Summer countdown paper chain (free printable)
Numbered strips to cut apart and loop into a paper chain, with a line on each to write a summer plan. Choose the number of days, print, cut, loop and hang.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.
About this sheet
The last weeks of the school year are long, and a paper chain makes them visible. Each strip is a link: a circle with a number, and a line to write something to look forward to. Cut the strips apart, loop each one through the one before and tape it, and the chain grows with the number of days left. Each morning a child takes a link off, reads the line and the number, and the chain gets shorter. Choose how many days, from ten to sixty, and type a plan for each link if you like, or leave the lines blank for children to write. It is also a good chain for any countdown, including the days to a break, an event or the end of a unit.
Grades: Pre-K to 6. Best in: May, June.
How to use it
- Choose the number of days left. Print on colored paper, one color for the whole chain, or a few colors in a repeating pattern.
- Cut along the dashed lines, loop each strip through the previous one so the numbers face out, and tape the ends.
- Hang the chain by the door. Each morning, a helper removes one link, reads the number aloud and reads the line on it.
Five ideas for class
- Write something on each link: a game to play on the last day, a book to finish, a thank you to write. The chain becomes a plan as well as a count.
- Let children fill in the lines with what they plan to do over the summer, and read the links as they come off.
- Make the chain in a pattern of colors, so the class can see the pattern shorten and practice it as a math exercise.
- Use a different chain for the days until a school trip or a break, and the same strips work for any countdown.
- Keep a link or two on the last day as a keepsake, written with a goodbye note, to take home.
Related
Questions
How many links should the chain have?
One for each school day left. For a countdown of many weeks, ten to twenty links is usual. A long chain of sixty is tall but keeps a count.
Is it for summer only?
No. Use it for any countdown: the days until a break, a field trip or the end of the term. Change the heading to suit.
What if the days are not all school days?
Count only school days, and leave the weekends out. The chain counts the days that matter to the class.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.
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