CAUTION: Do not step outside!
Ah, it’s August already but Summer for us isn’t over yet!
The scorching heat continues to overpower us, and the sun—well, it’s a bit too mean this year. The air gets thick with humidity. It’s often even hard to breathe. And the energy, it just drains from anyone who dares to step outside. The Summer heat is also a stark reminder of the hellfire (may Allah SWT protect us).
You may feel your soul worn to the core. Your body might be on the verge of breaking. Believe it or not, Pakistani Summers really have the potential.
But chill up, as you’ve landed in the right spot if not in a freezer itself. This is your sign to start unwinding those hot knots, replenish your tired soul, and escape from all fumes and fury.
Now, the big question is: how so?
How can you really have a pick-me-up in this blistering heat?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. With a carefully crafted list of fun activities, your days will end up not just being bearable but astonishingly exciting. Bonus: you’ll scoop in some really cool skills as well.
It’s time to unlock the key to your Summer Fiesta!
- Mystery Box Challenge
Materials: A large box, various household items, or inexpensive objects
Players: 2+
Skills: Sensory Perception and Descriptive Communication
- Fill a box with a variety of items (some can be random, others can be themed).
- One player reaches into the box without looking and tries to identify the item by touch alone. They then describe it to the others.
- The rest of the players guess what the item is based on the description.
- The player who guesses correctly gets to be the next one to reach into the box.
- Unfortunately/Fortunately
Materials: none
Players: 2+
Skills: Creative Thinking and Problem-Solving
The first person narrates a negative scenario in a few words, for e.g.:
“Unfortunately, I got a flat tire on my way to work.”
The second person completes the scenario with a positive outlook:
“Fortunately, there is a tire repair shop down the street.”
Or “Fortunately, no one was hurt.”
This encourages both parties to reflect and be grateful even in hard situations. For kids, this proves to be an excellent problem-solving exercise allowing them to figure out how to tackle the given negative situation.
- Story Building Game
Materials: None
Players: 2+
Skills: Collaborative Storytelling and Creativity
- Start with a sentence to kick off a story (e.g., “Once upon a time, in a land full of talking animals…”).
- Each player adds one sentence to the story in turn, building on what the previous player said.
- Continue until the story reaches a fun or unexpected conclusion.
- Record or write down the story to share and laugh over later.
- Scribble Inspiration
Materials: pen, pencil, paper
Players: 2+
Skills: Creativity and Visual Interpretation
Each player has a few seconds to make scribbles all over a piece of paper.
Pass the paper to your pair and use the other player’s scribbles as inspiration to make a sensible art piece from it.
Tip: Use a pencil for the initial scribble and pen for the drawing for a better visual of start and end result.
It’s really cool to discover what each other sees out of the random scribbles! It is also a fun way to connect through collaboration, knowing the other person’s drawing wouldn’t have ever existed without your scribble inspiration.
5. Hadith Challenge
Materials: A book of Hadith
Players: 2+
Skills: Memory Recall and Comprehension
Each person takes turns to read out a hadith once and the listener has to pay close attention to it because the Reader will have a follow-up question from the hadith itself. The answer should be found within the hadith, and not open-ended.
For example, a reader reads:
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The word ‘Al-Kauthar’ means the abundant good which Allah gave to him (the Prophet (ﷺ) Muhammad). Abu Bishr said: I said to Sa`id, “Some people claim that it (Al-Kauthar) is a river in Paradise.” Sa`id replied, “The river which is in Paradise is one item of that good which Allah has bestowed upon him (Muhammad). [Sahih al-Bukhari — 6578]
Reader asks: “To whom was the river of Al-Kauthar given to?”
Answer: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
Or: What is the meaning of “Al-Kauthar”?
Answer: The abundant good
Player who is able to recall the answer to the most questions correctly wins!
6. Viral Hula Hoops Game
Materials: Hula hoops, one for each person
Players: 5+
Skills: Physical Coordination and Quick Reflexes
This game requires a sharp ear and ninja-like reflexes. Spread out the hoops in a circle on the ground, about a foot apart. Stand each player inside the hoop and choose one person to yell out the instructions. This is where the real fun is. One instruction at a time.
- In = Player jumps inside the hoop, if already standing in the hoop and attempts to jump further in, this person will be eliminated and the hoop will be removed to make the circle smaller. This rule applies to all eliminations.
- Out = Player will jump out of the hoop, if already outside the hoop and attempts to jump further out this person will be eliminated.
- Right = Player will jump into the hoop on their right hand side. This has to work simultaneously for all players otherwise it can cause elimination for those who don’t respond in time.
- Left = Player will jump into the hoop on the left.
Each player has to coordinate their reflexes to the instruction given as soon as it is given!
Alternative version with younger kids:
Make a huge square boundary using masking tape on the floor and consider this everyone’s “hoop”.
Replace instructions “Left” and “Right” with “Jump” and “Clap”. To jump would mean in one’s spot.
There you have an indoor version with materials at home for the youngins!
Remember, as a human being and creation of Allah (SWT), you owe it to yourself to nourish and care for your soul. May Allah (SWT) ease our hardships and make our summers fruitful.
