The end of the school year is one of the most exciting times for teachers and students. It is a time of transition and reflection. Best of all it is a time of celebration. Keep students engaged with these six creative and fun end of school year activities for high school.
1. Carousel Graffiti
Students love this end of the year activity because it keeps them moving. Apply this activity to any subject.
We hang chart pages or butcher paper around the room for this activity. Label each page for the units of study for the year. Start by separating students into groups. Give groups 5 – 7 minutes to write down what they remember from the unit of study on their paper. Next, signal for students to rotate at the end of the time. On the following paper, students read over what is already written. Students write a checkmark next to ideas they recall and then contribute their own. The rotations continue until student groups return to their original unit.
You will be surprised to see how much they remember. You’re doing a fantastic job as a teacher.
2. Rewrite the syllabus
Do you remember the syllabus from the start of the year? If you poured into it all your best ideas and aspirations for the year, most likely you would. This activity is fun to do with every group of students.
Provide students with a blank template for the class syllabus. You can use the one I have available in my TPT store to make it easier. Assign students a section of the syllabus to rewrite based on how the year went. You can have them work collaboratively or individually.
Students will come back together with a creative interpretation of the year. And the class will likely have a lot of laughs.
3. Search and Rescue
The search and rescue activity requires space for students to move around. Consider using a common area or an outdoor space.
Search and rescue is a fun end of the year activity. Put 15 or 20 questions on a sheet of paper each. Do the same for the answers to those questions. Prepare the space before students arrive by scattering answers and questions around. Students will move around to find questions and their connecting answers.
Consider challenging the class to get the most accurate or find answers the fastest.
Students have no excuses for not knowing the answers on this one. It will be there if they only take the time to look.
4. Two Sentence Horror Stories
This fun end of the year activity is perfect for a literature or writing class. Students can start with this resource.
The end of the year idea comes from a mini creative writing unit. In this activity, students review what flash fiction is and craft their own horror story through a series of revision processes. This activity is a great, engaging break from analysis and can serve as a review of grammatical concepts for students.
5. Gamify A Year In Review
What is your favorite game show or board game? You can turn almost any review activity into a game. Start with a list of twenty or more questions. Then apply the gameshow concept to them.
For example, use the game show format for Family Feud for a fun end of the school year activity. Give the students a survey about books, writing, school subjects, or historical events. Then create the game with their answers.
Jeopardy, Scattegories, and Pictionary are all game formats for engaging and creative end of the year activities.
6. Creative End of Year Printable and Digital Activities Pack
These print-and-go creative end-of-year reflection activities are the perfect way to inspire your students to reflect on their year and promote a growth mindset. They are a great alternative to assigning an end-of-year essay or paper. Available in both digital and printable format. Try any of these activities to keep your secondary students engaged and help to end the year on a high note.
End of the year activities for high school students
You can have a creative and fun end of the year activities for high school students. With a bit of effort, you’ll have lots of fun reviewing lessons from the year scattered between all the celebrations.
What activities do you use at the end of the school year?
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