With the end of the school year right around the corner, we know kids are counting down the days to Summer (we all are, we hear you!) To keep them from checking out entirely, here are some tips to help finish the school year strong:

1. Make a Summer Bucket List: Write everything your child wants to do this summer on a list and hang it somewhere they can see it to motivate them to finish the year off strong so they can get to do all those fun things.

2. Plan Something Fun: Off of that bucket list, plan something fun for right after school ends, so your kids have something tangible to look forward to.



3. Create a Countdown: You can use one of these fun, creative ideas to make a countdown to the last day of school to get your kids really excited about it.

4. Start Thinking About Summer Sweets: Does your child have a favorite frozen treat they eat during Summer? Put that on the grocery list for after school is over. Or, you could buy them right before school ends to get them excited about the last few weeks. Looking for inspiration? Try freezing some GoGo squeeZ for a treat we like to call “Frogo.” Simply snip the top off and enjoy as you would an ice pop.

5. Make Class Gifts: Your child will be the talk of the class if they come sporting these cute gifts for each of their classmates. You can print the tags here, then just tie them on a GoGo squeeZ of your choice. Easy squeeZie.

6. Have a Party: Once school is actually over, why not throw a party to celebrate your child’s accomplishment in completing the year? Make it summer-themed by using pails and shovels instead of bowls to serve snacks, put little umbrellas in the drinks, and serve ice pops. Tastes like Summer to us!

7. Study Buddy: For exam-time, enlist the help of a study-buddy to study with your child. They’ll help each other learn and probably have fun in the process.



8. Eat Eggs: Did you know that eggs have one of the best sources of choline, a nutrient essential to brain and memory health, of any food? Whip up an omelet or some scrambled eggs for your child before their end-of-the-year exams to ensure they do their best when they get to the test. You can even serve them eggs as a study-snack!



9. Talk Strategy: For kids with many exams at the end of the year, it can be a bit overwhelming. Talk to them about test-taking strategies such as checking their work, reading slowly, returning to questions they are unsure of instead of spending a lot of time worrying about them, etc.



10. Ease Anxiety: Instead of constantly checking in on your child’s study habits, create a low-key environment, conducive to learning and memory-retention for them to study in. Light a sage-scented candle (sage aids in retention), and serve up a big spinach salad (spinach speeds up the brain and protects it from oxidative stress). Sounds like learning-zen, doesn’t it?



11. Make Teacher Gifts: Teachers work very hard to make sure our kids are cared for every day, so we think it’s important to give them a little something to say thank you. We love these adorable gifts (a teacher can never have too many desk supplies or snacks, right?).

12. Remember the Year: Have your child fill out either a journal or a few blank pages about their favorite moments from the school year to help them remember it. If they do it each year, it’ll help them remember all of their favorite things about each year they were in school, and hopefully get them excited about the years to come.



What are you doing to make sure the school year ends on a high note? Share with us in the comments below!