With the end of the school year approaching, you may be wondering how you can close this chapter for your students in a memorable way. Whether your child is homeschooled with a few other children or a full class load, this closure activity can leave children feeling accomplished and appreciated by their teacher and peers. Additionally, this activity is beneficial for promoting interpersonal growth. Below, you will find instructions and resources needed to carry out this activity and end the school year with smiling faces!
Activity: Memory Jar
Resources: For this activity, you will need one mason jar (with a lid) for each student in your class. If you’re able to, take your kids outside to collect pebbles. Each student will need to collect one pebble to place in each student’s jar. If you have 10 students, each student will need to collect 9 pebbles. The teacher should collect 10 pebbles. If you cannot collect the pebbles from nature, they can be purchased from most craft stores. Lastly, you’ll want to have painting resources or puffy-paint glue for the kids to decorate their jars. If possible, use resources that you already have in your classroom!
Directions:
Once you have your resources, start by having your students decorate their jars. This should be done the class prior, so that the jar has time to dry. Have kids put their first initial or full name on the jar and decorate it as they please. On the last day of class, have each kid place their jar in front of them and align their desks in a circle. The teacher should also join the circle. Each kid will have the opportunity to pass their jar around and each student will place one of their pebbles in the jar. Pass only one jar around the circle at a time, so that the kids can listen and feel special during their turn. When a student places a pebble in another child’s jar, they should say something about that student. For example, they might share their favorite memory that they shared during the school year, or something they appreciated or learned from that student. This also provides the teacher an opportunity to share something special about each student, which might otherwise be unsaid. At the end of the activity, each student will have their own special memory jar to take home and remember from this school year.