Seasonal Freebie

Free Valentineโ€™s Day Gift Tags for Students

Skip the sugar, while saving time and money, when you download these FREE Valentineโ€™s Day gift tags for students!

โŽฏ Seasonal โŽฏ

Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs

With the end of the school year fast approaching, I’m slowly checking things off my end of the year to-do list… memory books, student awards, countdown activities, and our end of the year celebration complete with an end of the year slideshow!  I’ve spent a considerable amount of time over the years looking for the perfect end of the year slideshow songs.  I wanted these songs to be kid-friendly, reflect friendship and growth, somewhat upbeat, but still strike a sentimental chord with parents.  After listening to a gazillion songs, I’ve narrowed my list to these Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs!

Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs

Iโ€™ve narrowed my list down to my Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs, as well as a few close contenders, for a total of 20 end of the year songs that are perfect for your end of the year slideshow and end of the year celebration! Great graduation songs for any grade level!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Any purchases made through one of our links earns us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All creative ideas and opinions expressed are purely our own. Read our fullย privacy policyย andย disclosureย for more information.

#10 – “On My Way” by Phil Collins

Making the cut at #10, the lyrics at the beginning of “On My Way” say it all:

Tell everybody I’m on way.

New friends and new places to see.

With blue skies ahead, yes I’m on my way.

And there’s no where else that I’d rather be.

I’m telling you, this song is perfect for the end of the year.  It screams graduating and moving on to a new grade.  Plus, it’s happy and upbeat, and I’m sure many kids will recognize it.

Recommended Resources:

This end of the year memory book is the perfect way for your students to remember the school year! Plus, it makes a great memento to share with parents at the end of the year celebration. 48 template pages are included so that you can customize your end of the year memory book.

End of the Year Memory Book

110 end of the year student awards and a digital awards ceremony are available in printable and digital formats, including Google Slides, PowerPoint & PDF. All fields, including student name, teacher name and date are fully editable! No need to handwrite these no prep end of year student awards!

110 Printable & Digital End of Year Student Awards Bundle

End of Year Countdown Activities, Student Awards, Memory Book, Crafts Bundle

End of Year Countdown Activities, Student Awards, Memory Book, Crafts Bundle

#9 – “If I Didn’t Have You” by Billy Crystal & John Goodman

“If I Didn’t Have You” from the movie Monsters Inc. secures spot #9.  It speaks about the necessity of friendship, and would work well with pictures of groups of students working or playing together.  I’m thinking pictures of centers, recess, play time, collaborative groups, etc.  My guess is most kiddos will know this song and want to sing along.

#8 – “Let Them Be Little” by Lonestar

Holding the #8 spot… “Let Them Be Little” is a bit more sentimental.  This end of the year slideshow song is entirely for the parents.  I don’t know any parent who doesn’t want to keep their child little forever, and this song is certain to bring a tear to their eye.

#7 – “Small As Me” by Damien Jurado & Rosie Thomas

“Small As Me” is a song that you may not recognize, but the melody and lyrics sold me.  It’s such a sweet song that tells of the wonders of childhood.  Again, it is sure to stir up a few emotions with the adults and it certainly earns its #7 spot.

#6 – “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars

My students love to sing along with “Count on Me,” taking the #6 spot on the Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs list.  It is a great song to accompany group shots of students working together.  I use this one for pictures of play time, STEM challenges, and final countdown activities.

#5 – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Coming in at #5 is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.  The combination of the ukulele and tender voice in this version of this classic song get me every time.

#4 – “We’re Going to Be Friends” by Jack Johnson

Grabbing the #4 position… “We’re Going to Be Friends.”  Jack Johnson’s rendition of this song can be found on the Curious George soundtrack.  The lyrics tell the tale of a child’s first day at school.  Trust me… the melody and tone give it a sentimental feel for the adults, but the song still has a playful touch for the kiddos.

#3 – “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is always the last song in my end of the year video.  As it plays, I show pictures of the students playing together at recess.  At the very end of the video, I show a class picture of my students holding up the letters to spell “KINDERGARTEN CLASS OF 20–”  For this picture, I arrange the students into two rows.  I print thick, block style letters one to a page.  The back row will stand and hold the letters to spell “KINDERGARTEN.”  The front row will sit cross-legged and hold the letters to spell “CLASS OF 20–.”

#2 – “Dream Big” by Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband

A very, very close second… “Dream Big” is probably my most favorite end of the year slideshow song!  Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it!  I went back and forth as to whether I should list it as the number one song, which it is in my book.  However, from the viewpoint of my students, they would say What I Am is the number one end of the year slideshow song.

#1 – “What I Am” by Will.I.Am.

“What I Am” is a Sesame Street hip-hop song about pride.  My kiddos become quite familiar with the lyrics, as we play it each morning towards the end of the year.  Elmo, Zoe, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and Big Bird are just a few characters who appear in the music video on YouTube.  Hearing them sing this song is literal music to my ears.  It’s just precious!  This is the song that kicks off my end of the year slideshow and earns the #1 spot on my Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs!

More End of the Year Slideshow Songs

Here are just a few songs that didn’t make my Top 10 cut:

An end of the year slideshow is a great way to commemorate the year!  Don’t get me wrong… they require a little bit of work, but the look on the kids’ faces as they watch the show is priceless!

I always show my end of the year video to my students on the second to last day of school.  It’s fun to see them get excited and listen to them reminisce about the pictures.  Then, we’ll watch it again a few more times on the last day.  I email a copy of the video to the parents for them to watch at home too.

Our end of year slideshow usually lasts about 15-20 minutes, just long enough to hold my kiddos’ interest… and if you’re wondering which end of the year slideshow songs I use… #1-7!

You can check out more end of the year celebration ideas here!

Learn how to plan the best end of the year awards ceremony here!

DON’T FORGET IT… PIN IT!

Iโ€™ve narrowed my list down to my Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs, as well as a few close contenders, for a total of 20 end of the year songs that are perfect for your end of the year slideshow and end of the year celebration! Great graduation songs for any grade level!

 

Ashley Sharp Pos Bio Image

Ashley Sharp

As a dedicated Kindergarten teacher for nearly 20 years, I believe the words “fun, play, and creativity” can sit right alongside the words “developmentally appropriate, engaging, and rigorous.” Learning is meant to be fun and messy!

More Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

8 responses to “Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs”

  1. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    I love these! Where did you get the file for What I Am by will.i.am? I can only find the video.

    Thank you!

  2. Rachel Cameron Avatar
    Rachel Cameron

    Hi,
    Thanks for taking the time to compile an age appropriate song list. I am putting together a slideshow for my kindies as well and I am wondering what the copyright is on this music? Any advice you can give would be appreciated.
    Thanks!

  3. Shelly Avatar
    Shelly

    Hey there, I love love love the What I Am song! I can’t find it to purchase on iTunes. How do you use it in your video? I want to use it in my end of year iMovie, but don’t know where to purchase it or how to download it. thanks

  4. Shana Callahan Avatar
    Shana Callahan

    How do I add the Will i am song to my slideshow? I cant find it to buy it on itunes so i don;’t know how to save it ..
    any suggestions?

  5. Curtis-Lynne Avatar
    Curtis-Lynne

    How do you get the Will.i.am what I am song into your slideshow from YouTube??

  6. Tory

    Tory

    Top 10 End of the Year Slideshow Songs – One Sharp Bunch

  7. Jenneke Avatar
    Jenneke

    How did you download the will I am song?

  8. Pam Perry Avatar
    Pam Perry

    I love your slideshow idea. Would you be willing to send me a template or copy with the songs embedded that I could edit with my studentsโ€™ photos. Iโ€™m technology-challenged! Lol