Why My Kids Get Gifts on the Last Day of School
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Every year, my kids get gifts on the last day of school. We call it a visit from the Last Day of School Fairy, but they know the gifts come from us. This tradition started at the end of the first full COVID school year. They worked so hard doing their work from home and overcoming all the adversity that the pandemic brought with it, so we thought they deserved a reward. We’ve continued the tradition ever since, and it’s become something the kids look forward to every year. To be clear, the last-day-of-school gifts are not rewards for good grades; they are rewards for hard work. We talk about progress in class throughout the school year, and we recognize that kids learn in different ways. The important thing to us is that our kids are doing their best and asking for help when they need it.
Introducing the Last Day of School Fairy
The gifts from the Last Day of School Fairy are always small, so it’s nothing like what we do for their birthdays or the holidays. We focus on giving gifts they can use throughout the summer. This was mostly because there were no summer camps or day programs for the kids to attend during that COVID summer. We wanted to give them things to keep them busy and active while we worked from home. The focus still remains on summer-themed presents they can use while not in school. Here’s a breakdown of how we choose presents for the Last Day of School Fairy to deliver.
Summer Reading List Books
Keeping up with reading skills over the summer is important, so we try to reinforce good reading habits with a small selection of books. We will visit the library over the summer for more book options, but we do like to give a couple of books as presents. These might be books from the school’s official reading list, but sometimes they are just books the kids are interested in. In kindergarten, the summer books we chose focused on sight words and basic reading skills. As the kids got older, the topics shifted towards their interests, such as sport and dance. You can also add in a summer journal to help kids record all the memories they make with your family during the school break.
Outdoor Toys for Summer
Encouraging kids to head outdoors and enjoy the weather is a little easier with some fun outdoor toys for summer. In the past, we’ve given sidewalk chalk, bubble machines, and jump ropes as small gifts. Water balloons and water cannons are also great options, but you can also opt for pool toys if you’re fortunate enough to have a swimming pool in your yard. Cool sunglasses and cute sun hats also fall into this category too. Get creative and keep your child’s interests in mind when selecting outdoor toys for summer. For example, my sports-loving kid got a small lacrosse set this year, which they can use to play with the neighbor kids all summer long.
Vacation Gear for Kids
If you’re planning a summer vacation, the last-day-of-school gifts can be centered around the trip. Beach towels and toys for sandcastles are great if you’ll be heading to a beach or water park, while activity books are perfect for keeping kids busy during summer road trips. A visit to Disney might mean gifting your kids Mickey Mouse T-shirts or luggage tags for the trip. If your vacation is just a few days after the end of the school year, you can also include snacks for a road trip or plane trip too. When we buy vacation gear for kids, the gifts are typically items we would buy anyway, but they’re more fun to receive as presents.
Rainy Day Activities
Summer break also means planning for rainy days, so I try to include a few things the kids can use indoors. Craft kits, coloring books, activity books, and painting projects are all great options. We’ve done stepping stone craft kits before, which were a big hit. Mad Libs are also great for keeping kids entertained when they can’t venture outside, and they come in all sorts of fun themes now. Our Swiftie got Taylor Swift Mad Libs, while our super reader received Diary of a Wimpy Kid Mad Libs.
Gifts for Older Kids
It’s sometimes easier to find presents for younger kids, but that doesn’t mean teens and tweens don’t also love getting surprises on the last day of school. Starbucks gift cards (in small amounts) are perfect for teens who want to hang out at Starbies with friends. If your child has a Stanley tumbler, consider Stanley tumbler accessories to dress it up a little bit. Skincare and spa-themed presents are also good for tweens and teens who are into beauty and fashion. Gamers might enjoy gift cards for their favorite platforms and games (such as Roblox) or accessories for their consoles.
There really are no rules for how to start your own Last Day of School Fairy tradition. I tend to start with a budget in mind, shopping for the “bigger” things first (such as books or board games). After that, I shop dollar stores and places like 5 Below to find small trinkets. The dollar bins at Target are also great for finding presents from the Last Day of School Fairy. Finding small gifts to delight the kids brings us immense joy, and they know they’ll be rewarded at the end of each school year as long as they focus and do their best in every class.
