3, 2, 1…School is out for SUMMER!!!! The end of school year brings excitement and joy to all! There are so many things to celebrate but most importantly being promoted to a new grade. It is a great sense of accomplishment and we should celebrate with our child. After all, we have been there right by their side with teacher conferences, phone calls, and emails. You don’t have to buy your child an expensive toy or take them on an expensive trip to let them know how proud you are of them. Here are 5 very inexpensive ways to celebrate the last day of school:
Special breakfast (less than $7) – If you are like us, a typical breakfast is cereal and a piece of fruit. Every year I allow my child to pick out a “sweet cereal” for the special breakfast. You know, the kind that every kid wants but every parent dreads the sugar content. If the brightly colored box with the character on it doesn’t interest your child you could make muffins, donuts etc. We typically eat in our kitchen but for the special breakfast, I have it set up in the dining room with decorations. This does not have to be fancy just something out of the ordinary for the last day of school.
Take a picture (FREE) – You can have them hold a sign or chalkboard declaring the date. If you took one on the first day of school, it is fun to compare how much they have grown. If your morning is rushed you can take this picture in the afternoon of the last day of school.
Make a Summer Bucket List (less than $2) – As a family, write down things you want to go do and see before school starts. Then hang the list in a place where everyone can see it. As you complete items on the list, mark them off. Making this list on the last day of school helps to build the excitement for the summer even more!
Walk of Fame ($3-$10) – I saw this on a blog years ago before my son was in school. I somehow have been able to remember this really cool way to honor a child’s accomplishments. It can be as simple as hanging sheets of paper on your wall with their accomplishments for the year (i.e. “lost first tooth,” “learned how to read chapter books,” “got an ‘A’ on a project”). It can also be more elaborate with poster board on yardsticks lining the driveway. When they get off the bus, they walk up the driveway “seeing” all their accomplishments for the year. I bet you will get no less than a huge smile at the end of that walk!
Water party – Summer means bathing suits and bare feet. What better way to kick off the summer with a water party. Set up a sprinkler in the backyard, slip n slide, or a just a simple water hose and let the kids play until their heart’s content. 🙂 After all, they do not have to go to bed early!
Since we can not slow down time and keep our kiddos young forever, we might as well enjoy the ride! Summertime equals fun time so let’s celebrate! Our kids can celebrate being promoted to the next grade and we can celebrate not having to pack lunches, wash school uniforms, and no homework help (at least for the next 60 days)!
When I was little, we would have shaving cream parties. My parents would buy the old school Barbasol and each child wore their bathing suit and got a can. Turn on the hose/sprinkler and let the fun begin. We would make beards, cover our heads, throw handfuls, make piles to land in at the bottom of the slide. End of party = hose the kids off. We loved it!
I loved it all!!! I’m making the bucket list today