The last day of homeschooling is almost here – and that means everyone deserves a celebration!
Whether you’re taking a full summer break or just a few weeks off to rest and regroup, here are some great ideas to help you make the last day of homeschool extra special for you and your kids!
At The Reluctant Homeschool Mama, we’re all about doing the small things that can have a big impact.
Making a big deal out of the last day of homeschool is one of those small things!
Your kids have probably worked hard this year, and we’re almost certain that you have worked harder as a homeschool mama!
So take a quick peek at these 9 (well, now ten!) quick and easy ideas to make the last day of homeschool special and memorable.
Here’s the list:
- Give out silly awards
- Take end of the school year photos (use our cute free download!)
- Write your kids an individual letter
- Have a picnic with co-op friends
- Go on a final field trip
- Make a summer bucket list
- Grab a special treat together
- Have a pizza party
- Gift summer fun items
- Start a summer reading challenge
Scroll down for more info on how to do these things quickly AND easily!
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Related post: 9 Important Tasks to Do at the End of the Homeschool Year
Top Ten Fun Ideas for the Last Day of Homeschool
1. Give out silly awards
Commemorate the end of the homeschooling year by giving out some silly awards.
Of course, you can think high school superlative style, and give out awards for Warmest Smile and Most Athletic.
Or you could draw on some of the fun homeschool memories your kids have made during the year.
Here’s a simple list to get your creative juices flowing:
- Most likely to delete their entire essay about How to Get Your Parents to Buy You a Dog
- Most likely to make friends with everyone at co-op
- Future Bill Nye the Science Guy
- Most likely to write their own homeschool math curriculum
- Most likely to lose their pencil five times in one day
- The future president of their own country, Futuristica
- Most likely to make everyone laugh so hard they cry
- Most likely to win every game of Boggle for the rest of their life
You could grab some fun certificates like these cute pre-printed ones from Amazon or make your own, too!
2. End of the school year photos
If you took first day of homeschool photos, you’ll definitely want to snag some last day of homeschool photos too!
It is always amazing to see how much your kids have grown during the course of one school year.
Put the finishing touch on your last day of homeschool photos with the free printable Last Day of Homeschool signs from The Reluctant Homeschool Mama’s Resource Library!
There’s a separate page for every grade from PreK-3 all the way up to twelfth grade. To get access, click right here or on the image below.
3. Write your kids a letter
Of all of the ideas we have here, this one is probably the most meaningful and sentimental.
The night (or the week) before the last day of homeschool, write each of your homeschool kids a handwritten letter.
You could mention special things you enjoyed about teaching them this year or point out subjects where they’ve made huge improvements.
If you have any kids whose love language is words of affirmation, they’ll most likely really appreciate receiving a special letter from you!
4. Have a picnic with co-op friends
Celebrating the end of the homeschool year might be even more fun if you invite some friends to join you!
Reach out to your co-op or other homeschool friends and plan a simple Park Day or picnic for the last day of homeschool (while the public school kids are still in school, of course!).
5. Go on a final field trip
You could bring a year’s worth of study to a culmination with a special final field trip to cap off your studies.
For example, if you’ve been studying the American Revolution for homeschool history, perhaps you could take a field trip to an important historical sight, such as a nearby battlefield or point of interest.
Or you could simply ask your kids which field trip they enjoyed most during the year and repeat!
6. Make a summer bucket list
The last day of homeschooling is a great day to sit down together and create a summer bucket list!
Your kids will likely love to give their input about what they’d like to do during the summer.
Having a visual reminder of these ideas is also great to have when the familiar summer call of “I’m bored!” starts to ring out.
For over 100 Summer Bucket List ideas, click on this link here!
7. Grab a special treat together
Your end of the homeschool year celebration does NOT have to be anything crazy or over-the-top.
Just get your kids into the car and stop by the local frozen yogurt shop or ice cream parlor for a special treat and celebrate together!
8. Have a pizza party
So many kids love a pizza party!
You could have a pizza lunch during your last homeschool day or have pizza in the evening time for dinner.
Whether you order pizza from your favorite pizza place or have each of your kids create their own mini pizzas is totally up to you!
9. Gift summer fun items
To get your kids even more excited for summer, you may consider putting together a simple Summer Fun Basket and presenting it on the last day of homeschool.
You could include items such as:
- pool floats
- bubble wands or a bubble machine
- sidewalk chalk
- beach towels
- flip flops
- bathing suits
- frisbees (these ones are easier to catch!)
- sunglasses
- sunscreen
- summer fun workbooks
- water guns
- tennis balls
- hula hoops (these ones are super durable!)
- jump ropes
- summer clothes
10. Start a summer reading challenge
A great way to make sure that your kids will keep learning over the summer is to start a summer reading challenge on the last day of homeschool for the year!
Check to see if your local library has a summer reading program.
Oftentimes a library summer reading program will include reading trackers and prizes for kids of all ages!
Related post: 35 Amazing Books Your Middle Schoolers Need to Read
If your local library does not have a summer reading challenge, you could present your kids with incentives for the number of books or minutes they read during the summer.
Final thoughts about celebrating the last day of homeschool:
There’s no doubt in our minds that finishing a homeschool year is a BIG deal!
It is certainly an event worth celebrating!
No matter what you choose to do to on the last day of homeschool, we hope you feel a huge sense of accomplishment!! Great job, mama! You did it!
Related articles about homeschooling traditions:
How to Create an Amazing and Personalized Homeschool Calendar
9 Traditions to Make Your First Day of Homeschooling Amazing
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Which of these ideas for celebrating the last day of homeschool seems the most fun to you?
