10 Low-Cost and Low-Prep End-of-School-Year Activities to Keep Students Moving

The end of another successful school year is upon us. Make the end of the year extra special with some entertaining and engaging activities that will get students moving as they build critical thinking skills along with fine and gross motor skills. 

Even though these tasks may seem simple, students will quickly learn how challenging they can be. Minute to Win It Games help students exercise creativity in their problem solving as they think outside the box to try unique strategies. 

Check out these 10 Minute to Win It games for the end of the school year. Get out your timer or stopwatch, set the time for one minute, and have some fun!

To add a math component to many games:

• Have students count their final results by 2s or 5s. If desired, ask students to guess the number before counting.
• Allow students to take turns timing the class and counting down the last 5 or 10 seconds.
• Ask students to measure final distances with a yard/meter stick, ruler, or tape measure.
• Have students measure the weight of their final result with a scale.

1. CHOPSTICKS CHALLENGE

For each student: two small bowls, O-shaped cereal or dried beans/peas, chopsticks

Set up two small bowls in front of each student. Fill the bowl on the left with O-shaped cereal or dried beans/peas. Students should use chopsticks to transfer the items from the full bowl on the left to the empty bowl on the right. The student who transfers the most cereal with chopsticks wins.

2. FLOATING ON AIR

For each student: tissue paper square (2-inch to 5-inch square)

Provide each student with a small square of tissue paper. Tell students to blow the tissue paper to keep it in the air for as long as possible. As an alternative, have students blow the tissue paper as far as possible across the room. 

3. KEEP THE BALLOON UP

For each student, pair, or team: balloon (filled with air)

Provide a balloon for each individual student, pair, or team. Tell students to keep the balloon (or two!) in the air for a minute. Add an extra level of difficulty to the game by challenging students to use their entire bodies — except for arms and hands — or by keeping one or both hands behind their backs. 

4. CEREAL BRACELET

For each student: small bowl, O-shaped cereal, pipe cleaner

Provide each student with a pipe cleaner and a bowl filled with O-shaped cereal. Tell students to use only one hand to place as many pieces of cereal on the pipe cleaner as they can. The student who gathers the most cereal pieces wins.

5. PENNY STACK 

For each student: pennies

Tell students to use one hand to stack as many pennies as they can. If the penny tower falls, students can restack the pennies until time is up. The student who stacks the most pennies wins.

6. POTATO ROLLING RELAY

For the class: oval-shaped potatoes, spoons, painter’s tape

Create two straight tape lines in an open area of the classroom. Divide the class into two teams. Tell students they will complete a relay. Each student should use a spoon to roll a potato along the line and back to the start position. Then, the next student should roll the potato. Record how many times students roll the potato down the line and back or which team completes a predetermined number of rolls the fastest.  

7. SNOWBALL SCOOP

For the class: blindfold, serving spoon, large bowl, cotton balls 

Have students sit in a large circle. Blindfold one or more students, and have them sit in the center. Give the blindfolded student a serving spoon and large bowl. Scatter cotton balls around them. Tell the student to use the serving spoon to scoop as many “snowballs” as possible and place them in the bowl. Tell the class to help the student find the snowballs by giving them directions. If desired, repeat the game with another blindfolded student.

8. SPIDER WEB BUCKET

For the class: painter’s tape; large bucket, basket, or trashcan; cotton balls or paper balls

Using a circular bucket, basket, or empty trashcan, position tape in a web-like pattern (over the opening) with the sticky side up. Provide cotton balls or crumpled-up paper balls for each student. Ask students to throw the balls toward the container. Tell students the goal is not for the balls to land in the container, but for the balls to land on the tape web instead.

9. STRAW MOVEMENT

For each student: two napkins, fish-shaped or small oyster crackers, straw

Place two napkins and a straw in front of each student. Fill the napkin on the left with small crackers. Tell students to use the straw to suck up and transfer the crackers from the napkin on the left to the empty napkin on the right. The student who moves the most crackers using suction wins. Allow everyone to enjoy their crackers as a snack when the game is complete.

10. TIMELY TRANSFER

For the class: container of cotton balls, empty container, spoon

Set up a container of cotton balls on one side of the room. Tell students they should scoop and transfer as many cotton balls as they can to an empty container on the other side of the room. Students need to move quickly, doing their best to keep the cotton balls from flying off the spoon. 

These Minute to Win It Games are sure to make the end of the school year active and enjoyable!

Walkabouts are on-demand adventures that transform any space into a movement-rich environment where students engage in physical activity while they learn. The active lessons integrate kinesthetic techniques with classroom fundamentals. Ready to try Walkabouts? Click here to sign up for a 30-day trial today!