Fun end-of-year activities to keep learners engaged

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Reading time: 3 minutes

The end of the school year can be bittersweet. Students are excited for the holidays, but teachers have the tricky task of keeping their attention as focus starts to fade. The upside? It’s the perfect chance to make this time fun, memorable and engaging with creative classroom ideas that really stick. Here's a list of end-of-year school activities to ensure your students stay motivated all the way to the final bell.

1. End of year projects

Longer projects are perfect for the end of the year because they encourage deeper engagement. Here are a few ideas to try out.

  • Class memory book: Ask students to contribute to a collaborative memory book filled with drawings, photos, or written reflections on their favorite moments of the year.
  • Passion projects: Give students the chance to dive into something they’re really interested in and wrap it up with a fun presentation or creative display.
  • Local impact projects: Challenge your learners to brainstorm ways to support their local community. They could develop a plan or even implement their ideas.

2. Holiday-themed school activities

With the festive season approaching, it’s the perfect excuse to blend learning with holiday cheer.

  • Cultural exploration: Encourage students to research and share how different cultures celebrate the holidays, fostering inclusivity and curiosity. They can also share how they celebrate the end of the year and any New Year traditions.
  • Art session: Organise a holiday craft-making session where students create ornaments, cards, or posters. Encourage students to write and create cards to take home to their loved ones.

3. Interactive learning games

Interactive games are an easy way to maintain focus and excitement.

  • Trivia challenges: Create trivia questions about topics covered during the year—bonus points for including playful or funny questions about inside jokes or class moments.
  • Escape room activities: Turn your classroom into an educational escape room with puzzles, problem-solving challenges and hidden clues.
  • AI Guess Who: Most AI chatbots will let you play games like Guess Who; play this with the class to liven things up.Let them take turns to guess who the chatbot is thinking of. You can also use '.

4. Group activities

Encourage collaboration with team tasks that bring students together.

  • Talent show: Give students the chance to showcase their talents, from singing and dancing to magic tricks and storytelling. It can be a great way to encourage them to practice language skills.
  • Debate tournaments: Divide your class into teams and set them up for friendly debates on fun or meaningful topics.
  • Story circles: Build stories as a group by having students take turns adding to the tale.

5. Creative classroom ideas

Don’t hesitate to think outside the box with these unique ideas:

  • Class awards ceremony: Create fun and light-hearted awards for each student, such as “Best Scientist” or “Most Curious Learner.”
  • Time capsule creation: Have students write letters to their future selves or fill a box with objects representing the year.
  • Themed classroom party: Use a theme, such as a tropical luau or winter wonderland, to bring the class together for a fun party with food, games and music.

6. Classroom party ideas

Every great year deserves a great finish. Host a lesson that brings your students closer together.

  • Movie afternoon: Set up your classroom and dim the lights to create a cinema atmosphere for a class movie.
  • Game board bonanza: Bring in board games and allow students a relaxed day of friendly competition. If none are available, get students to create their own games.

Keep the learning spirit alive

The end of the school year doesn’t have to signal the end of learning. With a bit of creativity, teachers can make the last weeks of school productive and enjoyable. From fun classroom activities to meaningful year-end projects for students, these ideas will set the stage for a memorable finish.

Read our posts 'Keeping students motivated in the lead-up to the holidays' and 'How to make the most of AI in the classroom'

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  • A teacher helping a teenage student working at her desk in a library

    How teachers can use the GSE for professional development

    By Fajarudin Akbar
    Reading time: 4.5 minutes

    As English teachers, we’re usually the ones helping others grow. We guide learners through challenges, celebrate their progress and push them to reach new heights. But what about our own growth? How do we, as educators, continue to develop and refine our practice?

    The Global Scale of English (GSE) is often seen as a tool for assessing students. However, in my experience, it can also be a powerful guide for teachers who want to become more intentional, reflective, and confident in their teaching. Here's how the GSE has helped me in my own journey as an English teacher and how it can support yours too.

    About the GSE

    The GSE is a proficiency scale developed by app. It measures English ability across four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – on a scale from 10 to 90. It’s aligned with the CEFR but offers more detailed learning objectives, which can be incredibly useful in diverse teaching contexts.

    I first encountered the GSE while exploring ways to better personalize learning objectives in my Business English classes. As a teacher in a non-formal education setting in Indonesia, I often work with students who don’t fit neatly into one CEFR level. I needed something more precise, more flexible, and more connected to real classroom practice. That’s when the GSE became a turning point.

    Reflecting on our teaching practice

    The GSE helped me pause and reflect. I started reading through the learning objectives and asking myself important questions. Were my lessons really aligned with what learners at this level needed? Was I challenging them just enough or too much?

    By using the GSE as a mirror, I began to see areas where I could improve. For example, I realized that, although I was confident teaching speaking skills, I wasn’t always giving enough attention to writing development. The GSE didn’t judge me. It simply showed me where I could grow.

    Planning with purpose

    One of the best things about the GSE is that it brings clarity to lesson planning. Instead of guessing whether an activity is suitable for a student’s level, I now check the GSE objectives. If I know a learner is at GSE 50 in speaking, I can design a role-play that matches that level of complexity. If another learner is at GSE 60, I can challenge them with more open-ended tasks.

    Planning becomes easier and more purposeful. I don’t just create lessons, I design learning experiences that truly meet students where they are.

    Collaborating with other teachers

    The GSE has also become a shared language for collaboration. When I run workshops or peer mentoring sessions, I often invite teachers to explore the GSE Toolkit together. We look at learning objectives, discuss how they apply to our learners, and brainstorm ways to adapt materials.

    These sessions are not just about theory: they’re energizing. Teachers leave with new ideas, renewed motivation and a clearer sense of how to bring their teaching to the next level.

    Getting started with the GSE

    If you’re curious about how to start using the GSE for your own growth, here are a few simple steps:

    • Visit the GSE Teacher Toolkit and explore the learning objectives for the skills and levels you teach.
    • Choose one or two objectives that resonate with you and reflect on whether your current lessons address them.
    • Try adapting a familiar activity to better align with a specific GSE range.
    • Use the GSE when planning peer observations or professional learning communities. It gives your discussions a clear focus.

    Case study from my classroom

    I once had a private Business English student preparing for a job interview. Her speaking skills were solid – around GSE 55 – but her writing was more limited, probably around GSE 45. Instead of giving her the same tasks across both skills, I personalized the lesson.

    For speaking, we practiced mock interviews using complex questions. For writing, I supported her with guided sentence frames for email writing. By targeting her actual levels, not just a general CEFR level, she improved faster and felt more confident.

    That experience reminded me that when we teach with clarity, learners respond with progress.

    Challenges and solutions

    Of course, using the GSE can feel overwhelming at first. There are many descriptors, and it can take time to get familiar with the scale. My advice is to start small: focus on one skill or one level. Also, use the Toolkit as a companion, not a checklist.

    Another challenge is integrating the GSE into existing materials, and this is where technology can help. I often use AI tools like ChatGPT to adjust or rewrite tasks so they better match specific GSE levels. This saves time and makes differentiation easier.

    Teachers deserve development too

    Teaching is a lifelong journey. The GSE doesn’t just support our students, it also supports us. It helps us reflect, plan, and collaborate more meaningfully. Most of all, it reminds us that our growth as teachers is just as important as the progress of our learners.

    If you’re looking for a simple, practical, and inspiring way to guide your professional development, give the GSE a try. It helped me grow, and I believe it can help you too.

    Additional resources