100th Day — Joan Holub (2024)

What is the 100th Day of School?

It’s a fun way to teach basic math concepts to children including counting, sorting, measuring, sequencing, graphing, classifying, etc. It’s celebrated at many different grade levels, but most commonly in grades K-2. Anticipation builds from the very first day as classrooms count each day they attend school, one by one, until they reach the 100th day. Then it's time to celebrate!

When is the 100th Day of School?

The date of the 100th day varies since different schools begin their year on different days. Unexpected days off such as snow days may also affect the date. Celebrations typically take place on a date somewhere from mid-January to mid-February.

Who originated the idea of 100th day?

Two possibilities have been suggested to me: 1) that Lynn Taylor introduced the celebration for kindergarten in the 1981-82 Newsletter of the Center for Innovation in Education; 2) that the idea came from Mary Baratta-Lorton, originator of Math Their Way.

Who is Joan Holub?

I'm the author of over 130 booksfor children (www.joanholub.com) and am the illustrator of
The 100th Day of School by AngelaShelf Medearis,
which has sold well over a million copies.

The 100th Day of School
by Angela Shelf Medearis ~ illustrated by Joan Holub
Level 2 early reader for K-2, 32 pages, isbn 059025944X
Buy at Barnes and Noble

300 CELEBRATION IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM:

Many thanks to the teachers, librarians, principals, media specialists, and other educators who contributed the 100th Day of School celebration ideas listed below. ~ Joan Holub

1. I did a wonderful, unusual thing for the 100th day of school. All of my students brought in 100 items of something. I brought in a special surprise -- My 100 year old grandmother known to all as Grandma Gert! It was a great experience for all. She spoke with the class and answered the questions they had written and ready for her. My favorite question was: "Did you ever think the world was flat?" She could even remember an experience she had when she was in Kindergarten and readily shared it with my students. The newspaper came and took many wonderful shots. It was a great experience for all. (Katie O'Connell, Third Grade teacher).

2. Each child in my class brings in 100 items to glue on a pre-made grid. at the top of the grid I'll write, "Jason's 100 cotton balls". The items are to be all the same thing and no bigger than two inches to fit in a the grid. Some ideas have been, mini marshmallows, cereal, stickers, beads, feathers, bread tags, and my favorite was small computer chips! It takes a day for them to dry, but when they see their 100 things decorating the walls of their classroom the next day they love it. 3. 1. We start the day by dividing up into 4-6 groups with 4 or 5 in a group. Each group gets a puzzle containing 100 pieces. At the start of the bell, each group dumps the box and begins. Then we wait to see which group can put their puzzle together first. Everyone will be a winner, because the "finishers" go and help other groups. This is great, because you see how the kids work together in groups, and where your leaders are. It is also interesting to see how any children realize it's better to start with the boarders than just see which pieces might fit. 2. We make 100 headbands with 100 stickers pasted on them.

3. We make 100 shaped glasses. The kids really love these! Don't forget to call your local paper to come and take pictures of the special day! (Barb S. 1/IN)

4. We make a book of 100 "things". I take 10 large chart papers and number 1 to 10 on each on. Each sheet also has a topic at the top. Students take turns coming up to the front of the room and write something under one of the headings. They use their "creative" spellings. They can only write one answer under a specific topic. When completed, I make it into a "large" book, and students take turns taking it home to read to their parents. Topic ideas: names, teachers, drinks, cereals, games, sports, zoo animals, pets, candy bars, states, spelling words, signs, colors, long/a/ words, and the list can go on and on. (Barb S. 1/IN)

5. As the participating classes go to the cafeteria for our 100th Day program, the students walk through a lifesize "100". The number 100 is painted on a hallway-wide roll of cardboard, about 4 feet in height. The insides of the zeroes are cut out, allowing the children to walk through them into the assembly. A piece of plywood could be used as well. If the whole school is involved, it could be placed at the main entrance on the 100th morning to begin the day. Our local newspaper has featured the students coming through the 100 for their front page picture. (P.Ridder, Keyser Primary Middle School, Keyser, West Virginia)

6. On the 100th day, we talk about all the different ways you can count to 100. I usually have them looking at a 100's chart to get ideas. Then we count! You can count by ones, twos, five's, and tens. If you have them bring in 100 items you can have them separate their items as they count. (Jennifer, 1st grade teacher)

7. Students will work on this project with their parent(s) - they need to decide on an object, that they will use 100 of (not more, not less!) to create a....creation! I've seen an eagle built out of 100 nails, an igloo built of 100 marshmallows, a night sky painting with 100 sparkling stars - the child/parent thought process has always come up with something great! Projects are displayed in a "gallery" on the 100th day - pictures are taken for writing project later. (Joan)

8. I love Day 100. Each year the little ones bring in their collections of 100 things. Of course, we make our "100" caps, write 100 words that we know, make our 100 cherrio necklace, measure 100 inches on the sidewalk and on the doorway, print 100 objects on paper, etc.(Sandie)

9. My class, with the help of parents and a helium tank,blew up 100 balloons. A parent baked a cake and placed 100 candles on top. We took a photo of 100 4th graders. (Valerie, 4th grade teacher)

10. Imagine what life will be like in a hundred years. Draw a picture of what you will look like and write about what life will be like. Invent something that people will be using in a hundred years. Give each student/groups of students play money ($100) and a mail order catalog of some sort. Have them find five different things that they can buy with a hundred dollars. They have to cut out those picture and place it on construction paper. Have them figure how much change they will get back if the item is less than one hundred dollars. (A. Freeman, 2nd grade teacher)

11. For the 100th day of school I join the festivities by wearing a jeans vest that I have sewed 100 buttons to. The buttons are all sorts including baseballs, balloons, ribbons, ducks, Raggedy Ann etc. They are sewn all over the front. I watch sales all year to add specialty buttons and replace some of the more boring ones! During the course of the day some children usually ask if there are 100! It is a great conversation piece. (Kathy Markel, principal, Naldrett Elementary)

12. At the 100th minute of school on the 100th day, the children in our school go out in the hall to do 100 exercises. The p.e. teacher goes on the intercom system and leads the children in exercises. We do 10 of ten different exercises (jumping jacks. trunk twists, toe touches, etc) and end with 10 cheers. (I. Hauser, first grade teacher)

13. I'm currently working with many wonderful teachers around the country to collect 100 post cards. I posted the message in www.teachers.net and was overwhelmed with how many teachers also wanted to collect 100 post cards so we are now doing an exchange. Even Joan posted a message. That was the best thrill ever. (Yolanda, 2nd grade teacher)

14. My class has 100 pieces of snack on the 100th day. Have ten families send in ten different food items, such as mini-marshmallows, cereal, mini crackers, pretzel sticks, peanuts, M&M's, chocolate bits, etc.. Give each child a zippered plastic sandwich bag and have him/her count out ten of each of the ten items. They each end up with 100 pieces of snack! It is similar to "trail mix". Have everyone wear an article of clothing with 100 designs on it. I send home a letter explaining this to the parents several days before. The children drive the parents crazy counting the squares on a plaid shirt or the polka dots on a dress. (First grade teacher - saddison@esslink.com)

15. In our kindergarten, the principal of the school gets dressed up as Zero Hero. The children ask him questions about his life and he answers them with things like; I live at 100 Numbers Way, and I have 100 brothers and sisters etc. He then takes them marching down the hallways counting loudly to 100! We also have a 100 Day Breakfast. We give the children one sausage link (the number one) and two halves of a mini bagel (The zeros). We then graph if the children want cream cheese or butter. In the class the children bring in a collection of 100 things, but they get to count it with an older buddy from fith or sixth grade. Each child is given a large white piece of paper with 10 large circles on it. The younger child places 10 items in each circle. The older buddy watches and helps keeps track. When all the circles have been filled, they both count by 10's until they reach 100. The collections are displayed in the hallway on meat trays with the children's names and the items that they counted. I find that both age groups really enjoy working with each other.(Sue, Montauk Public School)

16. I had my first graders write about what they think they will be like (or what the world will be like) when they are 100 years old. The results and illustrations were fantastic! (Jessica N. Goodwin School, Mansfield, CT)

17. We make 100 construction paper feet and then measure from our classroom door and see where 100 footsteps will take us . We tape them along the bottom of the hall. We also pick a starting point (ex. drinking fountain) and see where we will end up after 100 footsteps. Our library teaching assistant displays 100 books (in groups of ten) in the library. (I. Hauser, 1st grade teacher)

18. We try to collect 100 returnable bottles and then use the money for our classroom. (I. Hauser, 1st grade teacher)

19. The children enjoy making books entitled "I wish I had 100______" and illustrating them. (I. Hauser, 1st grade teacher)

20. Another teacher and I in our building of 44 teachers have been celebrating the 100th day of school for seven years. I think the idea of giving the children a catalogue to spend their 100 dollars is a great idea. We had just asked what they would like to buy for 100 dollars. (Marcia, 2nd grade teacher, BMSLE Salem, IN)

21. Some other ideas we use are 100 cupcakes with candles and numbered with icing. (parent volunteer to number). We have two other rooms share this with us. Blow up 100 balloons but don't tie some of them... save at least one for every child in the class to play "100 Days" aka "100 Miles". One hundred days, one hundred days, today's the hundreth day of school and we're playing to celebrate the day with you. (Marcia, 2nd grade teacher, BMSLE Salem, IN)

22. We give hearts to 100 children to write one thing they are thankful for and hang in the hallway with the banner "100 Thankful Hearts". Also we have used "100 Reasons We Like School." We have licked a lollipop 100 times; skipped a jump rope 100 times; had the kids bring in pretzels, Teddy Grahams, M & M's, roasted peanuts, Cheerios, miniature marshmallows, chocolate bits, Cheetos, raisins, and Chex cereal (the kids take ten of each and put it in a sandwich zip lock bag). (Marcia, 2nd grade teacher, BMSLE Salem, IN)

23. With 10 days to go we put a sign in the hallway announcing "Be ready only ____ more days!" and we change the number with 9, 8, 7, etc.

24. My Kindergarten Class made a 100 link chain (10 EACH OF 10 COLORS), which we put around and around the principal's neck to wear to our Morning Program ( a daily self esteem assembly) on our 100th day.

25. We have been absolutely quiet for 100 seconds. We have walked 100 steps from our room and marked the spot with construction paper footprints that have our name and room number on them. We have divided into groups and had the 100 toothpick stack-up race. log cabin style. We also have the children bring in a collection of 100 something. The other teacher gives a prize for the "most unusual" ... (the kid's vote). We have had 100 guppies, 100 bars of soap, one child had 100 braids and bows in her hair. (Her mom said it took 4 hours to do and the child fell asleep as she finished!) (Marcia, 2nd grade teacher, BMSLE Salem, IN)

26. Predict how far 100 ice cubes will melt in a clear glass container. Mark the estimations with a Sharpie marker. Start this early in the morning so the children can see the results before they go home. The children send in 100 items to share with classmates. We decorate 100's Day Bags and figure out how many pieces of the items we put into each bag. The children take turns passing out their items and each child has a 100's Day goody bag to take home. ( Pam, kindergarten, Conyers, GA.)

27. As a third grade teacher, I took large safety pins (100) and pinned in a 100 design on my purple sweatshirt dress. Kids loved getting the teacher involved too! (Brenda Bandy, 3rd grade, Wilson, NC)

28. I divide the students into groups and give each group a paper with the numbers 1 to 100 on it. They may use the digits 1 to 100 once for each number) and any mathematical equations to make up the numbers from 1 to100. For example, [(3 x 5) x 2]+1= 31. Fourth grade on up should be able to do this with a simple explanation of the brackets. Papers can be done individually and, after the day's total is written down, sent home for more answers. If you choose the 100th day of the year (which comes in April if I remember correctly) instead of the 100th school day, this can make a nice bulletin board display. I write the numbers upon the bulletin board and students--after having their work checked by another group- put up their answers. The group with the most right answers can get 100 kisses (which most share with their friends) or 100 red hots, etc. (Barbara)

29. To make the 100th day exciting for fourth graders, my class has a goal to receive 100 postcards from the USA and around the World. We started a Geography Post in the Geography Room (Teacher's Lounge on American Online). Different teachers post their addresses and we send a card to all who post. They in turn send a card to us. The children then take the card they received and attach a piece of yarn to the card. They then put the card on the wall, and with a string, connect the card to its originating country/state. This is a fun and exciting way to learn about our country, to learn about the world, to experience different cultures, to integrate reading, writing, social studies, map skills and be part of the 100th Day Celebration. We title our display AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 DAYS. Our "wall" has been a huge success with the students, teachers, parents, administrators and visitors to our building. Ms. Holub even sent us a card last year and the children were so excited that a real author/illustrator wrote to them! We were excited too! Send us a postcard today. We will be sure to send one back to you from the Garden State (New Jersey). (Submitted by: Theresa Licitra, Switlik School, 75 West Veteran's Highway, Jackson, NJ 08527)

30. I challenge the students to find a "G-Rated" video that is exactly 100 minutes long. Then we watch the movie while eating our 100 snacks. (Mary--4th grade)

31. On the100th day I give the students 100 math problems, 100 words to read (when you list the words make these the last 7 words-you have just read one hundred words!), and 100 letters to write in cursive. The children can't believe they did all that work! (BAGELS1@aol.com)

32. On the 100th Day I bring in 100 pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters. We count the money (it helps us practice counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's). I also bring in 100-1 dollar bills and we count those in many ways as well. (BAGELS1@aol.com)

33. I collected 100 e-mails from around the world and put them on display on a large bulletin board. I also put up a huge wall world map and put a smiling face were each e-mail came from. This was a wonderful display and I received many comments and alot of support from our towns' officals. Best thing of all is the e-mails are free. This would be much easier this year since I've found so many new teacher sites! (Judy A., First grade)

34. A kindergarten teacher at my school paints a gumball machine. The large black circle is painted on a red square (the base). Then the children do 10 dots of 10 different colors to make 100. It's very colorful! (California)

35. My class surveys 100 students in the school -- using 3rd graders if we don't have 100 2nd graders -- questions from past years have included your favorite cookie, book, and movie. Naturally we graphed the results and posted them in the hall. (Margaret Hill, 2nd grade, Wilkins Elementary, Fayetteville, NC)

36. One class activity is spelling out our names using exactly 100 punched out stars or apples and gluing them to 12 x 18 construction paper. I'm glad we have the Ellison machine now -- I save all the punch outs from the border pieces -- now we use butterflies, larger stars, and circles. These are also posted in the hall outside our door. (Margaret Hill, 2nd grade, Wilkins Elementary, Fayetteville, NC)

37. A teacher in our district came up with the idea of celebrating the101st day of school with a dalamation theme and ending by watching 101 Dalamations. (I. Hauser, 1st grade)

38. My class fills in a form that looks like this: I wish I had 100___________ I wish I had 100__________ I wish I had 100____________ But I'd never want 100__________!!!

39. We draw a picture of what we look like today and what we think we'll look like in 100 years. Some of those results are absolutely hilarious! I've had kids just draw tombstones with RIP on them!

40. We measure 100 steps from our room and see how far it takes us.

41. We bring in collections of 100 things. This collection must be small enough to fit in a gallon size plastic bag.

42. I give the kids 100,000 Dollar candy bars to eat as a treat.

43. I've tried this in 1st and second grade and both grades have loved it. Keep a running list of words that the kids can read by themselves. Every time the class can read a new word, add it to the list until you have 100. (Ellie, 1st grade)

44. All six of our first grade classes make a panel for a quilt that we put together. Each panel has 100 of something on it (daisies, smiley faces, etc.) that the kids draw. (I. Neff, Wisconsin)

45. I let my kids lick a Tootsie Pop 100 times. They love being able to eat candy in class so it's a real treat. (Melanie Wolfe, Kindergarten)

46. We decorate our room with a paper chain made up of 100 links that the kids make with different colors of construction paper and tape. (Joan, 2nd grade teacher)

47. A teacher I know gave me this idea: Make a dot-to-dot drawing with 100 dots (numbered 1-100. I made a picture of a schoolhouse with the door and a bell already drawn in. She made a picture of a spider. (Katie B.)

48. I teach in Texas and we have a mixture of Hispanic and non-Hispanic students. So we say numbers from 1-100 in English and from 1-100 in Spanish on the 100th day of school. (Frieda, El Paso, Texas)

49. Give your class a task and see how many of it they can do in 100 seconds. I tried 100 minutes, but they lost interest. I have them see how many of something they can color (like daisies or hearts). (Ms. Hart)

50. Make 100 day hats. We look at the hats in the Scholastic book, The 100th Day of School, and then make our own hats. Each hat has to have 100 of something on it. Something drawn or glued on. It can be 100 different things or the same things. (Ellen W., 1-2nd grade)

51. I make play money, photocopy it, and give each student 100 one dollar bills. They can 'buy' privileges on the 100th Day. Things like getting to erase the board or go sit with a friend. I make a list of things to choose from and the price, and every hour they get to choose something and they pay for it. It's chaotic, but fun. (Z. Hotzman)

52. Use time as a factor. Example: How many times can you do knee bends in 100 seconds? How many times can you write your name in 100 seconds, etc. The children love to do the physical things and love to be timed. (Zukey5, grade 2)

53. At our school we celebrate by having an assembly for K, 1, and 2. The principal gives a 100 word speech at the 100th minute and we pop 100 balloons which have been pinned on the stage curtains - counting as we go. very loud and very fun Each class does a very short song, skit, rhyme or group activity to entertain us and then we return to our classrooms where we ha ve cakes with 100 candles that we blow out. (Chris LaBour, 1st grade)

54. I have my kindergarteners do some physical education things as part of our 100th day contract--Do 100 jumping jacks; jump rope 100 times, bounce a ball 100 times, hop on 1 foot 100 times, take a 100 step walk around the school. We also work a 100 piece puzzle; write our name on a 100 grid paper and then color to make a pattern; write the number from1-100; read the books One Hundred Monkeys; The Wolf's Chicken Stew (They draw what the wolf gave to the chicken family.). (tlau@artoo.gisd.k12.mi.us)

55. I organized a100 Jokes e-mail project three years ago. I requested jokes from classes and individuals all over the world for the 100th day of school. I made a bulletin board and sent a list of the jokes to each participating class. The year before I did a similar project that asked for classes and individuals to tell what they would like 100 of, and what they would do with them. Some were very moving. "I'd like 100 million dollars to provide housing for the homeless of London." (Richard Karch, Kindergarten teacher, Mendocino Grammar School, Mendocino, CA 95460)

56. Get a real hundred dollar bill and ask the children to draw what they would buy with the money. (Suzi Maines, Central Elementary, Lebanon, IN)

57. Everyone starts at the same point. Have the children take 100 steps. Place a cut out of their foot where they stopped. It is interesting then to compare how everyone is different and takes different steps. (Suzi Maines, Central Elementary, Lebanon, IN)

58. Draw a school bus on large paper. The bus needs ten windows. Have the children take turns drawing faces in the bus window. There need to be 10 faces in each window. (10X10=100) They're learning multiplication and don't even know it! (Suzi Maines, Central Elementary, Lebanon, IN)

59. Use linking cubes or toothpicks against a wall (perhaps in a hallway) and have the child predict how long a hundred items would be end to end. The child puts one object for the start down and one for where they think it will go to and then begins counting. (Suzi Maines, Central Elementary, Lebanon, IN)

60. Before school started I purchased a 100 piece puzzle. Each day when we do our calendar in my Kindergarten class, we add 1 piece to the puzzle. We make predictions about what we think the puzzle will look like. We will have to wait until day 100 to know for sure. I numbered the pieces on the back. The outside edges will be done first. We talk about how when you put any puzzle together, it is easier if you do the outside edges first. Then we talk about how to match colors and how the shapes fit together. The children are really enjoying this activity. They are also working with each other and putting more floor puzzles together.

61. On the 100th day of school, we read the book The Wolf's Chicken Stew, and then we make and try to eat 100 pancakes! I make small pancakes, so it's easy to make 100, and one big box of Bisquick is all it takes! (Kim Evanson)

62. We do some estimating. Last year I put three bottles out with unpopped popcorn kernels. All you need for this is baby jars. Have the kids guess which jar has a hundred seeds. They will be surprised (as you will) at how few seeds make a hundred! (Stefanie, Kanata, Ontario, Canada)

63. What we did in first grade for 100 Day was great!! There were 5 sections. Each teacher came up with one project or activity the kids could do that would last a half hour. We made up a schedule and had the classes rotate to each room throughout the morning. The teachers were able to teach the same lesson to all the 1st grade classes. The children enjoyed the activities as well as being in other classrooms!! (J. Crothers, 2nd Grade)

64. I include10-12 things for my students to do during the week that 100th day falls. They must complete any 6. Some of their choices: complete a 100 piece puzzle by yourself or a friend--write the name of the person who helped you; write your numbers from 1-100; using a 100 grid paper, write your first name over and over again, color each letter a different way then continue the pattern to make a quilt; do the physical education acivities--100 jumping jacks, bounce a ball 100 times, twirl a hula hoop 100 times, run in place 100 seconds, do 100 toe touches; take a 100 step walk around the school. put your footstep down where your 100th step was; read the book The Wolf's Chicken Stew--draw the things the wolf made to fatten the chicken; make a 100 word book--your book has 10 pages write a different category on each page(boys' names, girl's names, fruits, months, colors, toys, etc), then write 10 words for each category; make a necklace using 100 fruit loops--put them in a pattern or group by ten; make a chain using 100 links--how far will this go around the room?; find things in the room that are 100 cm long; make a gorp mix--use ten different items (marshmallows, peanuts, choco chips, cheeze its, stick pretzels, dinner mints, etc) teake 10 of each item; How many times can you write your name in 100 seconds? These are some of the things I put on the contract depending on the age and maturity of my students. (Andi)

65. Our school celebrates the 100th day by making a big book. Each grade level thinks of 100 things to include in a book.Examples would be paperclips,pennies,book titles and etc.We put the book together on fasteners and title it.It is so fun to look at and share with your class. (Peggy, Tomahawk School in Lynchburg, Virginia)

66. Beside many of the above mentioned ideas, my Kindergarten class celebrates 100th Day by finishing a 100 sticker chart. Each child has a manilla tag sheet approximately 18 x 24 divided into 10 sections. After each ten days in school, the children fill one section with 10 stickers. As each section is completed we practice counting by 10's. The chart is begun in September and is completed in February with 100th day. By the time we reach 90 the children are very excited and are counting down the days to 100th day. Each child brings a 100 item collection for sharing and display. Older buddies come and assist younger buddies to make a 100 Fruitloop necklace. At the end of the day each child takes home a 100th Day Certificate. (Pam - K teacher)

67. We read Angela Meadearis' and your wonderful book, The 100th Day of School. It's a 100th day staple at our school. We also like 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam and One Hundred Hungry Ants by E. Pinczes. We also build a structure using 100 paper cups. I get the little brightly colored ones. The kids love it and it's not messy. I've also used Legos or checkers. (Marjorie H., Washington)

68. I have my first graders pair up and count 100 objects from our math center. (unifix cubes, pattern blocks, shells, caps, etc.) They make 10 piles of 10. Then the 100 objects are placed in a plastic bag. When everyone is finished we gather around the balance scale and estimate if 100 pattern blocks will weigh more/less than 100 cubes. I select one object to remain constant and we weigh everything against that. (First grade teacher)

69. I read the book Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst. Before the second reading I put out 100 cents and we all count it together. Then I read it again and as Alexander loses his money one of the students removes that much money from the pile. When the story is finished there is no money left. (First grade teacher)

70. It's sometimes difficult for young kinders and sometimes, first graders to understand the concept of 100. I use a hundreds chart in the classroom beginning on day one. We do our calendar activity, followed by coloring in the hundreds chart. For example, this year we colored in all the numbers blue (use vis-a-vis or sharpie), except the 5's and 10's. Students can see the pattern of counting by 5 and 10's as the pattern builds. Some of my students can predict what day of the week will be the 30th, 40th, day of school. We have a wonderful mastery teacher, who has created a character called Zelda Zero - and this summer made videos. Each day ending in zero, will find Zelda presenting a math activity. If interested in this information contact our Mentor School - Stanly Elementary in Victoria, Texas. (N.Fogal-1st grade)

71. On the 100th day of school our kindergartners meet in the cafeteria to celebrate. We have 100 cupcakes lit and sing "Happy 100 Day to Us". The eight teachers dress up to look like we are 100 years old - canes, bifocals, hair nets and good sturdy shoes. We lead the singing and then sing & dance for the children (100 year old Rockettes). (Suzanne Harrison/Georgetown, TX)

72. Our first grade team (10 classes) made a huge cake. Each classroom made a cake using the cafeteria cookie sheets and iced each one in chocolate. We put them all together to make one huge cake. Each class placed 10 candles on the large cake and we did math exercises with tens and ones. We did this in the atrium of the school and all 240+ first graders gathered around the cake to blow out the candles. The local newspaper sent a photographer and we made the front page. It was an easy way to make a large cake that was large enough for everyone to have a piece. (First Grade Team, Thomasville Primary School, Thomasville, NC)

73. In January, after our holiday vacation, I ask my Kindergartners to predict which month Day 100 will be in. On a graph with the months January - June represented, children write their name under the month they predict. It is interesting to note the children who can figure it out by looking at our daily number on the number line, and the children who have not figured out the concept of time yet. (M. Foster - Sanford Street School, NY)

74. In my kindergarten class about a week before the 100th day, I give my students an at home project for the 100th day. They are to create a picture or project with 100th things such as beans, pasta,cottonballs or any common household item.The students are to bring them in on the 100th day. There have been some very creative ones in the last 6 years such as 100 cherry Lifesavers on a huge tree, 100 mini muffins, 100 pennies,100 noodle-os used as snowflakes in a winter picture. We also had a woman visit who was 103 years old. (Kathy H.)

75. As a school, we had reading goals for each grade level (read for 100 minutes, read 100 books class-wide etc.) On the 100th day when our goals were met, we released 100 pigeons over the playground! The birds fly around for about 5 minutes and then fly for home (Nancy, Title 1 Reading Teacher)

76. Here are 3 ideas I have seen used in our school since I have been principal: 1) 100th day snack: each child brings 100 small items to add to a large bowl and to create a snack mix. Ideas include 100 cheerios, 100 peanuts,100 chocolate chips etc. 2) 100 math challenge: Assign each letter of the alphabet a point value. A=1, B=2, C=3 etc. Children are asked to write words that equal 100 points. 3) 100 estimating jars: Fill three clear plastic jars (like peanut butter jars) with 100 small items, more than 100, less than 100. Each jar should have the same item such as candy corn, popcorn, small marshmallows. Label each jar Jar A, Jar B, Jar C. Students estimate which jar has exactly 100 items.

77. 1) I cut a 100's chart into puzzle pieces and the kids put them back together. 2) I read the story 10 Apples Up On Top and then let them pick 10 different animals and draw 10 apples on each animal. 3) We make the 100 book in the shape of 100. They write sentences with I would like ... I would NOT like... I wish I could do ... I have the kids make up their own sentences. 4) We use a blank 100's chart with our last names. Then connect in a quilt. 5) We carry our celebration another day, dress up as dalmations, and watch the movie. (Sandy/Kindergarten) 78. We have students think of words to fill in the blanks: Since most of the kindergarten students are not reading, we help them. (Camelot Elem. School, TX) I can jump 100 _______________. I can run 100 ______________. I can do 100 _____________. But I could never do 100 ____________.

79. Have the children complete and illustrate the following sentence frame: I could eat 100 but I could never eat 100 ______. I encourage the children to make an association between the two ideas. Examples: "I could eat 100 cheerios but I could never eat 100 doughnuts." "I could eat 100 chocolate chips but I could never eat 100 chocolate chip cookies." "I could eat 100 raisins but I could never eat 100 apples." (Jane Peterson, 1st grade teacher)

80. We live in an area where we have lots of snow on the 100th day of school. Last year the children worked in small groups and measured 100 inches and 100 centimeters on bulletin board paper. Then I had them trace around big circles (food trays, pizza etc.) to make a snowman 100 inches or 100 centimeters tall. The children then drew faces and clothing to finish their snowpeople. We hung them in the hallway to show the comparison. This activity could be extended to make it an outside activity. We did also go outside and make 100 snowballs. (Which are usually strictly forbidden!) Before we made the snowballs the children figured out how many snowballs each of us would have to make. We brought the snowballs inside and let them melt after we predicted how much water would result from the snowballs melting. I showed them various size jars that we had been using for other estimating activities. This activity tied in nicely with our math and our science (the states of matter). (Diane/1/MI)

81. Our 100th day usually falls near Valentine's Day and we attempt to make the celebration coincide with a theme or holiday. Last year, we gave each kindergartner a huge red posterboard heart and they attached 100 things they loved to it. We made body prints, had students color them and attached their hearts to the hands to resemble students holding the 100 things they loved. (Robert Winters, Jill Davis; Kindergarten teachers, Dennis Elementary, Decatur, IL)

82. At the end of our day of activities to celebrate the 100th Day we "eat 100". Using 1 small (about 3 inches) pretzel log and two miniature donuts we form 100, and then eat it with some apple juice to wash it down. Measurement: We link 100 standard paper clips together and 100 larger paper clips together and compare the lengths of both. Volume: For homework the children bring in sandwich bags filled with 100 of any item of their choice from home (toothpicks, noodles, cereals, buttons, etc.) We then compare the bags and discuss the volume variations. Time: Using a timer set for 50 minutes and then another 50 minutes, see how long 100 minutes is. Children will predict what they will be doing in 100 minutes before setting the timer. Money: Chart ways to make 100 cents. Language Arts: The children list 100 words they know. (Carol, Primary-Special Education)

83. For the 100th day of school I wear 100 of my holiday pins all over a sweatshirt. Most of them are Hallmark pins that I have had awhile. The kids love to look me over all day to find their favorite. Some play music or wind up to do something. It makes for a very "heavy" day. I teach 2nd graders. I've enjoyed visiting your web site and getting new ideas.

84. We sing the following song to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" : We've been working in our classroom. For 100 days! We've been working in our classroom. Here in (fill in grade) grade! Rising early in the morning. Bring our books and pencils, too! Every day at (school name).We learn something new! 100 day is here, 100 day is here. Come on and give a cheer! 100 day is here, 100 day is here. Come on and give a cheer! Hooray! (ASL)

85. Using a blank 100's chart have the children write their names over and over again, one letter in each square, moving left to right and continuing on to the next line without leaving any empty spaces. Completely fill in the 100's chart. Then have them color it using their letters for a key. Example: For the name Jane--all j's on the chart might be colored red; a's, blue; n's, green; and e's, yellow. It's fun to see the different colored patterns that result (some students names create stripes, others create diagonals, and with names longer than 10 letters the results can really be unusual.) The colored charts make a great display on the wall! (Jane Peterson, 1st grade teacher)

86. Each student who has perfect attendance for the 100 days of school receives a perfect attendance certificate. Another idea--For a contest, each student is given a piece of paper and a pencil to secure 100 signatures at recess. The one getting 100 signatures or the closest to 100 is the winner. (Julie McRae, 2nd grade, Dierks Elementary School, Dierks, Arkansas.)

87. Write 100 paragraphs on 100 different festivals or special days, including country of origin and a couple of customs from, one paragraph per child. The kids may either draw a holiday from a hat (brief descriptions prepared by us), or find one on their own. This site was helpful: The World Wide Holiday and Festival Page at http://www.smiley.cy.net/bdecie/index.html (Lin, 6th-grade)

88. Here's a 100 days idea to work on throughout the year. My class assembles individual books - one page for each 10 days of school. We use a different art process on each page. Each group of ten represents the upcoming holiday or theme being studied. For example, this year's pages were: 10 apples on a tree (apple cookie cutter prints); 20 buttons on a shirt (use real buttons); 30 stars in the nightime sky (star stickers); 40 pumpkin seeds in a pumpkin (use real seeds); 50 leaves on a tree (paint hand and arm brown to make tree, use 5 different colored paints and fingerprints for leaves); 60 feathers on a turkey (strips of paper); 70 ornaments on a tree (small circles glued on); 80 snowflakes in a blizzard(anowflake stamps); 90 gumballs in a gumball machine (garage sale stickers); 100 dots on a dalmation (black finger prints on a dog outline). We used a full sheet of 12 x 18 construction paper and bind them on our book binding machine. It is always a wonderful keepsake and a good way to review the year's activities. Thanks for sharing all your ideas! Happy 100th day!!! (Rhonda, PreK at St. Leonard School in Berwyn, Illinois)

89. I draw 100 squares on three different sheets of poster board or bulletin board paper. I label them PEOPLE, ANIMALS and THINGS. During the week of the 100th day, I put them at a center. The students cut pictures out of magazines and glue them on the appropriate poster. (L. Alford/1st/W.Point, GA)

90. On the 100th day of school we have made headbands (sentence strips) - I use a xylophone and the children add a tally mark for each sound I make - we bundle groups of five - when we create a bundle I make another sound. Continue to 100 in the same manner and then go back and circle groups of 10 - again I make another sound on the xylophone - very simple activity but the kids love it. Also, schoolwide my class has headed up a collection of pennies - we put a 5 gallon PLASTIC water jug in the lobby and kids put in pennies for one week. Before we start the collection we send home a flyer stating what we plan to do with the money. Last year we donated $285 to the Red Cross - the paper comes out and the kids feel great about their involvement - the kids counted the money and a parent took it to the bank. (Jan at Pine Lane Primary in Parker, CO)

91. In my fourth grade class we always write a group poem on our 100th day. Each student is given a slip of paper and is asked to fill in the blanks. It says: IF I HAD 100 ________, I WOULD _________. Example: If I had 100 sisters, I would find another place to live. While students are having lunch, I copy each student's line of poetry on a piece of posterboard to create a group poem (including my own contribution) and it is hung in the hall for all to share by the end of the day. Most students' contributions are humorous since the mood is usually festive, but students are free to write whatever they want. They were always pleased when other teachers and students stopped to read their creation at day's end.

92. My class and another class have been saving up 200 cereal boxes(100 for each class) to build a "Hundreds House" in our classrooms. At this point we have built the foundation from cardboard and the children are adding boxes daily to the structure.We've had to "renovate" a few times because our estimations as to how many boxes would fit on each side of the house were a little off. The children don't seem to mind though ,they love the "construction" and especially keeping track of the pile of boxes outside our classroom door that they've been stacking by groups of tens.The children have been measuring the sides and roof of our houseby paper footprints and paperclips. Though we will probably finish our house well before the 100th day, we'll have our "Housewarming " party then and the children will have a chance to read in the house in small groups using flashlights! We'll also be studying simalarities and differences of Homes around the world. If anyone needs more details, please contact me (Yael Faleder) at Groveton Elementary(grade 1) 6900 Harrison Lane, Alexendria, VA 22306 or email Yaelfal1@aol.com

93. Ideas: 1. Our 100th day begins when the children enter the hall. We have had "100 footsteps to the 100th day" (paper foot prints taped onto the floor for them to step on), "Follow the Yellow Brick road to the 100th day" (paper "bricks" on the floor), and 100 balloons hanging from the ceiling to count as they come! 2. I make 100 miniature cupcakes and the class has to figure out how to divide them evenly. 3. Chew gum for 100 seconds -- a real treat as gum is never allowed otherwise! 4. Roll a dice and add until you get to 100. 5. Write100 words -- a contest for which I purchase a small prize. Thanks for the great ideas!! (Sheila Hillman, first grade, James Ryder Randall Elem, MD)

94. Children estimate the length of a 100 shoelaces or 100 feet, or a 100 children's bodies lying down, or 100 arm lengths, or 100 legs by placing their initials with chalk at their estimate. Children and teacher count100 of choice together, and then children talk about the results! Predict whether you can do 100 jumping jacks or sit ups, and how long will it take! Make a yes or no graph to record results! Another idea: Children parade displaying their 100th day collection! (Anne-K teacher, Riverglades Elementary, Parklands, FL)

95. I make a connect-a-dot puzzle using 100 dots. I make enough copies for all of my students. Also, we try stacking 100 different things, like pennies, Cheerios, blocks, cards, books, shoes. The kids thought this one up themselves from the drawing of the kids stacking pennies in the book 100th Day of School. (Kristin H., Louisville)

96. I bring a collection of things and a scale and we estimate which thing or group of things will weigh closest to 100 pounds. I usually prop a board across the scale to hold a group of things. I reset the scale to zero to compensate for the board's weight. (Warning: Kids will usually suggest that you get on the scale and see if you weigh 100 lbs. at some point.) Another idea: I painted whitewash over a 100 piece puzzle and then painted a brightly colored design with words that say "Happy 100th Day of School!" on the puzzle. I break the puzzle apart and the kids put the puzzle together in the days leading up to our celebration. As a reward for good behavior, a child gets to put in one piece. When it's finished, I glue it together and frame it. (Julie B., second grade)

97. Each year our kindergarten wear hats, that say-"Happy 100th Day". We walk to our cafeteria counting a 100 steps. A 100 balloons are blown up and handed to the children. In the cafeteria is a big cake with a 100 candles on it. We start counting to 100 and when we get there, the children let the balloons go up in the air. The principal blows out the candles and all the children enjoy the cake. Back in the classroom is spent doing 100 day activities. For example- unifix cubes on a board with a 100 squares, peg boards, 100 piece puzzles, necklaces made with colored macaroni- each piece representing a group of 10. (Libbie Ornstein, Pines Lakes Elem., Pembroke Pines, FL.) 98. I make a book with my first grade students that looks like this: I have 100________. I would like 100________. I wouldn't like 100________. Having 100________ could really be a problem because_______. In 100 years I would like to________. I can lift 100________. If I had 100 dollars I would________. First grade students really enjoy making this book. We illustrate the cover with 100 stickers! 99. 1. I wear a long necklace I have with 100 charms on it. I never wear it to school otherwise. I tell kids about this necklace for weeks in advance of our 100th day celebration, so they can hardly wait to see it on the 100th day! 2. Our principal sings a funny song with 100 words. Kids go wild laughing. 3. Before the 100th day, I ask kids to check nutrition labels of packages at the store and find one thing that has 100 calories or 100 grams of something, or 100% of RDA. They don't have to buy the product--just write down what it is and what it has 100 of. (May Martin)

100. We had Joan Holub, who illustrated The 100th Day of School book, visit our school on our 100th day last year. Joan gave a speech using just 100 words. The kids were surprised at how few words that was! As a group, we wrote a story using just 100 words. Joan gave us autographed postcards from the book. (There were enough for each student, plus our school used one in a fundraiser auction, and I used one on my 100th day bulletin board display this year.). Joan wore a shirt with 100 things she had stuck on it (buttons, stickers, decorative pins). She also helped our class make hats with 100 things on them just like in the book. It was a real treat. Thanks again, Joan! (Elizabeth E., 2nd grade teacher, Foster Elem.)

101. We teach our First Graders this song for the 100th Day: ONE HUNDRED DAYS OF SCHOOL (words by Phyllis Pederson) Oh we started school a long time ago/ and there's much we've learned and a lot we know./ We can read, write and spell/ We do math very well/ It's a hundred days of school! (Chorus-)It's one hundred days of school/ It's one hundred days of school/ It's one hundred days of school/ It's one-hundred days of school! Yes, we've studied hard and we've made new friends/ And there's much to do 'til the school year ends/ But for now, Hip-hooray/ We've reached our 100th Day /It's one-hundred days of school! (Repeat chorus.) (sent in by Kathy Trachsel, 1st grade teacher, Chenoa Grade School, Chenoa, Illinois)

102. By the 100th day of school we hope to have sent an E-Mail to 100 people and/or organizations. We are always looking for places to send information to or to ask questions of that are related to the theme we are working on in class. This has helped me really search for web sites for my students to visit. Our 100th day is Feb. 4th, and we are well on our way to meeting our goal. I have also had students bring in great web site addresses for us to contact. They are so proud to be the person responsible for bringing in the site. ( I do check them out first before I introduce the site to the class.) I hope this idea will be helpful to other teachers. (Lenore Nier, 2nd Grade Teacher, Frank Hall Elementary School, email--lnier@mail.isbe.state.il.us)

103. I'd just like to let you know that I think this website is a great resource for activites for 100 day! We celebrate 100 day with a big day filled with activities. First, we send home paper and the number "100" already cut out, and the children have to decorate a crown with the number 100 and 100 objects attached to it. Then on day 100 , we start off by seeing if we can be quiet for 100 seconds. If they can't, then we start all over again! We also have 100 snack (2 Ritz crackers and a pretzel stick). We then have 5 centers in which they do work. One center they string 100 fruit loops to make a necklace, then each group colors 20 plates to make a snake 100 plates long, then they make a book with 100 stamps (10 per page), then they count 100 unifix cubes to see how long they are, and the last group makes a snack with each group adding in 20 of each (peanuts, choc. chips, popcorn pieces, raisins, and Cheerios). This usually takes most of the morning. Right before lunch, we also see where 100 steps will take us. The day is filled with lots of excitement, and by 3:00 we usually see 100 tired kindergarteners. (Kindergarten teacher).

104. Every year as part of our 100th day, my students "dress up" to look like they would if they were 100 years old. Our local paper comes and takes their picture. You should see the creative, cute costumes they come in with! Gray hair, wrinkles drawn on, granny hats,shawls, and purses donated by grandmothers, beards, mustaches, walking sticks, real, old lady dresses straight out of somesone's closet, and the cutest of all, was one little girl who wore those thick, brown support stockings, rolled down at calf level. As a tie-in activity, they write about themselves as 100 year old Senior Citizens, and what it would be like. If helps them to realize that they too will be older someday. (Second Grade Teacher, Marshall Elementary (K-2) in Lewisburg, Tennessee).

105. Our first grade team does alot of the activities suggested as well, but one other thing that we do is that the teachers wear white sweatshirts decorated with painted 100's. Our students make headbands or pennants, etc. and we have a 100th day parade throughout the school. We march and sing: "Hurray, Hurray-- it's our 100th day / We've been in school 100 days, Hurray, Hurray! / Hurray! Hurray..." Great ideas!! (I. Fondren, 1st grade) 106. I take a large piece of paper and fold it like a sailor's or pirate's hat and have children decorate it in a 100's theme. Last year the hats were fantastic and very original. They drew pictures, used stickers, and glued things on their hat that represented 100. 107. I have really enjoyed reading all the wonderful 100 days activities. I teach grade 3 and the following idea was made up by my student teacher last year. On the 100th day, we received a mystery package from our student teacher. All the students made a guess as to the contents. A tally was made of the guesses. We then graphed the guesses in a bar graph. When we unwrapped the package, we found a note reminding us to observe very carefully. We discovered that the paper was 100 cm long as was the ribbon. The package weighed 100 g and contained 100 paperclips. I have since used mystery packages to practice tally and graphing skills in the class. On 100 day, I also have my grade 3 students write 100 in 100 ways if they can. For example, 10 x 10, 100÷10, 50+50 etc. The most unusual example of 100 that a student ever brought in was a silver tray with 5 pair of plastic feet on it. When we could only count 50 toes, we were stumped. The student explained that the reflection also contined 50 toes and was therefore 100 toes! (Nina in Winnnipeg, Canada) 108. On the 100th day of school, my intern and I read the Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis, along with One Hundred Hungry Ants, The 100th Day of School and Wolf's Chicken Stew. We also made a snack with different types of food using 100 pieces of each (Cheerios, M&M's, marshmallows, peanuts, chocolate chips, and any other small item that would work). The students loved all the different tastes. (Jaudon Marlette & Denise Lundgren, 3rd Grade)

109. Each student blows 100 bubbles (Joan, 3rd Grade)

110. I am a first grade male teacher and enjoy celebrating the 100 days of school. On the 100th day of school I dress up as a hundred year old man. The children get a kick out of it. (Bernard Taylor, Fairview Elementary, Columbus, Mississippi)

111. Our first graders bring in trinkets from home that they no longer want. They are given $100 of play money. One class sells to the other, then we swap. Some kids spend their $100 quickly, others are quite smart shoppers. All have a great time setting their own prices and spending their play money. (Karen Binder & Janice Nadler, St Louise, Arabi, LA)

112. Early in the morning of Day 100, our kindergarteners gather in the hall around a piece of paper that is 100 feet long, where they count to 100 as a group. After counting they each sign their name with a marker. The paper is left in the hall the remainder of the day for all to enjoy.

113. My first graders use their calculators to skip count to 100 by keying in 10 + === until they reach 100. The next step is to key in 10 + BUT close your eyes and tap the = sign until you reach 100. After the squeals of delight have died down we discuss how many taps are needed to reach 100. The students are challenged to try other skip count sequences to reach 100. (2,5,20,1) Using adding machine tape these number trails are listed and hung around the room.(mstar@aol.com)

114. Last year on the 100th day of school, I had all of my students bring in 100 small items. These items all had to be the same and fit in a sandwich size zip-lock bag. I had the students line up in a row. They placed all of their items end-to-end racing each other to see who finished first. When the race was over, we visually scanned all of the 100 items and talked about how 100 of something could look like a large amount or a very, very small amount. Then we used a yard stick and measured each students 100 items to get an exact length. My class was a K-2 Multi-Age, they absolutely loved it! I plan to do it again this year with my 1-2 Multi-Age as well as adding some other ideas I got from your website.

115. Students in my sixth grade are anxiously looking forward to the 100th dayof school this week. Students will create and wear caps/hats with 100 items attached. Math class will include using 5 dice & using the number sto write a number sentence that equals 100, we've just completed a unit on order of operations. Other groups will be figuring probability flipping a penny 100 times. In English class students will write a paragraph with exactly 100 words. Spelling will be a quiz giving the 100 must often usedwords. We'll also each bring 100 minigoodies to mix together for a classtreat. Yes, even 6th graders are ready for a day of the unusual. (Nancy Hons, Scobey, MT)

116. We had a family 100 night last year, and the room was set up with centers. One of the centers was drawing your family on blank paper doll cutouts. We had a bulletin board titled 100 People We Know. The kids loved finding their families on the board. (AbsMom910)

117. Before the first graders leave for their "special" (Music, P.E. etc) I give each child a paper plate and have them draw the numeral 1 in the center of it. while they are gone I place two mini-donuts beside the "1" to make the number 100; and that's their morning snack!

118. I loved reading all the activities and already do some of them. I jotted down more to try this year. 100th day could last all week. One activity I didn't see listed that we do is this: About two weeks before the 100th day, I purchase T-shirts from a local clothing store for $1.50 each. After washing them I have parent volunteers come in to help each student make 100 thumb prints on their shirt using fabric paint. We have found it much easier to keep track of the numbers by doing it in groups of 5 or 10. Then on the 100th day we all wear our shirts. I get adult small even for my first graders so they can wear them the following year even though our 2nd grades do not celebrate. bbarr@winesburg.com

119. I take a picture of each child at the beginning of school and have 2-3 sets made to use during the year. On the 100th day of school we make a book using 18 x 24" construction paper. The left side of the page has their photo and a title that says: 'This is me now'. The right side has room for a drawing of themselves. (I precut white drawing paper for them.) 'This is how I will look in 100 years'. I have made this book for several 100 day celebrations. We usually have a lot of cute and funny pictures. It's easier to have the book put together before the big day. Then just glue their pictures on their page. Most of the classes in my school celebrate the 100th day. Everyone seems to do their own thing. That is better for the kids so they don't get bored from year to year. One year I had my paraprofessional punch out 100 of a specific shape. She used the Edison Press. She made 20 red circles, 20 blue circles, 20 green circles, 20 yellow circles, and 20 orange circles. Other shapes were done in the same way. I divided the class into groups. Each group was given a poster board and told to organize their items into a pattern. When they were satisfied with their ideas I checked them. Then they glued them onto the poster board. This activity took a couple of hours. We worked on it a couple of days. Some of the groups really did a fabulous job. This is a good project for older classes as well. (Karen - 2nd Grade teacher., Sunrise, FL)

120. We did a really fun thing last year for 100th. Day. Each student in the school K-5 had a helium balloon with their name and the school's address tied on the balloon. The students meet outside and formed a giant 100. An airplane flew over and took aerial photos of the students holding their blue and gold (school colors) balloons. We then made a big map for the hallway and marked each spot when we received a letter from someone who found the balloon. The students all loved this activity. (Angie Lewis, 1st grade, Raccoon School, Centralia, Il.)

121. After reading The Wolf's Chicken Stew, we go to lunch. When we return there are 100 chickens (paper cutouts) hiding all around the room. They are sticking out of books, in the math manipulative bins, in a child's boot, under the desk and everywhere! The students eagerly find them and we group them in lines of 10. It usually happens that we only find 98 or 99 and then we stop. Later in the week one or two more are discovered in a place the teacher forgot!

122. We collect 100 items for our local Humane Society. The children donate food, treats, and toys for the animals. We count, sort, and graph the items. Since the 100th Day of school is so close to Valentine's Day, we plan a combined field trip to the Post Office and the Humane Society, and present the items at that time. This project connects well with our third quarter school theme, "Community Connections". (Barb C./ Kindergarten - Brookfield, WI)

123. I have a bookmark that I hand out to the students and staff on books for celebrating 100th day. It has a list of books for the 100th day. (Jeff)

124. Thanks for the terrific site! The 100th Day of School is a great day enjoyed by all in my Kindergarten as it is in others. We begin the day at Circle Time reading "The 100th Day of School," counting to 100 and comparing the various sets of 100 items that the students have been preparing at home. I emphasize the fact that smaller items (beans, rice, popcorn kernels) don't look like 100 as do 100 cookies or 100 cereal boxes! We always count, and the kids are amazed! Great estimation activity. We also make a class big book called "100 Things We Love!" The kids search through old mail-order catalogs to find five things that they love. They glue these pictures onto large construction paper; our goal is to have a 20-page class collage book of 100 great things. We laminate it and bind it for placement in our Book Tent. The kids love to look at books made in years past! The 20 pages of 5 items enables reinforcement of counting by 5's. (Suzanne Slaw, Kindergarten Bloxom Primary School, Accomack County, VA) 125. We are read the book 100 Hungry Ants. In the book, 100 ants are marching to get some food. They keep deciding to march in various rows so that they can more quickly get to the food. As we are reading the book we are going to have the children use the 100 objects that they have brought to school, to demonstrate what the rows will look like. They are going to record the results. For example: When the ants marched in two rows, there were 50 ants in each row. I know that 100 divided by 2 = 50. Of course we are going to read The 100th Day of School also and do some of the activities already listed. (Patrice Hayes, Frayser Elementary, Louisville, KY)

126. My students love celebrating the 100th day of school. They each bring 100 pieces of an edible snack, and we have fun making a milktime snack mix of 100s of munchies. We use the day to introduce investigating what 100 is and as the beginning to our place value math unit. We'll be spending next week doing math lessons that deal with100. First graders love the number 100! (Connie Inman, first grade teacher, North Cedar Elementary at Mechanicsville, Iowa)

127. On the first day of school, I display a cut out of a bubble gum machine (from a clip art book). Each day, a student chooses a sticker dot from a multi colored pack and writes the number for that day of school on it. He/she then sticks it to the bubble gum machine. On the 100th day, we predict which color has the most "bubble gum balls." Then we remove the stickers and place them on a graph so that we can compare the colors' popularity. Then of course we chew bubble gum balls......lots of other activities can be done with this!! (Lisa Earby)

128. Children in class bring requested items for snack ie: M&M's, raisins, Froot Loops, pretzels, mini cookies, cheese balls, Teddy Grahams, Goldfish crackers, Ritz Bits, mini marshmallows. Items are put out on individual plates. Children take 10 pieces from each plate. At their seat they have a tally sheet with listed items. Together we count each food and enter 10 on each line. Then we count by tens to reach 100. The children are then given drinks and enjoy their 100 Day Snack. (Rona Somers, Kindergarten Teacher at Sandpiper Elementary, Sunrise, Florida)

129. I cut 100 hearts out of different colors in different sizes. During recess I hide the hearts around the classroom. The kids have a great time finding them, then we sort and graph them. (Tracy Pare Gardiner, MT)

130. My son made a 100th link paper chain and wrote happy school memories on each chain. With 100 chains he wrote each class member's name, favorite subjects, special activities ect. His teacher hung it across the room. Reid goes to Pleasant Union Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C.

131. For the 100th day of school, we have the children bring in items from home, things such as cotton balls, lace, noodles, pennies, gum wrappers, buttons etc. Then we pass out 5x5 squares of paper to each child and assign them a number. They are to use the items we have given them to create the number. example, the number 10 may be made out of buttons etc. When these squares are completed they are attached to a large sheet of buther paper and displayed in the hall way. I am interested in anymore ideas you can share with me. (Wendy, Deedemus@aol.com)

132. For our 100 day celebration, we give the students a $100 bill (not real!) and have them write about what they would do with $100. It's amazing how far the first & second graders think that much money will go! 133. For our 100th day of school I had all the children in the class trace their hands. We took 100 hands and put them in a heart shape in the hall with the title 100 Helping Hands. (A.S. Leroy, IL)

134. We read The Wolf's Chicken Stew and talk about the 100 chicks. We discuss what it might be like to be one of 100 brothers and sisters. I then show the class a large (bulletin board size) "Uncle Wolf" I've prepared. The children use rolled tape to attach 100 soft yellow cotton balls to "Uncle Wolf" to represent the chicks giving him kisses as in the story. Note: I find the yellow cotton balls around Easter time and buy a bag or two for use next year! (Debbie, 1st grade)

135. A great way to end the 100th day or week celebration is to shake milkshakes 100 times. We made then from softened vanilla ice cream and milk put into a tight container. The kids counted with us to 100 as we shook them. They LOVED it! We served them with a crazy straw. They were delicious!! You can add strawberry or chocolate syrup before you shake too to give some extra flavor. Happy Shaking!! (Jacke Mumpower and Stephanie White, Bowling Green Primary School, VA)

136. My daughter is a second grader. She had to make a poster of 100 objects. Being a teacher, I had her go a step further. She counted out 100 colored toothpicks. Then she sorted them by color and counted the number of toothpicks in each group. Then she glued them on the poster in the form of a bar graph. I cut out talking balloons which she used to write observations.(There are 25 red toothpicks. There are the same number of red and yellow toothpicks. There are 57 yellow and blue toothpicks 25 + 32 = 57. etc.) This is called a talking graph. Her class read 100 books that day and were rewarded with no homework. My own classroom has a caterpillar going around the top of a wall with 100 circles. Last year's class put up a circle each day and wrote the number on it. A group of 1st and 2nd grade classes last year had a contest to see which class could read 100 books first prior to the 100th day. Each book was represented by a picture drawn by a child and placed on a circle which was part of a caterpilllar's body.

137. This is the first year that I decided to celebrate the 100th day. I am now really psyched after reading all of the great ideas. The first day of school we began keeping track of the days through money, and magnetic numbers. We also have kept a chart entitled "100 Books in 100 Days." I have listed all of the books that I have read to them since the first day. They can't believe that we are almost there! We have sent out invitations to parents inviting to join our class in a series of activities celebrating the big day. Thanks for so many ideas to chose from. (Kathy, grade 2)

138. This is similar to putting 100 candles on a cake but allows for more student interaction. I bought individual sized cake pans (4-5" big) -- rectangle (cut in half lengthwise, they look like 1) and bundt-type (to look like zero). Ahead of time, I make and frost enough cakes to spell "100" as many times as needed for my class size (for 24 students I would need "100" spelled out 8 times). For this activity, I split the class into groups of three (add adults as needed) and provide all sorts of cake decorations. In their groups, the students take turns counting. As a student says the next number, he picks up one cake decoration and adds it to his particular cake. They continue until 100. When they're done, the group's "100" will have 100 cake decorations on it and each student will be able to eat or take home his own cake.

139. Before the 100th Day, I have the students bring in a plain white T-shirt. On the shirt with fabric paint or markers I write "I've survived 100 Days in 2nd Grade". They then decorate the T-shirt with 100 items using the fabric markers. On the 100th Day of School they put on the shirt and parade around the school for everyone to see. (Yolanda, 2nd grade, New York, NY)

140. I have the students bring in M & M's of all kinds (plain, peanuts, almonds, Valentine colors). I then put 100 of them into a gallon size Zip-Loc bag. The kids are divided into groups and are given a graph sheet. The then color in the graph according to the M & M's they have in their bag. I have them wash their hands before this activity because they can then eat the candy when they are done. (Yolanda, 2nd grade, New York, NY)

141. Because there is so much that I would like to do for this day, I have come up with a perfect way to celebrate this day and have the children really look forward to the big day. I set up my centers with the 100th Day of School theme for the month of February (Feb. 13th is when I celebrate 100 days). Math center: Make a design using 100 pattern blocks and cut out pictures of things they would buy if they had 100 dollars. Language Arts Center: Cut out pictures that names a person, place or thing and glue it in the appropriate poster board (I got this ides from this website) Writing Center: Draw what you would like when 100 and write what you think you may accomplished. Listening Center: Listen to the story Henry Hooper and the 100 Hiccups, a tape (no book) from Scholastic. In this way I can do a lot of the activities that I wouldn't be able to do on just the one day. Of course, on the 100th Day of School, we do nothing but 100 stuff. (Yolanda, 2nd grade, New York, NY)

142. On the 100th day of school, I put on lots and lots of jewelry. I never know how many pieces I have on, but the children guess whether I have less than or more than 100 pieces. The child who comes closest to the exact number gets a treat. I wear bracelets, rings, etc. (This year I wore 147 pieces!) I'm sure you know that as a teacher my budget allows for costume jewelry so I can have fun with my "treasures", and the children "count" me all day! (Carol Sarah Moore Greene M.T.A.)

143. Last year our first and second grade classes decided to try to collect 100 cans of food to be donated to our area Crisis Center Food Pantry. It was an overwhelming success! This year we issued a challenge and the entire school (K-5 approx. 400 students) has decided to do it with us! We hope to donate 500+ food items this year. The kids feel a sense of generosity and caring for those in need. Another reason for all to celebrate! (K.Fomon, 2nd Grade, Clear Creek Elem. Oxford, IA)

144. Thank you for the great ideas. I set up 12 different stations in my room and put different objects there and the students rotated around the room and had to count 100 items out at each station. We also compiled a book about our 100th day, and it is now traveling to each students house. My class loved your book, The 100th Day of School. Thank you for the wonderful drawings!!! (Ms. Broach's Kindergarten classes)

145. For the 100th Day of school, have your students bring in pictures of family members, pets and friends. Then display "100 People We Love" collage in your hallway. (Rhonda, Holly Glen El. Williamstown NJ)

146. We just celebrated the 100th Day of School here in Pittsville! One of the projects that we do is read the story called One Hundred is a Family by: Pam Munoz Ryan. Prior to the 100th day week, we send home a recording sheet that the children need to bring back to school with information regarding how many brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and cousins they have. Then we have individual graphing sheets that the children work on for the completion of the project. Sample Question #1 'How many people live at your house?' We have strips with ten boxes underneath each question and the children color in the appropriate number of spaces. For the question 'How many cousins do you have?', we have 3 different strips of ten boxes to accomodate larger numbers. This project has been very successful!! A second activity that we do is: Read the story titled One Hundred Hungry Ants by E. Pinczes and then we have the children do a math activity sequencing the 10's family in order. 10,20,30...... (The kindergarten teachers at Pittsville Elementary School)

147. As many other teachers do, I also have my first graders each bring in100 items, such as candy, stickers, pieces cereal etc. I prepare a grid from 12 x18 construction paper. The grid is divided into 20 even boxes. Each child must sort their items on their grid evenly. I tell them it is like dealing cards. Each child is given a large zip lock bag. The children rotate around the room stopping at each child's space to collect their share of the goodies. At the end of the day I give the children a cloze story to complete. There is a large 6 x 3 inch box at the top of the page for the children to illustrate their story. The___________Day by________________ It was the_______________day of school. I brought in __________to share with the class. Each person got __________ of what I brought to class. I especially liked what ____________brought to share. We only have ____________days left of school. Enjoy and thanks for all the great ideas! (Fred Wellington, Grade 1, Nether Providence Elementary School, Wallingford, PA)

148. We have been celebrating our 100th day of Kindergarten for many years and all these ideas are terrific! One idea I haven't seen listed yet is a time capsule. During the first week of Kindergarten, we create a time capsule (a rolled piece of construction paper, all colors) for each student. It includes a drawing of themself, a writing sample of their name, a string wrapped around the outside of their capsule showing their present height, and I write their weight and what they would like to do when they grow up on the outside of their capsule. These are put away until the 100th day of school. We have a special get-together when we open our capsules. They are AMAZED by how they wrote their names and by how much they've grown! I have done this as a whole class activity (about 2-3 days work) and as centers with parent help. There are probably many more ideas you may have about what to include in the time capsule. (Maureen, Kindergarten)

149. My idea is to tie the hundredth day with acts of kindness. Each teacher can make a tree out of poster board & add leaves using green, yellow, & orange construction paper. On each leaf should be written good deeds done by the students. For example, one student could write 4 good deeds on his/her leaf. Also the lower grades could combine their tree until they reach 100 acts of kindness. You can incorporate this project with the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. (Mrs. R. Brodsky)

150. My first graders do the following (just a few of 100 things): *Each student is asked to telephone 1 person (class of 25) when they get home. They are to tell that person 4 things they like about them! A parent then signs off that the assignment has been done. Not only do we make 1/4th of 100 phone calls (learning a fraction of 100) but we make 100 nice things being said to go over the telephone lines. *We smile, sincerely, 4 times (minimum) during our 100th day. Each time we smile at another person, we tell them why we are smiling -- & it can't be because we are adding smiles to 100!! :) *We make a 100's Day coupon book. Enclosed parents will find the following: Page 1 has : I promise to clear the table for you without complaining/ and do a good job for 1/20 of 100 days ! (5) Page 2 has: I promise to keep my room picked up for 1/4 of 100 days (25). There is a box for each time it is kept clean to be checked off. Page 3 has: I promise to give you a hug each night before I go to bed for 1/2 of 100 days (and maybe a whole lot more)!! Page 4 has: I promise to love you for 100 times 100 times 100 times 100! or until the numbers end!! This project is cleverly illustrated by each child and proudly presented to his parents. Then there are 100 project activities going on forever!!!! We also sing 100 songs, snap-tap-clap to 100 , wink at someone 100 times, eat 100 pieces (l piece cut into 4 equal pieces) of cinnamon toast, and much, much more! (These suggestions are proudly brought to you by: The Chippers, First Graders at South Anna Elem., Montpelier, Va. 23146 (Chippers + CHildrens Imagination in Print))

151. I loved your bulletin board for 100th day celebration ideas. Here is an idea we do in my classroom: One of the books we read is Pigs in Hiding. Although the number 100 is not mentioned in the book, there are a lot of pigs! A few days before the 100th day, I run off 100 pigs that look a lot like the ones in the book. I distribute them to the children who write their names on the ones they get and cut them out for me. (I've drawn a straight line across the bottom and then an oval around the pig as a cutting line.) Before the children come to class I hide the pigs all over the room in obvious places just like the book. Soon we are all looking for pigs and placing them in the pocket chart. My pocket chart has 10 rows and I have already written 1-100 with a vis-a-vee on the clear pockets. When the pig is placed behind it, the number is easy to read. Usually we find only 97 or 98 pigs and there is a sticker for the student who finds the missing ones over the next few days. (Suzanne Wittman, Kindergarten Teacher at Cerritos Elementary School, Anaheim, CA)

152. On the first day of school after our Calendar activity I put up a plastic colored chain link to represent the 1st day of school. We add different colored links for each day. We start out grouping the links by tens and the calendar leader for that day checks the pattern that was started and puts the appropriate colored link to complete the pattern. We change the links to groups of 5's, 2's, and 1's every month before the 100th day so the children have practice counting in all these different ways. Before the 100th day I give them grids to write numbers by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's. We celebrate the 100th day with a party and do many "100th day" activities. (S.Dejesa, AHES, Guam)

153. For the 100th day of school, the First Graders at Lewisboro Elementary School brought 100 cans of soup to school. We stacked them in groups of 10 to count them. We then donated them to a local Food Pantry to help feed hungry people. (Mrs. W. White's First Grade Class)

154. I am a computer teacher for Gr. 1-4. I have my first graders go to Kid Pix Studio and use the stamp tool. They have to stamp 10 sets of10 stamps. This gives them practice using the mouse, makes them count, and they love the different stamps. I also encourage different patterns of stamping out 10. After completing the stamps, they use the letter tool and type in 100's Day! and their name. They are able to do the activity, print, and go back to class with 100 stamps! (Wendy Quinlan, Technology Teacher, J.C. Solmonese School, Norton, MA)

155. I teach Kindergarten. This year for the 100th day celebration we celebrated life in the ocesn. The children painted a huge mural of the ocean and each day we added another living thing to it. All the research was done in the classroom. The reference materials were available as well as the art materials to replicate the living object. Examples would be: seaweed, clownfish, starfish, whales...etc. We kept a running list and the children made the objects to be placed in the ocean. At the end of the hundred days we had a beautiful mural, the children learn the beginning skills needed to do research, they worked cooperatively, and they learned to count to one hundred, and numerous other skills. The following day we took a trip to the aquarium. The children really enjoyed doing this unit and especially going to the aquarium. (Kandi in Brooklyn)

156. To help our children understand the concept of 100, the second grade teachers at Irving Elementary School in Erie, PA challenge each class to bring in 100 cans of food. The class with the most cans wins a special prize. After the celebration, the food is donated to the Second Harvest Food bank.

157. My class works together to go positive!! We think of 100 nice things to say. I write them on strips of paper and we post them in the cafeteria for everyone to see and read. (Janice Driver at Woodson-Dear Elementary)

158. I painted Happy 100th Day on a big piece of paper and we put 100 hand prints on it and put it in the hall. Also wrote 100 people we love on a huge red heart. Had 100 hearts cut out for the children to write the names of people they love. Posted those in the hall. (Sue)

159. One project we did last year was to print one hundred hand prints on a big murla that said Happy 100th Day! We hung it in the hall. We also wrote the names of 100 people love....each on an individual heart and put that in the hall too. (Sue Morrison's First Grade, Oakhill School)

160. We work with partners to complete projects throughout the day. One idea is to create a large 100-dot ladybug (stuff a black garbage bag, round-off cardboard for the wings - cover it with red paper and 100 black dots, add legs and antennae, etc.). You can read The Grouchy Ladybug. We also make a large 100-dot dalmation. We take 100 toilet paper rolls to create a tree or some other large structure. Other partners are working on 100 sponge prints in groups of ten, coloring in patterns on 100 charts (2's, 5's, 10's), 100 popsicle stick designs, and many of the wonderful ideas already listed at this site. Thanks for all the new ideas!!!!!!! (Patti)

161. I have your 100th day of School book and read it every year on our 100th day of school. Our school, Anderson Early Childhood and Family Resource Center celebrates school wide with a carnival. It is wonderful. Each class also does individual projects for the 100th day. My personal favorite is to tie-dye the number 100 on tee shirts ( no easy feat) for the entire class. It's great fun. (Kelly Key Anderson)

162. Every year we make a new bulletin board with a 100 theme. This year we made a I spy picture find. We put up 100 pictures and wrote the caption I Spy A Great Year. Then every day we display a new picture to look for until we reach 100. The children are very excited about finding the picture and it is a way to get the whole school envolved in the 100 day theme. (Jeanne, 1st Grade Teacher, Cathedral School, Lincoln NE)

163. In our kindergarten we celebrate the 100th day as Zero the Hero Day, so we eat "zeroes" on that day. The class tries to guess how we can eat zeroes. Then we use canned biscuits and a donut cutter to make donuts, fry them along with the holes, and shake them in a bag with powdered sugar. Warm zeroes never tasted so good on a cold 100th day. Our wonderful computer lab teacher lets the children try to see how many numbers they can type during their time. Few ever get to 100, but they love trying, and learn more about number patterns. (Clyde Elementary, Clyde, NC)

164. I've really enjoyed reading all of the different ideas submitted by others to use to celebrate 100 Days of School. One activity that my cohort and I have used for several years is quite tasty and lots of fun to do. We, too, spend the whole day doing various projects. In addition, for lunch, our first graders make 10 pizzas with 10 pieces of pepperoni. We cut the baked pizzas into 10 pieces each so that we have, of course, 100 pieces of pizza. We also add fruit, and dessert (100 bars of rice krispie treats), and, in this way, incorporate our celebration into lunch, too. (Roberta, 1st grade teacher, Grand Rapids, Ohio)

165. On the 100th day of school the children and I make necklaces with 100 pieces of Fruit Loops cereal. We make sets of ten of each color and make a pattern of colors with the Fruit Loops until we get to 100. The children wear their necklaces in school . They love it. (Anna Prymak, grade 1 teacher, Woonsocket, RI )

166. Before the 100th day, I have my third graders research what happened 100 days ago (the first day of school), 100 months ago, and 100 years ago. We use these items on the 100th day to play a game of guessing when different things happened. I ask two students at a time the same question, keep eliminating those who answer incorrectly until there's a winner! I give out 100 Grand candy bars all day to the winners of the various games and contests. We play Name that Saint with a Family Feud approach. I wrap up a Mystery Package with 100 of something inside. They ask me questions and I can only answer yes or no. The one who correctly identifies the contents wins the package. Last year: 100 hugs and kisses (Hershey style, of course) We create projects with 100 things prior to the 100th day and invite other classes to view and vote on their favorite, most interesting, most involving, and such. We throw confetti and sing for he's a jolly good fellow when the 100th person walks in. We do many other activities but I saw them mentioned on your page. (Donna Richert, Our Lady Immaculate, 3rd grade, Jennings, Louisiana)

167. I am a first grade teacher in Englewood Cliffs. I teach in a K-2 school. This year we are going for Whole School Participation in the 100th day. Thank you for the resources. Here is one I use that the youngsters really enjoy. Find and copy a picture of a child dressed in clothing a100 years Then cut out face only of each child and glue to copied picture. Have these on the children's desk when they arrive at school.

168. I begin counting to the 100th Day of School on the very first day with my students. In my first grade classroom each day, a student takes a M&M out of a container that is filled with 100 of various colors. One student asks his classmates what the color might be. When someone guesses, we graph it on a chart. We also note on the container how many M&M's are let in it. That helps us know how many days are left until the 100th Day!!!!!!! HAPPY 100th DAY TO EVERYONE AT AOL! (Rina, Flushing, NY)

169. Since ours is a looping school, it is important to have many, many ideas for 100s day, so you don't repeat yourself two years in a row. These ideas have really helped. Our class made tee-shirts with a large 100 in the middle and then painted 100 colorful polka-dots on the front and back. They were really cute when our 12 first grade classes formed a huge 100 in the school's courtyard. In my class, we give each of the 25 students four slips of paper. Each student writes 4 different things we have learned this year. Then the connect the 100 learned things together and hang it as a paper chain. HAPPY 100...only 80 MORE!!!

170. As a first grade teacher, we LOVE to celebrate the 100th day of school! We always order pizza to help us do just that...with 100 pepperonis! For dessert, we like to have a cake complete with 100 candles to blow out. We also begin our place value unit on this special day and learn a game called "Get to 100" where children use dice, base ten manipulatives, and mats marked with ones, tens, and hundreds. They take turns, roll the dice, and add a ones unit for each number rolled. They then exchange a tens rod for ten ones, when the time comes. The first player to reach one hundred, and the hundreds block, is the winner. A variation of this game is "Get to $1.00" by using pennies, dimes, and a dollar bill. We write our numbers from 1-100 and then count to 100 by 1's 2's, 5's, 10's, etc. After looking at a real $100 bill, we design a new one with our very own photograph on it! We divide several charts into 100 squares and think of 100 things to go into the squares by topic (ie: nice things to say, foods, things to do, etc.) We compose a class book titled "What We Have Learned in 100 Days." We work in small groups to put together 100 piece puzzles and we read story books that deal with the concept of 100 such as The 100th Day of School, The Wolf's Chicken Stew, and One Hundred Hungry Ants. We draw pictures of what we think we'll look like when we are 100 years old and write a paragraph to tell what we'll be able to do then, too! And, just before going home, we FREEZE for 100 seconds of silence! Ahhhh....the perfect end to a fun-filled day! (Carolyn Matheson, Texas, 1st Grade)

171. Hi my name is Mario Cacioppo and I am a first grade teacher in St. Louis. This is my first year teaching. I think the 100th day celebration is incredible. My kids look forward to counting down the days, it is something that gets them excited about school. Anyway I had a pretty good idea for the celebration. My grandma is very handy when it comes to sewing. She made an afghan with 100 squares on it, with different colored squares. It has helped my kids to count to 100 and learn their colors. We are going to put 100 names in a box and one lucky person gets to take home the afghan. Our 100th day is February 16. Thank you, your website was very helpful.

172. I have various 100th day tasks written on index cards. Students work with a partner to accomplish the task and at the end of the day teams share results. This works well for a wide variety of learning needs. Some topics are: find the student in the school who is closest to being 100 months old. (This turns out to be a second grader usually.) They then create a certificate for that student and announce his/her name over the intercom. Another team determines the 100th minute of the day and has that announced. For the math whizzes, they research 3 pizza places and find the cost of large/small pizzas and their size. They then claculate how many pizzas would be needed for 100 slices and how much they would cost. This activity takes a while but students love to do it. Other ideas I didn't find listed are lists of 100 adjectives, 100 countries, 100 reasons for owning a teddy bear (or any pet, etc.), and "transforming" the number 100 written on drawing paper into something unique. One teacher held a school-wide food drive to collect 100 cans of food for our service center and had students use the cans to create class sculptures before donating them. (Donna Mattison-Earls, Falmouth, MA , grade 4)

173. I have really enjoyed getting more ideas to add to our 100th day of school activities. Another thing we do at our school is to see how many words the students can tell the teacher in 100 seconds. The teacher write these down as students tell them. (2nd grade, J. Knapp, Bristol, Tn.)

174. I teach first grade in a school of about 350 students. On the 100th day of school I have my students bring in collections of 100 items. We display these collections in our classroom and invite all of the teachers and students to visit us. I put a large piece of grid paper for our guests to sign their names in a blank space in a random pattern. I have 2 of my students watch and then tell me when the 100th person has signed the paper. We stop everything and cheer for this person. I make a crown out of paper, take their picture and write their name in our classroom news. But, the most fun is when my students each bring in a group of 100 items to give the 100th visitor. We give 100 jelly beans, pennies, M&M's, paper clips, marshmallows and so on. Everyone in the school wants to be that special person and my students love to see who it will be. (M.A. Meyers, Tinicum Elementary School, Pipersville, PA)

175. Our idea is to video tape a hundred students telling about the 100 greetings we received from 100 schools around the world. The students report about the schools and show them on the map in the video. 176. We have been doing a "special" math activity every 10 days since school started. Yesterday we celebrated the 80th day by drawing patterns in a large number 80. We made 8 groups of designs with 10 in each, counted to 80 by 10s. I always take pictures and display. On the 90th day we will make a list of 90 words we can spell. To get ready for the 100th day: children make a 100 collection at home to fit in a baggie. These are hung on our "100 Special Things" tree (bulletin board - space is limited). We also fill in grid with 100 numbers, do lots of counting by 2,5,10. Every day we keep track of the day's number (at calendar time)by hooking links in tens and ones places. Student changes numbers and fixes links and shares why he/she can tell it's the 81st day, etc. But on the BIG 100 Day: invite parents to come in, children tell about all the things we've done during year (our special 10th day math activities), share their collections, go through a "buffet line", choosing 10 kinds of things to build a 100 piece sculpture with. Things are: minimarsmellows, choc. chips, raisins, cheerios, kix, teddi grams, etc (all small snack foods). They select by estimating what 10 would be and scoop out of big bowl into their own container. Back at their desks, parent and child make their creation using a brownie cookie as the base and frosting as glue. Can only use 10 of each thing and count to 100 by 10 with parent when done. Extra goodies are usually eaten as we go along. Lots of fun and counting going on! Also read books other s have mentioned above. Good luck to all and have a great100! (Marci, grade one)

177. We are planning to collect 100 cans of non-perishable food items per class to donate to needy families in the area. (Kindergarten Teacher, Rollshuffl@aol.com)

178. Last year our school of 300+ students did a 100 Hall of Fame. Each class did different things with 100 and displayed them in the halls. My kindergarteners made a 100 second video, a 100" crayon and pencil, 100 cotton ball chicks to go with the story, The Wolf's Chicken Stew, a sunflower with 100 petals, a paper hershey kiss with 100 lipstick kiss prints, (yes, even the boys enjoyed this one), strung fruit loop chains with 100 of each color, a giant 100 dollar bill where I wrote down what they thought $100 would buy, and, my favorite, a posterboard elephant's face with a 100" trunk made out of a dryer vent hose. The year we went to see 101 Dalmations at the theater each class had a giant puppy and wrote 101 puppy names on it and they were displayed in the gym. Each year our school adopts the tiger at our local zoo and the students bring in 100 pennies during the week of our 100th day. In past years the students laid their pennies along the halls to see how many times it would go around our school. The pennies were then gathered and counted by the third graders and presented to the zoo for the tiger's food. We have successfully met our goal of $750 dollars every year. This year we are combining 100th day with health centers. For every 100 pennies donated by students a paper tooth will be displayed in the hall. This money will ,again, go to the zoo. We will also have a giant paper toothbrush made for our tiger. This will be used like a donation thermometer where the amount of money donated will be recorded. HAPPY 100TH DAY TO ALL YOUR READERS!!! (DSL in KS)

179. My first graders love to draw a picture of themselves now at the age of seven and compare it to what they think they will look like in 100 years. Some are very old-wrinkled, crippled, in wheelchairs, and some are even in a grave. Many look like their grandparents and a couple returned to babyhood. This was the perfect day for grandparents and older friends and neighbors to join us for a day in the life of a first grader.

180. I have made a bulletin board paper mural, made up of quilt squares (in paper) where students have written 100 reasons to conserve and keep our waters clean. We begin by making a list of the 100 reasons on the board. Then we type out our reasons numbering each page, leaving plenty of space to draw. After we print out all 100, students select their choices and make illustrations in their squares. Students must then measure and make the bulletin board board paper fit their project of 100 'quilt' squares. Students organize the assembly of squares so that the bulletin board paper makes an border for each 'quilt' square. They also must allow for a heading which we select by vote to explain our quilt. This brings in science, mathematical reasoning, art, and cooperative group work. After the mural is displayed the quilt squares are cut up and then put into a book, which has been a popular reading book for my students throughout the rest of the year, as well as looking at and comparing the previous years to their own. (Mrs. Laws R.P. CA)

181. Students write positive comments about their classmates or an act of kindness until you have 100 comments. (For a group of 25, each would make 4 comments.) List all the positive remarks on a poster in the shape of 100 for others to read. 182. Students grab a bunch of legos with both hands and estimate how many they think they have. Then have them really count their legos. Only keep 100 legos. Sort and graph the colored legos. Using the 100 legos, each student sees what they can build out of 100 legos. Share their models.

183. On the 100th day of school I have my students bring puzzles that have 100 pieces in them. We estimate how long it will take us to put the puzzles together. The kids work in small groups putting the puzzles together. It is a lot of fun. Thanks for all the new ideas! (Suzann Shea, Hutchinson, KS)

184. My third grade class and I just love the 100th day of school. Our entire school celebrates this day with an assembly that includes several activities. Leading up to the assembly, my class and I enjoy activities together. One activity I would like to share that I haven't read about is "Roll the Dice 100 Times." Each child is given a die and a chart to keep track of the number they roll each time. After rolling 100 times, each child then makes a graph to show how many times each number was rolled. The students then write questions that can be answered using their graph. They share the graph with a partner and then with the entire class. The students really enjoy this simple activity. Another activity I do that really excites and motivates my kids is the "100 Second Challenges." Each child is given 100 seconds to write their numbers 1-100, getting as far as they can without a mistake. They also are given 100 seconds to write their name as many times as they can. I give a small reward to the student who gets the most written. Thanks for all the great ideas!! (Elizabeth Jagneaux - Third Grade Teacher - Mamou Lower Elementary, Mamou, Louisiana)

185. I wrote a poem to read to my class that contained exactly 100 words. (D.K.)

186. On the 100th day of school I have posted a piece of chart paper labeled 100 Acts of Kindness. My students use their best manners all day trying to get 100 tally marks on the chart. (Amy Roberts, Sharon School, Statesville NC)

187. My kindergarteners come up with these ideas themselves. 1) make a pinyata and put 100 of something sweet in it. We are making the pinyata in art and then using it for the 100th day of school. 2)How far can you go? Start on the sidewalk and take 100 giant steps to see who can go the farthest. Do it again using the heel/toe method. 3)Mix and Bake cupcakes at school (or if you can't bake them at home and decorate them at school) Then let the students frost them and decorate them by make a 100 on the top with a variety of small candies ( mini M&M's, red hots, choclate chips (mini or regular),long sprinkles) 4)100 Balloon stomp This will be P.E. for the day. Play music and the children will dance. When the music stops they get to stomp on a balloon. Bang! Then start the music again until the balloons are gone. I hope these ideas are new to you. I thought it was wonderful for my group of kindergarteners to come up with them. (Theresa)

188.This year a week before the 100th day of school, our principal hid 100 little school house di-cuts with the numbers 1-100 on each of them around the school. Each class was given 1 week to find the school houses. The children were told to report to their teacher when they spotted a school house and what number they found. The first class at each grade level to complete the scavenger hunt was awarded a 100 pepperoni pizza party. (Nannette Delcambre)

189. I'm going to do the gum ball machine with different colored "gumballs", using the Ellison Press circles, however on twenty of them the children's picture is going to be on the gumballs:) We also found 100 piece puzzles really cheap at Walmart ($.78!!!) for stations on that day! Actually, the idea that I wanted my daughter to do was found on another bulletin board somewhere, and that idea was this: Make an autograph book, and collect 100 autographs with/without pictures! On the back side write their favorite book, or favorite something. On that same board was collecting 100 BUGS! Anyway, totally stoked with this autograph idea, I asked my 7-year-old about it. A shrug of shoulders, "Umm... maybe..." Later, we were at Walmart, and she kept coming at me with, "What about this?" 100 count pkg. of paper plates, 100 count pkg. of plastic straws, etc. Back at home she came up with an idea that was original, and do-able, and sad to say, we probably have enough of the items: 100 flip-top tops from soft drinks! We're going to put them on a ribbon and every 5, or 10, insert a colored pony bead, to make a 100 Flip-top Necklace! Thanks for the list!!! (H.Marie :)

190. One year we invited a 100 year old woman to visit our kindergarten classes at Hazel Dell Elementary school on our100th Day. She told us what life had been like for the last 100 years. She answered many questions the children asked. When one child asked her what she had done to be able to live for 100 years she replied, "Nothing exciting!" (from Karen Kirby, Noblesville, IN)

191.Our class did a lot of fun 100th day activities. We started by reading your book. (The teacher read it to the class.) Then, we began doing our 100 addition problems, filled in the missing numbers on a 100's chart, made a graph of the dates on 100 pennies, and wrote 100 words spelled correctly. We made lists of 100 animals, 100 names, and 100 foods. We made pictures of ourselves showing what we think we will look like when we are 100 years old. We wrote in our journals about "If I had $100.00 I would..." To practice our handwriting we wrote the words "one hundred" until our page was full. After lunch we had music and drama. Then, we hung up everthing we had made on our 100th day in the hall for everyone to see. We had a great 100th day.

192. As with many schools, we plan a huge workshop activity for our entire first grade on the 100th day of school. One of the activities is to read books about 100 in the 100 flower Adobe (we are learning about Mexico and decorated our adobe with flowers). (Lynette Miller, Morse Elementary School)

193. Hi! I taught kindergarten for the last eight years, and looped this year.Kindergarten always has a 100th day parade throughout the school. Earlier in the day, we create flags to wave during our parade using large triangle shapes cut from construction paper and wrapped around a small dowel.Then, we decorate them using 100 self-adhesive foil stars! We color the numeral 100 (which has 100 items on it) and cut it out to create headbands. At a designated time, the principal comes over the intercom to invite the rest of the school to stand in the hallway and watch us parade through the school singing," we've been in school 100 days through every kind of weather, and now it's time to celebrate 100 days together. 100 days hip,hip, hooray, it sure seems like forever, we'll sing this song to celebrate 'til this school day is over!"(Tune of Yankee Doodle) All students love this part of the day...when we get back to the room... surprise! there's a cake with 100 candles and sometimes a volunteer dressed like 100 years old to give out lollipops!One year, for the parade, I stapled 10 steamers together and made 10 sets of "pom-poms" to shake as we walked and sang down the hallway. I love the new ideas! (jenny in s.c.)

194. On the 100th day of school, I read the book The 100th Day of School. Then we do an M&M activity where each child has 100 M&M's (of different colors). They count how many they have of each color and make a graph. They also identify the fractional part that each color is of the total. Ex: The fractional part of 11 blue M&M's out of this group would be 11/100. The kids really seem to enjoy this and are learning at the same time. Yea! (Sharon, 4th grade teacher,Texas)

195. Each year on the 100th day I bring a cake in the shape of the number 100. To do this, bake a cake in two round 9 inch pans. When cool, cut out the middles of the circles to make the zeros. Shape the parts you cut out to make the number one. Place on a LARGE tray to form the number 100, frost and decorate with 100 M & M's or whatever you wish. The kids love it! This year, I'm trying this same idea, but with giant cookies that have 100 M & M's and 100 chocolate chips in them. Bake an entire cookie recipe on a pizza pan, twice).

196.We celebrate the 100th day of school by putting 100 laminated, numbered, footsteps down on the floor between our classroom and the office. We send two children down with a parent volunteer to help the students count the steps from their classroom to the office. When they arrive at the office the school secretary asks then how far they counted. She has 100's day certificates at her desk with each child's name on it, claiming that they counted to one hundred. The children LOVE getting a certificate for their accomplishment and our secretary loves seeing the excitement in each child's eyes. (G. Stevens and S. Behrens -- Kindergarten Teachers, Kent, WA)

197. As the 100th day of school approaches, I have my second grade students start a 10-12 day problem-solving activity. The activity is to plan a 100th day party. I tell them that there will be 4 committees of 4-5 students. The committees are food, decorations, invitations, and games. I draw their names to be fair and let them pick a committee. I give them about 15-20 minutes each day to get with their committee to plan. Each committee soon finds that there is a lot to planning a party. I visit each group to listen to their ideas. I try not to give too much information, but yet guide them. For example, the food committee usually begins to plan to bring food that they like. I help them to realize that the party is for the whole class. They soon decide that they need to take a survey of favorite drinks, food, etc. This committee also is guided to realize that a fair way of dividing the cost of the food and drinks is important. Thus, they usually write a note to parents asking for $1-2. I also have them do the ordering of food or to write a nice note asking parents to help. The invitation committee must decide where the party will be, when will it fit into the daily schedule, who will be invited, how many invitations will be needed, etc. They have to design it and then I take a committee member to copy it. The committee then colors the invitations. The games committee has to think of games that everyone can play, they must be prepared to explain the games and rules, make sure that there is enough time, and to bring the needed materials. The decorations committee decides what and how they will decorate. In the past, there have been paper chains, posters, balloons, crepe paper, etc. The day of the party, the other committees watch a short movie, while the decorations committee with my help decorate the room. I really enjoy this problem-solving activity and the students are always so proud of their accomplishment. It is a good way for students to learn to work together for a common goal. I am impressed each year with the outcome and so are the parents!!

198. During our calendar time we are going to take our straws out of our daily-straw-count pockets and line each up (top-to-bottom) to see how far 100 straws will stretch. Then, we will measure it with a tape measure using inches and then centimeters. We have also been keeping track of our days in school with a number line made of post-it-notes which stretches along the wall of our room above our bulletin boards and chalkboards. We use pink post-its for odd numbers, purple ones for evens, and green for fives and tens. The fives have a circle around the number. On the 100th day we will take down our post-its and see how far each of the number categories stretch. As usual, we will count by odds, evens, fives, and tens, until we reach the last number in our number line, which will of course be 100 on the day of our celebration. (Tammy Joy, 2nd grade, Odessa, TX)

199. On the 100th day of school our first graders will have 100 guests come in to visit (other grades in the building) and read 100 books to/with them. We will also have a 100th day party with a '100' cake baked by a parent in the room. On top of that cake will be '100' candles. (Dee- 1st grade Bridgewater, NJ)

200. Hi! We like to celebrate 100 Day at our school by having different stations throughout the hallway. Last year I set up a game where the students had four chances to throw bean bags up a flight of stairs and have the sum of their bags equal 100. Each step or every other step was labeled 10, 20, 40, 50, etc. Their sum had to equal 100 to get the top prize and from 80-60 was secend and so on. They had to realize that if they threw twice and landed, for example on 50 both times that they did not need to throw the other two bags. If their total was over 100 than they did not win a prize.

201. There are 5 first-grade classes at our school, each with about 20 learners. One of the ideas we came up with for our 100th day is to assign each child a number between 1-100. (It's okay that we have a little more than 100 altogether.) Then they make large number cards to wear. At a certain time of the day all the first-graders come out to the playground and they must line themselves up in order, one to one hundred. (Rosalyn, Ordot-Chalan Pago Elementary, Guam)

202. We had a fun day for our 100th day of school. The 12 Kindergartners and 13 Second grade students did several activities throughout the day. We made 100 Valentine Day cards to take to area nursing homes, we brought 100 objects to school, we drew a portrait of ourselves of what we think we will look like at 100 years old, we played a dice game of counting until we got to 100, we put puzzles together that had 100 pieces, we had 10 kinds of snacks that had 10 pieces each, we had a class visitor that was 90 years old. She shared a birthday with a second grader. Together their ages added to 100. She told about her life when she was a child. We learned three songs about 100. We read your book "The 100th Day of School." We like your book, especially the pictures. The book was interesting and realistic. Your book had a lot of things about 100. (We are from Polk-Hordville Public School, at Polk, NE.Yours truly, Kindergarten, Second grade students, and teachers.)

203. My daughter's first grade class did the "Hokey Pokey" with 100 people. The local cable TV even showed it on TV that night! I am a Special Education teacher and my class brings in 100 items in a ziplock baggie. I love your website!! The ideas are great!

204. I am a Kindergarten teacher and have celebrated the 100th day for years. This webstire is wonderful with lots of great ideas. One idea that I haven't seen is the one my daughter came home with last week. On the 100th day of school her second grade class is making a time line of important events of the last 100 years. Each child is to find 3 interesting facts, accomplishments, weather phenonmenon, sports-related activity or other events that have occurred in the last 100 years. They had to write the three facts down on seperate pieces of paper and tell the date of the occurrence, place and why they chose it. (Kim Lockley, Houston, TX)

205. In my Kindergarten class we started collecting 100 cans of dog and cat food. We use them to count the days of school, grouping them in tens, five, twos... well you get the picture. Then on our 100th day of school we go to the local Humane Society and donate the food items. Next year I will loop to 1st grade with these students and we plan on collecting 100 scans of yarn for the nurcing home down the street from out school. Word has it there are people there who are 100 years of age. My kids are already looking forward to next years 100 day celebration.

206. Hi! My name is Nancy Belanger and I teach a 1/2 multigrade in Maynard, Massachusetts. For the last couple of years for 100 day, we have collected 100 non-perishable foods and brought them to the Maynard Food Pantry.Before we bring the items, we do many activities with them. We measure them, sort them in MANY different ways and do alot of ABC ordering.We have a great time doing these activities and it also teaches the children about community service: donating food to the food pantry for families in need. (Green Meadow Elementary School.)

207. I really love all of the creative ideas for 100 Day! I teach kindergarten in Chicago and plan to make a humorous class book using story dictation. The student will have to finish the statement, "If I've told you once, I've told you a 100 times__________." The students complete the sentence with something that an adult has t

208.Thank you for sharing ideas. Heare at Orchard Hills Elementary we have done in the past many activities-one which included the whole schoolstanding in a 100 formation outside and someone up on the roof took ourpicture and it was put into our local paper. Many of the activities in thepast have been mentioned on your list. One of my favorite first and secondgrade activity is having four classes produce 25 footprints from differentcolor construction paper and place them down the hallway to make 100. Theycan easily see that four sets of 25 make 100. Last year I even had a momand her daughter come with painted shirts with 100 written on them and onehundred items made on them. I encourage my first grade class to placeitems on a poster board in sets of ten. Estimating which baggie has 100has been fun, too! Many thanks for your website. (Judy Brown )

209.I'm a math cluster teacher in Brooklyn, New York, and I did a schoolwide 100th day project that I would like to share with you and your site viewers. I cover 25 classes in my school and each one was involved. I also made clssroom visitations to the ones I don't have in my program. I asked the children to bring in pictures of themselves with their pet, or stuffed animal. Below is a copy of the poem I sent to all of the children, parents and staff. OUR 100 DAY PROJECT IS APPROACHING! Get your cameras and your pets ready! Real or make-believe hold them steady. Dress them up, dress them down. Get ready to show them about the town. At P.S. 194 we'll show them around. Pets that fly, climb, swim or stay on the ground- Our bulletin board will make our pets shine. So bring in your snapshots, January 5 through 9. And Mrs. Allen will have plenty of time To make a display that is truly fine. So if you want to participate, please do not hesitate. Have someone take a picture of you with your pet. Put your class and your name on the back to have a sure bet. The photos will be put in a barrel. The class with the most commendation cards Will not have to quarrel. Since they will be the ones to pick The pictures that are the most slick. OUR PETS ARE THE WORLD. I received about 130 pictures which was less than anticipated. However, there were a tremendous variety of species of animals. I created a bulletin board in our main lobby to represent a tropical rainforest. The title which was done in blue and gold (our school colors) had vines coming out of the letters: OUR PETS ARE THE WORLD: CELEBRATING 100 DAYS (going down the side) AND STILL COUNTING. (Since I had only 130 pictures, I didn't want to leave anyone out and put all of them on! On the board, which was 3-D, I put on boats, trees, logs made out of corkboard. The pictures were hanging from flowers as well as all of the leaves and For the word WORLD in the title, I hung a globe. I had parents help me assemble the board which took a few days, but it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was amazing to see the enthusiasm of visitors to our school looking at the pictures, trying to find their children and relatives. I also had a chart of math questions to answer. It was called RAINFOREST MATH. 1. Who contributed the most pictures? Boys, girls, teachers? 2. Make a graph comparing the different kinds of animals you see. 3. How many of your friends contributed pictures? (Ronnie, Brooklyn, NY)

210.We have a 100 poster that we walked through to get to our classroom this morning. It was cool. We read the book, The 100th Day of School.We like the book. We made necklaces counting by tens to 100 with FruitLoops. We made fancy 100 glasses to look through. We danced around theroom with Zero Hero to the song, Celebration. We made a zero to end thedance. 100 has a hundreds column, a tens column and a ones column. We had a fun day.

211.We are a first grade class of 28 students at Hoover School in CouncilBluffs, Iowa. Our 100th day is today, February 9, 1999. We madecheerio necklaces, 10 groups of 10. We read The 100th Day of School andlistened to Henry's Hiccups. We made crowns with 100 things on them.We are writing 100 words and wrote numbers from 1 to 100. We also drewpictures of what we will look like when we are 100 years old. Ourteacher is wearing a vest with 100 buttons on it. We brought 100 piecesof a food to mix together for trail mix. We will eat it later todaywhile we are watching 101 Dalmations. We love the 100th day of school!(from -Mrs. Lowe's class)

212.Because Zero the Hero brings treats to the children for every 10th day on our growing number line, the children said he will need to bring 2 treats for the 100th day!! And he will- a Zero candy bar and something else. We will also make a giant sheet cake and gather with the other "k" students and sing a 100 day song. We will use the numeral candles to add the "visual" 100 to our cake. Another activity that we do for this day (after reading The Wolf's Chicken Stew) is to create our own idea of what we might feed the chickens to fatten them up! The children draw their ideas on a paper plate and use inventive spelling to write their ideas. Each child has a giant, colorful 100 to add to the creation...this makes a nice hall decoration. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!! (PFGREGORY1)

213.As a Kindergarten teacher I have the joy of introducing our children to the 100th Day celebration at school. At the beginning of the school year, our class enjoyed the characters and story of Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. I am now looking forward to sharing the book, Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten with my students. I plan on sharing this book with the children on the 99th day of school to give them an idea of what we will be doing together on the 100th Day. This will also get them excited about our celebration. Each character (whose names are alphabetical) in the story has to prepare 100 things to share with the class. My children get a similar homework assigment and can use the story to help those who may need ideas.Happy 100th Day!!!!! (Thanks, Lynda Pitcher, Washington Elem., Hanover, PA.)

214.In the past, kindergarten and first graders made murals of: 100 stars in the night sky, 100 creatures in the ocean, 100 bees on a hive, 100 chicken pox on a face, 100 dots on a ladybug, 100 cars on the road, etc. Each mural had at least one piece of literature with it (ie. Itchy, Itchy Chicken Pox went with 100 chicken pox on a face and The Grouchy Ladybug wend with 100 dots on a ladybug). The mural ideas are as endless as the imaginations of your students. (Tracy Young, Kennesaw, GA)

215. I have celebrated 100th day with my Kindergarten classes for the last 12 years. One activity that is a must is each child collects 100 coins. This may be all pennies or other coins too. We count, sort, pile, measure length of 100 pennies, 100 nickels, etc. weigh 100 pennies, 100 nickels etc. After all is said and counted we adopt (or sponsor) an animal at the zoo. All four Kindergarten rooms collected last year and through the voting process the children choose Cinnamon, a Black Bear at the zoo. Each visit we make to the zoo after that is sure to include our adopted animal.I also make a googol, the number made with a 1 and 100 zeros. This is one BIG number. I use the computer print program to run them off. Each child colors or decorates four zeros. We put this around the room. Impressive. (Ann at Victory , IGE Elementary School)

216.An idea my Kindergarten class has done in the past is to collect 100 books for the 100th day, then we donate them to an inner city school. I also xeroxed their photo onto a $100 bill and scatter the "money" on the floor the morning of the 100th day. The kids love to find their money with their picture on it. This year, I've made a "100 Acts of Kindness" bulletin board. I have precut hearts that I write their act of kindness on. It's perfect for the 100th day and Valentine's day. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful ideas. (Kim, Brookside Elementary, California)

217.There are so many great ideas on this site that it is hard to choose the ones to use. I combined a couple of ideas. I had the children write 100 nice things that they could say to someone. Since the 100th day is usually near Valentine's Day, I duplicated a large heart with lines on pastel colored duplicating paper. The students wrote their 100 nice things to say on the hearts with red marker to create their own "conversation hearts" like the candy. Of course, the students all had some real candy hearts to eat while they were working. We put the paper hearts in the hall near our room for everyone to see. (Sandra Heitz, 3rd grade teacher, Our Lady of Visitation, Cincinnati, Ohio)

218.Give each child in the class the numbers 1, 0, and 0 which have been cut out of colored construction paper. Also give them a 12" x 18" sheet of white construction paper. Ask them to see what they can make from these numbers. The numbers are glued onto the paper as "part of something" they wish to make. Then, using crayons or markers, they will add the other parts of their "something" or the rest of the picture. After the pictures are done, help the children give a title to their artwork. Then bind them together into a classroom book with the title "What is 100?" In our 100 book, we have had things like, tractors, birdhouses, racecars, and caterpillars.

219.About a week before the 100th day of school, my first grade class dyespasta 10 different colors. Then, they take a baggie home of 10 piecesof each colored pasta. Their homework is to make a necklace using the10 colors to form 10 groups of 10. They wear this (along with theirhats) to an outside activity where all the first graders do things likecount to 100 by 1's, 5's, etc., hop 100 times in place, sing 100 daysongs... Carrie Gray (Danville, CA)

220. In my kindergartenclass, we do our own version of One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J.Pinczes. I make a huge 1.5'X 3' big book using green bulletin boardpaper and make several hundred of inch-squares cut out with an ant oneach one (I originally took graph paper and stamped an ant in eachsquare, enlarged it to get the one inch sized squares I wanted. I ranoff sheets of it and cut them with the paper cutter.). I put this as acenter activity that I conduct with a small group of children. Eachsmall group is responsible for one page of the story. (1) one by one,(2) 2 rows of 50, (3) 4 rows of 25, etc. First the background scenery has to be drawn: BIG anthill, fowers, trees, picnic. etc. Then thegroup has to figure best way to count out 100 paper ants, share thecounting, (piles of 10, maybe) and doublechecing the work. Then thegluing begins! (We have to again work out a system to show ourdesignated page from the story!) I have other more independent centersset up for the week that we celebrate the 100th day of school, so it maytake 2 or 3 days before everyone rotates to this center.Books not yet mentioned in the previous 208 ideas are 101 Dalmations ACounting Book by Fran Manushkin, From 1 to 100 Teri Sloat, I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words by Michael Frith, Gia and the 100 Dollars Worth of Bubblegum Frank Asch.As another center for my kindergarteners, I cut a commerically done 100board sheet with the numbers already on it, into strips of ten, 1-10,11-20, etc. Each child is given the 10 strips (mixed up) and has to paste them on a large piece of construction paper in order from 1-100. (Carol Landry Pleasant Hill School, Scarborough, Me)

221.Due to hurricanes and the such, we will be celebrating our 100th dayof school this Wednesday. I am submitting the list of the things wewill be doing all week. I think the 5th graders will have a greattime! We are attempting to 100 things 100 times!!!100 Day Celebration Week Complete the following activities by Friday: _____1. 100 addition problems. _____2. 100 subtraction problems. _____3. 100 multiplication problems. _____4. 100 division problems. _____5. Flip a coin 100 times. _____6. Define 100 math words. _____7. Draw 100 geometric shapes. _____8. List the prime numbers from 1 to 100. _____9. Add the numbers from 1 to 100. _____10. Write a 100 digit number. _____11. Write an improper fraction equal to 100. _____12. Draw and label a polygon with a perimeter of 100 cm. _____13. Survey people and ask them_______________________. _____14. Create a bar graph to display the data from #13. _____15. Write 100 fractions. _____16. Write 100 decimals to the 1000th place. _____17. Show how to make $100 10 different ways. _____18. Write and 1/4 100 different ways. (50 each) _____19. Write 100 different number < 100. _____20. Write 100 different numbers > 100. _____21. Measure 100 different things. _____22. Estimate how many jelly beans are red in a jar with 100 jelly beans. _____23. Measure and mark a piece of string 100 inches long. _____24. Measure and describe a stack of 100 coins. _____25. Find a $1 word. _____26. List 100 action verbs. _____27. List 100 proper nouns. _____28. List 100 common nouns. _____29. Spell 100 words correctly. _____30. Write a 100 word letter to _______________________. _____31. Write 100 words with an apostrophe. _____32. List 100 books and their authors. _____33. Write 100 quotes. _____34. Put 100 words in alphabetical order. _____35. Write 100 great story ideas. _____36. Read 100 poems. _____37. Read 100 books. _____38. Write 100 guide books. _____39. Write 100 different ways to write: say, yes, walked, and big. (25 each) _____40. Write 100 exclamatory, declaration, and interrogativesentences. _____41. Write an acrostic poem for the word hundred. _____42. Collect 100 different signatures. _____43. A test with 100 problems dealing with capitalization,punctuation, and spelling. _____44. Write your name 100 cm. tall. _____45. Inflate 100 balloons. _____46. List 100 cities. _____47. Answer 100 Quiz Bowl Questions. _____48. Define 100 Blue Words from Chapter 8 on. _____49. Label 100 places on a map. _____50. List and label 100 dates in American History. _____51. Identify 100 people in American History. _____52. List 100 facts about American History. _____53. Create a map of an island with 100 features. _____54. List 100 reasons you are proud to be an American. _____55. List 100 places you'd like to visit. _____56. Collect 100 leaves. _____57. List 100 facts about the solar system. _____58. Create and name 100 constellations. (Each one must have atleast 5 stars.) _____59. Define 100 science words. _____60. Draw 100 insects. _____61. Create a mural of an underwater scene with 100 sea creatures, _____62. 100 sea shells, and _____63. 100 sea plants. _____64. Roll a ball 100 inches. _____65. Bounce a ball 100 times. _____66. See if a glass filled to the top with water can hold 100pennies. _____67. Estimate how long it will take for 100 ice cubes to melt. _____68. Measure and pour 100 milliliters of water into a container. _____69. List 100 reasons to save our environment. _____70. Plant 100 seeds. _____71. Count to 100 in 100 seconds. _____72. Make a 100 item mosaic. _____73. List 100 reasons to say no to drugs. _____74. Take 100 photographs. _____75. Smile and tell 100 people hello. _____76. Create a 100 picture collage. _____77. Draw 100 faces on a mural. _____78. Complete 100 laps around the track. _____79. Do 100 pushups. _____80. Do 100 jumping jacks. _____81. Make a 100 pine needle bundle. _____82. Create 100 mini-masterpieces. _____83. Squeeze a lemon 100 times. _____84. Stir the lemonade 100 times. _____85. List 100 artists. _____86. Sing a 100 word song. _____87. Build a sculpture with 100 found objects. _____88. List 100 things you could be when you grow up. _____89. Collect 100 stamps. _____90. Create a mural with 100 creatures from outer space. _____91. Put together a 100 piece puzzle. _____92. Trace, cut out, and decorate 100 footprints. _____93. Spend $100 using ads in the newspaper. _____94. Find 100 things in a newspaper scavenger hunt. _____95. Eat 100 kernels of popcorn. _____96. Draw a picture of yourself when you are 100 years old. _____97. Cut out 100 valentine hearts. _____98. Make a poster with 100 handprints. _____99. Bake 100 cookies. _____100. Eat 100 cookies. (Anna Haldane)

222.I team up with three other classrooms and we make a book report worm. We cut out handwriting paper and larger construction paper circles. Each child writes a book report and we display our 100 bookworm for 100 day. We now do a 100 mathworm, too. This activity is completed by second graders.

223.At Switlik Elementary School, Jackson, NJ, we have a large glass showcase in the main hall. It becomes the 100th day museum. Children in each class(K-4) decide what 100 objects they would like displayed. These are labeledwith grade and teacher's name for all to see. The showcase is kept coveredand unveiled on the 100th day of school. Some examples of objects havebeen: paper chain with 100 paper links, 100 pop tops from cans, 100 pennies,100 math manipulatives, etc. And the nurse always keeps track of the childwho had the 100th band-aid, stomach ache, ice pack, etc. (Elizabeth Radian-Potaski, 2nd grade teacher)

224.An easy way for children to count and see 100 things is to cut off 2 egg holes each from ten egg cartons. They can fill these themselves and theyfit easily at a table without spilling. I would love to hear what other teachers have sent in for the 100th day. As ayear round school we are celebrating next week!

225.As a Reading Recovery teacher my program is very structured, so in order to do different activities like 100th day events I use our school'sreading club morning meetings to involve students. The club involvesstudents K-5, so many different levels of activites need to be offered.Kindergarteners cut out headline sized words from the local newspaperand glue 100 words on tag board. First through fifth graders each havea grade level poster board to fill with 100 words they learn in thatgrade. The students work together to graph the colors of all thevarieties of M & Ms. 100 M & Ms are counted out and divided into 3, 5and 6 color groupings depending on the variety. Pre-school siblingswho frequently attend our morning club work with a mother volunteer incounting 100 pencils, laying them end to end down the hall. All thekids spell out their names with wooden lettered beads which anothermother helps string together to determine how many names are needed tocount 100 letters. (Parkway School District, Missouri)

226.During the week prior to the 100th day of school, our school has a 100th Day Candy Contest. Fifteen jars, of all shapes and sizes, are filled with different kinds of candy and displayed in our media center. The students and staff must use their estimating skills and estimate which five jars have exactly 100 pieces of candy in them. When all entries have been received, the candy is divided and distributed to the winners. 227.Our Kindergarten classes at Wiley Elementary School have a 100th day festival. The children will bring in 10 different edible items to make a 100th day snack. We made an autograph book so the children could collect 100 signatures. We will have the children link 100 unifix cubes together to see how long it would be (it had to be in a 3 item pattern). Then at then end of the day we have 100 footprints leading to the cafeteria, the children will follow them and count as they go. When they get there a cake is waiting with 100 candles on it (the cake is shaped like the number 100). They really enjoyed this!!! ( Younesa Howard Wiley Elementary School, Greensboro, North Carolina) 228.In my class we do incredible equations at calendar time. If the date is the 6th then all of our equations must equal 6. For the 100th day of school I make a poster that says "Another name for 100" and we write as many equations as we can that equal 100. It goes well with the book "One Hundred Hungry Ants". (Lisa Olson 2nd grade teacher) 229.Yikes! What a list! I hope these ideas aren't already on the list:- technology - in the paint program, have the child draw a small item,copy it, then paste it 100 times.- writing - write a letter to yourselves 100 days into the future (mykids dictated the letter and I typed it on the computer and saved it onthe desktop). We wrote about the weather, our ages, favourites andasked ourselves questions. It was great fun reading it 100 days later(we counted weekends and holidays this time).St. Paul Primary School, Lethbridge, Alberta http://www.holyspirit.ab.ca/st.paul/ (Mary D. Portsmouth, R.I.) 230. In my kindergarten class, we make a paper patchwork quilt for the letter 'Q' of 100 squares and display in the kindergarten hallway. (Jennifer ) 231.As a teacher of a Christian school we try to incorporate a christian aspect to the day also. We collect 100 cans or boxes of food per class to be given to the local food bank in our community. (Teri Bruck - Unity ChristianSchool, Momence, IL.) 232. The number 100 is the perfect number for glasses. My first graders love this project. Tracing the number one hundred and cutting out the middle of the zeros which become the "lenses" of the glasses. Then, they decorate the rims and I staple a oakatag band so they can wear them all day! 233. I have three ideas that I picked up during my years of teaching. 1. My students wear badges that say, "We survived 100 days in 1A. This always brings a smile to school personnel. (K. Turngren, 1st grade teacher) 234. My students are faced with the challenge to have 100 friends, family members, or neighbors sign their autograph book by the 100th day of school. The autograph books were sent home 2 weeks before the 100th day!! 235. On the 100th day of school, I have taken cupcakes to school for the students to frost and decorate with the number 100. We use hot tomales for the 1 and life savers for the 0's. My son also brought home this idea from school. Each student counted out 100 kernels of popcorn and then they each popped and ate their 100 pieces of popcorn. (jmeg/grades 2 & 3/NE) 236. To encourage random acts of kindness and learn about 100, I asked all my children to collect and bring in 100 pennies. We then took a group photo with our pennies and donated the money collected to a local childrens hospital for the purchase of a toy or video for children to enjoy during their stay in the hospital. It turned out to be a great activity because already my children are thinking about what they can do to help others! (Tennessee Kindergarten Teacher) 237. I am a Kindergarten teacher at Amelia County Elementary School in Amelia, Virginia. Our students eagerly await the 100th Day of school with a daily count using the number line. To aid in the recognition of different numbers, we mark the regular numbers in black, the fivesin green and the tens in red (you can choose any color for your class). Our school participates in the same manner as some of the other schools after I read the cite. This year we called the local newspaper. The students went outside and made the number 100, whichwas photographed from a tower located near our school. Imagine the interest once the picture was published, trying to find where they were standing. (Mrs. Yvonne Harris, K-Teacher)

238. Today was 100 days of school for Fairhill Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA. 2/19/98. However for the Kinder students it will not be day 100 until next Friday 2/26/98. Because K starts five days later. It was a great day. Each teacher planed a twenty minute activity, which somehow had to reflect the number 100. Each teacher traveled from room to room doing his/her activity with each class. For example. The Rainbow Fish, the story was read and then the students would each make a rainbow fish to add to the big paper bowl outside of the classroom, totaling 100 fish. Another activity was one teacher taught each class she visited three 100 day songs, these songs were then sung when each classroom came out to the hallway to participate in 100 day group activities. The activities included 100 jumping jacks, 100 claps and the teachers even did a 100 day dance. The activities ended with the 100 Day School song sung to the tune of It's a small world. It was a great day. (Any questions please email me at Sheart61@aol.com) 239. My Kindergarten class collects 100 cans of food and donates the can food to our church food pantry. I display the can food on a table so the children can see what 100 cans of food looks like. They feel so good about doing a good deed for others! (Anna T.) 240. My first graders love the 100th day of school. On that day I hide 100 Hershey Kisses around the room. On each kiss is a colored adhesive dot with a number (1-100). I display a hundreds chart on a table. The children need to find all the kisses. As soon as they find a kiss they locate the number on it and put it in the corresponding box on the hundreds chart. When all kisses are found we divide the candy and eat! (Tracy, Gr. 1 teacher) 241. I appreciate this site. Having celebrated 100 day for 20 years now 10 of them with a K-2 blend, I am always looking for ways to synergize 100 day. Many of the things we do have been mentioned except some of the things we do to include the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. A kid favorite is to have a 100 day olympics. We try to throw a javlin (straw) 100 cm and 100 inches, shot put a cotton ball, standing broad jump can anyone make 100 cm?, 100 inches? run 100 yard dashes, etc. We include a lot of relay races. We also have 100 balloons in the room and we play balloon basketball as a relay race. One team member is the basket they stand on a library stool to get height. They make a basket with their arms (the basket can move to help the ball/balloon go in) and then team members stand behind a line and shoot the balloon. Each basket scores 5 points. The winning team is the first to earn 100 points and we cheer them with a 100 clap round of applause. At the end of the day we go out with a bang having a 100 balloon stomp and break all the balloons. (Teri in Oregon ) 242. I just found your website and was truly inspired as I perused all of the wonderful ideas. This, of course, prompted a bit of creativity in me. My third grade students are currently fascinated with the I Spy collection in my classroom. We have discussed creating our own version of a challenging I Spy book. Why not have each child collect 100 items from a common category yet with distinct differences, set them up in a collage format, and snap digital photos of each creation for an interesting technological version which may be explored at the classroom computer? This could be set up in a slide show format quite easily on MacIntosh using the disk full of pictures and ClarisWorks. For example, if I collected 100 buttons of various shapes, colors, and sizes and placed them atop and beside each other perhaps in a pattern, I could write a 4-line rhyming poem like this: I spy a rabbit, a lighthouse, and a frog with two spots, A "P", three birds, and a striped one on top. I spy a button with tires, and one with no holes, A star, a green gem, and a round one which rolls. ...and add it to my photographic collage of 100 buttons. 243. On the 100th day of school I take a picture of my first graders using their bodies to make the number 100. I then stand on a chair to take the picture. I display this picture in the hallway with their 100 day collections. (Tracy Gr. 1) 244. It was wonderful to see that so many teachers incorporate the same ideas for the hundredth day of school celebration. Our school does many of the ideas that I have read here. This is one we also do: Every day during calendar, we have the "Magic Penny Box." A penny appears for every day that we have been in school. Yet it changes on the 5th to a nickel, and a dime on the 10th, etc. Children learn the value of money. On the hundredth day of school, all the coin money turns into a dollar bill, and magic happens. Zero the Hero usually leaves something in the box as a special treat ~ donuts, cookies, etc, anything in the shape of a "zero." (Karen Ferretti, McGaugh Elementary School, Seal Beach, CA, Tch2Be52@aol.com) 245. The 100th Day is filled with many centennial activities in our first grade classroom. The children love one special activity that we use to conclude this exciting day. Before we go home we discuss how many days there are in a school year (180). I ask the children "If we have been in school for 100 days, how many days of school are left?" In first grade this idea takes a few minutes to explore. Once the children have arrived at 80 days we began counting backward. Just as we counted to 100 for the first 100 days, we count back from 80 for the remainder of the year. This keeps the enthusiasm flowing until June!!!!! Louise, Gr. 1, Perth Amboy, NJ 246. For 100th day, my class made a huge poster with 100 hand prints (in tempera paint) which we displayed along with a chart listing 100 ways to "lend a hand" or help another person in need. They brainstormed and I wrote--I was so impressed with their creative ideas that I typed it up into a newletter to send home. The parents loved it and even took the kids up on some of their suggestions! Sandy Jenkins, 2nd grade Teacher sandyjenkins@hotmail.com 247. I am planning a 100th day of the year celebration for the children's room in our library. We are starting with a Show and Tell, all the children will bring 100 of something. We are reading Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate and making a mosaic using 100 torn pieces of paper. I am also planning on doing a rubbing using the number 100 in different languages, like Chinese, Hieroglyphics, etc. If anyone has ideas on how to write in different languages, I'd appreciate and maybe others would too. (BParnell25@yahoo.com) 248. Since the 100th day is usually right before Valentine's Day, we cut out 100 hearts. We then make a giant valentine collage in the shape of a heart. 249. Dear Joan, We were thrilled to get a response from a famous illustrator! We read your 100 days book today and tried to do as many of the ideas that were written in the book, plus more. I can't wait to try the 100 seconds of silence next... Anyway, I thought you might want the chocolate sauce recipe as well (it is truly delicious, and I make it as presents during the holidays): Mix 3 sticks of unsweetened butter, 1 and one half cups of sugar, 1 large can (12 oz.) of evaporated milk. Melt and stir over low heat. Then add 3 - 4 cups of chocolate chips and keep stirring over low heat for about 5 minutes until the chocolate sauce is shiny and smooth. Enjoy. Happy 100th to you as well. (Randi Sack) 250. I have my kindergarteners close their eyes and be absolutely SILENT for 100seconds! That's a LONG time for some of them!!Marsha, kdg. teacher, Colorado 251. One of my parents made 100th day glasses for all of us to wear from colorfulpipe cleaners, the zeros are the eye holes and the 1 just hangs out on theleft side. They would be easy for a class to make too, if you have thetime. 252. As an incentive for kind behavior (or a particular listening skill, etc.) during the chaos of 100's Day, I hot glue 100 pieces of candy to a t-shirt or vest and allow students to pick them off throughout the day. The students love seeing how quickly they can clean off the "candy lady" 253. What a great web site. It really helped me come up with some ideas. Thanks!I have the children lick a lollipop 100 times while I am reading a story tothem. (Jamee Swanson, Bailly Elementary School, Chesterton, Indiana) 254.What an inspiring website! This year my second grade class will brainstorm their most memorable activities so far this year. Once we have a list of 25, I'll draw names and those children will pick one of the activities to write a sentence or two about and then illustrate. All 25 pages, plus mine, will be bound in a class book for display at Community Night. Thanks for all the great ideas. (Mrsa116@aol.com) 255. On our 100th Day of School, we make a 100th Day of School Man or Woman Glyph. The one hundred is made our of macaroni which represents your grade. The green, black, or yellow eyes represent your favorite subject math, reading or writing. The purple triangle nose or orange triangle nose tells everyone if you are a girl or boy. The red smile or frown tells everyone if you like school or not. The kids then finish off theman with a hat and picture in the background. The glyph are hung up in the room. You can use them for writing or graphing. 256. Have you heard of the math term a "googol?" It's a legitimate term for a 1 followed by a hundred zeroes. Kids are fascinated with the term and enjoy writing the number on the hundredth day of school. Even third graders find it challenging to keep the zeroes counted! :-0 Nancy Brown, grade 1, (Penfield School, DuBois, PA) 257. Read books about 100 days, compared and contrasted suckers after licking 100times, and homework is to bring 100 of something! (From Lincoln Elem. 2nd grade. Nampa, Idaho) 258. Things you need: Big Bulletin Board Pictures of each student paper construction paper Directions: Cut out a 1-0-0-T-H D-A-Y out of construction paper and paste in order on top of the bulletin board. Below bulletin board label, paste students pictures in any order, giving a little space for kids' illistrations. Let each kid make 1 or several drawings of their favorite things.( Depends on how many students, just as long as there are 100 illistrations. Paste illistration or illistrations next to the student's picture of which who made them. Let paste dry. Hang or stand up anywhere. By tinytoot99@yahoo.com ( my email address) 259. I worked in the Bronx for several years. We started from the first day of school recording the weather on chart paper. Then I made copies of sunny days, overcast days, rainy days, snowy days and windy days. Each kid colored in the appropriate amount of days (ex:20 kids colored in 5 days). Then we got together in a big group on the 100th day and each kid got to glue in their weather on the graph. I have to warn you, it was big, but the kids loved every second of it and was so proud of themselves!!! They were excited to see what kind of weather won too! (Danielle Farella, First Grade) 260. This is a fabulous list of ideas. The first grades at our school are going to have the children for the number 100 in the school parking lock and have someone take a picture of them from the roof of school. They are also going to count 100 pennies and wrap them as well as many other things that also appear on this list. 261. Here's a song I teach my first graders on the 100th Day of School. It is sung to the tune Three Blind Mice. One hundred days, one hundred days, We've been in school one hundred days, We sat and learn the Golden Rule Oh, isn't fun to be in school one hundred days. 262.There are so many fun things to do for the 100th day that I end up celebrating the whole week. I would like to add these two books to the 100th day idea list, Millions of Cats and Caps for Sale. We made 100 monkeys in a tree one year and 100 cats another. Also, when making those 100 day necklaces, try using 9 cherrios and a fruit loop. It is so easy to count by 10's to 100 with the fruit loops even my kindergartners can do it. Cathy in California 263.VISUAL DISCRIMINATION ACTIVITY USING NUMERALS For us, 100th Day occurs near Valentine's Day. I have a large piece of bulletin board paper that has 100 hearts traced on it. Each heart is labeled 1-100. Then I tape 100 hearts (that are also labeled 1-100) all around the room. The 5-yr-olds have to find one heart at a time, come to the poster, find the heart's match, and tape the heart onto it's space. Ardis 264.On our 100th day in school, our 7 First Grade teacher s do different activities with the number 100. Classes are rotated so that eachteacher works with each class. The students get to do all seven activities and work with all the First Grade teachers. Every 20-30 minutes classes are rotated. (Years ago when we started this, we had 5 classes X 20 min. each = 100 minutes.) We do an announcement on our school's closed circuit news program that day. As the years go by, more classes get involved. It is almost a school-wide event now. (Rio Vista,St. Petersburg, FL) 265. For our 100th day celebration, my 3rd grade class got 100 snacks (10 each ofchoc. chips, peanuts, mints, etc.) then broke into cooperative learninggroups and listed either 100 nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.Lynn,/OH266. 267. In our school, we print up 100 dollar bills with our school name on it andpass them out as a reward to students who get 100 on quizzes or tests, or ifthey just do something worth a reward. On the 100th day of school, we do aschool drawing of all the "earned" 100 dollar bills, and the winner receives100 tootsie rolls! (Rhonda, Salem Christian School, NH) 268.Your website is great! Thanks to all teachers who have submitted their ideas! We have tried almosteverything suggested, but we also found some new ones. I order stickers and paper 100th day glasses from www.reallygoodstuff.com Several years ago I made a necklace with 100 beads, 10 percolor or bead type to wear. Of course, the students get to make one to wear all day and take homeat the end of the day as a memento. Last year, one of my parents made a big badge to wear. It included 100th Day Celebration, the date, classroom number and teacher's name. They kids werevery popular at lunch that day!! Our First graders love 100th!! (DMoore, West Virginia ) 269.We spend the morning in stations, using many of the terrific ideas alreadylisted. In the afternoon, we work in pairs or small groups to do "100"projects. We will make a huge watermelon by tearing pieces of green and hotpink construction paper, then adding 100 seeds. We will do the same for asunflower. You can also put 100 toppings on a pizza and 100 cottonballs on asheep. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. On ten paper plates we draw 10different fruits, then hang them in the hallway in the shape of acaterpillar. We make the face to match Eric Carle's caterpillar. We usebingo dabbers to put 100 gumballs in a machine. In a large piggy bank drawnon posterboard, we stamp 100 pennies using a coin stamper. (Patti) 270. Since Kindergarten is the big 100 project grade. This year I asked my firstgraders to complete a variation of the usual project. They were to designsomething to wear that contained 100 things. They came to school in T-shirts with 100 sharks, smiles, dogs, etc...stamped on the shirt. Somemade necklaces out of lifesavers, cereal, and beads. I even had one childcome to school with a tie containing 100 sticky dots. There were vest,pants, etc... IT was soooooo exciting.(Anna Kellum, Great Falls, MT) 271. I took 100 Christmas lights and arranged them into the #100 (Anna Kellum, Great Falls, MT) 272. What a wonderful site of ideas! I think I do a couple that aren't on the list yet. I have a special center time with different activities the children canchoose from. Each child gets a form to check off the centers they go to,including: 1. Making a picture of what they will look like when they are 100 years old. 2. Making a 100 tally head band out of precut adding machine tape. Theyuse 1 color for the tally marks, another color to circle a group of 10 tallymarks, and another color to write their numbers by 10's under the circledgroup. When finished, the teacher staples it on as a headband. 3. Counting out 100 Legos to see what they can make. When their done, theydraw a picture next to the space on their form that says, "This is what Imade with 100 Legos." 4. Making a picture with 100 finger prints. I have a set of ink pads in my 100 days box that I don't mind getting messed up, in several differentcolors. Baby wipes are also on had for when they're finished! 5. Making a necklace with 100 Fruit Loops or beads. I glued 10 dixie cupson a sheet of paper, so that children count out 10 beads into each cup. When all 10 cups are full they begin stringing. 6. Writing their numbers to 100. I put out a blank 100's chart near ourprinted chart and let them copy the numbers. They count them to an adultwhen they are done. 7. Graphing 100 m&m's by color with a partner. The children graph thecolors and then fill in the information on their form. I use the same m&m's for the graphing, and have smaller bags with 10-20 m&m's they can eat when they're finished. In addition to our centers, each child brings a collection of 100 things todisplay on the wall. I have had some very creative projects including: 100baseball cards, skittles, pine cones, stamps, pictures, pennies,etc. 273. One year a parent had 100 pieces of pizza donated! We had a 100th day pizzaparty with both first grade hats.Each child bring 100 pieces of a small snack that we share. Yes, we takesome home in a bag.Of course, I change some activities each year, just to try all of the neatsuggestions!(Eryn Cunningham, Kindergarten, Wichita, Kansas) 274. Love this web site! It's very inspiring! At our school we have 4 kindergarten classes with a morning and afternoon session. One of the things we do for 100 Days is to make headbands with sentence strips. We attach the numbers 100 which have been copied large enough to write the names of all thestudents and teachers in the combined sessions. Should the children not total 100 then we also include the names of the principals, and other teachers - art, music, speech, etc.(Mike H.) 275. I am a music teacher in a Primary and Elementary School. My Kindergartenersand First Graderslearn and sing songs having to do with 100 Days. Second graders sing 100different songs. Third Graders compile a list of 100 Instruments and FourthGraders list 100 Composers. (Joy Ivy; Early,Texas) 276. Here's an idea that I hope isn't repeated. Our teachers were asked to come up with a class them (with student's help) and decorate t-shirts. Then they wear them on the 100th day of school. Everyone gets involved--teachers, students, office staff. Some of us, even went high-tech :o) and used t-shirt transfers made with our computers. 277. We asked all of our students to dress up like they were 100 years old. Theteachers participated too. It was really alot of fun. B. Alexander,Fairhope Elementary School 278. In my Grade One class, I give each student 100 tickets (Admit One) and allow them to "spend" their tickets playing carnival type games. Each game costs them 5 - 10 tickets, so they play until they have spent all 100 tickets. For lunch that day, we make pizzas using 10 tbsp. of pizzasauce, then measure 100 grams of ham, 100 grams of pineapple, and 100grams of cheese. We drink 100 ml. of juice, and pop 100 kernels of popcorn each for snack while we watch 101 Dalmations. (Ellen V., Grade1, Delia, Alberta ) 279. I have taught Kindergarten 15 years. Many of the ideas I read in thecelebration list I have used or saw them used with children. Mypara-professional and I save Pringles cans all year and send them home (oneper child) with a note to mom and dad directing them to help their childdecorate the can and place a 100 collection inside to send in on or justbefore the 100th day. 280. Make a list of 100 ways to describe your school, class, etc. It is great forreviewing adjectives and displaying school spirit.Shaneka Lopez, 2nd gradeteacher, Spring Hill Elementary, Memphis, Tennessee 281. I invite a 3rd or 4th grade class to join my kdg. class for a fun activityfor the 100th day of school. I pair up a kdg. student w/an upper gradestudent and give each pair a grid with 100 squares. Each child also gets acrayon (the crayons have to be different colors) and a dice. The childrentake turns rolling the dice and coloring in the number of squares the diceindicates with his/her crayon. After all of the squares have been colored in,they each count the squares that they colored. The one who colored the mostis the winner.Variation: Assign pair, then give EACH child a grid with the 100 squares.Play the game with the crayons and dice, as indicated above, except eachchild has their own grid to color. The one who colors in all 100 squaresfirst is the winner.This is a fun way to involve younger and older children in a learningexperience. (Submitted by: Marsha Konken, kdg. teacher, Stevens Elementary, Sterling, Co.) 282. I am a 5th Grade teacher in Grand Prairie, Texas. This will be our secondyear to celebrate the 100th day of school. The entire day was filled with lessons and activities that dealt with 100. The finale of the day was whenthe students launched 100 helium balloons at 1:00 (note the 100-HA!) Eachballoon had a laminated tag attached with my name, the school's name andaddress and a request to mail it back if found. Much to our surprise wereceived several back. The winning balloon flew all the way to WestVirginia. How exciting it was to receive the letters from people all overthe United States! We will be doing the same on January 26th. We arelooking forward to a fun day full of great activities. (Cheryl Horton, Jefferson Intermediate) 283. Thank you for all the wonderful 100th day ideas!! I have put several centersin my room on the 100th day of school. I divide the children up and starteach group at a numbered center (usually three in each of 7 centers) Eachcenter has simple directions they are to follow to complete the activity.After so many minutes (usually 20) we rotate to the next center. They loveit...Center ideas are: trace a footprint, write on it "it took me 100 stepsto get here from room 113." The children help each other count the footstepsand then tape their print to the wall where they end up. Divide and plant100 seeds. Figure out how many seeds each child will be able to plant if wedivide 100 seeds between 21 children. This center needs adult help. Plant the found number of seeds in a plastic cup with each child's name on it andgrow for a flower for Mother's Day. Use a hundreds chart with removablenumbers. Students complete the chart after you have mixed up the numbers.Find things around the room that will balance 100 grams in a balance scale.Fill a dishpan with water, use a styrofoam meat tray and have children seehow many of 100 pennies are put on the tray in the water before it sinks. 100 gummi bears, then eat them. Write on prepared stationary in theshape of 100 "If I had $100 I would...." Use a calculator to find as manydifferent ways to add number to 100. Have fun. MHotovy, 2nd grade, MI 284. 100 AUTOGRAPHS My name is Edna Hinojosa Gonzalez.I am a second grade teacher at Dudley Gifted & Talented Elementary School in Victoria, Texas. On the 95th day ofschool I issue my students a numbered sheet on which to collect one hundredsignatures. The one hundred signatures are due on the 100th day of school. Each student that is able to collect the signatures on or before thedeadline receives a prize. The children enjoy asking classmates, friends,family, neighbors, and school personnel for their autographs. They alsofeel important when a fellow student asks them for their autograph. 285. In addition to all classroom festivities, my students chose to make 100Valentines (we celebrate Feb. 2, close enough to Valentine's Day) and sendthem to a local convalescent home. We group the colorful hearts by 10 and hang them up until we reach 100.Then, off they go! 286. Don't let the 100th Day fun stop in the younger grades. My school is k-8 andit is Math Day for everyone. While the younger grades focus on the 100excitement, the upper grades visit different math stations throughout the dayallowing the kids to explore logic, estimation, geometry, number card games,and much more!. They love a day of math that is diffrent from their day today math curriculum. It also allows teachers to do alot of math activitiesthat their curriculum does not allow time for! (Nicole, Curriculum Coordinator) 287. If you have access to a scanner have students bring in several small objects(buttons, paper clips, pokemon cards, hard candy in wrapper, coins, pictures,magazine ads, etc.) and set 100 of them on the scanner top and make a scannedimage. Print them out and then turn all of the students work into a bookthat sort of looks like an I Spy book. (Bruce Pawlowski Grand Blanc Academy,MI) 288. Students bring in 100 toppings for an icecream party. Such items might be:cereal, candy, M&Ms, spinkles, nuts, cherries,marshmellows,(anything thatwould go on an icecream sundae). The teacher buys the vanilla icecream! youcan also have students bring in whip cream and chocolate or strawberry syrup(100 sqirts).Tamara at Towers 289. I really liked the website! Along with some of the activities alreadymentioned, I read the book "100 Monkeys" to my class. We then make 100monkeys, number them as we put them all over a huge house on the bulletinboard. There are monkeys hanging everywhere! (L. Waite, Prairie Lincoln, first grade,Col., Oh) 290. Hold a 100th day spelling bee. (R. Schoonover 2nd Grade Teacher) 291. I bought a sweatshirt at a local store and sewed on 100 buttons. It is verydurable and the kids loved looking at and counting the different types ofbuttons. Dana Drew, (1st grade teacher, Maple School, Fontana, CA) 293. I love the wonderful ideas that have been shared regarding the 100th daycelebration. I get excited looking at surplus of activities, and I wouldlike to add one to your collection. Every year with my class, I place a slipof paper with something that a student can do 100 of (100 licks on alollipop, 100 sips of juice, hop on foot 100 times, put 100 unifix cubestogether, etc.) into a balloon. I make sure that there is an activity and aballoon for each student in my class. Then I blow up the balloons. Thechildren pop the balloons by sitting on them and then do the activity that ison the slip that was inside their balloon. It may be noisy for a fewminutes, but the kids have a ball and so do I. (Chere Freeman, Tehachapi, CA) 294.We asked all of our students to dress up like they were 100 years old. The teachers participated too. It was really alot of fun. (B. Alexander, Fairhope Elementary School) 295. I have my students draw a picture of their face taking up the wholepage. Then, I cut out the pictures and crinkle them up (makewrinkles). I put the pictures together in a collage of my class at 100years old. (R. Prestridge-first grade) 296. We think of 100 different nouns. Then 100 verbs, then adjectives. 297. My students think of 10 animals, 10 jobs, 10 colors,10 bugs, 10 kinds of candy, etc., until we've reached 100 (teaches10x10=100) (Ann, Michigan) 298. We each choose a word, write it down, and then say it 100 times. The noise is deafening, but kids love it. 299. I ask my class to name 100 thinks to be happy about and I write them on the board and leave them all week. (Carl, 3rd grade) 300. A HUNDRED THANK YOUs TO EVERYONE WHO SENT IN AN IDEA. --JOAN HOLUB Copyright © 1997 by Joan Holub. For teacher-to-teacher and individual elementary classroom/library use only. Commercial use prohibited.