End-of-Year Engagement Ideas for 2nd and 3rd Grade

The final stretch of the school year can feel like herding kittens in a windstorm. The weather’s warmer, field trips and assemblies are popping up left and right, and students (and teachers!) are mentally drifting toward summer break. But here’s the good news: engagement doesn’t have to go out the window in May and June. In this blog post, I’ll share some End-of-Year Engagement Ideas for 2nd and 3rd Grade that are low-stress, practical, and actually work — no behavior charts or over-the-top prep required.

1. Start the Day with Something Predictable and Low-Key

Your students thrive on structure, even when summer’s just around the corner. A consistent morning routine helps everyone settle in — especially when it’s something they can do independently.

One easy way to keep that routine going in May? Use a spiral review resource like my May Morning Work for Math and ELA. It’s no-prep, skill-focused, and gives students just enough challenge to stay sharp — without feeling like more testing.

Other simple ideas to build your morning routine:

• A daily question of the day on the board

• Quick journal prompts or creative writing starters

• A calm music playlist as students unpack and begin

Bonus: this gives you a few quiet minutes to take attendance, collect papers, or just breathe.

If you want to learn more about using morning work, check out this post on 5 reasons to use morning work in your classroom!

2. Make Review Feel Like a Game

By this point in the year, your students know the content. The trick is getting them to stay motivated enough to use it — especially when summer break is so close they can taste it.

The good news? You don’t need complicated room transformations or over-the-top prep. Just a little novelty can make a big impact.

Here are a few simple ways to boost engagement while reviewing skills:

• Whiteboard Races – Divide students into small teams or pairs. Call out review questions and have them race to write the answer on whiteboards and hold it up. Instant competition + instant feedback.

• Task Card Scavenger Hunt – Tape task cards around the room and let students walk around solving them. It gets them moving, and the change of pace keeps energy up. Bonus points if you theme it (spring, summer, ocean, etc.).

💡 Teacher Tip:
Want to go deeper with task cards? Check out this post on using task cards to strengthen reading comprehension skills. It’s full of practical ways to make your cards more than just review — especially during literacy centers or small group time!

• Beach Ball Toss Review – Have the class stand in a circle or around the room. Toss a beach ball from student to student. Each time someone catches it, you ask a review question. They answer it before tossing to the next classmate. It’s simple, active, and easy to adjust to any subject. Students LOVE this activity!

• Partner Speed Challenges – Students work in pairs for timed challenges like “list five synonyms for ‘happy’” or “solve this two-step word problem together in one minute.”

End-of-year learning doesn’t have to be fancy — just fun enough to keep them focused. A few fresh twists on familiar routines can make these final weeks feel productive and enjoyable.

3. Use Real-World Connections

Tie your lessons to real-world scenarios to keep students engaged and make learning feel more relevant. For example, when reviewing math concepts, try using your PBL resources like running a pizza place or coffee shop.

In the pizza place project, students solve long division problems related to calculating sales and managing a pizza shop’s budget. Similarly, in the coffee shop project, students apply math and writing skills to create a business plan, design a menu, and analyze sales. These activities give students a fun, hands-on way to apply math in real-world contexts, while also strengthening their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

You can click the image above to read more about my Pizza PBL challenge! 

4. Lean into Student Choice

When students feel like they have a say, they’re more likely to stay engaged. You don’t have to let them design your entire lesson — even small choices can make a big difference.

Here are a few easy ways to offer choice without losing control of your classroom:

• Choosing between two activities or partners. Giving options like “Task Cards or Digital Game?” or “Work with a partner or go solo?” keeps everyone working but gives students some control over how they get there.

• Picking topics for a review game. Whether it’s spelling, multiplication, or vocabulary, let students vote on the focus of a quick round of Kahoot, a board game, or even whiteboard races.

• Completing a “menu” of review tasks throughout the week. Create a choice board or weekly menu of tasks where students pick the order or type of activity they want to complete. It adds structure while allowing for flexibility — and it’s easy to differentiate.

And yes, it might get a little noisy — but that’s okay if the noise is productive and purposeful. Engagement doesn’t have to mean silence; sometimes it sounds like laughter, discussion, and students helping each other stay on track.

5. Use Review Resources That Actually Feel Fun

Let’s be real: at this point, nobody (teachers included!) is super excited to break out the test prep packets.

But review can still feel fresh and even fun when it’s presented in a student-friendly way.

In my TPT shop, I’ve created some summer-themed math review resources that are perfect for this time of year:

🎯 2nd Grade Summer Review Packet
Includes skills like time, graphing, measurement, money, 3-digit operations, and more — all designed for independent review, early finishers, or even homework.

🧩 Addition & Subtraction Riddle Worksheets
Students solve 2- and 3-digit problems (with and without regrouping) to decode silly riddles. It’s a fun, built-in self-check system that feels like a game.

📚 Need something that covers both math and reading? My End of the Year Math and Reading Review include low-prep, skill-packed pages that review key concepts in a way that actually keeps students engaged. From fun riddles and color-by-code math to word scrambles and reading passages, it’s all ready to print and use.

These are ideal for:

• End-of-year review

• Summer packets

• Morning work or centers

• Tutoring or small groups

☀️Check out the summer review resources here!

The end of the year doesn’t have to feel like a countdown. With a little structure, a little novelty, and some fun review options, you can keep your students learning — and maybe even smiling — all the way through June.