100th Day Of School

Monkey Mania

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Pick an unusual theme, one that will get students’ attention. You might want to try “Go Bananas For 100th Day.” Decorate your school with images of monkeys, stuffed toy monkeys, inflatable monkeys, etc. Write the names of students on cutouts of bananas. Then hang them on bulletin boards. Give everyone “I’m Bananas For 100th Day” Banana-Scented Die-Cut Bookmarks . Also hand out “I’m Wild About 100th Day” Heat-Sensitive Pencils, which feature a monkey and a panda bear. Surprise your students and teachers by serving a midmorning snack of fresh bananas, banana muffins, or banana pudding.

Early Earth Day

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Help your class “go green” for 100th Day. One week prior, instruct the children to collect recyclable materials, other than paper. Divide 100 by the number of students in the class to set a target number of items per child. Request that they don’t pull items out of recycling bins. Have them collect bottles, cans, etc. from their friends at lunch or from relatives who usually toss out recyclables. That way, the students will help with the problem of overflowing landfills. Give out an “I’m 100 Days Smarter” Gold-Foil Stamped Ribbon to each student who turns in items. The ribbon is green! Count the recyclables on the designated day to see if the class made it to 100.

Balloon Bonanza

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Sometimes it’s the simplest things that are the most fun for children. Give each student a balloon blown up with regular air, not helium. Challenge everyone to keep the balloons in the air for 100 seconds. Allow them to use any body parts other than their hands. They may need many attempts to finally complete the task. Play kid-friendly rock music while the balloon activity is going on. Then hand out gifts from the “100th Day Of School Rocks!” Value Pack.

Kernels In Class

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Show your students 100 unpopped kernels of popcorn. Have each of them write down a guess of how much space the kernels will take up once popped if they are laid down in a single layer. For example, an answer might be a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Put 120 kernels in an air popper, since some of them won’t pop. Try having the children guess how many actually will pop. Hand out “Happy 100th Day” Glasses and urge everyone to pretend they’re goggles to wear during the popping. When the air popper is finished, count the pieces out loud, then measure 100 of them. Be ready with more popcorn for the class to eat. While the students munch, have them work through some of the pages in the “Let’s Count To 100” Educational Activities Books.

Sizing Up Steps

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See if your students possess an accurate sense of distance. First, choose a child with average-sized feet. Outline one of his or her shoes on paper to create a template. Have the whole class help you cut out 100 paper feet. Ask your students to estimate where 100 steps from the classroom would take them. Tell them in which direction they will be walking, such as towards the gym. Then have the students actually take the 100 steps. Place the paper feet on the floor as they walk. Award a “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Skateboard Backpack Tag/Key Ring to the child whose guess is the closest. Give “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Stickers-On-A-Roll to all participants.

Reading & Writing

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Include a literature component in 100th Day. Give your class the task of creating a shared story of 100 sentences. Get them started by supplying a title. Let the children take turns contributing a sentence at a time. Carefully write down the sentences so you can read the whole story back to them. At the end of the day, promote more writing by sending each child home with a “100 Things About Me” Activities Book & Journal. Also provide a Pencil from the 100th Day Assortment Pencil Pack (see page 11).

Awesome Opposites

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Help your students learn about opposites. Hold a brainstorming session with the goal of 50 pairs of opposites, which would be 100 items. Present the class categories to make it easier, for example hot and cold things, things in the air and things on the ground, etc. For extra fun, pass out “I’m 100 Days Smarter” Crowns for them to wear as “thinking caps” while brainstorming. After the goal is reached, reward everyone with “I’m 100 Days Smarter” Buttons.

Rockin’ ‘n’ Rollin’

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ell in advance of 100th Day, let your teachers and staff know that you’d like them to dress as rock stars for your school’s celebration. Encourage them to get creative. Also ask them to keep this a secret from students. The week of your event, pique students’ interest by telling them they need to be present to see “guest appearances.” Supply your teachers and staff with “100th Day Of School Rocks!” Temporary Tattoos to add to their rocker looks. Reward students for attending school on your special day by entering them into drawings for “100th Day Of School Rocks!” Shaped Rubber Wristbands.

Measuring Millimeters

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Cut a rope into 100 millimeter pieces. Give each student a piece. Ask them to find things in the classroom that are shorter, about the same length, and longer than the rope. Then repeat the activity outside if the weather allows. If you can’t go outdoors, move the activity to the library. Commemorate the day with “I’m 100 Days Stronger, Smarter, Sharper” 2-Sided Paper Bracelets or “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Laminated Backpack Tags With Chains.

Colorful Collages

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Combine counting and art. Obtain very small squares of tissue paper, enough for each child to have 100. (These are available at craft stores and online.) Distribute “Let’s Count To 100” Bookmarks so everyone has the numbers 1-100 to look at if needed. Have each child count out 100 paper squares. Then lead them in creating colorful collages by gluing down the pieces. End the project by handing out “I Can Count To 100” Stickers-On-A-Roll.

Fitness Fun

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Add a touch of Field Day into 100th Day. Create a 100-yard-dash course. Have students travel the distance multiple times. At first, ask them to run the 100 yards. Next instruct them to skip, then hop. You could even challenge the students to walk quickly while carrying an egg on a spoon. Also hold a 3-legged race on your course. Use the items in the “100 Days Stronger, Smarter, Sharper” Class Pack, such as the Backpack Tags, to honor your students for their efforts.

Up Their Alley

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Develop a bowling game in which the highest score possible is 100. Use 10 empty 20-ounce plastic bottles as the pins. Let your class roll a medium-sized rubber ball in attempts to knock over the bottles. Make each “pin” worth one point, with no additional points for strikes or spares. Have the students keep track of their own scores by writing down what they get on each roll and adding these up along the way. When someone knocks over eight or more bottles in one roll, award a “(Name) Was Caught Being Good” Sticker. Halfway through the activity, pass out “Happy 100th Day” Glasses. See if wearing them makes any difference. Play a 10-frame game, as in regular bowling.

Heaps Of Fun

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Combine estimating, measuring, and counting into one activity. Obtain good-sized plastic bowls, such as those used at parties for chips, available at dollar stores. Place students into small groups, with a bowl per group. Provide the groups with containers of sugar, dry peas, and bird seed. Also distribute disposable plastic spoons. Have every student estimate how full the bowls will be with 100 spoonfuls of sugar in them. Write students’ names on masking tape and attach to bowls to show guesses. Students can take turns scooping. Repeat activity with the peas, then the bird seed. Give out “I’m Wild About 100th Day” Temporary Tattoos for all the great counting. Award an “I’m 100 Days Smarter” Silicone Bracelet With Card to the student in each group with the closest guess per substance.

Photographic Evidence

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Compile a unique scrapbook for 100th Day. Use “A Note From The Teacher” Postcards to mail a message to parents. Ask them to have their child bring a family photo to school. Make color copies of the photos so the originals can be returned. Arrange the copies in an album. Have your students count the number of people in each photo and add up the numbers. If the total is less than 100, recruit school employees to be photographed and included in the book. Thank each staff member with an “Our Students Are 100 Days Smarter!” Button.

“Berry” Healthy

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Good nutrition is crucial for learning, any day of the year. Hold a produce-tasting party. Choose some fruits and vegetables that the students are already familiar with. Then find a wide variety that the class most likely hasn’t tried yet. Also supply light ranch dressing and Italian dressing. Hand out “100th Day” Fruit & Veggie Stickers-On-A-Roll during the party. Make sure the praise for trying new food is plentiful. At the end of the event, award “I’m 100 Days Stronger, Smarter, Sharper” Certificates to the entire class.

Found Art

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Well in advance of 100th Day, begin gathering Styrofoam. Ask other adults to keep their eyes open for the substance. Cut large pieces into smaller pieces. Don’t stop your hunt until you have 100. On your celebration day, let students stack up the Styrofoam in creative arrangements, one person at a time. After each student’s turn, take a digital photo, then deconstruct the Styrofoam so it can be used for the next student. Print out the photos. Ask your class to vote on the Styrofoam statues. Reward the “designer” of the most popular creation with a “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Pencil Pouch Set. Give out Gold-Foil Stamped “I’m 100 Days Smarter” Ribbon Bracelets to thank everyone for participating.

Animal Kingdom

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What is more appealing to children than cute animals? Start with “Wild About 100th Day” Educational Activities Books, available in the “Wild About 100th Day” Class Pack or separately. Help your students work through the books. By the end, they will have read about 100 critters. Arrange the students into groups. Give each group miniature marshmallows and toothpicks. Have every group count out 100 of each. Challenge the students to turn these supplies into animal shapes. For example, a dog would have multiple marshmallows as a body, four toothpicks for legs, a marshmallow head, and a toothpick tail. (Toothpicks may need to be cut in half.)

Let’s Get Moving

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As you plan 100th Day festivities, don’t forget that your students are growing physically in addition to mentally. Hang up the “Let’s Cheer! 100th Day Is Here!” Poster. It has lines for students to write their names and 100th Day activities. Encourage each student to do a physical action 100 times. Some suggestions include jumping up and down, twirling around, or bouncing a ball. Have your students fill in the poster, then give everyone “I’m 100 Days Stronger, Smarter, Sharper” Bookmarks.

Making “Cents” Out Of Money

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American money is the perfect subject to discuss on 100th Day. Explain that a dollar is worth 100 cents. Also teach that quarters are worth 25 cents, dimes 10, and nickels five. Oversee the “trading” of toy money. One child could exchange 10 dimes for a dollar. Another child’s dollar could become four quarters. Someone could swap 20 nickels for two quarters and five dimes. Eventually, have all the students “spend” their toy money on an item from the “Happy 100th Day” Class Pack or the “100th Day” Button Assortment Pack

It’s Hip To Be A Square

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Divide your class into groups, and distribute a set of 100 wooden blocks to each. Have every group put its blocks into 10 rows of 10 each. Pass out “Happy 100th Day of School Pencils“ and paper. Call out a number between 74 and 100 for the students to write down. Ask each group to remove blocks from its set of 100 to come up with your specified number. If you say 89, for example, students should “subtract” 11 blocks. Do this several times, always starting with 100 blocks. Keep students’ minds on math by giving them “Let’s Count To 100!” Educational Activities Books.

Small Things Add Up

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Months before the 100th Day, let students (and parents) know that they will need to present collections of 100 items each. Perhaps a student already has a growing collection of something, such as seashells or marbles. But if not, that’s OK too. He or she can begin gathering common items: paper clips, rubber bands, rocks, etc. Finally, when the big day arrives, hand out “Happy 100th Day” Crowns. They can be worn during the presentations. Congratulate everyone at the end with “100 Fun Things To Look For” Bookmarks. These will provide students with ideas of more things to count.

Guessing Game

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Fill a jar with candy, gum, or small toys. Have students guess how many items are in the jar, writing their answers on slips of paper. Decorate the guessing area with “Let’s Count To 100” Posters. Announce the winner on the 100th day, giving the jar’s contents as the prize. Another version of this activity is to fill several jars. Place exactly 100 items in only one of the jars with the rest having varied amounts. The students guess which jar contains 100. Give all participants “Let’s Count To 100” Bookmarks.

Telling Time

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Add this quick game to your 100th Day lineup. Ask your students to sit at their desks with their eyes closed. Tell them to not open their eyes for 100 seconds (starting at the word “go”) and then stand when they think the time is up. Use a stopwatch to accurately know when the time has really passed. Award “Happy 100th Day Of School” Pencil Sharpeners or “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Skateboard Backpack Key Tags to the children who are closest to being right.

Spend Or Share

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Get a feel for your students’ concept of the value of money. Ask them what they each would do with $100. Some children may overestimate how far $100 will go, others may underestimate. Notice if any students say they would donate or share at least part of their money. Present these students with Gold Foil-Stamped Good Character Award Certificates. Give everyone else a sticker from the Good Character Assortment Stickers-On-A-Roll to encourage charitable qualities.

Caring Collection

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Organize a food drive to benefit a local food bank or shelter. The deadline for turning in all the non-perishable goods would be the 100th Day of School. Set a goal of 100 items. Reward students who contribute with “Happy 100th Day” Crowns. Discuss with the children how getting enough to eat is something to be thankful for. Then pass out “100th Day Of School Is Cool” Heat Sensitive Pens that students can use to write down other things for which they give thanks. Keep working until the class as a whole has 100.

Attention To Attendance

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Recognize 100 days of perfect attendance by arranging a mini awards ceremony. Print out dozens of the number 100 to plaster all over the walls of the auditorium, gymnasium, or cafeteria (whichever is your ceremony location). Present “100 Days Of Perfect Attendance” Adhesive Back Ribbons or Perfect Attendance Medallions With Neckbands to those who haven’t missed a day of school yet.

Helping Hands

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Brainstorm with the children helpful acts they are capable of doing. Aim for a list of 100. Then work through the “100 Ways To Show Good Character” Educational Activities Book, which also is available as part of the “100 Days Of Good Character” Class Pack. Urge the students to put their ideas of helpful acts and their knowledge of good character to use in school and out in the world.

Silly Sentence

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Make a class book with pages the children design. Give them this sentence to fill in “I could eat 100 blank, but I could never eat 100 blank.” Have the students draw pictures of their objects. Hand out “Happy 100th Day” Lollipops. Explain that even though they might believe they’d want to eat 100 lollipops, it’s really not a smart idea.

Review As Reinforcement

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Assist students in remembering information taught during the first 100 days of the school year. Spend a day reviewing, which will tell you what students are retaining and will reinforce the material. Thank students for their efforts with “100th Day Is Cool, Look What I Can Do” Bookmarks. In addition, distribute “I’m A Star On 100th Day” Desktop Awards for them to proudly display. On the back of both the bookmarks and the awards is an area for students to write in things they’ve learned.

Wild About Education

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To generate enthusiasm for the second part of the year, emphasize the positive. Create a bulletin board with the title “100 Reasons We Like School.” Post the reasons students give; you may need to get the ball rolling and supply a few to start. Recognize all answers as valid, even recess and lunch. Celebrate the wonderful aspects of school by passing out “I’m Wild About 100th Day” Temporary Tattoos and “I’m Wild About 100th Day” Backpack Clip/Zipper Pulls.

Blast To The Past

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Have the children put on their thinking caps and come up with 100 objects that did not exist 100 years ago. They could be placed in categories such as entertainment, food, appliances, and transportation. Launch into a lesson about what it was like at the turn of the 20th century. Hand out “Happy 100th Day Of School” Pencil & Certificate Award Packs. Pencils were around 100 years ago, just growing fancier over the years.

Great In Groups

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Plan an activity that requires the number 100 and teamwork. Divide your class into teams and provide each one with a 100-piece puzzle. Then challenge the teams to put together the puzzles as quickly as possible. When the puzzles are assembled, distribute “Let’s Cheer! 100th Day Is Here!” Ribbon Bracelets to the entire class. Reward the members of the fastest team with “Everyone’s A Star On 100th Day” Pencil Top Erasers in addition to the bracelets.

Mastering Math

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Show that math is everywhere, especially on the 100th Day. Assign students the task of finding people whose ages total exactly 100. For example, a student might have a 32-year-old mom, a 35-year-old dad, a 9-year-old sister, a 3-year-old brother, a 10-year-old cousin, and an 11-year-old friend. If someone has a very small family, suggest he or she look around school for people. Whenever a student turns in a completed list that has the correct total, give either a “Math Sums It All Up” Silicone Bracelet or “Math Is Cool” Dog Tag.