Back to school means integration days and evenings for new students! If you’re in charge of activities at your association, student union or school, organising activities can quickly become repetitive and lack originality.
To help you in your organisation, here’s a list of ideas for original activities to organise for new student integration days.
Summary
1. A field day with olympiads
It is one of the most popular activities among students when they first arrive – the famous Olympics. Organising a field day and Olympics is a great way to bring students together for the first time in a friendly, fun atmosphere. You can prepare a wide range of sporting activities to suit all levels and tastes. These can include football, sack races, archery, volleyball, pétanque, rugby, bubble football and more.
Be creative with the space you have available (gymnasium, park, school sports complex, etc.). Divide the students into teams and set up tournaments. Matches will take place throughout the day, with a few breaks for refreshments, lunch, etc. Finally, include prizes and awards such as medals or certificates for the students and a trophy for the winning team.
2. A cultural and gastronomic evening
Cultural diversity is one of the essential pillars of every school and college. So it is important to plan plenty of cultural activities both inside and outside your school. For food lovers, for example, organise a gastronomic evening around each student’s wine and local specialities. This can be done between several groups, depending on the theme chosen (Brazilian food, Italian food, etc.).
The ultimate aim is to mix cultures and bring students together around a convivial activity. Better still, encourage students to prepare typical dishes to share with others for the evening. This activity will promote intercultural exchange, the discovery of new flavours and strengthen bonds between students.
3. The activity synonymous with student life: beer pong!
Democratised in student films, beer pong has become a must in all schools and student associations. It’s the perfect way to spend an evening with friends – in moderation, of course! The concept is simple:
- Four players compete two against two
- Ten cups, each containing a third of a drink, are placed in a triangle on one side of the table for each team.
- The aim is to throw a ping-pong ball directly into one of the cups. If it does, one of the players must drink the contents of the glass, until the team has no more cups left.
- To clean the ball, an extra cup, filled with water, is given to each team.
Beer pong has the advantage of being inexpensive, apart from the purchase of beer and ping pong balls. You can also choose to play beer pong with something other than beer, such as fruit juice or other drinks. If you are organising this activity outside your school, make sure that the evening is safe for all the students and that there are no overflows.
4. Escape games
Successful integration of new students requires them to acclimatise to their new school and get their bearings. It’s important to quickly get to know the school, its many facilities, rooms and services. By organising an escape game within the school itself, you can offer students a fun and interactive way to visit the campus, while getting to know the other students who will be playing in teams.
Involve them in a thrilling race against time, while introducing them to their new school environment. For added realism, you can place boxes throughout the school, with mysteries and riddles to be solved in each one. Students then have an hour or more to solve as many riddles and tests as possible to win the game. If your school does not support the organisation of an escape game in the school premises, you can organise one in the city where you’re located, or at a professional escape game.
5. A rally or treasure hunt
Organise a rally through the campus or student town. Students will have to follow clues, solve riddles and work as a team to advance in a life-size treasure hunt. It is a great way for them to discover their new city or school, and get to know each other.
This activity will require a certain amount of preparation, including creating the game, maps, puzzles and rewards, and should therefore cost you some time and few financial resources.
6. Student workshops
If you prefer less physical, more intellectually stimulating activities, plan interactive workshops and seminars on specific topics for students. For example, you could offer sessions on time management, effective study techniques, stress management or presentations on certain professions, courses or associations available within the school itself. Invite guest speakers, current students or professionals in the field to share their knowledge and expertise with students for a day.
Finally, do not forget to propose these different activities to future students a few days or even weeks in advance, so that you have enough time to organise yourself, divide the students into teams, and so on. You could, for example, set up an online registration system to share with all students in advance!
Weezevent’s solutions are ideal for organising a student orientation, offering online registration management and personalised ticketing. The solutions also enable cashless payments during events for simplified transaction management, along with an effective communication tool. On the day of the event, access control management will ensure a secure, smooth, and memorable student orientation.
