There is a kind of “fun” that leaves you with hangovers, regrets and a feeling of emptiness; but Christian college offers an abundance of alternative, no-regret fun. One Toccoa Falls graduate says, “Almost my entire Christian college experience could be summed up as ‘good, clean fun.’ I made the best lifelong friends. We were always hanging out, playing games, laughing and building memories. And we even managed to get a bit of studying done.”
The mid-winter “blahs” can stir the need for a little change to the same old routine. Plus, the void of “normal activities” like movies, concerts and sporting events (now off-limits due to Covid-19 restrictions) may call upon your creative powers to come up with some new forms of low- budget, high-energy entertainment. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started:
- Take a group of friends to a local thrift store. Buy each other weird accessories (or entire funky outfits) and then go out for coffee wearing the clothes you buy!
- Have a spontaneous roommate photo shoot (hint: it’s best if take photos in the dark, using only the light from your flash, so each shot is a surprise).
- Pool your $ and go on a late-night taco run
- One Bethel University graduate says, “It’s always interesting to see how many people you can squeeze into a car?”
- Organize an outdoor game of “Capture the Flag,” or “Ultimate Frisbee.”
- Organize an indoor game of “Spoons” or “Sardines.” (If any of these are new to you, that’s why we have the internet)!
- Rent a karaoke machine and sing your heart out to old songs
- Go sledding in the winter (if you don’t own a sled, a garbage bag can be a decent substitute) or do a daring “Polar Plunge” in icy water.
- Go ice-blocking in the spring and fall (think sledding, only on blocks of ice you’ll construct from water and a large, creative container such as a bucket).
- Pull a friendly prank. (One Crown College graduate remembers freezing and hanging a friend’s bedsheets outside. Another time, roommates created webs of clear sticky tape across dorm room doors. Remember that the best pranks are not embarrassing or hurtful, and make everyone laugh)!
- Host a themed costume party on your floor. (Suggestions: Star Wars, decades such as 20’s or 80’s, pajamas, favorite cartoon character or cowboy. If inspired, come up with prizes for the best costumes and food to fit the theme).
- Make waffles late at night; have everyone bring a topping to share. (If you don’t have a waffle maker try for ice cream sundaes or nachos)!
- Create a scavenger hunt for friends or go geocaching
- Go crazy bowling (for each frame you bowl try a new action like blindfolded granny-style or bowling).
- Buy an “Escape Room in a box” and gather friends for the challenge.
- Have a spontaneous dance party!
The list could go on and on! The only limit is your imagination. Some of my favorite college memories involve the back-and-forth kidnapping of two stuffed animals named Duck and Bear. Often these kidnappings involved ransom notes “written by” the stuffed animals themselves. If an idea you have for fun seems off-the-wall and weird, just go with it! Enthusiasm is contagious and if you decide it’s fun, your friends will likely follow along with good humor. College is your last chance to truly be a kid before the “adulting” of career, marriage and family begins. Yes, you pay the big bucks to get a great education. But you’re also investing in the friendships, the memories and the overall experience. Enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime college opportunities that are in front of you every day!