Can you believe it? The end of the school year is upon us. It is the time to start thinking about end-of-the-year rituals and celebrations. One of the celebrations I always looked forward to was the Awards Ceremony.
The one award that sticks in my memory was the Mighty Mustang award. I worked at a 4th-6th grade campus, and our mascot was the mustang. The Mighty Mustang award was given on teacher discretion. Whether it was an improvement in behavior or classwork, going above and beyond, recognizing a victory, or supporting growth, the Mighty Mustang was an honor for both students and teachers. With all the yard signs I see in my neighborhood, a twist on the Mighty Mustang award might be a lawn sign that could be placed in their yard or even a window. It is a great way to show how awesome students are.
High chances are the mustang is not your mascot, but this award could easily be tweaked to fit your school and mascot. Here is a couple I thought of:
- Fearsome Falcon
- Five Star Shark
- Golden Eagle
- Extra Mile Meerkat
- Rising Star Ranger
- High Flying Hippo
I thought it might be helpful in your endeavors for certificates to round up a few resources. Check out the assortment of free and fee-based awards you can use for your awards and certificates.
Free Certificate and Award Resources
50 Free Printable Awards for Students
- Grade Levels: Elementary and Middle School
- Cost: Free
- Print in color or black/white
- Website
These 50 awards from We Are Teachers recognize academic and social-emotional skills. You will need to provide your name, title, and school email address to receive the download. Here are some examples of awards they offer:
- Awesome Attitude
- Happy Helper
- Inspiring Writer
- Super Sharer
- Brillant Bookworm
- Marvelous Musician
Free Candy Awards
- Grade Level: PreK – 12th, Higher Education, Adult Education, and Staff
- Cost: Free
- Website
Reagan Tunstall has provided over 30 different candy awards to give out. The certificates are available to print in color or black and white. Check out her blog for more “last week of school” survival resources. Here are some awards included:
- Nerds Award – For your intelligence and hard work in all areas!
- Spree Award – For always finishing work on time and helping to keep others on track!
- Lifesavers Award – For always lending a hand to help others in class!
- Three Musketeers Award – For working well with others in all situations!
Printable Award Certificates for Kids
- Grade Level: Elementary
- Cost: Free
- Website
Super Teacher Worksheets have both free and paid certificates. These are available to print in color or black/white. Below you will find the free awards that can be used at the end of school year:
- Kindness Award
- Responsibility Award
- Fabulous Behavior
- Good Helper
- Super Special Award
- Funniest Person in the World
- Kindest Person in the World
Paid Certificate and Award Resources
End of Year Awards
- Grade Levels: 2nd – 7th
- Cost: $5.00
- Website
Shelly Rees of Appletastic Learning includes three options for you: printable, editable PowerPoint, and Google Slides. The 100 awards available include:
- All-Star
- Kid of Character
- Most Likely to Make You Smile
- Wizard of Writing
Editable Student Awards
- Grade Levels: PreK – 3rd (Geared toward 1st Grade)
- Cost: $7.50
- Website
Teaching with Haley O’Connor has provided a list of 40 awards. The teacher will need to print these on colorful paper. The editable student awards come in both girl and boy versions. Some of my favorites include:
- Amazing Listener
- Great Growth
- Kindest Heart
- Master at Math
- Super Style
40 End of the Year Scientist Awards
- Grade Levels: 1st – 12th, Homeschool
- Cost: $9.99
- Website
Kesler Science has produced 40 ready-to-print science awards inspired by a diverse range of famous scientists. People included are: Thomas Edison, Maynard Daly, Mae Jemison, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, etc. Each certificate includes a brief biography and explanation for how the award relates to the recipient. The awards will need to be printed. Teachers will also need to provide their signature and the date.
60 End of the Year Science Awards
- Grade Levels: 1st – 12th, Homeschool
- Cost: $9.99
- Website
This set is also designed by Kesler Science. The 60 awards are inspired by a wide variety of science concepts. Each certificate includes an explanation for how it relates to the recipient. Below you will find a sampling:
- The Gravity Award goes to a student who is down to earth.
- The Proton Award goes to a student who has a positive outlook.
- The Astronaut Award goes to a student whose ideas are out of this world!
If you would like to purchase both the Science and Scientist awards, you can buy the bundle from Kesler Science for $15.99.
Last but not least, don’t forget Amazon and Oriental Trading both have a wide assortment of award certificates for students. And if you are a Canva user, options are available for you. I also like this blog post, 50 Student Award titles to Boost Your Year-End Awards Assembly by Scott Gills.
Do you have awards you love to give out every year? Or a special resource you use? Drop them in the comments to share. Have a great end to the school year!
Featured image: TPT Academic Awards Certificates
