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The end of the school year is nigh, and if you’re limping to the finish line like I am, adding another task to your overwhelmingly long to-do list is probably the last thing you want to think about. But hear me out, finally making it to the last day is a momentous occasion and should be celebrated, if only because we finally get a break from the relentless onslaught of school emails, texts and app notifications we get all year long. So after you’ve gathered your child from the bus stop or waited through the parent pickup line for the last time (this year anyway), push through and party on — you finally made it!
Throw an aerosol string party.
Shout out to my neighborhood bus stop moms who started this tradition years ago. Greet the kids with cans of aerosol string (such as Silly String) as they file off the bus and let ‘em rip. Trust me, the kids will take over spraying duty in no time so you can sit back and — well, relax isn’t quite the right word. Sure, it’s untethered chaos but it only lasts as long as the cans do. Just remember to clean up after yourselves before heading home.
Plan a picnic.
Nothing says footloose and fancy-free quite like a picnic on a sunny day, especially when it marks the beginning of summer vacation. Pack your kids’ favorites into your picnic basket of choice, grab a comfortable blanket and head to a neighborhood park or pocket beach to commemorate the day as a family.
Set up a sundae station.
Although we can’t always count on the last day of school being a hot summer day here in the Pacific Northwest, we can count on ice cream as a way to celebrate. Set up a sundae bar with delicious ice cream choices, plentiful toppings and mounds of fresh whipped cream. Invite neighbors and classmates to really make it a party.
Break out summer favorites.
Bring on the sidewalk chalk, bubble machines, squirt guns and water balloons. The last day of school is a perfect opportunity to revive summer favorites that might be feeling neglected after a long winter’s nap. Set up a backyard party or sidewalk “happening” — it’s time to bring on the long, lazy days of summer!
However you choose to mark the occasion, I hope it’s the start to a really great summer.
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