Last Day of School Coloring Pages
By:
Charlotte Taylor - Content Writer
Updated:
Free Last Day of School Coloring Pages: 44 printable PDF designs featuring “Goodbye School” banners, kids racing out the door with their backpacks, tiny graduates in caps, and cheerful tigers, bunnies, cats, and a squirrel celebrating the start of summer.
In the United States, that final dismissal has had an unofficial anthem since 1972, when Alice Cooper released “School’s Out,” a song families still blast on the drive home. Other countries give the day more ceremony. In Russia, the school year closes with the Last Bell, when a graduating student, often a first-grader riding on an older classmate’s shoulders, rings a handbell for the whole school. In Japan, where the school year starts in April, the last day comes in March, framed by blossoming trees and formal graduation ceremonies.
Whatever the calendar, the feeling is familiar: pride in a year of hard work, excitement for long summer days, and sometimes a little sadness about leaving a favorite teacher. These pages capture that whole mix, from rowdy celebration to quiet goodbye, in designs simple enough for preschoolers and detailed enough for older kids.
What’s Inside This Collection
The pages range from loud, happy celebrations to softer moments of saying goodbye.
Banners, Bells, and Big Goodbyes
Lettered pages with bunting, flags, and bold “Goodbye School” messages make instant classroom decorations. A rainbow of alternating warm and cool letters, such as Red next to Blue, gives the words a festive look.
Kids Heading Into Summer
Scenes of boys and girls leaving class, waving goodbye, and carrying backpacks show the day through a child’s eyes. These are the easiest pages to personalize. Choose one bold color for the backpack so it becomes the star of the scene.
Little Graduates
Several designs dress kids and cartoon characters in caps and gowns for preschool, kindergarten, or elementary graduation. A black cap, gold tassel, and cream diploma with a Red ribbon give them a classic finish.
Animal Friends Celebrate Too
Tigers, bunnies, cats, and a squirrel join the party with backpacks, caps, and big smiles. Younger children tend to reach for these first. Keep the animals in natural colors, like Orange and black for the tigers, and make their accessories bright.
What Last Day of School Coloring Pages Do
A calm moment on a wild day. The last day can feel overwhelming, with parties, goodbyes, and big changes all at once. Research published in the Art Therapy Journal in 2005 tied structured coloring to measurable drops in anxiety, which makes a quiet page a helpful reset between celebrations.
Words for mixed feelings. Some children feel pure joy, while others feel sad about leaving a teacher or friends. Coloring a goodbye scene gives parents and teachers an easy opening to ask how a child is feeling about the change.
A snapshot of a year of growth. Many families photograph kids on the first and last day of school. Adding a colored page to that ritual shows another kind of growth, as steadier hands and bolder color choices appear from one year to the next. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that fine motor skills develop quickly in the early school years, and a yearly page makes that progress visible.
A bridge into summer. Finished pages can become covers for summer bucket lists or reading logs, turning the end of school into the start of the next adventure.
How to Color Last Day of School Coloring Pages Well
- Go bright: This is a celebration, so reach for saturated Yellow, Sky Blue, and Magenta rather than soft pastels.
- Letter by letter: On banner pages, give each letter its own color and alternate warm and cool shades.
- Make the backpack pop: Pick the boldest color on the page for the backpack, since it is the symbol of the whole school year.
- Sunny summer sky: Use a clear blue sky with a warm yellow sun on outdoor pages to hint at summer vacation.
- Parchment diplomas: Color diplomas in cream or light tan, never stark white, and tie them with a Red or Gold ribbon.
- Confetti in batches: Color all confetti pieces of one color at a time so the colors spread evenly across the page.
5 Creative Craft Ideas With Last Day of School Coloring Pages
1. First and Last Day Photo Prop
Color a banner page, glue it to cardstock, and have your child hold it in the same spot where you took their first-day photo.
2. Autograph Page
Print a goodbye scene with plenty of open space, color the characters, and let classmates sign their names around the edges.
3. Teacher Thank-You Card
Mount a finished page on sturdy paper, add a short thank-you note underneath, and share a favorite memory from the year.
5. Summer Bucket List Cover
Staple a colored page on top of a few lined sheets, then fill them with summer plans to check off over the break.
- Classroom Bunting
Have each student color a small banner or animal page, cut them out, and string them across the classroom door for the final day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Last Day of School Coloring Pages?
Printable designs that celebrate the end of the school year, including goodbye banners, children leaving class, small graduation scenes, and animal characters. There are 44 free pages.
What song is linked to the last day of school?
Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out,” released in 1972, became an unofficial end-of-year anthem in the United States and is still a favorite on the last day.
How do other countries celebrate the last day?
Russia holds a Last Bell ceremony with a handbell rung for graduating students, and in Japan, the school year ends in March with formal graduation ceremonies.
Are there pages for kindergarten or preschool graduation?
Yes. Several pages show young children and cartoon characters in caps and gowns, perfect for early graduation celebrations.
Which pages are best for younger children?
The animal pages with tigers, bunnies, cats, and a squirrel have friendly faces and simple shapes that suit preschool and early elementary ages.
How is this different from the Classroom Goodbye pages?
Last Day of School pages focus on celebration and the excitement of summer, while Classroom Goodbye pages lean toward quiet farewells, thank-you notes, and reflection.
What age are these pages for?
Most pages suit ages 3 to 10, and the banner pages also work well for older students decorating a classroom together.
How can teachers use these pages?
They make a quick activity during end-of-year parties, a collaborative door decoration, or a keepsake each student takes home on the final day.
Start Coloring
Save a banner page for the final morning, and keep an animal page ready for the car ride home. However the year ends, a finished page is a small souvenir of a big milestone, so date it and tuck it away. Share the colorful send-off with family on Facebook, or pin your favorite to a Pinterest board of end-of-year classroom ideas.
