Let's face it: summer vacation is mere weeks away and students are becoming less attentive and more restless with each passing day. But, it's still business as usual in your classroom which means learning must go on.

Use the following strategies to keep your students engaged in the last few days of the school year:

• Incorporate play. Playful learning increases students’ motivation to learn and builds the idea that learning is fun and meaningful. As you prepare students for testing, use these strategies for incorporating play that can also be used in after-school programs.
• Use movement. Take a “brain break” to help improve attentiveness, concentration and focus. Check out these 10 energizing brain breaks to get your students up and moving.
• Review. Without access to a quality summer learning program, many students are at risk to lose key math and reading skills over the summer. Use these fun review games to reinforce concepts learned throughout the school year to help students retain knowledge and skills.
• Focus on soft skills. Soft skills are just as important as academic skills for today’s students. Squeeze in time to try these hands-on activities from WeAreTeachers to help older students develop soft skills like communication, critical thinking, teamwork and more.
• Show enthusiasm. When you’re excited about teaching, students become motivated to learn. While you’re probably just as excited about summer vacation, it’s essential to continue teaching with passion and enthusiasm to keep students interested and engaged.

Use these tips for keeping students motivated and on task through the last day of school. For activity ideas, check out Keep Students Engaged Until the Last Minute.