard and representing the number using the pool noodle base 10 pieces.

Another way to play is to write numbers on notecards in base 10 form, such as 2 tens and 3 ones. Students will then build the number using the pool noodles and write the number in standard form using sidewalk chalk, such as 23. 

Whether you do these summer activities for kindergarten before school gets out, during summer school, or pass them along to your students' families for ideas to do together over the summer, you can feel good knowing your students are keeping their skills fresh and having fun. 

Summer Literacy and Math Tubs

This Summer Activities for Kindergarten pack includes 22 literacy and math activities with a “get ready for summer” theme. The skills included in this resource are ones that your Kindergarteners are probably working on during the months of May and June or even summer school. It is packed full of games and interactive, hands-on activities to keep students engaged and learning right up until the last day.

The activities are easy to prep – most of them are just print-and-go. They use basic classroom supplies such as plastic cubes, mini erasers, play dough, dot cubes, and spinners. Most activities include more than one version, allowing you to differentiate for your students.

Each of these Summer Activities for Kindergarten includes teacher-friendly directions and an “I Can” visual directions page to promote independence. They do not include recording sheets, which makes them ideal for morning tubs and early finisher activities. But you can certainly use them for math and literacy centers, too.

2D & 3D Spin and Find Shapes

Students will spin the spinner and identify the shape. They will cover a space that matches the shape. Students will continue to play until all of the spaces have been covered. (2 activities – 2D and 3D shapes included)

Show the Tens and Ones

Students will identify the number that is shown on the card. Then, they will build the number using tens and ones blocks or other manipulatives.

Blends and Digraphs Color Cube Mats

Students say the name of the picture and then decide which blend or digraph it begins with. Using the color code, students cover the space with the same color of manipulative. (4 activities included – Beginning Digraphs and Beginning L Blends, R Blends, and S Blends)

Rhyming Practice & Sight Word Practice

Sight Word Practice: Students will select a sight word card and place it on the mat. They will build the word using a dry-erase marker or magnetic letters. This activity is editable so you can add your own sight words.

Rhyming Practice: Students will read the word at the top of the card and spell a word that rhymes using magnetic letters or a dry-erase marker.