Standards addressed: Mathematics; 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.6, 1.NBT.A.1, Language; RF.1.2, RF.1.3, RF.1.4, W.1.2, W.1.8, SL.1.1, SL.1.3, SL.1.5, SL.1.6, L.1.1, L.1.2, L.1.6.
If I could change anything about it, I would have included my awards ceremony as an activity inside the balloon. It was hard to squeeze in, and we did not get through all the balloon activities. Yes, the day was a "half-day." 8:30-12:10. The important ones were popped however, and I was pleased with how much we were able to accomplish the last day. My students did awesome! This activity really helped them be excited and stay focused as they looked forward to each new activity and no activity lasted long enough for them to get bored.
I used several methods to select which child got to poke a balloon, including number sticks, random day, closest birthday, guess my number, and Who will--- this summer (first hand raised). I made those up as I went along. No big deal. Here is the whiteboard morning message I used. Happy last day of school!