ABC Countdown

I have done the ABC Countdown for 15 years, and it's something my past students tell me they remember about my class!

What is the ABC Countdown? Starting with 26 days left of school, do a fun activity starting with the letter A (Art, Airplane contest), the next day do a B activity (Blow Bubbles), and so on.

What kind of activities? I try to include a variety so it's not all on me! I include days we are already doing (field day, field trips, picnic to the park, any school wide activities), days that they are required to bring something (a hat, pajama, show and tell), and days that I do provide something extra (ice cream, popcorn). Most days are just fun, quick additions to our day that keep them excited.

How does it keep them engaged? For the most part, we do the activity at the end of the day (the hardest part of the day) so I am often saying "Let's stay focused and get our work done so we can do our ABC Countdown!" I've also incorporated some activities into our daily lessons like read alouds, online books, slides, and games. The delivery of the days also keeps them engaged and guessing. I used to send home a sheet with all 26 days ahead of time, but I've found revealing them little by little is more fun! Last year, I hung balloons and we popped one the day before. This year, I am sharing the next week's days the Friday before, and then hanging them on the bulletin board as a reminder.

S is for Slumber Party:

FREEBIE! Go ahead and download my editable ABC Countdown slides. I have made a list of ideas for each letter (of days I have actually done in the past), some tips for implementing, and slides for many of the letters. I put these in my daily slides, add it to my Classroom Screen for the day, and print them to hang as a display.