School is a part of everyone’s life. Even when you are not in school, college, or any educational institute anymore, the memories of friends and your schooldays stay with you forever. Yes, life never stops, it goes on, leaving behind the younger and carefree you.

The moments you spent with your friends, playing, eating and studying, will be etched in your memory for years to come. So let’s not get old so soon, and why not have a little bit of fun while you are still at school?

Yes, those of you who are still enjoying your school life, and all those who are in their final years of educational institution, here are some ideas for making your time there even more enjoyable by adding a little dose of good fun.

In most schools, the first term is nearing its end, which means you are almost half way to the completion of your academic year and still have some time to study hard to obtain good grades. So there is still some time to make this year a memorable one.

Here are some ideas to make more beautiful memories for you to carry forward. You can plan them as monthly or bimonthly activities, according to your academic schedule so as not to clash with your studies. This way, you will have ample time to plan and make proper arrangements. Believe me kids, you, your friends, class fellows and all your teachers will enjoy and cherish your little acts of love and these joyful moments.

Hold a music/poetry competition

Nothing brings people together like music and poetry. So why not have an informal event where you can ask your class or school mates to play their favourite musical instrument. And those who can’t play an instrument, but can sing or recite poetry, can also be a part of this activity. In short, the competition will bring together all those with talents related to poetry and music. Make it a solo, pair or group activity, comprising singing, dance, playing and poetry recitation competitions.

Apart from that, you can add an element of fun by awarding points or some presents for the best performers. You can either plan the competition to take place in school (in your free period), where a lot of your friends and fellows can participate; or, if your parents allow, plan it on a weekend at your house and call your friends.

Surprise your teachers

Everyone loves surprises regardless of age and experience. We say that we don’t need to celebrate just one day for those special to us, but we should make them feel special on any and every day, so why not make your teachers feel special?

How? Hmmm… let’s say, you can buy something sweet for your teacher, or pluck flowers from your garden and give those to them, or make small crafts like cards, a bow, a decoration piece or simply your artwork and surprise your teachers by giving it to them.

This will really please them and you will also be leaving some pleasant memories for them to cherish.

Surprise your classmates

If you know someone’s birthday in your class is around the corner, organise a surprise birthday party for him/her and make it memorable by having a cake made for them.

I know cakes can be expensive so you can make some of your close friends join in the fun and each can contribute a little amount. You can easily buy small packets of marshmallows, cupcakes and chocolates and enjoy a small party at break time.

Organise a carnival

This will take more time for planning, but it’s not impossible at all. First of all, a carnival is a fun place where you play games, have food stalls and some rides.

For your very own carnival, first decide the place. In my opinion, those of you who have a large garden in their house can organise it there. While others can participate in various other things, like bringing plastic tables and chairs (if they have) from their houses, and making small stalls for food and games.

For food, you can ask all those organising with you to bring one dish from their house. For instance, samosas, patties, cupcakes, sandwiches, burgers, fries, juice boxes, etc. and put a small affordable price tag with it.

For games, you can organise different games and activities like hula hoop, racing, tip toe, hide and seek, and play musical chairs. Make it as casual as possible and make sure that everyone has a good time.

Hold musical chair event

Musical chairs is a classic game that can be played by even a group of toddlers and in almost all parties and places. You can add a little bit of fun to a boring day at school and play it, with the permission of your teacher, either in the playground or class during a free period.

The music can be substituted by claps or drumming on the table. And you can make it even more fun by writing funny sayings on pieces of paper attached to chairs, so those who sit will have to do whatever is written on the piece of paper.

This game will lead to so many hilarious moments and is super easy to set up as well.

Make a year/memory book

This is one of my favourite things to do. Many schools these days have a year book, but making one for each one of you will be a kind of memory that you can hold on for the rest of your life. For this, just grab some pages or a journal, take photos of you and your friends, and paste them with the caption, date and time.

Keep the year book with you wherever you are planning to meet so that you can paste something special about that day, maybe a ticket to the movie you all have been to, autographs and small scraps of things that remind you of the fun you had with friends.

You can also ask your friends to pen down their thoughts about the special occasions you are preserving in the memory book. Believe me kids, among the most precious treasures, your ‘year/memory book’ will be on the top.

Plant a tree together

The tree that you plant with your friends would be a mark of your friendship and your time together. With this, you can help our planet breathe and the good thing is you all will be contributing to global reforestation efforts. Although a small step, but remember, you all will be in this together, repairing damaged ecosystems and mitigating climate changes.

So whether it is your backyard, or a place near your home or in school, plant a tree and keep watering and taking care of it. See how it nourishes with each passing day!

Throw a themed dinner party

As you reach near the end of your academic year, plan a themed party. Although it takes a good amount of organisation and coordination, the process is part of the fun bonding experience for you and your friends.

You can pick a theme, for example, how about the 70s, superheroes or a fancy gala? Then divide the responsibilities. Choose the decor, music, outfits and recipes to reflect the theme and then enjoy as you, your friends and guests get transported into a different world for a while.

The above are just a few ideas to get you thinking, and I am sure that you guys can come up with many, more enjoyable ones. But always take your parents and teacher on board when deciding any of these or other activities so that they can guide you the best way to go about it and help you fix any problems you may have.

However, you should also make sure that everyone is comfortable with what you have planned and it is not distracting you from your studies. So enjoy your school life and make great memories!

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 22nd, 2022