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With the holidays behind us and spring on the distant horizon, finding joy in the midst of cold and gray winter days can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important to look for ways to celebrate every day. Teachers across the country recognize this and may be gearing up for the 100th day of school. With just 80 days left of school instruction time, your kids are a little over halfway through their school year! Help commemorate this important milestone with one of these 100th-day-of-school ideas.
What is the 100th day of school?
The first day of school across the US begins somewhere between the middle of August to the first couple weeks of September, with the 100th day of school usually taking place between the end of January and Valentine’s Day. But why is that important? Parents new to the public school system with young children in kindergarten and first grade may have some 100th-day-of-school questions.
After all, between silly hair day, pajama day, and favorite storybook character day, the 100th day of school comes so quickly after the holiday season that it helps to be prepared. So where did the idea of the 100th day of school originate?
“Two possibilities have been suggested to me,” 100th Day of School children’s book illustrator Joan Holub explained on her website. “That educator Lynn Taylor introduced the celebration for kindergarten in the 1981–82 newsletter of the Center for Innovation in Education</em>; (or) that the idea came from Mary Baratta-Lorton, originator of the 1976 Mathematics Their Way, an early elementary, activities-based mathematics program.”
Whatever its origins may be, 100th-day-of-school celebrations have become a tradition in schools across the country.
100th day of school activities
At this point in the school year, most early elementary students are learning to count to 100 or begin work with place value. Older students may be beginning three-digit addition and subtraction around this time of year, so the number 100 is a pretty big deal.
1. Bring in a collection of 100 small things
It looks like Pokémon cards are in again, and many kids are collecting and trading them on school playgrounds and in homeschool co-ops across the country. Pokémon or Fortnite cards and Beyblades — which have made a comeback — are the perfect portable collection items.
Renenber, the 100 things don’t have to be part of a collection; 100 beans, pieces of pasta, or paperclips would also suffice. A good rule of thumb for the size of your project: The entire collection should fit into a gallon-size freezer bag.
2. Play the “How many can you think of?” game
This is a great game for the classroom, but also works well for road trips or dinnertime discussions. Tie in the 100th day of school by helping your child name people that lived to be 100 or older. Another idea is to tie-in what they’re learning in school; try to name 100 prepositions or proper nouns.
3. Incorporate math activities with a Montessori hundred board
Montessori hundred boards help young children develop number sense and pattern recognition. It’s a great tool for teaching skip counting, 1:1 correspondence, even and odd numbers, and so much more. The hands-on approach lends itself to hours of learning through play.
100th day of school ideas: Easy ways to celebrate
Part of the fun of celebrating the 100th day of school is creating something that shows off your creativity while commemorating this fun day. Try out one of these easy 100th-day-of-school craft ideas.
4. Make a personalized 100th-day-of-school item for your child
If you’re one of the 2.5 million Cricut Design Space subscribers, you already have a plethora of options at your fingertips. The digital cutting machine offers Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that you can download to create a variety of customized designs to transfer to T-shirts, mugs, and home decor. Use one of the pre-made SVGs or use the software to create a design of your own.
5. Have your child create their own 100th-day T-shirt
Hand the reigns over to your child and let them create their own creative masterpiece to wear to school on the 100th day, as mom Sarah Pruitt did in the photo above. “Jacqueline is making 100 stripes on a shirt with fabric paint; it’s going to end up being 50 on the front and 50 on the back,” Pruitt told Mom.com about her daughter’s project.
6. Celebrate 100 years of The Walt Disney Company
If your family is like ours, you never miss a chance to incorporate Disney into your daily life. Since 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company, this is the perfect time to add some Disney to your 100th-day celebration. If a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth may not be in the cards, there are plenty of documentaries on Disney+ that will get you in the house of mouse spirit. Some of our favorites include One Day at Disney Shorts, The Imagineering Story, The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Adventure Through the Walt Disney Archives.
7. Perform acts of community service
Consider organizing a 100th-day-of-school event that gives back to the community in some way. One way to do this is to work with the school’s parent-teacher organization to help ensure widespread involvement. The school could collect 100 hats or mittens or books and games to donate to a shelter or charity.
8. Bring the neighborhood together with a block party
Celebrations aren’t limited to the confines of the school grounds. If weather permits, you may want to get together with other parents from the bus stop to organize a weekend block party celebrating this school year milestone. Consider an afternoon at a local trampoline park (taking turns jumping to reach a total of a hundred spirited jumps, perhaps?), or an indoor entertainment complex if it’s too cold for an outdoor event.
