ABC Countdown to summer ideas
Are you gearing up for summer? I absolutely love doing ABC countdown each year to usher my students into summer. ABC Countdown is a wonderful way to countdown to summer vacation because it keeps students excited to come to school each day and it integrates well into your day without completely railroading your scope and sequence.
Implementing ABC countdown
Each year, I sit down around Spring break and determine when ABC countdown should start so that Z lands on the very last day of school. I then use this editable countdown calendar to write the dates for each letter and then send a parent letter home.
To make things easy for families and myself, I select a variety of dress days, food days, and themed days so that families don't feel overwhelmed with preparing for each day. I also send home a sign up in case parents want to sign up to bring in a treat or volunteer their time for one of the days.
Ideas for A-Z
A - Animal day: Have students bring a stuffed animal to school for the day. Encourage them to read and do learning activities with their fluffy friend!
B - Baseball day: I have the perfect activity bundle for this day! Teach students about baseball and teach each subject with a baseball theme to it.
C - Crazy sock day: Have students wear crazy socks for the day.
D - Dance party day: Have students learn popular line dances on this day or simply put on some music and let students dance their hearts out!
E - Extra recess day: Give students a few minutes of extra recess on this day.
F - Fun in the sun day: Have students do classwork outside if the weather is nice or take them outside for an activity.
G - Game day: Have students bring their favorite board game to play with their friends in class.
H - Hawaiian day: I have the perfect activity set for this day in my store! Have students wear Hawaiian attire and spend the day doing Hawaiian themed activities.
I - Ice pop day: Bring in ice pops for the class or have a willing parent bring ice pops for the class.
J - Jamies day: Have students dress in their pajamas for the day.
K - Kickball day: Teach students how to play kickball and have a class kickball game.
L - Letter day: Have students write a letter of appreciation for other teachers or staff at school who have helped them during the year.
M - Museum day: Take a virtual field trip for all or part of the day. I enjoy using the San Diego Zoo's live animal cameras to show students.
N - Nerd day: Have student dress nerdy on this day
O - Out of this world day: I have the perfect space themed activities for this day. Have students learn all about outer space.
P - Popcorn day: Have a parent volunteer bring in popcorn for students to eat as a snack for the day,
Q - Questions for the next grade: I love this day most of all! Have students write questions for students in the grade above them. Then have the older students write them back.
R - Rootbeer float day: Teach students how to make a rootbeer float. Bring supplies or have a willing parent volunteer bring in supplies.
S - Superhero day: Have students dress like superheroes and teach all your subjects with a superhero twist. Grab my superhero bundle to make planning easier!
T - T-shirt day: Have students wear their favorite t-shirt for the day
U - uplift day: Have students write an uplifting message to a fellow classmate
V - Video day: Show a movie or a short video for the day.
W - Western day: Have students dress in their best western costumes and teach about the wild wild west! Grab my western day bundle here
X - eXchange signatures : Have students sign each other's year books or memory books.
Y - Year end cleaning day: Have students help you clean up the classroom. I like to have students sort supplies and throw away anything in their desks or cubbies that will no longer need.
Z - Zoom out of school: End the school year and get ready for a fun and refreshing summer vacation.
Click the button below to grab my editable ABC countdown calendar!
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