Make Your Own ABC Countdown Calendar (And Ideas for What to Do Each Day)
Let’s countdown to the last day of school! Use this free, editable ABC countdown calendar to plan fun events and inform parents of what you’ve planned for the last 26 days of the school year.
The amount of craziness and sheer busyness that accompanies that last few weeks of school is comparable to getting ready for back to school.
Comparable, but not equal, if you teach kindergarten.
There is lots to do: final assessments, report cards, Mother’s Day as well as normal teaching awesomeness. It can leave us feeling super ready for summer and a little worn out.
This ABC end of year countdown was personally a way for me to inject a little something to look forward to each day.
Mind you, I’m not talking about adding to my plate here in ways that make the end of the year crazier. I’m simply talking about changing up one small thing as a way to keep each day fresh, keep me focused and to inject a small dose of fun.
You can go as big or as low key as you want – it just depends on your creativity with what you come up with for the letter of the alphabet.
If you’re ready to jump in, be sure to check out these 14 alphabet countdown calendars for inspiration or use my list below.
To help you keep this easy to pull off, use this editable calendar to plan your 26 things to do and/or inform parents and students. It’s free!
Not sure what to do for each day? I’ll give you a few ideas for each letter that I’ve dug up across the teaching world so you can copy and paste them right into your spiffy new calendar.
First, let me explain how to make a countdown calendar.
How to make an ABC countdown calendar
Here are the steps you’ll want to follow to customize and complete your free calendar.
- Download this file. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
- Open the file with either Microsoft Powerpoint or upload to Google Slides. Check out the sample on page 4.
- Looking at the dates you have left in the school year – count backward 26 days of school. This is your starting date {exciting!}
- On page 2 (or 3), type in the starting date in the correct box on your calendar.
- Move or copy and paste the correct ABC digital sticker to that starting date box.
- If you already know what you want to do for that day, type in the name or write a brief description in the box.
- Keep filling in the dates, assigning letters and describing your fun events.
- Optional: Use the stars to indicate that students should bring something to participate. You can use the star box key in an empty calendar space to tell parents that’s what the star means.
If you like the fonts I used, download these fonts: Matching Font 1 | Font 2
Alphabet countdown days ideas
Not sure what to do for x day? What if you are getting a late start – do you have to wait until next year?
Let’s look at some ideas that other teachers have shared or done for their abc countdown days. I’ll break it down by letters for you.
What to do for A day
- animals – bring in your favorite stuffed animal
- art day – make an art project or craft
- airplane – make and fly paper airplanes
Besty says, “A is for airplane. We take the biggest piece of white paper (maybe 11×17) and they cover both sides with different designs of their choice. Then, we learn to fold an airplane. We take them outside for distance races and turn it into a STEM activity as they adjust with paperclips for weight.”
What to do for B day
- b is for bubbles (soap and/or gum) – gum reserved for a specific time frame of the day
- bingo – Play bingo (sight word bingo or maybe addition to 5 bingo?)
- buoyant boat – STEM challenge – create a boat out of foil and see how many teddy bear counters it can hold before sinking
- backward – wear clothes backward
- blankets – spend the day doing normal work but on blankets (get out the clipboards!)
- birthdays – celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
- book – bring your favorite book
What to do for C day
- create colors – mix up paint colors to see what you get
- crazy hair – everyone wears their hair in a fun, crazy way
- cookies – taste and graph three kinds of cookies to see which is the class favorite; play “who took the cookie”
- candyland – get this free reading game to play
- campout – bring a pillow or a blanket and flashlight to camp out and read
- costume day – allow students to wear a costume to school
- clouds – observe clouds, read “It Looked Like Spilt Milk” and do ‘spilled milk’ white paint symmetry painting
- crazy socks – wear your craziest socks
- chalk – write with chalk
What to do for D day
- donuts – finish the day with a donut
- dinosaurs – create dino headbands, read dino books and make a dino footprint fossils with salt dough
- dance party – put on the class list of favorite songs or brain breaks
- dress up – students wear “fancy” or dress-up clothing (see Q: quite fancy)
- drawing – have free-drawing time with markers, colored pencils and pens
What to do for E day
- exercise – plan an extra recess and a few bonus exercise videos from youtube into your day
- Earth day – create something to celebrate our Earth
- extra recess – yes, please
- excellent artist – do art projects
What to do for F day
- favorite books with friends – read books in a fun way
- fingerpaint – break out the fingerpaints
- favorites – each student gets interviewed of their favorite things (awesome to do with an older buddy class)
- flip flop day – wear flip flops to school
- flashlight – bring a flashlight for reading with the lights turned off
- frozen adventure – freeze something teeny in ice cubes and try to break them out, watch frozen, eat freeze pops
- future first graders – take pics with these cute end of the year photo props
What to do for G day
- glitter – create an art project using glitter
- games – allow board and card games for playing during the last 1/2 hour of the day
- gum – invite students to bring in gum to chew a 1/2 hour before lunch or the last 1/2 hour of the day
- go day – create a list of fun ways students could move throughout the day (think like animals, exercise movements, etc.) and every time you say “GO!” (to transition) pick an idea from your class list
What to do for H day
- hats – wear a hat to school
- handprints – do a handprint end of year art or craft project
- high fives – try to give out as many high fives in the day, every time you greet, meet or talk to someone
- Hawaiian – wear a tropical outfit
Betsy offers, “H is Habitat Day. They choose an animal and work together in teams to create a habitat from different materials from our STEM storage that will assure survival.”
What to do for I day
- ice cream – here’s how to make ice cream in ziploc baggies for the classroom
- i am special – great way to get in those end of year self portraits
- inside out – wear clothes inside out
- impossible day – superhero capes from cut plastic table cloths – nothing is imposibble for super kinders!
- ice pops – bring in those frozen flavored ice sticks
- insect day – read about insects and go on an insect hunt outside; call out “move like a ___” insect for each transition during the day
Betsy shared, “I is Insect Day. We celebrate Eric Carle and create our own insect from different materials.”
What to do for J day
- jump rope – bring in (or borrow) half a dozen jump ropes and do a few activities with them plus some jumping time outside
- jokes – invite students to tell a joke to the class
- jigsaw puzzles – students bring in a puzzle to do with a partner or small team
- jammies – wear jammies to school
- jam – listend to music while you work
Jennifer shared, “I’m exhausted at the end of the year (aren’t we all) and I don’t have much parent help, so I keep my ABC countdown very very simple, but it’s still fun. My favorite is J is for joke day. Watching kindergartners tell jokes is hilarious.”
What to do for K day
- kings and queens of kindergarten – make crowns or scepters and wands to bring a bit of magic into your day
- kids rock – paint rocks and hide around outside of school building for others to find and keep
- kindness – choose to do something kind for another class, find ways to show kindness to others
- keep it – start to send home student things
- kick off – kick off your shoes (all day or length of time)
What to do for L day
- luau – do the limbo, make fringe headband hats and play a literacy beach ball game
- lollipops – bring in suckers
- lights off – work with the lights off all afternoon
- lunch with the teacher
- lift off – make straw rockets and launch them outside
- letter – write a letter to friends or the first grade teacher
What to do for M day
- memories – introduce memory books or create a list of favorite memories on anchor chart paper
- M&M’s – sort, graph and eat M&M’s
- mega math day – fill the entire day with math
- monster (or supermonsters!) – make a monster-themed day complete with craft, read alouds and math activity
- movie day – show a movie in class
- mother’s day – make mother’s day craft or present
- music day – students bring in a cd to play during independent work time
- marshmallows – build 2D shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks or create microwave s’mores
- mis-match – wear mismatched clothing
Betsy shared, “M could be for Maker-Space and just turn the whole classroom into a creation station with different materials and free-thinking.”
What to do for N day
- neon – wear neon clothing or pass out those glow in the dark bracelets from dollar tree
- nickname or new name – let students give themselves a new name for the day
- neighbor day – do something thoughtful for the neighboring classroom(s)
- nice notes – leave nice notes for school staff and students throughout the building
- night clothes – wear pajamas to school
Christie says, “We do New Name Day for N and LOVE it. The kids get to pick any name they want and I write them on small computer labels and they wear them throughout the day. It’s such a fun insight into them. I get everything from cartoon characters and singers to sibling or friend names to last year’s most hilarious, “chapstick”! I also let them choose a new name for me which is entertaining, to say the least! Mrs. Best Sweet Cupcake was a highlight!”
What to do for O day
- off with your shoes – take off your shoes for the last hour of the day
- over the rainbow – rainbow craft, rainbow STEM activity or songs and crafts galore
- opposites – wear clothing backward
- outside – spend the day learning outside (grab your clipboards)
- organization – clean out broken crayons, pencil baskets, sort misplaced things, get a head start on end-of-year clean out
- oobleck – create slime or goo using your favorite recipe
What to do for P day
- picnic – eat lunch outside
- puzzles – students bring in a puzzle to do with a partner or small team
- popcorn – enjoy popcorn and a movie or video
- pajama day – wear jammies to school
- picture day – take end-of-year photos outside
- pirates – dress up like pirates and read pirate books
- party – celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
- popsicles – bring frozen flavored ice sticks to enjoy outside
What to do for Q day
- quite fancy – the kids dress up in “formal wear”
- quiet – do fun, quiet things (sneak like ninjas in the hallway, play soft rainstorm music during writing time, suck on suckers to see who’s can last the longest) or bring in a pillow
- queens and kings of kindergarten – make crowns or scepters and wands to bring a bit of magic into your day
Jeannette says, “My favorite is Q for Quite Fancy. The kids dress up in “formal wear” and we cover the tables with table clothes, fake flowers, and battery-operated candles. It is so fun.”
What to do for R day
- rainbow – wear as many colors as you can, do rainbow craft or rainbow STEM activity, write with colored pencils
- reading day – bring in a stuffed animal to read to or favorite book or invite in guests to read
- rockets – make straw rockets and launch them outside
- run wild – run off energy to a song or two played loudly around the blacktop area
What to do for S day
- sunglasses – wear shades to school and take a cute class photo
- silly socks day – wear mis-matched or silly socks
- summer birthdays – celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
- sports day – field day
- shapes – create 3D shape bubbles with bubbles and pipe cleaners
- s’more – what do your kinders want s’more of? Re-read favorite class books, re-watch favorite youtube video, let them go to favorite literacy center of choice, etc… finish off with microwave s’more treats
- stamps and stickers – create stories during writer’s workshop using stamps and stickers for illustrations
- soda – bring in favorite soda to drink
What to do for T day
- teddy bear – bring in a teddy bear for the day
- times up! – play a song before the end of each activity to signal when time is up (and students have to be cleaned up before it’s over)
- top hats and tea – dress up like the “olden days” and serve a warmed up decaf tea with honey and milk (sip fancy-like with your pinkies out)
- team shirt- wear your favorite team’s shirt or colors
What to do for U day
- upside down – tape paper under tables and lay on backs to draw or turn tables upside down for a day and kinders just sit/lay on the floor to work
- under day – hide 3-4 secret post-it notes under regularly used things throughout the day. When students find a note – do the fun reward/activity listed
- uniform – wear favorite sports team clothing
- under the desk – read and do work under the tables or desks
- United States – wear red, white and blue
What to do for V day
- video day – kids vote on favorite learning video and watch
- visit first grade – find out when the first graders will be absent from their classrooms (aka in specials) and take a tour of the classrooms to help ease next year fears
- visitors – invite people to read favorite stories
- vroom! day – bring in toy cars, race them, create/explore ramps of differing heights, read car books
What to do for W day
- water balloons – do a couple of water balloon activities (hot potato with soapy hands, partner toss and repeatedly step further away from each other after each toss)
- water fun – do fun, outdoor water activities to fit your time and resources
- watercolor – paint a picture
What to do for X day
- extra recess for X day – yes, please
- eXchange autographs – all the kids sign each other’s class photos or memory books autograph pages
- eXtraordinary student award day – pass out student awards
- x marks the spot – do a treasure hunt or make treasure maps on large bulletin board brown paper (or brown craft paper from the dollar tree wrapping paper section)
- Xtra special _____ (graduation, awards, guest readers) – use to fit whatever you have planned
- eXcellent awards – pass out student awards
What to do for Y day
- yes, I’m ready for first grade – find out when the first graders will be absent from their classrooms (aka in specials) and take a tour of the classrooms to help ease next year fears
- yay for ____ (field trips, graduation, awards ceremony, etc.) – use to fit whatever you have planned
- yuck-out – tidy the classroom, wipe all the shelves and help re-set the button for a new group of kinders. Whatever you need to be done – let them help get it done! Make a visual list ahead of time. Send everything home using this clever trick. (Instead of mucking out a barn, we are yucking out the classroom!)
- year-end party – use to fit whatever you have planned
- yummy – bring in treat for a snack
What to do for Z day
- Zip-a-dee-do-dah – the count down ends/begins
- zoo day – bring a stuffed animal
- zooming outta here – use to fit whatever you have planned
- zip into field day – plan outdoor activities
- Zoom into 1st grade – use to fit whatever you have planned
Have you already got your teacher shirt for Z day? Here is my current favorite. Hurry – there’s still time to order.
More ideas
- You could also do colors for any matching letter! Students wear the matching color of the day. Like R is Red, G is Green, Y is yellow, etc.
- Jeanette shares, “We do a Z-A countdown. It all starts with Z. Z is for Zip-a-dee-do-dah the count down begins… Then A is for All Done.”
Can I do an alphabet countdown with less than 26 days of school left? What do I do?
And don’t worry if you want to pull this off with less than 26 days of school. You can do it!
Simply, chunk together a few letters of the alphabet creatively and you’re on your way.
For example,
- You could make day #1 ABC day. Go out to the playground to do word work (ABC’s) with sidewalk chalk. You’ve effectively tripled up the days into one to better fit the number of school days remaining.
- Combine C and D to make CD day – and you could literally play a song from someone’s CD or make it a “cards & dice” day – where you build in card or dice games into your lesson plans.
- Combine H and I to make HI day – learn to say hello in 7 different languages and practice as you walk in the hallways, at lunch and recess.
- Combine U and V to make UV day – where you do your outdoor activities (like field day) and get in some rays.
- Use a letter to countdown even on Memorial day (like T for Terrific – you get to stay home!)
Keep it simple
I love the idea of keeping it simple. It’s my style.
Here is what one teacher shares:
“We have been doing an ABC countdown for the past couple years. I am so tired by the end of the year that our countdown is super simple and requires few items/supplies and no parent help. I don’t need one more thing to do lol. But the kids still have fun!” – Jennifer
Whatever you decide for each letter day, I hope this editable ABC Countdown calendar can come in handy.
Now – it’s your turn! Do you have ideas for us?
This post is open which means you can add your comment below and get your idea featured in this post too.
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