What to do on the last days of school?
The end of the school year can feel like a strange in-between space. Your students are tired, the summer holidays are around the corner, and let’s be honest: everyone’s motivation is starting to fade (including yours!).
But those final lessons still matter. They’re a chance to recycle what students have learned, end on a high note, and keep that spark of curiosity alive , even if you’re working with low energy and short attention spans.
In this post, I’m sharing engaging, low-prep ideas that will come in handy.
1. Speaking Holiday Maze
This is our go-to activity in the final week. It’s fun, it’s communicative, and it always works, even with the most distracted groups.
-Teacher reads through holiday scenarios
-They choose how the story continues
-They negotiate with their partners
-And they use vocabulary from the year naturally
Grab it from our TPT store:
2. Try a Short Play or Drama
Drama is perfect for this time of year. Students don’t realise they’re practising pronunciation, intonation, and team skills while having fun.
We’ve gathered a few short plays ideal for end-of-year ESL classes:
The London and the Robin Hood resoruces are larger projects that not only contain short plays but also games, quizzes, vocabulary, reading comprehension activities and are useful for a whole summer project for instance.
3. Quizzes & Word Games
If your students are running low on energy but still enjoy a challenge, quizzes and word games can be the perfect solution. They’re quick to set up, can be played in teams or individually, and are surprisingly effective at consolidating vocabulary and spelling.
One of our favourite sites is the Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Quizzes page. It has tons of themed and levelled quizzes like:
- Name That Thing
- True or False Vocabulary
- Commonly Confused Words
They work great on a digital whiteboard or shared screen, and students love the competitive element. You can even make it into a class tournament!
4. «Would You Rather» Speaking Prompts
No prep needed, just prepare a few fun or silly questions like:
- Would you rather only speak English in rhyme or only whisper?
- Would you rather visit London or New York?
Students must justify their answers, which encourages language production without feeling like a task.
5 Listening with LyricsTraining
LyricsTraining turns song lyrics into listening gap-fill games. Choose the level, pick a song your students love, and play.
What do you do on the last days?