Supporting Preschoolers at the End of the School Year: A Guide for Families and Educators

Helping young children say goodbye with confidence, clarity, and care

As the end of the preschool year approaches, it can be tempting to shift all our energy toward what’s next, graduation, school transitions, new routines. But for young children, this time of year is more than just a calendar change, it’s an emotional milestone.

We understand that while “moving up” is exciting for adults, it can feel confusing or even scary for children. Saying goodbye to trusted teachers, familiar classrooms, and classroom friends can activate big feelings often before children can explain what’s happening inside them.

Whether you're a parent navigating your child’s first school transition or an early childhood educator preparing your class to move on, this guide offers strategies to support the emotional needs of children while making space for reflection, celebration, and growth.

Why End-of-Year Transitions Are Emotionally Significant

Preschoolers spend months forming bonds with teachers, friends, routines, and physical spaces. As these begin to shift or disappear, children may experience feelings of loss, worry, or overwhelm. In early childhood, routine equals safety. When routines are disrupted, even by positive events, the brain sends alarm signals that can look like:

• Clinginess or separation anxiety
  
  
• Regression in toileting or language
  
  
• Moodiness or withdrawal
  
  
• Difficulty sleeping
  
  
• Resistance to change or excitement about “big school”
  
  

A trauma-informed lens teaches us to interpret these behaviors not as misbehavior, but as communication. Children are showing us that they need extra support, connection, and time to process what this transition means for them.

How Educators and Parents Can Prepare Children for the End of the School Year

Here are developmentally appropriate and emotionally sensitive ways to guide preschoolers through the final weeks of the year.

1. Talk About It Early and Often

The best way to prepare children for change is to name it, clearly, gently, and repeatedly. Young children benefit from concrete language and visual reminders.

For Educators:

• Start morning meetings or circle time with short chats like: “Soon, we’ll be saying goodbye to our class and getting ready for new adventures.”
  
  
• Use visual countdowns, calendars, chains, or storybooks, to mark the passing of days.
  
  

For Families:

• Have simple conversations about what will change (teacher, classroom, routine) and what will stay the same (friends, pickup routines, family routines).
  
  
• Avoid sudden announcements. Build understanding over time.

2. Validate the Full Range of Emotions

Even children who seem excited about next steps may feel nervous or sad. Let them know it’s okay to feel many things at once.

Say things like:

• “It’s normal to feel happy and a little sad when something ends.”
  
  
• “You’ll always have the memories of your classroom, even as you go somewhere new.”
  
  
• “I’m here for you if you ever feel unsure or want to talk.”
  
  

Why it matters:
Labeling emotions helps children build emotional literacy, reduces stress responses, and teaches them that feelings are safe and temporary.

3. Keep Routines Steady Where You Can

During times of change, predictability is your best friend. Avoid overloading the end-of-year period with last-minute trips, parties, or abrupt transitions.

Tips for consistency:

• Stick to normal classroom schedules even in the final weeks.
  
  
• Don’t rush to dismantle the environment. Take down art and decorations slowly, with children involved in the process.
  
  
• Maintain bedtime, mealtimes, and morning rituals at home.

4. Create Meaningful Goodbye Rituals

Children don’t just need information about change, they need ways to process the ending. Rituals help children say goodbye in a safe, tangible, and healing way.

Ideas for Goodbye Rituals:

• Class memory books: Each child draws or dictates a favorite memory.
  
  
• “Wish you well” circles: Children offer kind words to each other.
  
  
• Graduation ceremonies: Keep it simple, heartfelt, and developmentally appropriate.
  
  
• Goodbye letters or postcards: From teacher to child, or child to class.
  
  

Why this works:
Rituals offer closure, honor relationships, and a model that endings are a natural part of life.

5. Support Self-Expression Through Art and Play

Not all children can verbalize how they feel. Some process emotions through movement, drawing, building, or pretend play.

Ideas for supporting expression:

• Set up dramatic play spaces where children can “pretend” to go to a new school.
  
  
• Offer drawing prompts: “What do you remember about this class?” or “What do you think a big school will be like?”
  
  
• Use open-ended materials like playdough, paint, or collage to explore feelings.

6. Offer Stories, Books, and Puppets as Emotional Bridges

Storytelling helps children externalize emotion, they can talk about a character’s worry or joy, even if they’re not ready to talk about their own.

Book themes to explore:

• Saying goodbye
  
  
• Trying new things
  
  
• Making new friends
  
  
• Feeling brave
  
  
• Growing up
  
  

Use puppets or stuffed animals to “talk through” common worries like “Will I like my new teacher?” or “What if I miss my old class?”

7. Empower with Skills, Not Pressure

Children feel more confident when they know they’re capable. Instead of drilling academics, focus on the life skills that will help them feel secure in new environments.

Examples:

• Putting on shoes independently
  
  
• Opening a lunchbox or using utensils
  
  
• Asking for help
  
  
• Finding their name tag or cubby
  
  

Build these skills gently, without judgment or stress.

For Child Care Administrators and Preschool Leaders

Transitions affect not just children and families, but the educators supporting them. Child care management software like Parent App plays a vital role in keeping transitions smooth and systems aligned.

How Parent App can support end-of-year transitions:

• Send personalized goodbye messages to families
  
  
• Share classroom memories
  
  
• Schedule transition meetings or summer programming
  
  
• Track children’s developmental progress as part of their exit documentation
  
  
• Collect feedback from parents on the transition experience
  
  

When administrators can streamline logistics, educators can focus on the heart of the work: the children.

How to Support Your Child at Home During the Final Weeks

Families play a huge role in helping preschoolers prepare for what’s next. Here’s how to keep that support consistent at home.

1. Celebrate Growth Without Pressure

Talk about how much your child has learned, but avoid framing “big school” as a test or performance. Focus on their inner growth, confidence, friendships, curiosity.

2. Normalize Mixed Feelings

Reinforce that it’s okay to feel many things at once. Share your own stories: “I used to feel nervous when I started something new, too.”

3. Preserve Some Continuity

If possible, arrange playdates with familiar classmates or drive by the old school for a “see you later” moment.

4. Create a Summer Bridge Routine

Keep some of the classroom routines alive at home, storytime, calm-down corners, simple crafts. This helps ease the loss of routine while celebrating the change.

What the End of the Year Can Teach Us (and Our Children)

Endings are rich learning opportunities. When supported with care, they can teach children that:

• Feelings are welcome and manageable
  
  
• Goodbyes don’t erase relationships
  
  
• Change can be hard and beautiful at the same time
  
  
• They are not alone
  
  

These are the core building blocks of resilience and when we offer children tools to move through endings with compassion, we give them confidence that they can face future transitions with courage.

Final Thoughts: Moving Forward with Care

As the school year closes, slow down where you can. Let children linger. Let them ask the same questions again and again. Let them draw the same goodbye picture three times. This isn’t regression, it’s integration.

And remember: you don’t have to do this alone.

At Parent App, we’re here to help child care teams and families stay connected, communicate with clarity, and honor the whole child in every season, especially the emotional ones.