“What do you want to do?”
“I dunno, what do you want to do?”
“Whatever.”
Mutual shrug.
And…cut!
How many times has this action-packed scene played out after school?
And how many times have you resorted to watching tv and /or spiteful gossip because there’s supposedly nothing better to do?
The next time you’re losing the battle with terminal boredom after the 3 o’clock bell, try out one of these ideas.
Everyday is Sundae
Get a group of lactose-tolerant friends and swarm the grocery store. Start with a gargantuan tub of ice cream (vanilla if you’re conservative, tiger if you’re feeling bold) and get everyone to pick up topping of their choice: peanuts, marshmallow goo, chocolate sauce, cookies, M&Ms, Lucky Charms, whip cream, bacon bits (don’t judge).
Grab some plastic utensils – often located near the deli or salad bar – and disposable bowls if they’ve got ‘em, and tuck into your Sundae buffet at a nearby park.
Nutritionists always say that an after school snack is part of a teenager’s healthy diet.
Get-a-Lawn-Gang
Contrary to popular belief, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – particularly in wintertime. Take advantage of the good weather NOW by playing games like croquet, bocce and badminton. Sets come in portable bags, which means you can take them to any friend’s place or even a park.
Dogpile a Moping Friend
Got a friend who is in the dumps? Maybe their parents just got divorced, maybe they didn’t make the basketball team or maybe you-know-who isn’t returning their texts.
Assemble a battalion of enthusiastic friends and spend the afternoon plotting an assault. The weapon: kindness.
The mission: surprise the victim with an expected shower of goodness.
Here are a few basic manoeuvres:
1) Snail mail small anonymous gifts. Time it so he / she gets one every day for a week.
2) Get some cheesy custom t-shirts made up with the person’s face on it. Get all your friends to wear them one day for no reason at all. Act naturally.
3) If anyone knows the combo, stuff his / her locker with a favourite snack so that it virtually explodes when they open it.
4) Write and record a humorous love song describing all the ways this person rules. If they take the bus, arrange for the bus driver to play it one morning. If they drive, sneak the cd into their player so it starts when they turn the ignition.
5) Get a pizza delivered when they least expect it. As they’re walking home from band practice? Good. As they’re emerging from a bathroom stall? Stupendous.
Be a Do Gooder
Volunteering doesn’t always entail reading a Jane Austen novel to a deaf 200-year-old or cleaning up trash in a muddy ditch by the highway (not that there’s anything wrong with those, just sayin’). Peruse a list of possibilities at www.volunteer.ca.
Play Mind Games
Make a pilgrimage to a local board game dealer and you might be surprised at the bevy of fun games that exists outside of cyberworld. For instance, Bullseye Ball (www.hasbro.com/bullseyeball) is so addictive that you may need rehab, while Bop It (http://www.playbopit.com/) is a frustrating yet compelling memory game that’s even more stressful (read: fun) when played in a group.
