End of year memory books are a fun and rewarding way to document and reflect on the experiences and accomplishments of the school year. These books can provide a valuable keepsake for both students and their families, and they can be a great way to celebrate the end of the school year.
When creating end of year memory books, first you’ll need to decide if you are making class or individual books. If you settle on individual books, there are several pages that you should include to make them as comprehensive and meaningful as possible.
Essential Pages for End of Year Memory Books
Cover
This may seem like a silly page to include on this list, but it really is important. If nothing else, make sure the cover of your end of year memory books includes your grade level and school year.
A few style options you can choose for a cover might be a class photo, a blank page for students to illustrate and show off their creativity, or a picture for students to color.
All About Me
On this page, students could fill out a questionnaire with common facts about them like how old they are, their favorite color, what they like to do with their friends, etc.
Self Portrait
A self-portrait page allows students to draw or color a picture of themselves. This can be a fun and creative activity, and it provides a way for students to reflect on their own appearance and personal identity.
If you have students that don’t consider themselves artists and would hate to draw themselves (AKA me as a shy five-year-old), consider having a kid template that students can trace or just color – think those old-school paper dolls.
My School
On this page, students could draw a map of their school or you could focus the page more on your classroom. They could also record information about their specials teachers, what they liked to play at recess, how they got to school etc.
My Classmates
This page can include a group photo of your students together, a class list, etc. If you want this page to be more creative, you can have students draw each of their classmates. If you go this route, I would suggest having a two-page spread with enough boxes for students to draw a classmate in each box.
To take this a step further, students could write a list of new friends from their class, who they sat next to, or a favorite memory with their classmates.
My Teacher
You could take this page in a few directions.
- Create a page all about you with a picture. Then copy the page for each student to add to their book.
- Have students draw your picture and write their favorite memory with you.
- For a more personalized option, attach a picture of you and the student alongside a personalized note.
Favorite Lessons Learned
This page could really be several pages. Students can record all the favorite things they learned about like the butterfly life cycle or they can write about new skills they acquired like subtracting.
Favorite Activities
This page is a little different because students would focus less on academic things they did at school. So maybe they write or draw about your field trip, the book fair, or their choir concert.
Favorite Memories
This page can include things like class parties, reading with their fourth-grade book buddies, or moments with friends and classmates.
Achievements
This page can include drawings, photos, or written descriptions of the student’s learning and achievements from the school year. This can include things like new words learned, math concepts mastered, or other academic milestones.
It’s really hard to narrow down end of year memory books to just a few pages. Even on my list of ten, there are really more pages than that! In fact, the end of year memory books I offer over in my Creation Castle store have 30 pages, along with an additional 53 pages that span across the school year! (I know that’s a lot and I would NEVER expect anyone to use all those pages!)
Overall, end of year memory books should include a variety of pages that capture the experiences and accomplishments of the school year. By including pages like these, you can create a comprehensive and meaningful book for students to look back on for years to come.
Creation Castle
Heather is the author of Creation Castle. She has experience with general education, special education, and ESL students in kindergarten through fifth grade. She specializes in early elementary math and literacy, as well as organization.
