Dressing the Part
As a teacher, we have to dress the part. My grade level partners and I bought poodle skirts for this shop a few years ago. They have worked out great! We encourage students to dress up, but this is completely optional! The great thing is the 50th day of school is usually around Halloween, so there are plenty of costumes available for kids if they wish to dress up.
So many of our students find cute things and dress up in poodle skirts or as a greaser. Look for some cute fabric to make a photo backdrop. You will then have the perfect mix for cute photos! We always have a parent taking photos for us.
This is a picture of my son and I from when he was in first grade.
50th Day of School Stations
We set up our day, so they kids are rotating through stations throughout the morning. They are at each station for about 15-20 minutes. Here are the stations we have had.
Working With the Number 50
We always start the day off with some fun math activities focused around the number 50.
Sock Hop
A sock hop is a must! Your students will love some of the music from the 1950’s. There are some fun KidBop videos on YouTube you can search for as well.
Make Root Beer Floats
Making root beer floats is a must! This is a great way to practice sequencing. First, we learned the steps so when they went to that station they were familiar with the process. We had a few disagreements as to which comes first; the root beer or the ice cream. Which do you prefer? We are a democratic class, so we voted. Ice cream first won!
Jukebox Craft
It’s too bad jukeboxes are not very common anymore. They really were fascinating and so different from how we listen to music these days. You can find pictures and videos of them on the web and Youtube. Since we can’t see a jukebox in real life, we made our own craft! Our students love making these jukeboxes.
On the back of these, we write about life in the 1950’s and life now. The writing part comes the next day after we have compared the time periods.
1950’s play
Play! Yes, we have a room that is dedicated to play, but with toys from the 1950’s for kids to play with. There is also a great youtube video about the toys from the 1950’s. Just search toys from the 50’s on youtube.
Bubble Gum Blowing Contest
Can your students blow a bubble? That is a challenge we put out to our students. They love trying, plus they get to chew gum at school!
Hula Hoops, Jump Ropes and Hopscotch
One of the stations we have outside is an 1950’s outdoor toy station. We have hula hoops, jump ropes and hopscotch available to play. We have a couple of parents set up at this station to help teach them how to play or do these activities.
Hand Jive
Our music teacher gets into the 50th Day of School as well. She comes in later in the day and teaches our students the hand jive. What a great way incorporate motor skills.
Tootsie Roll Measuring
Tootsie Roll measuring is a fun way to practice nonstandard measuring. One tip I have is have the tootsie rolls unwrapped and ready to use. Students will use the unwrapped rolls for the measuring. When they are done, you can give them a wrapped one to eat!
Record Exploration
Records are not something students have much exposure to anymore, so we put out feelers for a record player to borrow. We have collected old 45’s that we let the students touch and play with.
If you are able to gather extra 45 records, you can turn them into a fun memory keeper using pictures from the day.
These activities make for a full day of fun and learning! Do you celebrate the 50th day of school? What are some of the activities that you do in your classroom?
If you are interested in some of the activities from this blogpost, check out the pack below.
Find this 50th Day of School pack in my TPT store or at The Teacher Bag Store.
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