End of school traditions, that’s what we’re going to talk about today.  Do you have a certain way you celebrate the end of school or beginning of summer?

 

 

**This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my full disclosures here.**

 

I know I’ve said this in a previous post, but I can’t believe how fast this year is going by!  We’re already to the end of the school year.  And if you have kids, you know they cram as many events and activities into these last few weeks as possible.  If you have more than one kid, good luck running from one thing to the next!  This week we had a band concert, orchestra concert, and middle school open house.  Doesn’t seem like a lot, but when those three events were on back to back days, it makes me want to take a nap!  Next week, Nolan “graduates” from preschool.  I can’t believe that in the fall all the kids will be in school full time and I’ll have two middle school and two elementary school students.  What will I do with all my free time?!?  I kid!  Everyone knows there is no such thing as free time for a mom.  There’s always laundry to wash or dishes to do.

 

End of School Traditions

I’m not a Pinterest mom by any means, even though I try to pretend like I am sometimes.  But there is one thing I found on Pinterest, many years ago (back when you had to be invited to Pinterest!), and we have continued the tradition to this day.  Well, minus the one year I screwed it up, but we’ll just pretend that didn’t happen.

 

Traditions at School (For the Kids)

When I came across this idea on Pinterest, I fell in love with it!  I love Dr. Seuss and think the book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” is a fantastic gift for any child or graduating senior.

 

 

What was special about this idea was that the parent bought the book and had the child’s teachers sign it every year and then gave it to her when she graduated.  They had kept it secret, so their daughter had no idea she would be getting this.  When I first started this tradition, I was able to keep it from my kids, but it has become more difficult in recent years.  A few years ago there was a bomb threat at the elementary school my children attend and ever since then, things have really been locked down.  You are no longer allowed to come hang out on the last day of school and walk around with your child, which makes keeping something like this secret pretty much impossible.  So, I had to start sending them to school, in their backpacks, with a note to the teacher explaining what I was doing.  I also don’t plan to continue this all the way through high school, because once they get to middle school it becomes too difficult.  If one of my children mentions really liking a particular teacher, though, I will try to do what I can to get them to sign it.  It’s almost like a yearbook, but with the teachers signing it, instead of the kids!

 

 

I let the teachers sign the book wherever they want, so there are little notes scattered throughout it.  Zach is currently in 7th grade, and his book hasn’t been signed since 5th grade.  I will definitely be taking it to his orchestra teacher because she is the one teacher he will have all three years of middle school.  He also had a substitute, that was there for an extended time, that he really loved, so if I ever find out he is back, I will try to figure out a way to get it to him!  I also think it would be great to buy this book and write something to your child every year.  I wish I had thought of that before because that could definitely be kept secret until they graduate!

 

Traditions at School (For the Teachers)

Like I said, I’m not a Pinterest mom, but really want to be.  I even have a whole Pinterest board with teacher gift ideas.  But I suck at teacher gifts.  I always forget Teacher Appreciation Week.  I’ve even bought Christmas gifts that they didn’t get until the following year.  Yeah, I’m that bad.  But, I always remember the end of year gifts!  I have yet to make any of the cute things on my Pinterest board, but I always manage to get them a gift card or a little something to let them know I appreciate the fact that they spend so much time with my children.  I did actually make a coffee cup shaped gift card holder, one year, to put their Starbucks gift card in, but that has been the extent of my craftiness for teacher gifts.  Maybe next year I’ll be able to make something, since all the kids will be in school, and I’ll have a little more time on my hands.

 

Traditions on the Last Day of School

A few years ago, I started to get the boys a little gift on their last day of school.  I’m going to be honest, this is more a gift for me.  I get them each a bucket and fill it with summer type toys, so I don’t constantly hear that they are bored.  This doesn’t really help a ton, but it does give them some things to do.  I usually include things like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, a new bouncy ball, activity books, and sometimes I include a sprinkler for all of them to share.  You know, things I would probably be buying anyway.

 

Sometimes I even make a sign and remember to take a picture!  This picture is four years old, so obviously it’s been a while since I did that.  I should make sure I do it this year.

 

 

And most of the time the ice cream truck makes the rounds, on the last day of school, so we either grab ice cream from it or head to Honey Hut.  This picture is only three years old.  Juding by these, I need to make sure I take more pictures!

 

 

This year Nolan will be finishing preschool and Jordan will finish elementary, so we might even do a lunch or dinner to celebrate.

 

Do you have any end of the school year traditions?  Share them below and I might get some ideas of things to add!