East Coast Mommy
Summer vacation is just around the corner! To help your kids celebrate its arrival, we've rounded up 14 ideas to mark the last day of school.
14 Ways To Make The Last Day Of School Really Special
Summer Supplies(01 of24)
Have buckets of summer supplies ready when your kids come down for breakfast.Source: Blue Skies Ahead (credit:Blue Skies Ahead)
Special Lunch(02 of24)
Send them off with a special lunch that marks their last day.Source: Creative Party Ideas (credit:Creative Party Ideas)
Add A Few Thoughtful Notes(03 of24)
Let your kids find special notes in their last-day-of school lunch. It's even easier with these free printables!Source: Five Heart Home (credit:Five Heart Home)
Graduation Day Certificate(04 of24)
Every year, have your kids fill in a printable like this one. Include their hand prints to see how much they've grown!Source: Snack Picks (credit:Snack Picks)
Autograph Shirt(05 of24)
Prep a special last-day of school shirt for your kids so they can get their class to sign the back.Source: Sugar Bee Crafts (credit:Sugar Bee Crafts)
Take A Photo!(06 of24)
Many parents take first-day of school photos, but what about the last day?Source: Leah's Thoughts (credit:Leah's Thoughts)
Another Idea(07 of24)
Even better, have your child hold his or her first-day of school photo to show how much he or she has grown. Sniff.Source: Sarah Elizabeth Photography (credit:Sarah Elizabeth Photography)
Keep In Touch(08 of24)
Play dates definitely come in handy during the long summer months. So make sure your kids get their friends' contact information with these printable cards.Source: She's Kinda Crafty (credit:She's Kinda Crafty)
Balloons(09 of24)
Nothing says "party time" like balloons to kids. If you pick up your kids from school, why not greet them with a car or van full of balloons?Source: Sugar Bee Crafts (credit:Sugar Bee Crafts)
Tailgate Party(10 of24)
If you aren't into the balloon idea, how about a tail gate party? Yup, fill your van with treats and let your kids and their friends hang out and celebrate the end of school before heading home for the summer.Source: Adventure Mom Blog (credit:Adventure Mom Blog)
Hoops(11 of24)
When your kids come home, have this sign and hula hoops ready to go!Source: Crafty Mischief (credit:Crafty Mischief)
Decorate!(12 of24)
Make the front of your house splash with summer fun! A perfect way to get home from school.Credit: Find Joy in the Journey (credit:Find Joy in the Journey)
Finish Line!(13 of24)
We love this door decoration!Source: East Coast Mommy (credit:East Coast Mommy)
Water Fight!!(14 of24)
Any kids who come home to this and a bucket of water balloons knows they're going to have a great summer!Source: Twins Times Two (credit:Twins Times Two)
Last Day Sign(15 of24)
Have the kids make a sign, or get a free printable, saying "Last Day of Kindergarten" or whatever grade they just finished, and hold it in the picture. As my kids get older the years tend to blur together and I forget which grade the photo is from if I don't do this.Source: Anna and Blue (credit:Anna and Blue)
With Their Teacher(16 of24)
Another great way of remembering what year the photo was from, and remembering that special teacher who took great care of your little one, is to ask the teacher to pose with your child on the last day. Hand-delivering their end-of-year gift is a great way to get that opportunity!Source: Blogillespie (credit:Blogillespie)
Frame It Up(17 of24)
Build and decorate a cute frame for your child to hold that says what grade he or she is graduating from. This is especially cute for a milestone year like preschool or kindergarten graduation.Source: Apples and ABCs (credit:Apples and ABCs)
Polaroid With A Twist(18 of24)
Quick Facts(19 of24)
Have your child sit in front of a chalk board and list five her favourite things. Or have them lean against a blank space and add the text later with Photoshop or a free online photo editor later.If you do this each year on the last day of school, then you can make a photobook of them to give her on graduation day or on her first day of college.Source: Zoot (credit:Zoot)
Kaleidoscope(20 of24)
This is a great tradition to start in your child's first year of school. Take a photo of her on the last day of school. Then at the end of the next year, take a photo of her holding the framed photo from the year before. Each year, replace the photo in the frame with the one from the year before, and you will eventually end up with a tunnel of photos that go right through your child's schooling years. Make sure to use a large frame so that you can see the full effect!Source: Lasso the Moon (credit:Lasso the Moon)
First And Last Day Photos(21 of24)
Sometimes the year flies by, and we feel like not much has changed during the year. A great visual way to see how your child has changed since September is to frame the photos from the first and last day in a double frame to see them side-by-side. If she dresses in the same outfit for both days you can see how she has grown even more!Source: Happy Kids Idea (credit:Happy Kids Idea)
Measuring Tape(22 of24)
Another way to show how much your child has grown is to have him hold up a measuring tape, showing the part of the tape that matches how much he grew during the year. Or try this cute idea with a DIY wall measuring tape.Source: Occasionally Crafty (credit:Occasionally Crafty)
First Day On The Last(23 of24)
If you took a photo on the first day of school, frame it and have your child hold the photo in a picture on the last day of school.Source: Call Me Crafty (credit:Call Me Crafty)
Skills & Accomplishments(24 of24)
Kids learn so much during the year and participate in so many great activities. They love to have their hard work acknowledged. A great way to do that is to list the best parts of their year on a chalk board, sign or whiteboard for them to hold up in the photo.You can list sports' teams, music activities, academic achievements or skills learned at home. Special trips, favourite books read and clubs joined can also be included.It will be fun to look back in years to come to see what changes and what stays the same, and it is a great reminder during the school year of all the things your child excels in, which is a fantastic confidence boost the next time they want to try something new.Source: Etsy (credit:Etsy)