end of the year presentation ideas

30 Examples: How to Conclude a Presentation (Effective Closing Techniques)

By Status.net Editorial Team on March 4, 2024 — 9 minutes to read

Ending a presentation on a high note is a skill that can set you apart from the rest. It’s the final chance to leave an impact on your audience, ensuring they walk away with the key messages embedded in their minds. This moment is about driving your points home and making sure they resonate. Crafting a memorable closing isn’t just about summarizing key points, though that’s part of it, but also about providing value that sticks with your listeners long after they’ve left the room.

Crafting Your Core Message

To leave a lasting impression, your presentation’s conclusion should clearly reflect your core message. This is your chance to reinforce the takeaways and leave the audience thinking about your presentation long after it ends.

Identifying Key Points

Start by recognizing what you want your audience to remember. Think about the main ideas that shaped your talk. Make a list like this:

• The problem your presentation addresses.
• The evidence that supports your argument.
• The solution you propose or the action you want the audience to take.

These key points become the pillars of your core message.

Contextualizing the Presentation

Provide context by briefly relating back to the content of the whole presentation. For example:

• Reference a statistic you shared in the opening, and how it ties into the conclusion.
• Mention a case study that underlines the importance of your message.

Connecting these elements gives your message cohesion and makes your conclusion resonate with the framework of your presentation.

30 Example Phrases: How to Conclude a Presentation

• 1. “In summary, let’s revisit the key takeaways from today’s presentation.”
• 2. “Thank you for your attention. Let’s move forward together.”
• 3. “That brings us to the end. I’m open to any questions you may have.”
• 4. “I’ll leave you with this final thought to ponder as we conclude.”
• 5. “Let’s recap the main points before we wrap up.”
• 6. “I appreciate your engagement. Now, let’s turn these ideas into action.”
• 7. “We’ve covered a lot today. To conclude, remember these crucial points.”
• 8. “As we reach the end, I’d like to emphasize our call to action.”
• 9. “Before we close, let’s quickly review what we’ve learned.”
• 10. “Thank you for joining me on this journey. I look forward to our next steps.”
• 11. “In closing, I’d like to thank everyone for their participation.”
• 12. “Let’s conclude with a reminder of the impact we can make together.”
• 13. “To wrap up our session, here’s a brief summary of our discussion.”
• 14. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to present to you. Any final thoughts?”
• 15. “And that’s a wrap. I welcome any final questions or comments.”
• 16. “As we conclude, let’s remember the objectives we’ve set today.”
• 17. “Thank you for your time. Let’s apply these insights to achieve success.”
• 18. “In conclusion, your feedback is valuable, and I’m here to listen.”
• 19. “Before we part, let’s take a moment to reflect on our key messages.”
• 20. “I’ll end with an invitation for all of us to take the next step.”
• 21. “As we close, let’s commit to the goals we’ve outlined today.”
• 22. “Thank you for your attention. Let’s keep the conversation going.”
• 23. “In conclusion, let’s make a difference, starting now.”
• 24. “I’ll leave you with these final words to consider as we end our time together.”
• 25. “Before we conclude, remember that change starts with our actions today.”
• 26. “Thank you for the lively discussion. Let’s continue to build on these ideas.”
• 27. “As we wrap up, I encourage you to reach out with any further questions.”
• 28. “In closing, I’d like to express my gratitude for your valuable input.”
• 29. “Let’s conclude on a high note and take these learnings forward.”
• 30. “Thank you for your time today. Let’s end with a commitment to progress.”

Summarizing the Main Points

When you reach the end of your presentation, summarizing the main points helps your audience retain the important information you’ve shared. Crafting a memorable summary enables your listeners to walk away with a clear understanding of your message.

Effective Methods of Summarization

To effectively summarize your presentation, you need to distill complex information into concise, digestible pieces. Start by revisiting the overarching theme of your talk and then narrow down to the core messages. Use plain language and imagery to make the enduring ideas stick. Here are some examples of how to do this:

• Use analogies that relate to common experiences to recap complex concepts.
• Incorporate visuals or gestures that reinforce your main arguments.

The Rule of Three

The Rule of Three is a classic writing and communication principle. It means presenting ideas in a trio, which is a pattern that’s easy for people to understand and remember. For instance, you might say, “Our plan will save time, cut costs, and improve quality.” This structure has a pleasing rhythm and makes the content more memorable. Some examples include:

• “This software is fast, user-friendly, and secure.”
• Pointing out a product’s “durability, affordability, and eco-friendliness.”

Reiterating the Main Points

Finally, you want to circle back to the key takeaways of your presentation. Rephrase your main points without introducing new information. This reinforcement supports your audience’s memory and understanding of the material. You might summarize key takeaways like this:

• Mention the problem you addressed, the solution you propose, and the benefits of this solution.
• Highlighting the outcomes of adopting your strategy: higher efficiency, greater satisfaction, and increased revenue.

Creating a Strong Conclusion

The final moments of your presentation are your chance to leave your audience with a powerful lasting impression. A strong conclusion is more than just summarizing—it’s your opportunity to invoke thought, inspire action, and make your message memorable.

Incorporating a Call to Action

A call to action is your parting request to your audience. You want to inspire them to take a specific action or think differently as a result of what they’ve heard. To do this effectively:

• Be clear about what you’re asking.
• Explain why their action is needed.
• Make it as simple as possible for them to take the next steps.

Example Phrases:

• “Start making a difference today by…”
• “Join us in this effort by…”
• “Take the leap and commit to…”

Leaving a Lasting Impression

End your presentation with something memorable. This can be a powerful quote, an inspirational statement, or a compelling story that underscores your main points. The goal here is to resonate with your audience on an emotional level so that your message sticks with them long after they leave.

• “In the words of [Influential Person], ‘…'”
• “Imagine a world where…”
• “This is more than just [Topic]; it’s about…”

Enhancing Audience Engagement

To hold your audience’s attention and ensure they leave with a lasting impression of your presentation, fostering interaction is key.

Q&A Sessions

It’s important to integrate a Q&A session because it allows for direct communication between you and your audience. This interactive segment helps clarify any uncertainties and encourages active participation. Plan for this by designating a time slot towards the end of your presentation and invite questions that promote discussion.

• “I’d love to hear your thoughts; what questions do you have?”
• “Let’s dive into any questions you might have. Who would like to start?”
• “Feel free to ask any questions, whether they’re clarifications or deeper inquiries about the topic.”

Encouraging Audience Participation

Getting your audience involved can transform a good presentation into a great one. Use open-ended questions that provoke thought and allow audience members to reflect on how your content relates to them. Additionally, inviting volunteers to participate in a demonstration or share their experiences keeps everyone engaged and adds a personal touch to your talk.

• “Could someone give me an example of how you’ve encountered this in your work?”
• “I’d appreciate a volunteer to help demonstrate this concept. Who’s interested?”
• “How do you see this information impacting your daily tasks? Let’s discuss!”

Delivering a Persuasive Ending

At the end of your presentation, you have the power to leave a lasting impact on your audience. A persuasive ending can drive home your key message and encourage action.

Sales and Persuasion Tactics

When you’re concluding a presentation with the goal of selling a product or idea, employ carefully chosen sales and persuasion tactics. One method is to summarize the key benefits of your offering, reminding your audience why it’s important to act. For example, if you’ve just presented a new software tool, recap how it will save time and increase productivity. Another tactic is the ‘call to action’, which should be clear and direct, such as “Start your free trial today to experience the benefits first-hand!” Furthermore, using a touch of urgency, like “Offer expires soon!”, can nudge your audience to act promptly.

Final Impressions and Professionalism

Your closing statement is a chance to solidify your professional image and leave a positive impression. It’s important to display confidence and poise. Consider thanking your audience for their time and offering to answer any questions. Make sure to end on a high note by summarizing your message in a concise and memorable way. If your topic was on renewable energy, you might conclude by saying, “Let’s take a leap towards a greener future by adopting these solutions today.” This reinforces your main points and encourages your listeners to think or act differently when they leave.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some creative strategies for ending a presentation memorably.

To end your presentation in a memorable way, consider incorporating a call to action that engages your audience to take the next step. Another strategy is to finish with a thought-provoking question or a surprising fact that resonates with your listeners.

Can you suggest some powerful quotes suitable for concluding a presentation?

Yes, using a quote can be very effective. For example, Maya Angelou’s “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” can reinforce the emotional impact of your presentation.

What is an effective way to write a conclusion that summarizes a presentation?

An effective conclusion should recap the main points succinctly, highlighting what you want your audience to remember. A good way to conclude is by restating your thesis and then briefly summarizing the supporting points you made.

As a student, how can I leave a strong impression with my presentation’s closing remarks?

To leave a strong impression, consider sharing a personal anecdote related to your topic that demonstrates passion and conviction. This helps humanize your content and makes the message more relatable to your audience.

How can I appropriately thank my audience at the close of my presentation?

A simple and sincere expression of gratitude is always appropriate. You might say, “Thank you for your attention and engagement today,” to convey appreciation while also acknowledging their participation.

What are some examples of a compelling closing sentence in a presentation?

A compelling closing sentence could be something like, “Together, let’s take the leap towards a greener future,” if you’re presenting on sustainability. This sentence is impactful, calls for united action, and leaves your audience with a clear message.

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How to Make visual End-year Review presentation

The last quarter is the time to prepare a summary of the company’s yearly performance. Answering whether the yearly objectives are valid and whether the sale quotas were done. And looking slowly into next year’s plans.

If you are involved in preparing such a business review presentation, here are a few suggestions on how you can make the review visually engaging.

How to show  financial results ,  sales or production quotas,  and other  KPIs  in eye-catching form.

Make key data visualization attractive

Presenting pure numbers can be attractive for the presenter who knows the story behind, it but less engaging for your staff. Especially if you have a whole bunch of data slides to show. Your audience can suffer a famous  death by PowerPoint 🙂 . Fight it with good story-telling and professional design of your presentation.

Make your presentation more visually engaging. Add a few simple shapes – and change plain numbers to colorful, simple infographics:

Enhance financial tables

For accounting topics – enrich your finances data tables with icons for revenue, profit, and costs. Make visual column titles by adding a simple rectangle with text, or adding illustrations for table rows, in case you have a place for an icon:

In case your tables are too dense to add any new graphics there, at least take care the cell margins are properly set – numbers are not too close to table borders. Consider removing table borders at all. This will improve the readability of your financial slides a lot.

Showing a year event timeline

If you are presenting a history of this year’s campaigns or projects, show it on a graphical timeline:

Using shapes instead of plain text to illustrate events makes such a timeline visually more attractive.

You can create a timeline from puzzle shapes (read my article how to design such jigsaw puzzle yourself in PowerPoint ).

Making sure your message comes through

Finishing the presentation, make sure you will summarize what was done well and what can be improved. So your team is motivated to work on new challenges.

See a few tips on how you can make visually this message stand out on my LinkedIn post .

More examples of how you can make your Annual Review presentations good-looking are on my Slideshare:

A quick survey

I wonder which of the slides above are the most frequently used by you? Financial report? Key data slide? Timeline?

Enjoy your end-year parties.

PS. Need help with your end-year presentation? I will gladly help with slide design – contact me here .

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How To End A Presentation & Leave A Lasting Impression

By Krystle Wong , Aug 09, 2023

So you’ve got an exciting presentation ready to wow your audience and you’re left with the final brushstroke — how to end your presentation with a bang. 

Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a profound and lasting impression that resonates long after the lights dim and the audience disperses.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the art of crafting an impactful conclusion that resonates with 10 effective techniques and ideas along with real-life examples to inspire your next presentation. Alternatively, you could always jump right into creating your slides by customizing our professionally designed presentation templates . They’re fully customizable and require no design experience at all! 

Click to jump ahead:

Why is it important to have an impactful ending for your presentation?

10 effective presentation closing techniques to leave a lasting impression, 7 things to put on a conclusion slide.

• 5 real-life exceptional examples of how to end a presentation

6 mistakes to avoid in concluding a presentation

Faqs on how to end a presentation, how to create a memorable presentation with venngage.

People tend to remember the beginning and end of a presentation more vividly than the middle, making the final moments your last chance to make a lasting impression. 

An ending that leaves a lasting impact doesn’t merely mark the end of a presentation; it opens doors to further exploration. A strong conclusion is vital because it:

• Leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
• Reinforces key points and takeaways.
• Motivates action and implementation of ideas.
• Creates an emotional connection with the audience.
• Fosters engagement, curiosity and reflection.

Just like the final scene of a movie, your presentation’s ending has the potential to linger in your audience’s minds long after they’ve left the room. From summarizing key points to engaging the audience in unexpected ways, make a lasting impression with these 10 ways to end a presentation:

1. The summary

Wrap up your entire presentation with a concise and impactful summary, recapping the key points and main takeaways. By doing so, you reinforce the essential aspects and ensure the audience leaves with a crystal-clear understanding of your core message.

2. The reverse story

Here’s a cool one: start with the end result and then surprise the audience with the journey that led you to where you are. Share the challenges you conquered and the lessons you learned, making it a memorable and unique conclusion that drives home your key takeaways.

Alternatively, customize one of our cool presentation templates to capture the attention of your audience and deliver your message in an engaging and memorable way

3. The metaphorical prop

For an added visual touch, bring a symbolic prop that represents your message. Explain its significance in relation to your content, leaving the audience with a tangible and unforgettable visual representation that reinforces your key concepts.

4. The audience engagement challenge

Get the audience involved by throwing them a challenge related to your informational presentation. Encourage active participation and promise to share the results later, fostering their involvement and motivating them to take action.

5. The memorable statistic showcase

Spice things up with a series of surprising or intriguing statistics, presented with attention-grabbing visual aids. Summarize your main points using these impactful stats to ensure the audience remembers and grasps the significance of your data, especially when delivering a business presentation or pitch deck presentation .

Transform your data-heavy presentations into engaging presentations using data visualization tools. Venngage’s chart and graph tools help you present information in a digestible and visually appealing manner. Infographics and diagrams can simplify complex concepts while images add a relatable dimension to your presentation. 

6. The interactive story creation

How about a collaborative story? Work with the audience to create an impromptu tale together. Let them contribute elements and build the story with you. Then, cleverly tie it back to your core message with a creative presentation conclusion.

7. The unexpected guest speaker

Introduce an unexpected guest who shares a unique perspective related to your presentation’s theme. If their story aligns with your message, it’ll surely amp up the audience’s interest and engagement.

8. The thought-provoking prompt

Leave your audience pondering with a thought-provoking question or prompt related to your topic. Encourage reflection and curiosity, sparking a desire to explore the subject further and dig deeper into your message.

9. The empowering call-to-action

Time to inspire action! Craft a powerful call to action that motivates the audience to make a difference. Provide practical steps and resources to support their involvement, empowering them to take part in something meaningful.

10. The heartfelt expression

End on a warm note by expressing genuine gratitude and appreciation for the audience’s time and attention. Acknowledge their presence and thank them sincerely, leaving a lasting impression of professionalism and warmth.

Not sure where to start? These 12 presentation software might come in handy for creating a good presentation that stands out. 

Remember, your closing slides for the presentation is your final opportunity to make a strong impact on your audience. However, the question remains — what exactly should be on the last slide of your presentation? Here are 7 conclusion slide examples to conclude with a high note:

1. Key takeaways

Highlight the main points or key takeaways from your presentation. This reinforces the essential information you want the audience to remember, ensuring they leave with a clear understanding of your message with a well summarized and simple presentation .

2. Closing statement

Craft a strong closing statement that summarizes the overall message of your presentation and leaves a positive final impression. This concluding remark should be impactful and memorable.

3. Call-to-action

Don’t forget to include a compelling call to action in your final message that motivates the audience to take specific steps after the presentation. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, trying a product or conducting further research, a clear call to action can encourage engagement.

4. Contact information

Provide your contact details, such as email address or social media handles. That way, the audience can easily reach out for further inquiries or discussions. Building connections with your audience enhances engagement and opens doors for future opportunities.

Use impactful visuals or graphics to deliver your presentation effectively and make the conclusion slide visually appealing. Engaging visuals can captivate the audience and help solidify your key points.

Visuals are powerful tools for retention. Use Venngage’s library of icons, images and charts to complement your text. You can easily upload and incorporate your own images or choose from Venngage’s library of stock photos to add depth and relevance to your visuals.

6. Next steps

Outline the recommended next steps for the audience to take after the presentation, guiding them on what actions to pursue. This can be a practical roadmap for implementing your ideas and recommendations.

7. Inspirational quote

To leave a lasting impression, consider including a powerful and relevant quote that resonates with the main message of your presentation. Thoughtful quotes can inspire and reinforce the significance of your key points.

Whether you’re giving an in-person or virtual presentation , a strong wrap-up can boost persuasiveness and ensure that your message resonates and motivates action effectively. Check out our gallery of professional presentation templates to get started.

5 real-life exceptional examples of how to end a presentation 

When we talk about crafting an exceptional closing for a presentation, I’m sure you’ll have a million questions — like how do you end a presentation, what do you say at the end of a presentation or even how to say thank you after a presentation. 

To get a better idea of how to end a presentation with style — let’s delve into five remarkable real-life examples that offer valuable insights into crafting a conclusion that truly seals the deal: 

1. Sheryl Sandberg 

In her TED Talk titled “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders,” Sheryl Sandberg concluded with an impactful call to action, urging men and women to lean in and support gender equality in the workplace. This motivational ending inspired the audience to take action toward a more inclusive world.

2. Elon Musk

Elon Musk often concludes with his vision for the future and how his companies are working towards groundbreaking advancements. His passion and enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of technology leave the audience inspired and eager to witness the future unfold.

3. Barack Obama

President Obama’s farewell address concluded with an emotional and heartfelt expression of gratitude to the American people. He thanked the audience for their support and encouraged them to stay engaged and uphold the values that define the nation.

4. Brené Brown 

In her TED Talk on vulnerability, Brené Brown ended with a powerful quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” This quote reinforced her message about the importance of embracing vulnerability and taking risks in life.

5. Malala Yousafzai

In her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Malala Yousafzai ended with a moving call to action for education and girls’ rights. She inspired the audience to stand up against injustice and to work towards a world where every child has access to education.

For more innovative presentation ideas , turn ordinary slides into captivating experiences with these 15 interactive presentation ideas that will leave your audience begging for more.

So, we talked about how a good presentation usually ends. As you approach the conclusion of your presentation, let’s go through some of the common pitfalls you should avoid that will undermine the impact of your closing:

1. Abrupt endings

To deliver persuasive presentations, don’t leave your audience hanging with an abrupt conclusion. Instead, ensure a smooth transition by providing a clear closing statement or summarizing the key points to leave a lasting impression.

2. New information

You may be wondering — can I introduce new information or ideas in the closing? The answer is no. Resist the urge to introduce new data or facts in the conclusion and stick to reinforcing the main content presented earlier. By introducing new content at the end, you risk overshadowing your main message.

3. Ending with a Q&A session

While Q&A sessions are valuable , don’t conclude your presentation with them. Opt for a strong closing statement or call-to-action instead, leaving the audience with a clear takeaway.

4. Overloading your final slide

Avoid cluttering your final slide with too much information or excessive visuals. Keep it clean, concise and impactful to reinforce your key messages effectively.

5. Forgetting the call-to-action

Most presentations fail to include a compelling call-to-action which can diminish the overall impact of your presentation. To deliver a persuasive presentation, encourage your audience to take specific steps after the talk, driving engagement and follow-through.

6. Ignoring the audience

Make your conclusion audience-centric by connecting with their needs and interests. Avoid making it solely about yourself or your achievements. Instead, focus on how your message benefits the audience.

What should be the last slide of a presentation?

The last slide of a presentation should be a conclusion slide, summarizing key takeaways, delivering a strong closing statement and possibly including a call to action.

How do I begin a presentation?

Grabbing the audience’s attention at the very beginning with a compelling opening such as a relevant story, surprising statistic or thought-provoking question. You can even create a game presentation to boost interactivity with your audience. Check out this blog for more ideas on how to start a presentation . 

How can I ensure a smooth transition from the body of the presentation to the closing? 

To ensure a smooth transition, summarize key points from the body, use transition phrases like “In conclusion,” and revisit the main message introduced at the beginning. Bridge the content discussed to the themes of the closing and consider adjusting tone and pace to signal the transition.

How long should the conclusion of a presentation be?

The conclusion of a presentation should typically be around 5-10% of the total presentation time, keeping it concise and impactful.

Should you say thank you at the end of a presentation?

Yes, saying thank you at the end of a PowerPoint presentation is a courteous way to show appreciation for the audience’s time and attention.

Should I use presentation slides in the concluding part of my talk? 

Yes, using presentation slides in the concluding part of your talk can be effective. Use concise slides to summarize key takeaways, reinforce your main points and deliver a strong closing statement. A final presentation slide can enhance the impact of your conclusion and help the audience remember your message.

Should I include a Q&A session at the end of the presentation?

Avoid Q&A sessions in certain situations to ensure a well-structured and impactful conclusion. It helps prevent potential time constraints and disruptions to your carefully crafted ending, ensuring your core message remains the focus without the risk of unanswered or off-topic questions diluting the presentation’s impact.

Is it appropriate to use humor in the closing of a presentation?

Using humor in the closing of a presentation can be appropriate if it aligns with your content and audience as it can leave a positive and memorable impression. However, it’s essential to use humor carefully and avoid inappropriate or offensive jokes.

How do I manage nervousness during the closing of a presentation?

To manage nervousness during the closing, focus on your key points and the main message you want to convey. Take deep breaths to calm your nerves, maintain eye contact and remind yourself that you’re sharing valuable insights to enhance your presentation skills.

Creating a memorable presentation is a blend of engaging content and visually captivating design. With Venngage, you can transform your ideas into a dynamic and unforgettable presentation in just 5 easy steps: 

• Choose a template from Venngage’s library: Pick a visually appealing template that fits your presentation’s theme and audience, making it easy to get started with a professional look.
• Craft a compelling story or outline: Organize your content into a clear and coherent narrative or outline the key points to engage your audience and make the information easy to follow.
• Customize design and visuals: Tailor the template with your brand colors, fonts and captivating visuals like images and icons, enhancing your presentation’s visual appeal and uniqueness. You can also use an eye-catching presentation background to elevate your visual content. 
• Incorporate impactful quotes or inspiring elements: Include powerful quotes or elements that resonate with your message, evoking emotions and leaving a lasting impression on your audience members
• Utilize data visualization for clarity: Present data and statistics effectively with Venngage’s charts, graphs and infographics, simplifying complex information for better comprehension.

Additionally, Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools allow you to seamlessly collaborate with team members to elevate your presentation creation process to a whole new level. Use comments and annotations to provide feedback on each other’s work and refine ideas as a group, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded presentation.

Well, there you have it—the secrets of how to conclude a presentation. From summarizing your key message to delivering a compelling call to action, you’re now armed with a toolkit of techniques that’ll leave your audience in awe.

Now go ahead, wrap it up like a pro and leave that lasting impression that sets you apart as a presenter who knows how to captivate, inspire and truly make a mark.

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How to End Your Presentation with a Bang

So you’ve spent days (maybe weeks) putting together a killer presentation. Now, you stand up with confidence, present every bullet point with poise, and then you get all the way to the end… and the presentation just fizzles.

It’s like a marathon runner who trains for months (maybe years), then just a half mile before the finish line, starts to cramps and can’t finish the race.

The last thing that you tell your audience will most likely be what they remember. So, you want to end your presentation with a bang!

In this post, we will cover three things that you should absolutely avoid when you close your presentation. In addition, we will also cover 6 killer ways to end on a positive note.

By the way, for more details about how to organize a good speech, see the following. 7 Foolproof Ways to Start a Presentation . | How to Design a Presentation Quickly .

Eliminate these “Show Stoppers” from Your Presentation Conclusion

Avoid Ending Your Presentation with a Question & Answer Period.

One of the things that drives me up the wall is ending a fantastic presentation with a Q & A session that has a high propensity to just flop.

It reminds me of some sage advice from my jr high school football coach. He was an old-school running game type of coach. He’d say,

“In football, when you pass the ball, only three things can happen and two of them are bad.”

I kind of feel the same way about Question & Answer periods. There are only three ways that Q & A sessions can end, and two of them are bad .

Yes, If your audience asks you great questions, you can end your presentation on a high note. However, if your audience asks you odd questions or uninteresting questions, you can end on a low note. Even worse than getting crappy questions, though is getting no questions. Now, the ending will just seem odd.

When I present, I encourage people to ask questions DURING my presentation . That way, I can use a more dynamic way to end my presentation with a bang.

Don’t End by Thanking the Audience for Their Time.

When you stand up to speak, you should have the attitude that your audience is there to hear from you because you have important information that they need. When you thank your audience for their time, you are conceding that their time is more important than your time.

Also Avoid an Abrupt Ending with No Conclusion.

This happened to me early in my career. The first time that I really bombed a speech, I made two really big mistakes. The first was that I sped through the information so quickly that I finished in less than half of the allotted time. Then, I just ran out of things to say, so I sat down. The people in the audience were confused. I had more time and the ending was so abrupt, that they weren’t sure if I was finished.

So, spend time preparing your conclusion. Practice it a few times, and you will end on a high note.

Bonus Tip: Warn Your Audience Ahead of Time that Your Speech is Coming to a Close.

Our brains are wired to look for structure in things. That’s why people get frustrated with cliffhangers in movies. Only in movies, there’s a sequel. In speeches and presentations, the end is the end.

Give a hint that you are nearing a close a couple of slides or paragraphs before you actually do. Saying something like, “So let’s review what we’ve discussed so far”, “As I wrap up this presentation” or “In conclusion”.

Signaling the close prepares your audience for the ending. Ironically, it also makes the ending more memorable.

Secrets to a Powerful Presentation Ending – 6 Ways to End Your Presentation with a Bang

Not that we have covered what NOT to do, let’s focus on a few, turnkey ways to end your presentation with a bang.

(1) End Your Presentation with a Brief Summary You Key Points.

This technique works really well because it allows you to repeat your key points a few times. This repetition helps your audience remember the content better.

An Example of Using a Summary to End Your Presentation with a Bang!

A couple of months ago, I had a class member that used this technique really well. She worked for a local TV station that was trying to attract new viewers. Here is the presentation outline that she created:

We Can Increase the Number of Young Viewers by Focusing More on Our Social Media Platforms Teens get most news from social media. Increase coverage w/ teens increases interest in station. Making social media selective will make us stand out against competition.

[Introduction] “My topic today is about how we can increase the number of young viewers by focusing more on social media. The things that we are going to cover are, how teens get most of their news from social media, that if we increase our coverage with teens there will also be a corresponding increase in interest in our TV station, and how making our social media selective will allow us to stand out from the competition.”

After the introduction, the speaker would then cover the “meat” of the presentation by going through each point with specific examples and evidence about how each of those points is true.

At the conclusion, the speaker could just recap by saying, “So in conclusion, since teens get most of their news via social media, if we increase our coverage with teens, we will also increase interest in our station, and if we make our social media selective we will stand out from the crowd, I believe that we can increase the number of young viewers by focusing more on social media.”

The summary technique is a very easy way to conclude your speech, and it will also increase the retention of your audience.

For additional examples, see How to Write a Speech in Just a few Steps .

(2) End with an Example, Story, or Anecdote.

I spoke for another 45 minutes, and then I finished the presentation by describing the success story of one of my class members. He had implemented the very content that I had just delivered to that breakout session group. However, he was delivering a very data-intense presentation for the Center for Disease Control. (So his content was even more boring than the type of content the audience had to deliver.) The story showed the group how a speaker can take even boring, data-filled material and deliver it well.

Those contrasting stories — the one at the start of my presentation, and the one at the end, work really well together. They bookend the entire presentation.

An Easy Way to Find a Funny Anecdote to End Your Presentation.

Sometimes a good anecdote or funny story can be a good way to end on a positive as well. A good place to get funny anecdotes is from Reader’s Digest . (RD has a great book published that has just funny work-related stories. You can purchase it here: Laughter the Best Medicine @ Work: America’s Funniest Jokes, Quotes, and Cartoons )

This is kind of an embarrassing incident, but it shows that if you get a little creative, any type of story can be a great ending.

I was training an instructor years ago, and I had her just pick a random funny anecdote from Reader’s Digest. I told her that, no matter what the story was about, I’d find some way to insert the funny story into our class. Here is the story that she picked…

A woman went to her boss saying that she was going to go home early because she was feeling sick. The boss, having just gotten over a cold said that he hoped it wasn’t something that he had given to her. A coworker overhearing the conversation said, ‘I hope not. She has morning sickness.'”

(Obviously, this instructor-in-training also had a sense of humor, as well.) I thought about it a while, and I just ended the session with, “So, in summary, one of the most important parts of the presentation design process is knowing your audience. In fact, that reminds me of a story…” I then just added the anecdote word-for-word, and I got a big laugh.

I created a whole series of posts on storytelling starting with Storytelling in Public Speaking .

(3) Finish Your Speech by Telling the End of an Earlier Story.

Then, I finished the presentation by telling how, just a year later, after a little outside training, I had to stand in front of over 400 people to give an acceptance speech for an award. This time, I was calm, and I used my humor to win over the audience, and I killed it. By continuing the story and providing a positive result at the end, it makes for a pretty nice presentation ending.

So start with a story where you had a challenge and end with a success story about how you overcame that challenge.

(4) End Your Presentation with an Open-Ended Question.

That’s why people are drawn to thought-provoking questions. So a great way to end your speech is with a well-designed, thought-provoking question.

When I teach a class, I use this technique before almost every break. For instance, if I teach an hour-long session, it will be easy for the audience to forget a lot of the content if it isn’t reinforced right away. So, by asking a thought-provoking question about the content, it stimulates the content in the minds of the audience.

When you ask questions, though, avoid easy questions where the answer is an obvious “yes” or “no.” Instead, ask open-ended questions. The easiest way to do this is to ask for the audience members’ opinions.

For instance, if my title is “Starting with a 3-Point Outline Will Help You Save Time When You Design Presentations,” I could end the speech with a question like, “Based on what we’ve talked about today, how can you see starting with a three-point outline helping you save time?”

Any answers that the audience provides will help me prove my point. The more the better.

(5) Give the Audience a Call-to-Action at the End of Your Speech.

Just as an FYI, here, though, if you ask them to do a single thing, they are more likely to do it. If you ask them to do a second thing, they are more likely to do neither. Sp, to prevent that and to inspire your audience, challenge them to do one specific thing from your speech.

If your presentation is about why your company should invest in advertising, make your call to action very specific. “So, my suggestion is that we increase our advertising budget by 10% and use that budget for additional re-targeting ads.”

The thing to keep in mind here is that the more calls to action that you have, the less likely they will do anything. So, make your call to action just a single item. And make the item easy to implement.

(6) The Echo Close Is an Inspirational Way to End Your Speech with a Bang.

A wise man once said, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” So, when you present, kindle the fire of knowledge. Kindle the fire of enthusiasm. Kindle the fire of humor. Kindle the fire of empathy. And you will kindle the fire of learning from your audience.

Another example might be.

So, in conclusion, brevity in public speaking is pretty important. In fact, George Orwell once said, “If it is possible to cut a word out of your speech, always cut it out.” So, when you create a presentation, cut the fluff. Cut the repetitive bullets. Cut the platitudes. And when you do, you will cut the confusion from your audience.

It is an easy technique if you prepare the ending and practice it a few times.

So that concludes the six ways that you can end your presentation with a bang. However… There is…

“One More Thing”

Steve Jobs was famous for concluding his keynotes with “One more thing…” then following it up with a surprising fact, feature, or innovation.

Why is this effective? Because it leaves people talking.

Regardless of how you choose to end your presentation, spend a little time on the ending. Make it flawless, and you will leave your audience wanting more! If you do, you will end your presentation with a bang!

Choose the Best Presentation Ending for Your Presentation Purpose

With all of the great choices, how do we know which presentation ending to use? Luckily, we have created a free handout to help you pick the best presentation ending. Although many of the tips above will work in many different types of speeches, the handout will help you identify which ending will accomplish specific purposes for your specific presentation.

For instance, if your goal is to help your audience retain the content, then summarizing your key points is a great choice. If your purpose is to inspire the audience, you might try the Call to Action or Echo technique instead. Just complete the form below for instant access!

Download the Free “How to End Your Presentation” Handout!

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Blog > 10 creative Ideas for your Title- and End-Slides in Presentations

10 creative Ideas for your Title- and End-Slides in Presentations

11.13.19   •  #powerpointtips #presentation.

Of all the slides in a PowerPoint presentation, the ones that are without a doubt the most important ones are the first and the last one. It makes perfect sense – the title slide sets the general tone. Make it boring and you’ll loose your audience’s attention within the first few minutes. If you’re making it exciting and innovative on the other hand, you’re taking a big step towards giving an amazing presentation and having an engaged audience. It is very similar with the final slide. It will be the one that people are going to remember most, the one that is supposed to make people leave the room thinking ‘Wow! What a great presentation!’ A bad ending could even mess up what would otherwise be a good performance overall (just think of a good TV show with a bad ending…).

The most common mistakes for title and final slides

If you asked 100 people what belongs on your PowerPoint’s title slide, the majority would answer ‘The title, maybe a subtitle, the presenter’s name and company, the date’. That kind of title slide is alright, but you usually say all of these things in the beginning of a presentation anyway. Also, it is very likely that most of your attendees know these things – they usually signed up for it after all. So what’s the point in listing all of that information on your title slide, when you could also use it for making a stunning first impression? Not only the title slide is commonly designed in an uncreative and conventional way. Too often, you can see PowerPoint presentations ending with the ‘Any Questions?’ or even worse – the ‘Thank you for your attention’ slide. ‘Thank you for your attention’ is a set phrase that has been said so many times it can’t possibly be delivered in an authentic way anymore. Therefore, it’s better to think of something else for your grand final. Finding an unconventional ending that suits your presentation style makes you seem much more charismatic and authentic than using an empty phrase.

1. An inspiring quote

An inspiring quote on your slide is a perfect way to both start and finish your presentation. Well, it does not have to be inspiring. It could be any quote that is somehow connected to your presented topic. Just have fun looking through books and the internet to find interesting quotes that you want your audience to hear. Good pages to look at for inspiration are goodreads and brainyquotes.com .

2. A blank slide

This might seem strange to some people, but a blank slide can be really powerful if you want to have your audience’s full attention. You can use the advantage of blank slides by incorporating them at the beginning, in the end or even in between your regular slides. You can either use a blank slide of your regular template (so there will still be some design elements on it) or go all in and make the slide completely black (or white).

3. A call to action

If the goal of your presentation is to really make your audience act in some kind of way, there is no better way to start – or better yet end your presentation than with a call to action. This can be literally anything from little trivial things like “Drink enough water during the presentation so your brain stays intact!” – which will lighten up the mood – to more serious calls like “Help reducing waste by recycling whenever possible!”.

4. A question

Usually, it is the audience that asks questions after a presentation. However, you can also turn that around and ask your attendees instead. However, it’s important to ask a question that can be answered easily and individually – the best questions involve previous experiences and personal opinions (asking about facts or questions that are hard to understand can often lead to silence and no one wanting to answer).

5. An interactive poll

Nothing engages the audience like a live poll. Conduct one right at the beginning to get everybody envolved, and/or wait until the end to get your audience’s opinion on something. Icebreaker polls are the perfect way to start, as they lighten the mood. You can easily create polls for free with interactive software tools such as SlideLizard .

6. A funny picture, meme, or quote

I’m pretty sure that every student nowadays has that teacher that just tries a little too hard to be cool by throwing in a meme on literally every single slide. That may be a bit too much. But just a little comedy at the beginning or in the end can make you seem very charismatic and entertaining and catch the attention of your listeners. Open (or close) with a joke, a funny picture or a quote – whichever you feel comfortable with. It is usually best if it has something to do with the topic you’re presenting.

7. An interesting fact

Catch the audience’s attention by putting an interesting fact concerning the topic on one of your slides – ideally at the beginning, but maybe also in the end (to keep up the audience’s interest even after the presentation is done).

8. The title, but with a twist

If you feel like you need to put the presentations name/topic on the front slide, but still want that little creative twist, just change the title slightly. According to what I’m proposing, rather dull presentation titles like e.g. “Marine Biology – An Introduction to Organisms in the sea” can be transformed to “Marine Biology – Diving Deep” (or something less cheesy if you prefer). Make it either funny or over-the-top spectacular and catch the audience’s attention!

9. A bold statement, opinion, or piece of information

This is probably the best way to capture your audience from the beginning on. Start with a radical, crazy opinion or statement and then get your attendees hooked by telling them that during the presentation, they will learn why you’re right. It could be anything, really, as long as it goes well with your presented topic – from the statement “Everybody has the time to read 5 books a month” to “Going to college is a waste of time” or “The human species is not the most intelligent on earth” – Take whatever crazy, unpopular theory or opinion you have, throw it out there and (very important!) explain why you’re right. You’ll have your audience’s attention for sure and might even change some of their opinions about certain things.

10. No title and end slide at all

Yes, that’s a possibility as well. If you absolutely can’t think of any creative or otherwise good way to start and end your presentation – even after reading the tips mentioned above – then simply don’t. That’s right - no title and end slide at all. You can pull that of by simply introducing yourself in the beginning, then getting right into the topic (which makes a good impression, long introductions are usually rather tedious) and when you’re at your last slide just saying a simple ‘Goodbye, thank you and feel free to ask questions’.

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About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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How To Create an Effective End of Year Business Review

“If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” ~Maya Angelou

With the end of 2019 rapidly approaching, business leaders have likely started to plan for the year ahead. But to know where you’re going, it’s important to look at where you’ve been.

It’s a fair assessment that entrepreneurs are naturally more prone to plan for their futures than to evaluate their pasts. Year-end business reviews allow them to jump-start the new year with solutions to prior issues and strategies for continued growth moving forward.

Think of an effective end of year business review as an executive summary for the entire year. What were the key takeaways? The presentation should include high-level information such as an evaluation of goals, achievements, rates of growth, obstacles and setbacks, future goals and financial data. While it might be easier to simply list all of the year-end parameters in a single, lengthy report, that type of presentation is unlikely to impress audiences — regardless of whether they're clients, employees, management or investors.

It goes without saying that the business review will be created for naught if nobody pays attention to it. Instead, it's important to create a visually appealing presentation to not only grab the audience's attention, but to retain it, too. Beautiful.ai’s PowerPoint alternative makes creating business presentations easy so they're always on-brand and professional. Themes can be customized with specific fonts and color palettes, as well as company logos, so each slide automatically mirrors the others.

Of course, even an impressive and cohesive visual presentation can bore audiences if it doesn't include valuable information. Traditional PowerPoint presentations filled to the brim with numbers, statistics and bullet points can put even interested audiences to sleep. So, avoid death by PowerPoint and make your annual business review “beautiful” by including the following key elements.

Download the free, customizable End of Year Business Review Template here.

Company Overview

A high-quality annual business review should feature an overarching summary reflecting the big picture for the company. The business summary might highlight the brand’s founder, co-founders, business leaders and other decision makers, while also summarizing the company’s product offerings, including any digital editions, intellectual property rights and international business ventures. This is also a good place to talk about the company's mission, values, and overall culture. It sets the stage (literally and figuratively) for the information to come later in the presentation.

2019 Business Goals

Before the year’s goals can be evaluated, audiences need to know what they were. The second portion of the year-end business review should summarize the year’s goals. The list of goals can be obtained from the prior year’s annual review (if that's available), but keep in mind they may have been modified or updated throughout the past 12 months. Explain what each goal was, and why it was chosen (its importance), before you dive in to the results.

Beautiful.ai’s presentation software makes creating a list of goals simple. Just add a common header to a carousel slide, and add each goal to its own sub-section.

Accomplishment of Goals

It's important to celebrate a company’s successes. Once you've mapped out what the year's goals were, you can talk about if and how you accomplished them. No annual business review could possibly be complete without featuring the year’s highlight reel. What goals were accomplished, and what were the missed opportunities, in the previous 12 months? What can be learned from the company’s successes?

Likewise, what challenges did the company face, and what can be learned from missed opportunities? To keep audiences engaged , we animated the bulleted lists, so the items automatically appear in succession.

We recommend trying our animated bullet points, or the timeline or diagram templates to tell your story. Simply enter your content and our Smart Slides will do the rest.

Key Performance Indicators and Results

Numbers tell a big part of a company’s story, and they are a vital piece of the annual business review puzzle. After all, how can anyone ascertain a company’s performance without analyzing some type of data? This is where key performance indicators (KPIs) and results come in to play.

Here you will present data on the company’s performance in the form of financial statements, rates of growth and retention, customer satisfaction metrics and any other data that supports the business' story over the past year. KPIs are an easy way to assess performance throughout the year, so you should know exactly where you stand when it comes time for the end of year review.

Creating infographics using Beautiful.ai’s templates makes data visualization simple. Just add your data into our Smart Slides and watch it automatically align into timelines, bar graphs, pie charts and much more. Not only will audiences stay more engaged, but the data will be more digestible.

Opportunities for Next Year

Once your annual business review has covered the company’s performance over the course of 2019, it’s time to start paving a pathway through 2020. A round-up of upcoming company goals is a key element to any actionable year-end review. Objectives from the prior year might remain in place, if they weren't met, or you may shift your goals based on accomplishments, failures, or changing market conditions.

By sharing your new objectives, you're holding your team accountable to work towards them. To that end, once you've defined your goals for the upcoming year, it's time to explain how you and your team plan to achieve them. Put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

2020 Execution

It’s not enough to simply create a list of goals for the upcoming year. You must also share how those goals will be met. An effective end-of-year business review should include a plan of execution for the upcoming year. What processes will be put in place to meet next year’s goals? What budget will be allocated to implement these plans, what team members or resources are required, and what's the estimated timeline?

Of course, even the best-laid plans do tend to go awry. Part of planning the execution of goals is anticipating what obstacles might be encountered along the way, and planning how to overcome those hurdles should they occur. 

When using Beautiful.ai’s presentation software, there’s no reason a company’s business review should ever become just another cookie-cutter report. The end presentation will always be clean, concise and attractive to audiences regardless of your design skills.

Samantha Pratt Lile

Samantha is an independent journalist, editor, blogger and content manager. Examples of her published work can be found at sites including the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Buzzfeed.

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How to End a Presentation with Punch (17 Techniques)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Presentation Design
• March 5, 2019

In this post you’ll learn 17 different ways for how to end a presentation that you can test out.

Why worry about the ending?

Because how you end your presentation is just as important as how you start your presentation ( details here ).

If you start strong but flounder at the end of your presentation, what feeling are people going to be walking away with?

Not a good one, that’s for sure! That’s why the ending your presentation is so important.

1. Call to action

2. Skip the Q&A at the end your presentation

3. End your presentation with a rhetorical Question

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4. Conclude your speech with a story

As you can learn in our post on the best ways to start a presentation ( details here ), emotional listeners retain more information. An emotional story, whether it’s funny, sad, or thought-provoking, is a sure fire way to engage your audience.

If you can, try to tie the beginning and end together with your stories, like Heather Lanier does here:

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5. The power of 3 for your conclusion

6. Come full circle at the end of your presentation

• Pose a question which you answer at the end
• Tell a story and either refer to it or finish it at the end
• Repeat the first slide, this work especially well with powerful images or quotes

7. Demonstrate your product

8. End with an either / or scenario

9. End your presentation on a high note

10. A sound bite

11. End with a provocative question

12. Use the title close technique

13. A quick presentation recap

14. End with a powerful quote

15. End with a strong visual image

16. Close with a clear cut ending

17. End your presentation on time

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7 Ways to Celebrate Your Team in Your End-Of-Year Meetings

As 2023 draws to a close and with 2024 in sight, we’ll all be taking a look back at what we’ve achieved this year.

Your end-of-year meetings are a great chance to celebrate and uplift your team, and that’s why you might need a little help in making them extra special.

We’ve put together 7 super easy and engaging tips to jazz up your end-of-year team meetings, all-hands , or town halls.

💡Note Do you use Webex? Great! You can run all of the interactive activities below directly within your Webex Meetings platform using the Slido app in Webex . No switching screens or applications – you can manage everything from your Webex window. 🙌

1. Review the year’s numbers in a quiz

The end of the year is a great time to look back at the key metrics and results that you’ve achieved with your team during the year. Give this exercise a new spin and present your business results in the form of a trivia quiz .

Simply come up with questions around your key metrics, such as revenue, ARR, biggest sales deals, conversions, NPS, number of newly-hired colleagues – you name it.

For example:

• How much did our website traffic grow year over year?
• How many key deals did our sales team close this quarter?

You can create your quiz easily in Slido and run it directly from your Webex window. Your colleagues will be able to vote for the option they think is correct using a Slido sidebar.

Not only is this more engaging, but it will also make your colleagues actively think about the business numbers which, in the end, will make them understand them better. Two birds with one stone!

If you need inspiration for questions, find it here .

Read also: Step by Step Guide for Hosting a Great Online Quiz

2. Run a fun quiz to get to know your colleagues better

While the quiz in the previous point was more about the business, also try a quiz that will zoom in on your people – the end-of-year meetings are perfect for team building and getting to know each other better .

One of our favorite quizzes is ‘Two truths and one lie’ .

This quiz is ideal for smaller teams or for introducing newbies to the team. It’s simple: collect from each of the teammates three statements about themselves – two that are true and one that’s false.

Then, using Slido Quizzes , create your quiz. Put the statements you collected as options, together with a quiz question:

“Which one is a LIE about {name}?”

Run this quiz at the beginning of your team meeting as an icebreaker or during your special team-building session, or a virtual get-together.

Or, go with a good old classic – team trivia .

Every team is a bit like a family, with their own idiosyncrasies, internal humor, or stories. You surely have plenty of those as well. Entertain your teammates with a quiz based on these special little things.

Here are some ideas for trivia questions for you, but we strongly encourage you to give the quiz your own personal touch!

Read also: 7 Awesome Quizzes for Your Virtual and Hybrid Meetings

3. Source the year’s highlights

Celebrate all the great things that you and your team have achieved throughout the year – either professional or personal!

This is a nice exercise to remind people of all the great things that happened and see the success behind their efforts.

Create an open text poll with a question such as:

• What was your biggest highlight of the past year?
• What do you consider to be the greatest achievement of our team in 2023?

Give people some time to think about and type in their highlights. Once the submissions come in, read them out loud to give a shout-out to all the good things.

Also, don’t forget to summon your colleagues to also verbally share some insights or stories that made their year special. It’s really heartwarming and makes the meeting more personal.

Read also: The Complete Guide to Using and Facilitating Live Polls

4. Recognize your silent heroes and heroines

And of course – celebrate your people. Our favorite, ‘Silent Hero’, is a simple but powerful activity that will help you boost morale and give a public shoutout to all the people who went above and beyond.

Use Slido’s word cloud poll here. Ask your colleagues:

• Who was your silent hero for the whole year of 2023?
• Look back on last year. Who from the team was an unsung hero for you?

Instruct them to post a name of a colleague who they want to nominate as their silent hero.

You can even combine the word cloud with an open text poll to give your teammates space to also write a heart-warming message for their silent hero (you can then distribute these to their recipients after the meeting).

Once people submit their heroes, display the word cloud on the screen for everyone to see all the heroes and heroines. What a nice way to appreciate people!

5. Organize a ‘Thank You session’

Similar to the previous point, you can give space to your team to give thanks to their colleagues .

It’s simple: Before the meeting, encourage your team to think about the people who helped them the most in the past year .

During the meeting, dedicate the first (or the last) quarter of your meeting agenda to a ‘Thank you session’, where you activate an open text poll with a question:

“Who would you like to say thank you to, and why?”

Allow your colleagues some time to type in their messages. Then, share the screen so you can all view the beautiful notes that people have written.

As you go through people’s submissions, read them aloud and give a shout-out to all the stars in your team . Encourage people to comment on their submissions vocally.

This activity is simple but very powerful.

As our colleague, Dodo Dolinka, says:

“We often underestimate the power of looking back and acknowledging good stuff we achieved. We aren’t paying enough attention to creating an atmosphere of gratitude in our team. We’re overlooking people and their efforts or taking them for granted. This exercise is an eye-opener.”

6. Recap the year with your team

The last meetings of the year also call for some looking back on the projects, successes, struggles, or failures throughout the year.

Run a little team retrospective . Prepare a recap of the outputs of your teamwork and trigger a fruitful discussion around what went well and what could be improved in the next year.

Create a short Slido survey with questions such as:

• What went well?
• What could be improved?
• What was your biggest learning?
• What should we do better next year?

Send the survey to your teammates well before the meeting, so they all have enough time to fill it out.

Alternatively, you can also do the survey as an activity throughout the meeting, but in that case, make sure to allow your colleagues enough silent time so they have a chance to think about and submit their thoughts and ideas.

During the meeting, open a discussion around topics that people mentioned in their surveys. Make sure everyone has a space to share their opinion.

Read also: How To Run a Great Retrospective With Your Remote Team

7. Set goals for the upcoming year

After a yearly recap, it’s only fitting to look forward. Take advantage of the last meetings of the year and use them for brainstorming or goal-setting .

Brainstorm ideas for projects, campaigns, or any interesting initiatives that you can take on in the next year .

You can even crowdsource strategic questions, such as:

• What areas should you focus on in the upcoming season?
• What topics should you be talking about on your blog or on social media?
• What features or product improvements should you strategically focus on?

You can use Slido effectively during either brainstorming or prioritization of the brainstormed ideas. Use an open text poll to collect ideas from your colleagues.

Once you collect ideas – whether it’s projects, tasks, issues to fix – put all the items as options in a ranking poll .

For example, you can ask:

• Which projects should we prioritize next year?
• What should be our number one priority in the next season? Please rank.

Ask your teammates to rank the considered options. Once everyone has voted, display the voting results on the screen.

You’ll get a clear chart of items that your team thinks has the highest priority and you can subsequently plan the next steps.

Ready to pull off a remarkable end-of-year meeting?

We hope the above tips have inspired you and that you’ll pick one or two (or even all seven!) ideas to make your end-of-year meetings special for your colleagues.

Recap the year, celebrate your people, use the time to listen to them, and engage in fruitful discussions.

If you’re using Webex – this has never been easier. Click on the little Slido icon under ‘Apps’ and start creating interactions with your colleagues with Slido in Webex .

You can also integrate Slido directly into your Google Slides presentation , PowerPoint presentation , or use it within your Microsoft Teams .

Happy Holidays! 🎄

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Strategy ideas for your ‘End of year’ presentation

Below are questions and guidelines for handling an end of year presentation.

First ask yourself this question:

Do I need to deliver an end of year presentation?

To help you in your consideration reflect on these questions:

*What type of presentation/remarks?

*To what audience?

*When should it be delivered?

*Where should it be delivered?

*How should it be delivered?

*and most importantly, why should it be delivered?

If you decide to deliver a presentation don’t take it lightly.

Whatever you do, don’t wing your presentation.

One off-hand, unprepared remark can derail a year’s worth of effort, leave a bad taste in the mouth of your people and end the year on a bad note.

Here is an article by Lee Polevoi entitled: What to say in your year-end message to employees , Though Pelevoi’s article is aimed at business owners, it has ideas that you can adapt in crafting your presentation/message.

One of Polevoi’s points that resonated with me was to be generous with delivering a heart-felt thank you.

As the poet Maya Angelou  memorably said.

‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel’.

Own the conversation.

For my Australia readers, carve time, today in your calendar to decide whether you’ll make an end of year presentation, and if the answer is ‘yes’, use that time to start planning the message.

To make your presentation heart-felt, before the presentation, take time to reflect on the effort your team has delivered in 2017.

p.s. Check out this post entitled, Transparency: Lose the comb-over .

p.p.s. For some levity during Australia’s ‘silly season’, you might be interested in this video clip of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, singing Fats Domino’s hit song Blueberry Hill.

I love Putin’s shy facial expression as he sheepishly saunters to the microphone. So too, his ‘it’s showtime’ quick rote hand in pocket as he begins to sing, and his dominant, ‘I’m the man’ , lapel-grasping pose during the performance.

#You might want to trial my Confident Personal Communication video learning programme because it will give you practical techniques to ‘Own the Conversation’.

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Learn How to Support Stressed and Anxious Students.

57 Fun End-of-Year Activities and Assignments

Wrap up the year on a happy note.

As the school year draws to a close, it’s important to plan end-of-year activities that help bring closure to your time together with students. Talk with your students about what made this year special, recall the good memories, and reflect on all you’ve learned. After all, you’ve all put in a lot of work to get to this point. Have fun with these end-of-year activities and assignments, and let the countdown begin!

1. Hold a class family circle

A family circle is a great way to wrap up a terrific year. Prepare a set of reflection questions, then allow students to take the mic and ask a friend one of the questions. Continue around the circle until every student has had a chance to answer.

Learn more: Class Family Circle

2. Solve a mystery together

Awesome for building reading comprehension skills, whodunits are also a hoot for students to solve! Students must read the clues and collaborate to solve the mystery. Try this one:  Who Freed the Fish?  And pretty soon your students will be tapping into their inner Sherlock.

Learn more: Class Mystery at Minds in Bloom

3. Create blackout poetry

It’s amazing what beautiful poetry can come from just about any piece of writing. All you need is a photocopied article, essay, or book excerpt and a Sharpie marker.

Learn more: Blackout Poetry at Just Add Students via YouTube

4. Let students teach

Have your students sign up to teach their classmates a 20- to 30-minute mini-lesson about something they’re passionate about. Some examples include leading the class in a game, song, or other group activity.

Learn more: Let Students Teach at Minds in Bloom

5. Hold a friendly competition

Kids love a little friendly competition, especially when it’s quick and easy. Sneak in rounds between activities and hold the finals on the last day of school.

Learn more: Rock, Paper, Scissors Bracket

6. Have a class “snowball fight”

Split your class into two teams facing each other. Have each student write three things about themselves and wad it into a snowball, then let the snowball fight commence! Set a time for a few minutes of “fight” time, then have students each grab a snowball and read the items listed, guessing whose paper it is.

Learn more: Snowball Fight at TeachStarter

7. Create memories that stick

Commemorate the memories that “stuck” with your students this year with this fun end-of-year activity.

Learn more: Cactus Memories

8. Serve up a scoop of memories

Here’s a sweet way to celebrate the end of the year! Make paper ice cream sundaes with a different memory on each scoop. You can have kids draw these themselves or buy a printable version at the link below.

Learn more: Ice Cream Scoop Memories

9. Post Flip farewell videos

Flip is one of our favorite classroom tools , especially when it comes to end-of-year activities. Post topics like “What did you learn this year?” or “Share your favorite memory from the past year.” Kids post their video responses and check out other students’ contributions too.

10. Create a collaborative puzzle

Give each student a piece of the puzzle and let them get creative! Suggest a theme such as best memory or most important thing I learned or I’ll never forget, etc. Students can write on their puzzle pieces. Once the puzzle is done, you can take a picture and make sure every student gets a copy.

Learn more: Collaborative Puzzle

11. Compile an end-of-year playlist

Songs are like smells—just hearing one can bring back all kinds of memories. Ask students (as a class or individually) to compile a list of songs that relate to the past school year and have them write about why each tune has a place on the list. Celebrate the last day of school by listening to songs from the playlist as you reflect on the year gone by. And while you’re at it, check out 85 Awesome Songs for Your End-of-the-Year Playlist .

Learn more: End of Year Playlist at Reading and Writing Haven

12. Fill up a memory bag

Give each student a brown paper bag, then ask them to decorate the front and add some reflections about the year on the other three panels. Then, each student adds 10 items from the year to their bag, with notes about why each is important. Finish up by having each kid lay out their items on their desk. Have a gallery walk around the room for everyone to see one another’s selections.

Learn more: Memory Bags

13. Write commencement speeches

Commencement speeches aren’t only for graduations! Finish out the year by reading or watching other great commencements speeches (the web is full of them). Then challenge students to write—and deliver, if you like—their own speeches for the year they’ve just finished.

Learn more: Commencement Speeches at 2 Peas and a Dog

14. List what they’ve learned from A to Z

What a great way to look back over what kids have learned! For each letter of the alphabet, have them write and illustrate something they learned or did throughout the year. Hit the link below to get a free printable template for this project. Learning virtually? Have students create a Google Slideshow instead.

Learn more: End of Year A to Z

15. Send thank-you notes

This is a skill every kid should learn: writing and sending thank-you notes. So why not incorporate it into your lineup of end-of-year activities? Have kids write a note to someone who made their school year special, then seal them in envelopes, address them, and deliver them by hand or mail. And while you’re at it, why not write a thank-you note to your own class ?

Learn more: Thank-You Notes at Cult of Pedagogy

16. Post best-of-the-year snapshots

Ask your students to sum up their favorite school-year memory (Science fair? Field day? Creative class presentations?) in one snapshot. Younger kids can draw pictures of the event, while older kids are likely to have a photo on their phone they’d be willing to share. Assemble them on a bulletin board—real-world or digital—with a few words from each student about what made that moment so special.

Learn more: Snapshots of Our Year

17. Count the days

Instead of counting down the days until the end, count up the days from the year behind you! Get students counting by having them use a calendar to figure out how many Mondays you’ve had this year, how many Fridays, how many P.E. days, and how many Jell-O-in-the-cafeteria days. Then work together to make a bar graph and hang it on the wall.

Learn more: End-of-Year Countdown at Teaching Made Practical

18. Let the students become the teachers

Take a break and let the students lead the class for a change. If you’re reviewing material for finals or another end-of-year test, have each student (or a group) lead the review session on a particular topic. You can also have your students create their own lesson on a topic they’re passionate about. Or have kids in one grade make and present lessons on what students in the grade below them can expect to learn the following year. There are a lot of options here, and all of them give you time to take a breather!

19. Talk behind each other’s backs (really!)

Have your students help tape a piece of lined paper to one another’s backs. Have each student get out a felt-tipped marker (not a Sharpie—it may bleed through). Set a timer and put on some favorite music. Let the students mix around the room and write a positive message on each student’s paper. For example, The best thing about you is …, What I appreciate most about you is …, I remember …, etc. After a set amount of time, have students stop, remove their papers from their backs, and enjoy reading the words of love from their classmates. (For a socially distanced spin, create a Google Slide or Padlet template for each student instead.)

20. Coast into summer

So fun! These DIY memory coasters are easy to make and give kids an end-of-year souvenir to take home. Get the free printable templates and complete instructions here.

21. Read end-of-year books

Little ones especially have a hard time with the end of a school year. Next year lots of things will be different, and that can be a sad and even scary thought for some. Read-alouds are simple but powerful end-of-year activities. Check out these 11 End-of-Year Books To Bring Your Class Closure , like The Egg by M.P. Robertson, to spark conversations about what kids have learned and what lies ahead.

22. Dream about the summer ahead

Here’s an end-of-year assignment that includes both art and writing. Have kids draw a portrait of themselves, then use the template at the link below to cut out and decorate an enormous pair of sunglasses. On the glasses, have them write about their summer plans (or the things they’d like to do).

Learn more: End-of-Year Writing

23. Raise a glass and toast your class

Students get a chance to practice public speaking in a very meaningful way with this end-of-year activity. Get a few liters of ginger ale and plastic champagne flutes from a party store, arrange your students in a circle, and have everyone say something—maybe a goal for the next school year, well-wishes for their peers, a favorite memory. After everyone has spoken, lift your glasses with a cheer and celebrate to end the school year.

24. Author a six-word memoir

This project has taken the world by storm. In six words, can you capture the essence of your school year? Kids can spend a little or a lot of time on this one, refining their words and even illustrating them. Collect them all into a slideshow (anonymous, if kids prefer) to share on the last day.

Learn more: Six-Word Memoirs

25. Take a field trip to the next grade

This is one of the most exciting end-of-year activities for students. Take them to visit the classrooms they’ll be in next year. Arrange to spend some time with the teachers, talk to the students, and hear more about what they’ll be learning. This is a good way to allay fears many kids have about moving on from a classroom where they’ve been comfortable. (You can do this as a Zoom tour and meet-and-greet too.)

Learn more: Next Year Classrooms Tour at Inspire Me ASAP!

26. Design a school seal

In this fun end-of-year activity that’s perfect for social studies, have your students design a “Great Seal” for their school. First, break them into groups to talk about what makes your school special and memorable for them. Then, have each kid (or group) create their own “seal” based on the ones used by states and cities. This project is especially meaningful for kids about to move on to another school like junior high.

Learn more: School Seals

27. Determine your “People of the Year”

Time magazine can’t have all the fun! Help your students compile a list of the “People of the Year” for your class. Include people important to your classroom (the custodian, the principal, everyone’s favorite “lunch lady”) along with classroom visitors and speakers from the year. Add in some people from current events and pop culture (the current president, a favorite musician) and even folks they studied throughout the year (Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart). Try to take or draw portraits of each, and assign each student to write a brief bio of one of the people included.

28. Write letters or tips for next year’s class

Who better to advise next year’s class on what they’ll need to succeed than the kids who’ve just finished doing it? They can write letters on their own or work together to create a master list of what it takes to make it in the next grade.

Learn more: Survival Guide

29. Create science-inspired art

Ask your students to create a wall-worthy piece of art that reflects something they learned in science. Did you study plants? Maybe a watercolor of flowers. Or if you studied space, a cosmic-inspired number. Send their work home to help them remember, or collect them to create a bulletin board that will inspire next year’s class about what they’ll be learning.

30. Host an open-mic night

Encourage kids to share the writing they’ve done in (and out of) class with an open mic event. Set up a stage complete with microphone and stool—get great tips for this at the link below—then bring kids up to tell a story or recite a poem. Overcome stage fright with a cool casual vibe and plenty of snacks. Invite friends and family to attend or watch virtually via Zoom.

Learn more: Poetry Cafe

31. Compose an end-of-year continuing story

Write several story titles like “The Great Summer Adventure,” “How My Teacher Lost Her Mind,” or “My Teacher, My Hero” at the top of blank pages. Then, have each student start a story and, after five minutes, pass the story to a neighbor who will continue writing. (Do this digitally on Google Docs if you’re not able to share supplies from person to person.) Continue writing round-robin style until you have several stories to read aloud to the class.

32. Publish a year-end newspaper

You can do this one as a group or individually. Create a basic newspaper template and have the class fill in the front page news. Recap the year, offer advice, illustrate favorite memories, and more. Then, pass these on to the grade below to give them an idea of what lies ahead.

Learn more: Class Newspaper

33. Perform a high school (or middle or elementary school) musical number

Break your students into groups and have them create (and perform) musical numbers commemorating the year. They can write new words to existing tunes, choreograph a lip-synch performance to an inspiring or memorable song, or even come up with something entirely new. Invite parents or other classes to a final-day performance, in person or online.

34. Assemble a Book Hall of Fame

Have each student write (or draw) a reflection on the best book they read during the year. Then, save their reflections and post them on a bulletin board or Padlet so that next year’s students can glean reading ideas.

Source: Book Hall of Fame

35. Play end-of-year charades

Looking for game-based end-of-year activities? Play charades! Have each student write out one memorable moment from the school year on a slip of paper. Collect all the slips in a bag, hat, or the like. Divide kids into teams and have them come up one team at a time, choose a slip, and act out the memory for the group. No need to keep score—the goal is just to relive all the happy memories from the year.

36. Start a school graffiti wall

Choose a wall in your school or classroom and encourage kids to sign their names and date with a quote or other memory. Use permanent markers or small paintbrushes. Each year, photograph the wall and then paint over it to start anew. If you have enough space, these walls can last longer and only be painted over every so many years, creating much more enduring memories. No wall room? Try a bulletin board or large sheet of paper instead.

Learn more: Graffiti Wall

37. Hold a “Stuff You Should Know” event

Take a day or a week to pass on important things you want your kids to know as they move on in life without you. Share poems, songs, TED Talks, quotes, books, and tips that you think will help them along the way. Don’t forget to include simple life lessons (registering and preparing to vote, protecting yourself online, how to behave on an elevator) that school usually doesn’t teach you. Learn more about this end-of-year activity here.

38. Print up a growing tree

Capture each student’s fingerprint as a tree leaf. Label them with their names, then hang them in your room from year to year so kids can see who’s come before them.

Source: End-of-Year Fingerprint Tree

39. Build a portfolio showcase

Throughout the year, have students save their best work in a folder or box. At the end of the year, each student chooses their favorite items to display in a portfolio like a binder or display board. Invite parents and friends to come to view everyone’s achievements.

40. Put together time capsules

Time capsules are classic end-of-year activities. Students will have so much fun assembling time capsules to be opened someday in the future. These can be as simple as a plastic water bottle filled with written memories or a shoebox stuffed with items to represent what kids did and learned over the school year.

Learn more: Class Time Capsule

41. Draw a school-year timeline

Classroom walls can start to look empty at the end of the year as you take things down to prepare for summer. Temporarily fill in the space with a long strip of butcher paper, then have kids create a timeline of the year. Break it down by month, then ask kids what they remember. Prompt their memories by having them look over their work (what a fun way to review!), and don’t forget to include events, speakers, and holiday celebrations.

42. Fill out an end-of-year roundup

Sometimes you just need a quick activity that doesn’t take a lot of prep, and that’s where this free printable comes in. Personalize it by taking and printing a photo of each student, or have them draw their own portrait in the space provided.

Learn more: End-of-the-Year Roundup

43. Go outside!

Build in time to celebrate the end of the year with some fun outdoor activities. Rotate teams for each activity so your students get a chance to mingle with all of their classmates. Here are 25 Clever Outdoor Games to choose from.

44. Put on a show

This is a fun end-of-year activity that could be presented to parents, a younger class, your whole school, or just for your own class. Students can perform skits, dramatic readings, act out a story, showcase a talent, or read a favorite piece from a book they read.

45. Create an end-of-year ABC book

You use them for novel studies, so why not create an ABC book for highlights of the school year? For each letter, students come up with one memorable event or lesson, write a few sentences, and draw a picture. Think of it as a literacy lesson/memory book activity.

Learn more: ABC Booklet

46. Hold a book museum walk

One of our favorite end-of-year activities is a book museum walk. Students choose one of their favorite books and create a poster, diorama, trifold, or even dress up as a character. They can work on their projects at home or at school, and their project should provide a sneak peek or trailer of the book. When the students are ready to present, invite another class or grade level in to view the “museum.”

Learn more: Museum Walk With Favorite Books at Teaching With Jennifer Findley

47. Create your own iPads

End-of-year activities can help wrap up subject matters like geography. For this fun assignment, have your students research different symbols that represent something unique about your state. Each symbol they discover will become an app for their homemade iPad. Have them draw the symbols on the outside of each app, and then write a brief summary about the symbols on the inside.

Learn more: Geography iPad apps

48. Go on a virtual field trip

Traditionally, one of the classic school end-of-year activities was field trips. But sometimes budgets don’t cooperate, so why not take it virtual? They’re fun and easy, and no permission slips, chaperones, or packed lunches are needed! Check out our favorite Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips .

49. Pump up the school spirit

From dress-up days and community-building activities to outreach and volunteer projects, Spirit Week activities are a great way to end the year on a high note. Check out our massive list of School Spirit Week Ideas .

50. Story writing

Have each student start a story and then leave it on their desk. At your signal, have students rotate to the next desk, and give them a minute to read the story there and then add to the story. Keep rotating, giving students the chance to add to as many stories as you have time for. Let students know when you’re on your last rotation so they can wrap the story up.

51. Make a wearable keepsake

Mark your time together by making fun tie-dyed bandannas or decorating T-shirts with everyone’s signature or handprint. Or try making friendship bracelets or necklaces. Every time your students wear one of these items, they’ll fondly remember your year together.

Learn more: How To Tie-Dye Shirts With Kids

52. Set up a photo booth

Photo booths are a great way to start the school year, but they’re also terrific for the last days of the year. Help kids capture memories with their friends before they part for the summer.

Learn more:  Photo Booth

53. Plan a dream vacation

Kids are already dreaming of how they’ll fill the summer hours, so this last-minute math activity will be pure fun! Give kids a budget (say, $2,500), then send them off to research whether their dream trip can be accomplished. Make sure they include airfare or gas money, lodgings, food, spending money, and all the incidentals that add up when you travel.

54. Host a book tasting

Expand your readers’ palates with a book tasting and set them up for summer reading. A book tasting gives students the opportunity to sample some juicy reads in a short period of time and come away with a wish list of titles.

Learn more: Book Tasting

55. Create a summer bucket list

Provide kids with lots of options, then have them compile their own bucket lists for the summer days ahead. In addition to fun items, encourage them to add ways to help others or learn something new too.

Learn more:  Bucket List

56. Focus on kindness

Add a Random Acts of Kindness Challenge to your lineup of end-of-year activities and make it all the way to the finish line with good vibes. To get started, check out Random Acts of Kindness: 30 Activities for Elementary Students from American Montessori Society

57. See who knows you best

Challenge your kiddos to show who knows you best. Record your students’ answers on chart paper with markers or use Google Slides. It’s amazing how much kids pick up on our likes and dislikes!

Learn more: Who Knows Teacher Best

What are your favorite end-of-year activities? Come and share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out end-of-year student gifts that won’t break the bank .

You Might Also Like

29 Unexpected Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love

Send them off for summer with a smile! Continue Reading

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75 Unique School Presentation Ideas and Topics Plus Templates

Are you tired of seeing the same PowerPoints repeating overused and unoriginal school presentation ideas covering repeated topics in your classes?

You know what I’m talking about; we’ve all been there, and sat through yawn-worthy demonstrations, slides, or presentation videos covering everything from the solar system, someone’s favorite pet, past presidents of a country, to why E=mC squared.

From grade school to university, first graders to college students, we are obligated to create, perform, and observe academic presentations across a plethora of curriculums and classes, and not all of these public speaking opportunities fall into the category of an ‘interesting topic’.

Yet, have no fear! Here at Piktochart, we are here to help you and your classmates. From giving examples of creative and even interactive presentation ideas, providing presentation videos , and suggesting interactive activities to give your five minutes of fame the ‘wow’ factor that it deserves, this article is your guide!

Our massive collection of unique school and college presentation ideas and templates applies if you’re:

• A teacher looking to make your class more engaging and fun with student presentations.
• A student who wants to impress your teacher and the rest of the class with a thought-provoking, interesting topic.

A Curated List of Interesting Topics for School Presentations

Did you know that when it comes to presentations , the more students involved improves retention? The more you know! Yet sometimes, you need a little help to get the wheels moving in your head for your next school presentation .

The great thing about these ideas and topics is you can present them either in face-to-face classes or virtual learning sessions.

Each school presentation idea or topic below also comes with a template that you can use. Create a free Piktochart account to try our presentation maker and get access to the high-quality version of the templates. You can also check out our Piktochart for Education plan .

Want to watch this blog post in video format? The video below is for you!

The templates are further divided into the following categories covering the most popular and best presentation topics. Click the links below to skip to a specific section.

• Unique science presentation topics to cultivate curiosity in class
• Engaging culture and history presentation ideas to draw inspiration from
• Health class presentation topics to help students make healthy lifestyle decisions
• Data visualization ideas to help students present an overwhelming amount of data and information into clear, engaging visuals
• First day of school activity ideas to foster classroom camaraderie
• Communication and media topics to teach students the importance of effective communication
• Topics to help students prepare for life after school

We hope this list will inspire you and help you nail your next school presentation activity.

Unique Science Presentation Topics to Cultivate Curiosity in Class

Science is a broad field and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with too many topics to choose for your next presentation.

Cultivate curiosity in the science classroom with the following unique and creative presentation ideas and topics:

1. Can life survive in space?

2. Do plants scream when they’re in pain?

3. What are the traits of successful inventors?

4. How vaccines work

5. Massive destruction of the Koala’s habitat in Australia

6. Left brain versus right brain

7. What are great sources of calcium?

Get access to high-quality, unique school presentation templates by Piktochart for Education.

Create and collaborate in the classroom using Piktochart’s customizable and printable templates for your school reports, presentations, and infographics.

8. Recycling facts you need to know

9. Do you have what it takes to be a NASA astronaut?

10. The rise of robots and AI: Should we be afraid of them?

11. How far down does the sea go?

12. The stages of sleep

13. Will Mars be our home in 2028?

14. A quick look at laboratory safety rules

15. The first person in history to break the sound barrier

Engaging Culture and History Presentation Ideas to Draw Inspiration From

History is filled with equally inspiring and terrifying stories, and there are lessons that students can learn from the events of the past. Meanwhile, interactive presentations about culture help students learn and embrace diversity. 

16. Women in history: A conversation through time

17. The sweet story of chocolate 

18. A history lesson with a twist 

19. The history of basketball 

20. The origin of the Halloween celebration 

21. AI History 

22. What you need to know about New Zealand 

23. 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa 

24. Roman structures: 2000 years of strength

25. The most famous art heists in history 

26. Elmo: The story behind a child icon 

27. 10 things you should know before you visit South Korea 

28. 8 things you didn’t know about these 8 countries 

Health Class Presentation Topics to Help Students Make Healthy Lifestyle Decisions

Want to learn how to engage students with healthcare topic ideas? Then consider using these templates for your next interactive presentation.

According to the CDC , school-based health education contributes to the development of functional health knowledge among students. It also helps them adapt and maintain health-promoting behaviors throughout their lives. 

Not only will your presentation help with keeping students engaged, but you’ll also increase class involvement with the right slides.

The following examples of health and wellness interactive presentations include fun ideas and topics that are a good start. 

29. How to look after your mental health?

30. The eradication of Polio

31. How to have a healthy lifestyle 

32. 10 handwashing facts 

33. Myths and facts about depression

34. Hacks for making fresh food last longer 

35. Ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus

36. Mask protection in 5 simple steps 

37. Everything you need to know about the flu

38. All about stress: Prevention, tips, and how to cope 

39. The importance of sleep 

40. Is milk tea bad for you?

41. How to boost happiness in 10 minutes

42. How dirty are debit and credit cards 

43. Why do you need sunscreen protection

Data Visualization Ideas to Help Students Present Overwhelming Amounts of Data in Creative Ways

Data visualization is all about using visuals to make sense of data. Students need to pull the main points from their extensive research, and present them by story telling while being mindful of their classmates’ collective attention span.

As far as student assignments go, storytelling with data is a daunting task for students and teachers alike. To keep your audience interested, consider using a non linear presentation that presents key concepts in creative ways.

Inspire your class to be master data storytellers with the following data visualization ideas:

44. Are we slowly losing the Borneo rainforest?

45. Skateboard deck design over the years

46. Food waste during the Super Bowl

47. The weight of the tallest building in the world

48. Infographic about data and statistics

49. Stats about cyberbullying

50. How whales combat climate change

First Day of School Interactive Activity Ideas to Foster Whole-class-Camaraderie

Calling all teachers! Welcome your new students and start the school year with the following back-to-school creative presentation ideas and relevant templates for first-day-of-school activities.

These interactive presentations grab the attention of your students and are remarkably easy to execute (which is the main educator’s goal after all)!

51. Meet the teacher

52. Example: all about me

53. Self-introduction

54. Tips on how to focus on schoolwork

55. Course plan and schedule

Give our class schedule maker a try to access more templates for free. You can also access our presentation-maker , poster-maker , timeline-maker , and more by simply signing up .

56. Interpreting a student’s report card (for parents)

57. Introduction of classroom rules

58. Assignment schedule

59. Daily planner

60. Course syllabus presentation

61. How to write a class presentation

Topics to Teach Students the Importance of Effective Communication

Visual media  helps students retain more of the concepts  taught in the classroom. The following media topics and infographic templates can help you showcase complex concepts in a short amount of time. 

In addition, interactive presentation activities using these templates also encourage the development of a holistic learning process in the classroom because they help focus on the  three domains of learning:  cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. 

62. Interactive presentation do’s and don’ts 

63. How to create an infographic 

Recommended reading : How to Make an Infographic in 30 Minutes

64. How to improve your internet security and privacy

65. What is design thinking?

66. What are your favorite software tools to use in the classroom? 

Presentation Topic Ideas to Help Students Prepare for Life After School

One of the things that makes teaching a rewarding career is seeing your students take the learning and knowledge you’ve instilled in them, and become successful, productive adults.

From pitching a business idea to starting your podcast, the following topics are good starting points to prepare students for the challenges after graduation (aka adulting 101):

67. How to make a resume

68. How to start a startup

69. Credit card vs. debit card

70. Pros and cons of cryptocurrency

71. How to save on travel

72. How to do a SWOT analysis

73. How to pitch a business idea

74. Habits of successful people

75. Starting your own podcast: A checklist

Find out how a high school teacher like Jamie Barkin uses Piktochart to improve learning in the classroom for her students.

Pro tip: make your presentation as interactive as possible. Students have an attention span of two to three minutes per year of age. To keep minds from wandering off, include some interactive games or activities in the lesson. For example, if you conducted a lesson on the respiratory system, you could ask them to practice breathing techniques.

Maintain eye contact with your students, and you’ll get instant feedback on how interested they are in the interactive presentation.

Make School Presentation Visuals Without the Hassle of Making Them From Scratch

School presentations, when done right, can help teachers engage their classes and improve students’ education effectively by presenting information using the right presentation topic. 

If you’re pressed for time and resources to make your school presentation visuals , choose a template from Piktochart’s template gallery . Aside from the easy customization options, you can also print and download these templates to your preferred format. 

Piktochart also professional templates to create infographics , posters , brochures , reports , and more.

Creating school-focused, engaging, and interactive presentations can be tedious at first, but with a little bit of research and Piktochart’s handy templates, you’re going to do a great job!

The future of learning is interactivity and collaboration.

Foster interactive and collaborative learning using Piktochart for Education. Share your work, get feedback, and brainstorm on the fly. With Piktochart, everyone’s on the same page. Finally.

Kyjean Tomboc is an experienced content marketer for healthcare, design, and SaaS brands. She also manages content (like a digital librarian of sorts). She lives for mountain trips, lap swimming, books, and cats.

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15 Infographic Examples for Students (Plus Editable Templates) 

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End of the School Year: Summer Break

End of the school year: summer break presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

The Summer break is at hand! It’s time to prepare some end of the year activities for your students. You may even want to prepare a collection of your most dearest moments of this school year. Use our creative template and add many cute stickers to your presentation!

This theme is based on a multi-purpose structure. The background resembles a scrapbook or a notebook in light red, and it contains a lot of stickers! You can find stars, books, fruits, monsters and much more, kids will love them! The sans serif title typeface is condensed and it is conspicuous for its square traits, which are in consonance with the scrapbook style of the template.

Features of this template

• A cool template that resembles a scrapbook with a lot of stickers
• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 30 different slides to impress your audience
• Available in five colors
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics, maps and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the free resources used

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20 End of Year Celebration Ideas for Work

Here is our list of the best end of year celebration ideas for work.

End of year celebration ideas for work are festive events and activities to bring teams together before the new year. Examples include award ceremonies, company retreats, and potluck parties. These activities aim to recognize employees for their hard work and get teammates excited for the future.

These ideas are similar to office party ideas , team celebration ideas , and corporate events for teams .

This list includes:

• office end of year party ideas
• end of year party ideas for adults
• end of year activities for work
• end of year games for work
• end of work event ideas for work
• end of the year party themes

Let’s get to it!

List of end of year celebration ideas for work

The end of the year is a great time to get together as a team and celebrate accomplishments, achievements, and milestones. Here are a few of our favorite year-end celebration ideas for the office.

1. Virtual Holiday Party (Fully Hosted)

Virtual Holiday Party is a 90-minute online social. During this event, teammates gather online to compete and socialize. A high energy host keeps engagement high and gets everyone involved. Because the activity is not specific to any one holiday, this event works well as an end of year party. If December is busy at your company, then you can even book this event in January.

Best of all, groups can enjoy this experience year after year. Because our creative team re-invents the games, activities, and theme fresh for each holiday season, each party is its own unique experience.

Learn more about Virtual Holiday Party .

2. tiny campfire (Highly Rated)

During tiny campfire, you can experience the wonders of the great outdoors and indulge in delicious s’mores! This cozy and immersive experience brings the campfire thrill indoors for your team.

Key features of tiny campfire include:

• a 90-minute session led by a highly engaging host
• camp-style icebreaker games that start fun conversations
• specialty chocolates, marshmallows, graham crackers, and a tea-light candle

As an exciting bonus, you have the option to include an additional s’mores kit or even a cocktail kit to elevate your package. If you are interested in a one-of-a-kind end of year celebration, then tiny campfire is the perfect choice!

Learn more about tiny campfire .

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. Desk wrapping contest

A desk wrapping contest is one of the most creative end of year activities. This competition is an excellent chance for employees to unleash their creativity while adding a festive decor element to the office.

You can follow these instructions to host a successful desk wrapping contest:

• Provide a variety of wrapping paper
• Set a timer for 30 minutes
• Ask participants to wrap their desks
• Encourage extra decorations, like bows and lights
• Choose a winner based on creativity

You should encourage participants to use the wrapping paper creatively. For example, players can wrap their desks, chairs, and computers using wrapping paper and finish up with a bow on top. Extra elements like holiday lights and posters can also help promote creativity.

Here are more office holiday decorating contest ideas .

4. End of year Bingo

One of the most engaging end of year games for work is Bingo. The goal of end of year Bingo is to walk around the room to find at least five different employees who have completed the actions on the Bingo board in the past year.

Here is an example of what your Bingo board may look like:

The first employee to reach Bingo wins the game. End of year Bingo is a fun way to get a grasp of the different activities and milestones your teammates completed this year. Bingo is also a fun way to get to know other team members.

For more game options, check out icebreaker Bingo .

5. Award ceremony

The end of the year is the perfect time to recognize your team’s highest achievers. We recommend hosting an award ceremony as one of the best end of work event ideas for work.

As part of this event, you should come up with a few award categories. Then, choose one employee as the winner for each category.

Here are a few awards to distribute at your ceremony:

• Employee of the year
• Most improved
• Best customer service
• Most cheerful
• Volunteer of the year
• Longest work anniversary
• Most valuable player (MVP)

You can make your award ceremony feel unique and official by sending invitations, decorating the office, and providing trophies or certificates for winners.

Here are more employee recognition ideas .

6. Potluck party

One of the most classic ways to celebrate the end of the year at work is by hosting a potluck party. For a successful potluck celebration, all team members must bring one meal, dessert, or drink. As a result, you will have a table filled with different food and desserts to enjoy at your office party.

Potlucks are a wonderful way for team members to show off their cooking and baking skills while enjoying delicious meals from their peers. During a potluck party, teammates can unwind and chat with each other while bonding over tasty food.

7. Masquerade ball

A masquerade ball is one of the fanciest office end of year party ideas. To host a successful masquerade ball, begin by sending out themed invitations. Be sure to encourage employees to wear their best suits and cocktail dresses for this black-tie affair. You can remind attendees to pair their outfits with a unique hand-held mask and other accessories like feathers and sequins.

You can include activities such as a costume contest, dance battle, and mask decorating station during your masquerade ball.

8. Company retreat

Company retreats are a great end of year activity that provides a chance to refresh your team’s mindsets for the upcoming year. Company retreats typically occur at an offsite location, such as a nature reserve. We recommend creating an agenda to keep your company retreat organized and on track.

Here are a few activities to include:

• Campfire chats
• Team building games

Company retreats provide an ideal opportunity to step back from typical work. Instead, employees have more downtime to de-stress and get to know coworkers. In addition, retreats give teams plenty of time to relax and recharge.

Here is a guide to group retreat activities .

9. Volunteer day

Instead of hosting an extravagant holiday party, you may find more impact in organizing a group volunteer activity. Hosting a volunteer day is one of our top end of year activities for work.

To organize your team’s volunteer day, choose a day when your team can forget work and dedicate time to give back.

Then, pick an activity in which all team members can participate, such as:

• Beach clean-up
• Canned-food drive
• Care-package assembly
• Car wash fundraiser
• Neighborhood litter pick-up

Volunteering is all about contributing your time to help members of the local community. Implementing a volunteer day at work is a great way to get your team involved in supporting a greater cause.

Check out these lists of volunteer day ideas and group volunteering projects .

10. Office game show

Office game shows are the funniest and most engaging end of year games for work. These games can help boost morale and team spirit in the office. To host an office game show, choose one team member to serve as the host. Then, you should split the rest of your team into smaller groups that can compete together.

Here are a few options to consider for your office game show:

• Family Feud
• Wheel of Fortune
• The Price is Right
• Minute To Win It

Office game shows are a great way to create new memories as the year ends. These games will also help you promote friendly competition among teammates. To keep the activity on-theme, you could even theme gameshow questions around company events and achievements from the past year.

Here is a list of virtual game show ideas for work .

11. Talent show

Employee talent shows provide the perfect opportunity to discover hidden talents among your team. To organize your talent show, choose a setting with a stage or podium, such as your office’s auditorium or cafeteria. Then, invite your team members to take the stage and show off their most impressive talents. You may be surprised to see gifted singers, dancers, musicians, magicians, and artists among your teammates.

To make your talent show a success, we suggest making this activity completely voluntary. It would be best not to force anyone to perform on stage since this can create a tense environment. Instead, we recommend opening the floor to all employees willing to showcase their unique talents.

Here is a guide to employee talent shows .

12. Office Olympics

If you want to promote friendly competition among teammates, then office Olympics is one of the best end of year activities for work. Office Olympics consists of a variety of activities and sports. Each activity provides an opportunity to win against a fellow teammate.

For your office Olympic games, you should ask each team member to choose which country they want to represent. Once each team member has chosen their country, you should come up with a few different sporting events, such as:

• Trash can basketball
• Balance book
• Office triathlon
• Paper plane toss

After completing all the activities, you can tally up the scores and begin awarding your top players gold, silver, and bronze medals. Office Olympics is fantastic for bringing out your team’s competitive side.

Check out this guide to office Olympics .

13. Cookie-decorating class

Desserts are a staple of the holiday season. We recommend hosting a cookie-decorating class as a team building end of year celebration.

To host this class, prepare a few dozen plain sugar cookies beforehand. Then, gather supplies such as cookie cutters, different colored icings, and decorative toppings. Finally, to add an element of friendly competition to this celebration idea, you can ask team members to vote for their favorite cookies at the end of the class.

Hosting a cookie-decorating class in the office can help team members unleash their inner creativity. Your entire team can enjoy the cookies together once the lesson ends.

14. Food truck fair

If your office has a parking lot, we recommend clearing out the lot for a food truck fair. Hosting a food truck fair will allow your team to try new foods while bonding and socializing with teammates.

To host a food truck fair, you should look for local food truck caterers. We recommend including several cuisines, such as tacos, barbeque, burgers, Chinese, or Italian food. With many options to choose from, attendees are sure to find a meal they enjoy. The best time to host a food truck fair is during your lunch hour. During this time, all team members can go to the parking lot and enjoy a nice meal together.

15. Karaoke night

Karaoke is a great way to let loose and have fun with your team. We recommend hosting a team karaoke night as part of your end of year celebration. To host a karaoke night at work, you can either invest in a karaoke machine or search for karaoke versions of your favorite songs on Youtube. Regardless of your chosen method, we recommend buying at least two microphones to use throughout the night.

Karaoke is one of the most enjoyable work party activities. This activity allows team members to showcase their singing skills and make their voices heard. Karaoke is also a great way for employees to let loose around each other and have fun.

16. Happy hour

A team happy hour is one of the best end of year party ideas for adults. For this party idea, choose a local bar or restaurant with an excellent happy hour deal. For example, some bars place appetizers and drinks at half-price during happy hour. Most bars and restaurants run happy hour deals between 4 to 7 pm on weekdays. Or, you can hire a bartender and bring the event into the office.

During your team’s happy hour, we suggest participating in a holiday activity, like new year’s predictions. For this activity, have each team member make a prediction for the upcoming year. Forecasts can be personal or professional, such as:

• Five new members will join the team
• Anique will retire
• Rakesh will adopt a dog
• The company will exceed this year’s revenue
• Three team members will get promotions

Attending happy hour at a local bar is the perfect opportunity for socialization outside the office. This event gives your team a chance to have fun, get to know each other, and create memories while celebrating together in a new setting.

17. Wine tasting

Wine tasting is a sophisticated activity that your team will surely enjoy as an end of year celebration. During a wine-tasting event, participants can expect to taste several wines while debating opinions about each drink with teammates.

Depending on your location, you may find a local vineyard where you can take your team to explore and drink different wines. You can also find a virtual service to ship an assortment of wines to your office location, allowing you to host the wine tasting at work.

Check out this list of online wine tasting experiences .

18. Cocktail-making class

If you are looking for fun and interactive end of year party ideas for adults, then we recommend hosting a cocktail-making class. For this activity, you can invite a skilled bartender to your office to walk your team through making your favorite cocktails.

For this class, we suggest stocking up on bartending essentials, such as glasses, measuring cups, mixers, and liquor. You can also poll your team beforehand to ask what drinks each member would be interested in learning during the class. Hosting a cocktail-making class is a great way to get all members involved in an engaging group activity.

Here is a list of list of cocktail kits for happy hours .

19. Anonymous gift exchange

Hosting an anonymous gift exchange at the end of the year is a great way to promote peer-to-peer recognition.

You can follow the below steps for your anonymous gift exchange:

• Drop employee names into a hat
• Have each team member choose a name randomly
• Set a monetary limit for gift costs
• Give employees one week to get a gift for their match
• Keep all names anonymous
• After one week, re-group to exchange gifts
• Recipients will guess who bought their gift

The anonymous gift exchange activity allows employees to buy thoughtful gifts for teammates. In addition, the activity promotes friendly competition as players must guess who their gift came from. This lighthearted activity is the perfect way to end the year on a high note.

20. Bonus day off

If you want to show employees that you genuinely care about them, then we recommend granting a bonus day off towards the end of the year. Employees can choose what to do with their time with a day off. For example, team members may use the extra time to work on a hobby, spend time with family, or relax.

Incentives like an additional day off are a great way to boost employee engagement and productivity.

The end of the year is the perfect time to get together and celebrate success as a team. In addition, end of year celebrations provide an excellent opportunity to recognize team members for their hard work, which is known to impact employees positively.

End of year celebration ideas can help you get a headstart on organizing events and special days to celebrate your team’s biggest and smallest wins of the year. These ideas can include potluck parties, happy hours, and award ceremonies. In addition, work celebrations and recognition events can help improve productivity, increase motivation, and instill newfound confidence in employees.

Next, check out end of year budget spending ideas and this list of ice cream social activities .

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FAQ: End of year celebration ideas for work

Here are answers to questions about end of year celebration ideas for work.

What are some good end of year celebration ideas for work?

The best end of year celebration ideas for work are activities that allow you to recognize and honor teammates. In addition, activities that promote team building and employee engagement are also a great way to get team members excited for the new year.

For example, end of year celebration ideas can include:

• Award ceremony
• Bonus day off
• Wine tasting
• Company retreat
• Masquerade ball

These activities and initiatives can help show employees they are valued and appreciated.

How do you celebrate the end of the year in the office?

There are many ways to celebrate the end of the year in the office, from themed office parties to exciting team outings. You can even celebrate by simply filling your office with festive decor to boost your team’s spirits at work. We recommend choosing events and activities that your entire team can enjoy.

Why should you celebrate the end of the year with your team?

There are many reasons to celebrate the end of the year with your team. For example, team celebrations can help boost morale, build unity, and increase motivation. In addition, by hosting fun activities and events, your employees have fun activities to look forward to at work as the year wraps up. Celebrating the end of the year with your team is also a great way to recognize your team members’ hard work and contributions throughout the year.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at TeamBuilding. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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26 Fun and Memorable End of the School Year Celebration Ideas

The end of the school year is a time that is very busy for most classrooms. Here are some end of the school year project ideas, end of the year gift solutions, celebration tips, and diplomas.

Plus, I’ve found a set of alphabet countdown ideas to help make the end of the school year fun with a different thing to do or incorporate each day.

These end of the year ideas as so creative, I know you’ll just love them. Most are very simple or can be simplified to meet your classroom needs.

End of the School Year Projects

1. Screamin’ Good Year – This tutorial was originally created to show a fun idea for summary writing. I think the large photo piece is so beautiful and would make for an excellent end of year display.

My spin on it is to change their writing portion to a “screamin’ good year.”

Have students write about their favorite classroom theme or trip or summarize their year in school. {Free download}

2. Create a Class Quilt – Here is a beautiful example of how you can create a class piece to bring the entire class together for an end of the school year project.

This quilt was made with handprints in order to fit the alphabet, but you could easily input your own artwork or writing ideas with beautiful borders to tie it all together. What a statement!

3.  “I’m a First Grader” Photo Shoot – Set up a photo area to snap a fun set of end of the school year photos. Have each student hold up a speech bubble that says, “I’m a ___ grader!” to celebrate their moving onto the next grade level.

This is a quick idea that parents are sure to love.

4. End of the Year Election – Get students thinking positively about their classmates by describing them in an end of the year election.

Let them think of the funniest, happiest students and to nominate them for the election.

Tabulate the results for some end of the year fun. {Free download}

5. School is Cool – Get students reflecting on their year and have the year in a snapshot piece. This is a craft with a girl and boy template for students to write what they like best about the school year. The sunglasses really make this project a keeper!

Have you already got your end of the year teacher shirt? Here are my current favorites. Hurry – there’s still time to order.

6. Hallway Countdown – If you celebrate any type of graduation for your grade level, start a countdown in the hallway.

This idea was designed for kindergarten, but why not host your own mini-graduation ceremony in your classroom with red bulletin board paper as your red carpet to celebrate the end of a hard working year! {Free download}

7. Memory Gift Books – Create a collection of items that our students have made over the length of the school year {get those files cleaned out}.

When you add a poem and a picture of you and your student together you have a very personal, meaningful gift together.

Bind or assemble to make it special and a gift for each student.

8. Memory Books – There are tons of memory books and pieces available to create your own template. During the last weeks of school, making books that are like personal yearbooks is a great plan.

This activity fits well in between the craziness that we all find our selves in the last weeks of school.

9. Bulletin Board Displays – Bring on the end of year cuteness with a sailing inspired bulletin board display. Have your students’ photo displayed along with the title, “Sailing into ___ Grade.”

10. Handprint Poem (Kindergarten) – This cute project will also work for an end of year parent gift or make a great page in a memory book.

Students add their handprints into the empty space on the page or could mount this onto a larger piece of construction paper with handprints beside. {Free download}

End of the Year Gifts

11. Teacher Poem – Send your students off with a poem from the teacher to remind them that they are special. Pair this with a picture of you and your students, or a photo with you and each student one on one.

Sign it to make it personal and you’ve got a simple, meaningful gift. {Free download}

12. Create Parent Gifts – Use a beginning of the year assessment piece and it’s comparative end of the year piece as a gift for parents.

This tutorial shows you how to laminate two pieces of writing side by side to show growth and remind parents of how much they’ve learned.

13. Learning With Toys – Here is a great step by step set of toys to put together to give as student gifts (with a tip on getting books at a fraction of the price).

This tutorial gives you a printable for kindergarten that explains each toy and how it can have educational value for over the summer fun. {Free download}

Host a Celebration

14. End of Year Celebration Invitations – Are you planning a celebration at the end of the year and inviting parents?

This printable set includes summer themes that are bright and fun!

You can print on these in Powerpoint too making them print and go. {Free download}

15. Celebration Event – Here are some great tips on hosting and end of the school year celebration event. Includes photos of table displays, student gifts and how to make it a smooth event.

16. Luau – Have and end of the school year luau. Host fun activities throughout the day that fit a Hawaiian theme and pass out small favors like leis to your students as a gift.

Here are some stations that are designed for kindergarten as sample ideas.

Take multiple photos throughout the day to put together as a gift for each student.

17. Camp Read a Lot – This week long idea will transform your classroom during one of the last weeks of school.

Find different lesson plan ideas to do each day with your students to keep it fresh and to keep them excited and engaged. Most of all, I love that this one celebrates reading.

Such a clever idea using probably lots of camping gear you already have in your closet.

18. Photo Slideshow – If you put together a slideshow for your students to show the last days of school, here is a list of music suggestions and titles that might be a great fit.

Also, a great list if you create parent gifts of CD’s filled with photos from the school year.

19. Kindergarten Graduation Event – If you are planning on hosting a kindergarten graduation event, here is a cute craft to create.

Use simple shapes to create graduation kids.

Add a quick little poem or tag to make this a keepsake.

End of Year Awards and Diplomas

20. Diplomas – Most often if graduations are held at the end of a school year, they are done in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.

Here is a quick glance at how a teacher uses diplomas and her classroom management tips for making the day work. {Free download}

21. Awesome Awards – Don’t you just love the sound of this one? I love this idea since it makes students focus on the positive attributes of other classmates as they create awesome awards for one another.

Great idea for any grade level! {Free download}

End of the Year Countdown

22. Countdown Balloons – Decide how many days you’d like to countdown, and set up that many balloons as a colorful display in your classroom.

Place a special activity idea inside each one {love that these ideas could all be free!} and keep them guessing what kind of fun could be in store!

23. Countdown Printable – This clever countdown printable set will cover you for the end of the school year and then some!

You’ll be able to show how many days are left in school by placing this printable in a photo frame and writing on it with a dry erase marker. {Free download}

24. ABC Countdown –  When you come down to the last 26 days of school (or less if you combine days) there are so many fun options to celebrate in small fun ways each day.

Here is an editable version of a parent note and an ABC countdown for you to use and make your own. {Free download}

25. Alphabet Countdown Calendar – Turn your last month into a countdown calendar for students with a fun theme or activity for them to look forward to each day.

Your creativity of coming up with titles to match a letter of the alphabet is all it takes to make this idea happen. You can do all of them for little to no money. {Free download}

26. The Alphabet Countdown – Want to see more options for ideas of things to do with each letter of the alphabet as you count down your last 26 days of school?

Brainstorm with your students to create a list to fit their interests or use these ideas. {Free download}

Get more alphabet countdown ideas for kindergarten here.

Ready to finish out the year strong? Check out these 17 Simple End of the School Year Student Gifts and Writing Activities .

Thanks to these teachers for their free downloads and ideas that are creative and memorable.  Your ideas are fabulous! Feel free to grab the “ I’m a Featured Teach Junkie ” blog button as your creations are definitely worth the shout out.

More End of the School Year

• How to Send Home Work SIMPLY {End of the Year}
• How to Manage the End of the Year Behavior
• 17 Simple End of the School Year Student Gifts and Writing Activities
• End of Year Gift Idea… Fun, yet Academic!

Teach Junkie

Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.

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Fun Dinner Party Themes to Level Up Your Next Event (or Holiday)

Forget the everyday dishes and get creative with these thematic menus, dinner party decor, and DIY ideas.

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The holidays and entertaining go hand in hand, but it doesn't have to be the holidays to throw a dinner party or get creative with it. Whether you're throwing a formal dinner party or doing some casual entertaining, dinner parties are a fun way to bring people together.

If you need a little inspiration, these creative starting points will guide you to the perfect dinner theme idea—there are even some specific themes (and recipes!) in each category that you can run with for your own culinary adventure.

Dinner Party Themes Ideas

If you're getting ready to host friends and family for a dinner party, picking a theme might feel overwhelming. First, consider your surroundings or situation. Be sure to consider factors like the occasion, time of year, weather, and location when deciding on a theme. With this in mind, here are some dinner party themes to explore.

Pick Destinations Around the Globe

Pick a favorite vacation destination (or something from your travel bucket list), research a menu from there (don't forget dessert!), and perhaps go a little further by playing music or watching movies from that country.

Don't be afraid to travel to more than one destination either; you can offer a trip around Asia with a dish from each destination, or opt to serve different cultures' versions of dumplings as appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Mexican food with mojitos
• Indian curry or a vegetarian masala
• Fish and chips and English trifle
• Italian lasagnas (and affogato!)
• Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches
• French crepes and clafoutis
• Greek-style orzo and shrimp with avgolemono soup
• Japanese okonomiyaki and udon
• Korean bibimbap and bulgogi with cucumber kimchi salad
• Middle Eastern falafel and hummus
• Chinese dumplings and fried rice

Want to keep it all American? Consider choosing delicacies from places you've visited or lived. Here are a few suggestions:

• New Orleans Cajun or Creole fare
• Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
• New York cheesecake
• New England lobster rolls
• Tex-Mex fajitas and enchiladas

Set Up a DIY Food Party

If you're looking for a fun dinner theme idea that's low-effort, high reward, choose a menu theme that's really interactive. Setting up DIY food bars may require a bit of prep and presentation, but your guests (or your family) will take it from there to build customized creations.

Bonus: This is an excellent option when your fellow diners have dietary restrictions or are simply picky eaters, as they can skip over any ingredients that don't work for them. Some make-your-own-dinner theme inspiration includes:

• Tacos , burritos, or nachos
• Mac-and-cheese (with fun toppings!)

You might even choose to turn your next dinner into a Chopped -style competition, where you give a set secret ingredient, open access to the kitchen or DIY bar, and offer a time limit to produce something awesome.

Think Outside the Dinner Box

Sometimes, the best dinner isn't actually dinner. Consider dining options that aren't usually served in the evening (or as a full meal). Some options to consider include:

• Breakfast for dinner (think egg dishes or waffles)
• Charcuterie boards (add enough veggies and fruit alongside the meat and cheese, and it's a meal)
• Hors d'oeuvres as a meal

You can also look for ways to minimize (or maximize!) your menu to have a little fun with your dinner. Consider serving all miniaturized foods (think sliders, French onion soup bites , mini hot dogs, and mini desserts ) or supersize (giant cookie for dessert).

Consider Time Travel

Take a trip back in time, whether you opt for retro favorites from a bygone era. Or maybe you want to take it way back to medieval times or the Victorian era. Dinner parties like this are even better if costumes are involved—think disco costumes and a menu with a 1970s vibe. A few dinner menu theme ideas include:

• 1970s style with cheese fondue , old-school casseroles, and a 1970s-style icebox cake
• Medieval with meat pies, hearty stews, and desserts with fruit and honey
• 1920s with deviled eggs (invented in the 1920s), tea sandwiches, canapés, and oysters with Roaring '20s cocktails like Tom Collins and French 75

Celebrate Minor Holidays

Obviously, there are the big holidays like Thanksgiving, New Year's, and the 4th of July. If your dinner party falls around the holidays, it might be fun to go with a holiday theme. But honestly, any day can be a celebration. Get inspiration from those fun food holidays like Ice Cream Day on July 16th, or National Hamburger Day on May 28th. Celebrate minor holidays (like creating a red, white, and blue something for Flag Day on June 14th). You can even make up your own holiday and make a menu perfect for it.

Be mindful of the presentation. The presentation of your dishes (and decor) can really enhance the guest experience—and it's half the fun for a holiday-themed dinner party.

Get Pop Culture Inspired

If you're plotting dinner party associated with a binge watch or movie marathon, take inspiration from what you're showing. Your book club may also love having a book-inspired menu. (I recently hosted my book club's discussion of Lessons in Chemistry, and I opted for a chicken pot pie and brownies , as they were featured in key plot points in the book.)

Or maybe you'll want to find a theme with a twist, like only serving TikTok famous recipes. (A dinner party is the perfect opportunity to revisit the viral baked feta pasta, cowboy caviar, upside-down puff pastry, or whatever TikTokers dream up next.)

Stick to the Season

Consider having a seasonal theme for your next dinner party (or do a dinner party every season!). A season theme offers you the opportunity to celebrate the flavors of the season with the freshest ingredients.

For instance, a summer dinner party might be a picnic theme with refreshing cocktails, barbecue, and vibrant salads with ripe tomatoes or even strawberries. Incorporating seasonal elements into the decor, like fresh flowers (perhaps with edible flowers as well!) for the spring or warm vanilla candles in the winter, adds to the memorable experience for guests.

The seasons don't have to do with the weather either; you can also consider sports seasons. For example, if it's football season and you're gathering for or before a game, a tailgating theme may also make sense for you.

Opt for creative menus, decorations, and mood music to match. Perhaps even what you wear can be part of the whole experience.

Pick a Color

A color dinner party theme might sound silly, but it can be lot of fun to get creative with different foods of the same color. For example, you might have a pink-themed dinner party to celebrate the birthday of your friend who loves the color pink.

For a pink-themed dinner party, you might have smoked salmon canapés or pink radish soup. A purple theme might incorporate veggies like graffiti cauliflower, beets, purple potatoes, or fruits like grapes, plums, blackberries, and elderberries.

For a color-themed party, experiment with food coloring. Make the cake for dessert blue. Top the brownies with green icing. Use red sprinkles on the ice cream. Whatever color you choose, there are tons of ways to get creative with adding it to your dishes.

Entertaining Preparation Tips

There are plenty of ways to make any dinner—regardless of the theme you choose—more fun. Here are some tips to keep in mind when thinking about your dinner party menu.

• Offer a range of options to suit all dietary restrictions. For example, you might include vegetarian or gluten-free options depending on your guests. Ask your guests if they have any allergies and label any dishes that contain allergens like eggs, nuts, shell fish, and other common kinds.
• Aim for a balanced meal. Your dinner party menu should include a variety of flavors and textures to create an exciting and satisfying experience for your guests. This might also mean including drinks that pair well with each dish.
• Choose dishes that you can prepare in advance. If that's not possible, at the very least, choose dishes that require minimal last-minute preparation. This way, you can spend more time enjoying the meal with your guests (and entertaining them) than cooking during the event.

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