Adventure stories are filled with kids falling into one adventure after another, solving mysteries and having a whale of a time.
The one thing that connects all these youngsters is the club/group they are a part of. Add to the excitement of your holidays by forming your own club, this summer. All you need is oodles of enthusiasm, friends, and truckloads of energy. You can spice up the activity by electing members for the club, assigning duties, and getting the members involved in all the activities.
Between the pages
Books are an integral part of every holiday. And with new books flooding the market almost every day, it is a challenge to stay abreast. That’s why a Book Club would be such a great idea.
First off, you need to decide on the size of the Book Club. Fix a date and place for your meeting. Choose the book or books you will be reading. It is a good idea to decide at least a month ahead what the book will be. Make sure there is a variety in the books chosen. It can be fiction, non fiction, biography, history...just about anything.
Have a discussion manager at every meeting to guide the conversation, giving everyone a chance to voice his/her opinion, ask questions and generally maintain order. The discussion manager also sets the ball rolling by asking leading questions making sure that the meeting is thought-provoking and productive.
To liven up your meetings you could perhaps dress as one of the characters from the book in discussion, or enact a certain scene.
Wheel it in
It’s time to go exploring. Form a cycling club. Get your friends who have bicycles and have some fun. Chalk out an area all of you would like to cycle to, or check out. Start early so that you escape the worst of the summer sun. Gear up by getting yourself a helmet, and elbow and knee guards.
Map the routes you may want to explore. Start small and explore areas nearby. As you gain confidence, you can go to more tranquil places in you city where greenery is aplenty and you can get a glimpse of wildlife. Ensure your bicycles are in good condition, your safety gear is in place and you have enough water, crackers or protein bars to help you keep up your energy levels.
It is good to have a ride leader on each trip. He or she would be solely responsible for the route you take, rest time and purpose of the ride.
A cycling club need not only be a fun thing. You can club it together with something serious as well. You could do an advocacy ride, where you try and highlight some pressing need in the community or to raise awareness for a cause.
So, are you up for bike racing competitions where you can determine the stakes involved?
Green warriors
Summer is a good time to begin doing your bit for the environment. Get together with a group of friends and start a Gardening Club. Start small — try planting tomatoes or beans in you backyard or in a pot.
Read up on how to tend these plants, how much water is needed and how long it will take to grow. As there is a shortage, do not waste water. So, try to plant saplings that require less water.
Your club members and you could divide tasks and do it on rotation — one of you can do the research and zero-in on the sapling to be planted. A couple of you could go to the market, get the seeds and the mud required, while yet others could organise the fertilizer.
Next, maintain a notebook to record progress. If you are getting ahead, you can move on to some thing bigger like flowers or neem trees, which act as natural coolants to beat the heat. As your plant grows, you could note down descriptions of leaves and compare notes with your group members.
Watch that bird!
Gather your friends and get ready to give a rousing welcome to migratory birds — robins, Indian rollers, golden oriole, combed duck, blue-tailed bee eater, blue-cheeked bird eater, and more.
Once your group is formed, begin by exploring your gardens and backyards. Get yourself a “bird book”. Try to identify birds and study their traits and note down your observations.
Get books on birds and read up as much as you can. BBC has a great series called Life of Birds. This programme gives you an insight into birds, how they evolved, their nesting places and so on.
Initially, you do not need binoculars, but as you get more serious about the hobby, a pair would help.
Once you are more confident, with adult supervision, you can venture out further and try to spot more birds. Take pictures of the birds, their habitats, and anything else you think will be a great learning experience.
Since you are a part of a club you will need to put down some rules. How many members is ideal? You do not want too large a group as it may not be practical while birding. You will also need to put down bird watching etiquette. This would involve the clothes you wear, how you behave, and how you share information. Your club can organise activities like Feather collecting and identification, build a nest, build bird feeders and so on.
