Kindergarten End of Year Celebration Ideas

There are so many reasons why the end of the school year is an exciting time for kindergartners.  They have learned and accomplished so much, they have made many new friends, and they are itching to move on to those numbered grades! With so much to be excited about, it’s no wonder that kindergarten end of year celebrations are a staple. In this post, I’m going to share with you three fun celebration ideas that your students will love!

Memory Book

A great way to help students remember all of the fun they had in kindergarten is to create a memory book!  This special memento will be something your students (and their parents)  will treasure for years to come.  With so many kindergarten memory book options circulating online, it can be hard to narrow it down to one that will be perfect for your students!

What to Include in a Kindergarten Memory Book

One of the challenges can be deciding what exactly to include in your students’ memory books. It can feel daunting to summarize an entire year of learning and activities!  I have created a printable memory book with ten different pages that can provide a great snapshot of the kindergarten school year and your students.  

• All About Me
• My Field Trip 
• My Accomplishments
• Next Year
• My School Memories
• My Friends
• My Teacher
• What I Learned
• My Favorite Part
• My Future Plans

Students will love reflecting on the school year as they fill out each page of this printable memory book!

Kindergarten Memory Book Tips

As you can see, a kindergarten memory book can include a variety of pages for students to complete!  Here are a few tips to help as you complete this fun project with your students.

Start Early

While memory books can be a fun task for older students to fill out on the last day of school, a kindergarten memory book usually requires a bit more time to complete.  Plus, with other end-of-the-year activities and celebrations, you want to make sure that the memory book pages aren’t lost in the shuffle! Set aside plenty of time for this project a few weeks before the end of the school year.  

Use Small Group Time

As you consider when you’d like to work on kindergarten memory books, a great option is always small group time.  This provides the flexibility to support just a few students at a time so that they can get their ideas down on paper.  Writing sentences in a memory book is a great literacy activity!  Working in small groups also gives you the opportunity to scribe for students who need that support. 

Illustrate

The pages of my printable memory book include plenty of space for illustrations.  Students love to draw pictures to go along with their sentences and these hand-drawn memories are a treasure! Another fun option for memory books is to use actual photos from throughout the school year.  This might take a little bit more planning and organization, but students will love to see photos to go along with their favorite kindergarten memories!

Make It Last

The final suggestion that I have for memory books is to help them hold up for a long time.  If the book will be stapled together, consider printing the cover with heavy card stock to help protect the pages inside.  You could also secure the memory book with a coil binding.  Some teachers even choose to laminate memory book pages.  There is no single “right” way to finish a memory book, but it’s nice to do what you can to help limit wear and tear.

End of Kindergarten Photos

In addition to a memory book, it’s always fun to document the end of kindergarten with photos!  Most school picture days occur near the beginning or toward the middle of the school year, so it’s nice to take one last photo at the end of the year.  Our students love to see how much they've grown in one year. Plus, these photos can also make a great addition to a kindergarten memory book!

Printable Kindergarten Graduation Hats

One fun way to document the end of kindergarten with photos is to create kindergarten “graduation caps”!  In fact, I have created a set of five different graduation hat styles to help students celebrate the end of kindergarten.  These printable hats are the perfect accessory for an adorable end-of-kindergarten photo!  There is also space on these hats for you to add personalized text. You’ll want to be sure to hang on to these caps for my final end-of-the-year kindergarten celebration idea.

Kindergarten Graduation

The end of the kindergarten year is recognized in many different ways.  Some schools choose to have small celebrations within their own classrooms with no guests.  Other teachers invite parents to attend these classroom celebrations.  However, some schools choose to host a kindergarten promotion ceremony, complete with graduation gowns! No matter how you and your school choose to celebrate, there is one important thing that you’ll find at nearly every kindergarten graduation: Certificates.

Printable Kindergarten Diplomas & Certificates

Just as there are many ways to celebrate kindergarten promotion, there are a variety of certificates that teachers like to give their students at the end of kindergarten.  I have created a set of printable and editable certificates that can be customized for your celebration and for each student.  You can read more about specific ideas for a stress-free kindergarten graduation ceremony here on the blog.

Kindergarten End of Year Celebration Printables

Are you interested in all of the printables that I mentioned in this post?  Save some time and money by downloading them all in one bundle! My Kindergarten Graduation | End of Year Activities Bundle has everything you need to celebrate with your kindergarten students this spring.  With so many customizable options, you will be able to create an end-of-the-year celebration that your students will remember for years to come! You can find this bundle in my Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Save for Later

If you’re not quite ready to download and print, be sure to save this post for later!  You can add this pin to your favorite kindergarten ideas board on Pinterest and find these resources whenever you’re ready for them.

I hope that you find these tips and resources helpful as you plan a memorable kindergarten graduation for your students!