The 100th Day of School is one of my favorite classroom holidays. I love this day because it gives students the chance to celebrate all of their hard work. As both a kindergarten and third grade teacher, this was a holiday we celebrated all.day.long. While it was a day filled with fun, it was a day filled with learning too! Here’s a mega list of ideas for the 100th Day of School. Pick and choose the ones you like and what works best for your classroom. There are more than enough 100th Day of School ideas to fill your day!
100th Day Dress Up
A great way to kick off the 100th Day of School is to make it a dress up day! After all, what’s a holiday without a special dress code! There are lots of fun ways to dress up for the 100th day of School. Most of these will take a little advance planning, so make sure to notify parents plenty of time in advance if they will need to do anything at home. Here’s some ideas for a dress-up theme:
- Dress like you are 100 Years Old
- Create a shirt with 100 items
- Dress like someone from 100 Years Ago
- Incorporate the number 100 into your outfit (could be obvious or try to hide it)
- 100th Day of School shirt
There are so many fun 100th Day of School shirts for teachers and students. Here’s a couple of my favorites.
If you are worried about some students not being able to participate, you can create a 100 Day shirt at school. Do this in the days leading up to the 100th Day. Then as students arrive on the 100th Day of School you can have them change into their special shirts.
I would suggest having parents send in $3 – $5 for supplies and then purchasing these t-shirts in bulk. During math or centers, students could work at painting or adding 100 items to the shirt. Students can add finger prints, draw with markers (Sharpie works best for a permanent option) or glue items on. The kids will love creating and wearing their 100th day designs.
In my kindergarten class, we had an Eric Carle theme. So this shirt is perfect! Substitute pompoms for fingerprints and you’ve got a super cute and easy shirt to make!
Sets of 100
You can easily fill your entire day by just completing activities in sets of 100. I used this approach as a 3rd grade teacher and the kids loved it! And I’ll tell you a little secret – we got a lot of work done that day too! 100 word problems, 100 vocabulary words, 100 minutes of reading and lots more.
Here’s some great activities you can do in sets of 100 for older students:
- 100 math problems (choose any skill or do a review)
- write 100 words
- write 100 nouns (change out for verbs or adjectives too)
- read 100 minutes / books / pages
- write a 100 word story
Here’s some great activities you can do in sets of 100 for younger students:
- write numbers to 100
- write 100 words from around the room
- read 100 words
- count to 100
Depending on the skill you choose, you can break each set up throughout the day. If you do 100 word problems, I’d definitely break it up – but 100 basic math facts could probably be completed all at once. As with anything, do what works best for your kids.
100 Seconds – Brain Break Ideas
On this day we would change up our typical brain break activities and do the 100 Challenge. The basic idea is to complete an activity for 100 seconds. It could be anything really – just have fun and give your class a little break. It’s also a great way to help students understand how long 100 seconds is.
These are all fun ideas for the 100 Seconds Challenge:
- jumping jacks
- running in place
- marching
- posing like a statue
- silence
- whispering without stopping (it’s harder than you think)
- a 100 second dance party
When I am 100 – Art & Writing
Having students create a self-portrait of themselves when they are 100 is one of my favorite 100th Day of School activities. There are lots of different ways you can do this. Once the picture is complete I like to have students write about what life will be like when they are 100. Posted together they make a great hallway or bulletin board display.
100 Year Old Self Portraits
Students can just draw picture of what they think they will look like when they are 100. You can also start with a “how to draw” video or get help from your art teacher for some drawing instruction. Here’s a simple and fun video you could use for an old man and old woman:
100 Year Old Me
You can also have students take a more crafty approach to creating their self portrait. Students can start by crumpling up a piece of skin tone construction paper. After crumpling and smoothing out a few times, they have a great paper for cutting out the face, complete with all the details of wrinkles built right into the paper.
Another great way to create the self portrait (and my favorite) is through paper tearing. I love this option with younger students because of the great fine motor muscle strengthening that is included. Look how cute they turned out.
But be warned, this is NOT a one day project with paper tearing. I would have my students tear the paper for the skin over the course of a couple of days. We would keep the pieces in a zip-loc bag. Then on the 100th Day of School we would create our pictures – but the paper tearing was already done.
Me at 100 with Age Progression
And . . . if you want a more technological self portrait then grab your phone and use an age progression app. There are lots of free apps available. I really like FaceApp for a realistic looking progression. Here’s me at 100 . . .
Hands-on 100 Activities
Giving kids opportunities to do some hands-on activities during the day is another great way to incorporate 100. My favorites all work on developing logic, critical thinking, analytical thinking and basic STEM skills.
Puzzles
Put out some 100 piece puzzles and let students put them together alone or with a partner. For younger students this size of puzzle may be a challenge. For older students who may think its “too easy” add a time element. Challenge them to put it together in 100 seconds or less. Most won’t be able to do it the first time, however, let them repeat it until they can. They will work on processing skills and planning skills that are so valuable in everyday life! My local Dollar Store has lots of 100 piece puzzles for only $1 each.
Cup Stacking
Grab 100 plastic cups and watch your students be engaged in the building process. Challenge them to create a stack of 100 plastic cups without it falling.
Chain Reaction
All it takes to create a super cool chain reaction is 100 dominoes or blocks (Jenga blocks are great too). I like to introduce students to this concept by showing a quick video. This one from the Guiness Book of World Records shows the chain reaction using a variety of different building materials.
Once students can see what is possible, they get really excited to create their own chain reaction. All they need is some open floor space and 100 dominoes.
All of these activities work really well with partners or small groups. Not only do they work on logic and creativity, but they also get students working together as a team. Depending on how many supplies you have access to, you can do them one at a time, or make them center rotations.
100th Day of School Printables
Over the years I have put together a variety of no prep printable activities for the 100th Day of School. These have really helped me to get.it.all.done! Some of the 100 day activities I like do require prep, so having some no prep activities really helps. I put all of the 100th Day of School printables into this one packet. I hope it makes your day a little easier and a lot more fun!
Here’s a glimpse at the 17 different activities included in this packet. All of these activities have 2 or more options to help you meet the needs of your students.
Grab this 100th Day of School Resource Pack and get ready to hear “this was the best day ever!”
Save these 100th Day of School Ideas
Don’t spend hours scouring the net for ideas or looking for ideas you’ve previously seen. Instead, pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board and come back quickly when you are ready to plan your 100th Day of School!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an experienced teacher with expertise in both kindergarten and third grade, I can confidently say that the 100th Day of School is one of my favorite classroom holidays. This special day allows students to celebrate their hard work while engaging in fun and educational activities. Over the years, I have celebrated the 100th Day of School with my students, incorporating various ideas and themes to make the day memorable.
One popular way to kick off the 100th Day of School is by having a dress-up day. It adds excitement to the holiday and allows students to express their creativity. Some dress-up theme ideas include dressing like you are 100 years old, creating a shirt with 100 items, dressing like someone from 100 years ago, or incorporating the number 100 into the outfit. To ensure everyone can participate, you can also create 100th Day shirts at school. Students can add their own personal touches, such as fingerprints or drawings, to make their shirts unique.
Another approach I have used is completing activities in sets of 100. This method works well for both older and younger students. For older students, activities like solving 100 math problems, writing 100 words or nouns, reading for 100 minutes or books, or writing a 100-word story can be challenging and engaging. For younger students, activities like writing numbers up to 100, writing 100 words found around the room, or counting to 100 help reinforce foundational skills. Depending on the chosen activity, you can break it up throughout the day or complete it all at once, based on what works best for your students.
During this special day, I also like to incorporate brain break activities with a 100-second challenge. This activity not only provides a fun break but also helps students understand the concept of time. Some ideas for the 100-second challenge include jumping jacks, running in place, marching, posing like a statue, maintaining silence, whispering without stopping, or having a 100-second dance party.
Art and writing activities are an essential part of the 100th Day of School celebration. One of my favorite activities is having students create self-portraits of themselves at 100 years old. They can draw what they think they will look like or take a more crafty approach by tearing paper or using age progression apps to create a more realistic self-portrait. These self-portraits can be accompanied by writing prompts where students imagine and describe what their lives will be like when they are 100 years old.
Incorporating hands-on activities is another great way to engage students on the 100th Day of School. Activities such as puzzles, cup stacking, and creating chain reactions with dominoes or blocks not only promote critical thinking and analytical skills but also encourage teamwork and collaboration.
To make planning easier, I have created a packet of 100th Day of School printables that require little to no preparation. These printable activities cover a variety of subjects and offer options to meet the needs of different students.
In conclusion, the 100th Day of School is a special occasion that combines celebration and learning. With dress-up days, sets of 100 activities, brain breaks, art and writing projects, hands-on activities, and printable resources, there are plenty of ideas to make this day memorable for both students and teachers.
