The 100th day of school is an amazing day filled with tons of fun activities, a painstakingly decorated classroom (I may or may not have had to stand on a chair on top of a table to make some things happen), and the annual precisely-counted-by-tens 100th day snack.
But you still have to plan and teach on days 95-99… there isn’t any extra planning time or break in curriculum to accommodate this monumental event.
My first few years of teaching, I spent hours at school the night before the 100th day, prepping activities and getting things ready. I spent a few days gathering supplies, and even more days and nights planning our activities. And the kids always had a day they would never forget. But I would… because I would completely block it out of my mind until day 95 of the next school year when I had to try and remember what we did the year before so I could do it again. Now don’t get me wrong- I love the 100th day and the student joy that comes with it, but I knew there had to be a better way than to let it hijack my life for the few days before.
I started planning activities that I could store and reuse the following year. Things that I could prep once and not have to prep again. (Yes, I would always have to buy new fruit loops for the 100th day necklaces, but cuteness trumps practicality in that situation.) And what I found was that there were tons of engaging activities that my kids went crazy for, just like the ones I spent days planning and prepping each year. So if you’re ready to reclaim your life on days 95-99, here are some of my tried and true, use and reuse, 100th day of school activities (and trust me, your kids will think you spent many sleepless nights preparing for this day!).
1. Starburst 100s chart
Place dot stickers on the part of the starburst where the paper is folded to cover the candy (this will stop the candy from opening). Write the numbers 1-100 on the dot stickers. Your students will match the numbered starbursts to the numbers on a large 100s chart. (I got posters from Lakeshore) Save all materials for years to come. It’s okay that the candy goes stale, because starbursts don’t melt. You can give each student a few fresh starbursts to enjoy when they complete this activity.
2. Stacking cups
Count out 100 cups of different sizes and place them in a basket. Students will use the cups to create a structure (they must use all 100 cups). This is a great activity for students to complete with a partner. The cups can be saved for years, just have a few extra in your stash incase any get broken!
3. Roll and race
You will need copies of a hundred chart, dice, and crayons. Students will roll a dice and count the number of spaces that they rolled on their hundreds chart. They will color in the number that they land on. (Ex. if they roll a 2, they will count 1, 2, and color in the number 2. If they roll a 3 next, they will count 3, 4, 5, and color in the 5.) Teachers always have dice in their math manipulatives, and you’ll just need to copy the hundreds charts each year!
4. Snap cube creations
Students love building with snap cubes! Count out 100 snap cubes and put them in a bin. Students will create structures using 100 snap cubes. This is another great activity for students to complete with a partner. (It’s important that you use snap cubes for this activity and not unifix cubes so that students can make more than just straight lines.) Save the counted out snap cubes in gallon sized baggies so you don’t even have to count them out again next year!
5. Hundreds chart puzzles
Copy a hundreds chart on bright colored paper. Cut it up into different sized pieces, and put each color in a different baggie. Students will take a baggie and try and put the hundreds chart back together. (For younger students, it’s helpful to have a finished hundreds chart available so they can rebuild their hundreds chart on top of it if they need some support.) Save the baggies of cut up hundreds charts for the following years!
6. 100th day hats
Copy these free 100th day hats on cardstock and give students markers or colored pencils (something they don’t usually have access to) to color their hat. Then, they will cut it out and glue it in the middle of a sentence strip. All you’ll have to do is help them measure it around their head and staple it! Save your original copy for years to come, and the only prep you’ll need to do is making copies!
7. 100th day coloring pages
Copy these free 100th day coloring pages for students. Allow students to color them in using something they don’t normally use, like markers or colored pencils. These coloring pages make a great photo op! Keep your original for next year, and just make copies!
So, are you ready to take back your time on days 95-99? Try one or two of these activities, and you will save time and sanity as you prepare for your 100th day of school!
Click here to grab your 100th day of school freebies! Happy 100th day!
