Celebrate the Last Day of Preschool

Your preschoolers, and their families, have been with you for an entire year. Maybe even longer if you have a mixed age group classroom. They have become your preschool family. The last day of preschool can be very emotional, for everyone. It is a time to reflect on your preschoolers progress and to celebrate them. Here are a few ways that you can celebrate the last day of preschool, and really make it special.

BRING IT OUTSIDE

Something about telling your preschoolers that you are going to spend the entire day outside makes the day so much more exciting! If your preschool is full day, you could choose to just do a part of the day that isn’t usually outside. Even just having a special picnic outside can be exciting.

TAKE AN END OF PRESCHOOL PHOTO

Much like the photo that you hopefully took on the first day of preschool, the last day of preschool photo is a fun way to mark the special day. Set up a photo booth with a few props for your preschoolers to get all dressed up and get their photo taken. The children will have so much fun taking pictures and the families will cherish those memories forever.

DISPLAY THEIR WORK

Putting your preschoolers art work from throughout the school year on display is a great way to show their progress, but also makes them feel very special. It is exciting for them to see the work they did at the beginning of the year again and to be able to show it to their families.

A fun way to display your preschoolers’ art work on the last day of preschool is to create a walk of fame/accomplishments. Along the walkway leading up to the preschool or on the way to the playground, post pieces of their artwork. You can also include homemade signs that say things such as, “Made new friends!” and “Shares with others!”. This is a great way to show your preschoolers just how proud you are of all of them.

SET UP A FUN ACTIVITY

The last day of preschool should be fun! There is nothing more fun than a special activity. Create a scavenger hunt of all the things needed for an amazing summer. Your preschoolers will love searching for the items. Also, talking about the upcoming summer vacation will help them process the fact that preschool is over. It will be a big change for them.

Other fun activities that you could include on the last day of preschool are face painting, water balloons, or make a special treat together. No matter what you do for a special activity, it should be a lot of fun for everyone!

MAKE T-SHIRTS

Preschoolers love to create things. It is especially fun for them when it is a real, practical thing that they can keep. Have shirts made up with the name of your preschool and the school year, then, let your preschoolers use fabric markers to decorate their shirts. Tie-dye is another really fun option for decorating the shirts, too. This is an activity that is sure to make lasting memories for your preschoolers, and it gives them something to take with them that will remind them of their time in your classroom.

HAVE A SPECIAL STORY TIME

Make the last story time with your preschoolers special. Choose a story that fits the occasion, like Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”. Then, at the end of your story time you can give each of your preschoolers a copy of the book. Write a personalized note on the inside cover of each child’s book and encourage the parents to have all of their future teachers write in the book at the end of each school year. It then becomes a very special gift for the child when they graduate from high school.

Your preschoolers have grown so much over the year, both physically and developmentally, and you were lucky enough to watch it all unfold. Celebrate the last day of preschool with your preschoolers and their families, and make sure they know how glad you are to have spend the year with them.