Here are the responses that I received for fun end-of-year activities in
an elementary school. Thanks to those of you who responded!
****************************************************
I had a ball when I was in an elementary building! I built a fake
"campfire" in the middle of the library on the floor, with real sticks
and logs and crepe paper fire. I set up a little tent, closed all the
blinds in the library, and brought in a flashlight. Then we sat in a
circle around the fire, and I told and read ghost stories. It was so
fun! I originally planned to do it with just a couple of classes, but
it was so much fun I ended up doing it with K-5. My goal was to send
them off with stories they would then retell their families over the
summer.
*******************************************************
Last year I played "Reference Jeopadry" with my fifth graders, and I
used both reference questions and fun questions - like "Who lives in a
pineapple under the sea?" They enjoyed it alot.
********************************************************
Most years, I've tried to have a buy one, get one free book fair at the
very end of school.
********************************************************
We read a set list of stories to our elementary classes, and from
each
list we have created alphabet cards, displaying something from many of
the
books. For instance, our A card has Alexander, from Alexander and the
Terrible, Horrible. . .Day, our C card has a picture of Corderoy Bear,
while
our M card has a picture of Mudge, from the Henry and Mudge books.
Then we
challenge the kids to fill in an alphabet list, naming as many of the
characters from the books that they can remember. We have a different
set
for each grade level to correspond with the books we read for each
grade.
The kids usually have a great time with it, and it makes a great review
for
books read over the course of the year.
*********************************************************
I have had Christmas parties. Sounds strange, but I don't get a chance
to do
it in December. Pick a holiday, or all of them and let each class do
"posters" for you. Laminate them and then you have them for the right
time
of the year. This is also a good time to have students make posters
"selling" their favorite book.
*********************************************************
With my 3rd graders, I usually have them make a "Bingo" card using
MEDIA for
the heading instead of Bingo. They each have a blank card with the
usual 24
empty boxes and together we try to come up with 24 library terms we
have
learned, like author, publisher, etc. When someone suggests a word, I
spell
it aloud and we each write it in a different square on the paper (I
fill a
card out too so I can cut it up and "draw" from those words as we play
the
game.) The following week we use the cards to play Media. I put the
M-E-D-I-A that I cut off the top of the paper in one pile, and the
words we
have used in another pile and draw one slip from each pile as we play
(ex:
E - Author)
***********************************************************
There are a couple things I've done for an end of the
year activity that is gamelike. One of them is doing a
"scavenger hunt" with questions whose answers can be
found in a variety of books throughout the library.
You can select a winner by whoever finishes first and has
the most correct - something like that.
The other is what I call "Springtime" research. They can
use atlases, almanacs, encyclopedias, fiction, and non-fiction
books to find facts that start with the letters from Springtime.
They wind up with 5 topics per letter and they have to list 5 facts
about the
topic. For example if they use the first s for springfield, il - they
write 5 facts
about that place (and the book and page #), then go to another source
and
choose a topic, write 5 facts about that etc.
There will be a total of 50 answers.
***************************************************************
For the last full week, I have a parent volunteer who does the chess
club and is going to teach chess to everyone in grade 3-5 in their
regular 50-minute library classes. I have given him a hard time about
how few girls are in chess club which meets after school in the
library.
Also, earlier in the year, with the help of parent-volunteers as
dealer/referees we taught grades 3-5 the card game SET (setgame.com)
There are overhead transparencies to teach the game on their website,
and the game can be played well with groups of 6 kids per dealer. I and
the teachers were also dealers.
***************************************************************
I spread out a beach towel, beach toys, shells etc and then I have on
sandals, sunglasses and big sun hat while I sit on the towel and read a
vacation story. I think last year I brought enough towels for everyone
to sit on. Please post a hit if you can.
*****************************************************************
This is something I am going to try with 5th grade. I
saw Robert Sabuda and was impressed. so I think on
the last day of library, i will share his web site and
have downloaded and copied one of his activities and
have the children try it.
********************************************************
I play a trivia game with questions about characters from books.
*******************************************************
With third grade I play a game of Title bingo that I made. We play
until
everyone wins a book. (from donations or discards).
With 4th and 5th grade I have made up a Jeopardy game with questions
that
cover the year's lessons. I use posterboard and cards and pockets to
make the
game board. I usually play boys against girls (easy team making). We
add for
correct answers. No substracting - except for impolite behavior.
**********************************************
Darcy Maxwell, LMC Director
Emerson Elementary
La Crosse, WI 54601
dmaxwell@sdlax.k12.wi.us
**********************************************
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