A renaissance fair harkens back to the days of knights, nobles, lords, and ladies, recreating a time gone by. Whether connecting people face-to-face or virtually, hosting poetry readings, mariachi lessons, or concerts, youve got a lot on your plate. Invite special guests like business-savvy alumni and scouts from venture capitalist firms to bring banners, booths, and hiring and funding literature. As theater lovers know, the real magic of drama and comedy is in characterization and dialogue. You could also partner with another campus organization to do this. Events are a great way to introduce fresh ideas, opportunities, and products to a new audience. Create categories such as geography, science, or pop culture, declare a winner for each, and dont forget to crown an overall trivia champion. Puzzle hunts are always a lot of fun, and theyre perfect for a day or night out. Food drives are always important, and theyre a great way to get students involved. Set up a recording booth with a campus-branded media backdrop, film students as they recount their funny stories, and publish the Buzzfeed-style video online as a way to keep the event and the on-campus resources it highlights circulating on social media. You could either provide coloring books and pencils or have a contest to see who can color the best picture. And never have there been so many budding student filmmakers constantly uploading shorts and skits to YouTube and TikTok. Keep your physical and digital class materials organized using a three-ring binder and Google Drive. College edition! While college audiences can be eager to attend educational and cultural events, they sometimes want to get their minds off education. The size of your event may determine your answers. Give teams 24 or 48 hours to complete a movie based on a theme or genre. Host a trivia night Trivia nights are always popular and they are a great way to get students engaged. , check out these fun event ideas for college students. Promote diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality. More and more universities are offering online classes to attract students from distant geographic regions. Community gardens are a great way to get students involved in their community, and theyre perfect for students who love to garden. Set it up in the student center or dormitory dining hall and let those student chefs show their skills. Sports are always a popular activity among college students. See who can build the best snowman on campus. Give students a treat after a long day of studying. A free music concert is something most people will enjoy! Event themes Listicle College events shape the social and intellectual fabric of your university. Comedians regularly include colleges on their tour stops, so it could be worth reaching out to a famous name to check availability. Wondering how to throw events that college students will actually want to attend? Take a group to the trampoline park for a day of bouncing around. Put on your best poker face and deal em up! You could even host a dorm room cooking class that shows students how to make restaurant-quality meals in their microwaves. In addition, this position must be effective and savvy in media (social, other), communications, and stakeholder engagement. 10. An ice cream sundae bar is always a lot of fun, and its the perfect way to cool down. Contact your local farmers market about providing locally grown fruits, vegetables, cheeses, honey, and meats. Dedicate a whole day to celebrating the state your school is located in! Events are a great way to introduce fresh ideas, opportunities, and products to a new audience. Be sure to have a variety of games for students to choose from. Photo booths are always a lot of fun, and theyre perfect for students who love to take pictures. You could either have them as a standalone event or add it to another event. Make it a black-tie event for a sophisticated Monte Carlo feel. Not every weekend at college needs to be all about tailgating and keggers. Whats the longest-running show in Broadway history? Casino nights are always popular, and theyre a great way to raise money for a good cause. Connect with the agriculture department to teach tour attendees about endangered species in the area and local environmental conservation organizations they can work with. Laser tag is always a blast, and students will love the chance to compete against each other. A classic career fair brings employers onto campus to talk to students about their mission, hiring practices, and prospects. When youre ready to promote your events, use. 1. STEP TWO: Adhere to a Budget. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Think mac n cheese, stir fry, homemade ramen, or pho. Keep your backpack clean and stocked with the materials you need to bring to class. You can't do everything yourself, and the student activities board has limited resources. Cooking lessons are perfect for students who love to cook. Or, for older students, try apaint-and-sip party where guests bring their favorite libations for an evening of watercolors, easels, and drinks. Laughter is a great stress reliever, so comedys an ever-popular event choice for students loaded down with exams, jobs, and extracurricular activities. Amusement parks are always a lot of fun, and students will love the chance to get out and have some fun. Just like above, take students to the apple orchard for a fun fall weekend. You could either partner with a local meditation organization or have your own class. Give your event a musical theme, such as hard rock hair bands or harmonizing boy bands, or open it up to all genres of music. Exercise can be a great mental health booster also. 1. Choose a theme or activity and watch your registrations fill up. Car smashes are always a lot of fun, and theyre perfect for students who love to destroy things. When youre ready to promote your events, useEventbrite Boost, the all-in-one marketing platform designed for event creators. A docent or other expert could lead these for a more educational experience. Comedians regularly include colleges on their tour stops, so it could be worth reaching out to a famous name to check availability. Participants bring clothes to trade with each other as they try out new looks. Teach students how to knit and make cozy winter clothes. The Program Manager III position will lead Transportation Demand Management planning, parking enterprise, programming, contract management for the Austin Transportation Department. Tip:Depending on the accessibility to nature where your campus is located, you may even be able to offer native plants tours as reoccurring programming! Be sure to have plenty of delicious goodies for students to choose from. Service projects are always beneficial, and theyre perfect for college students. You can also set up a bake sale or even hot dog eating contest on the side to gain even more in donations. Search for jobs related to Event ideas for college organizations or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. If you make it a regular occurrence, it can be a fun venue for both meeting new people and passing time with old friends in a casual and laidback environment. This event is open to the public. Calling Sherlock Holmes! Door decorating contests are perfect for students who love to be creative. Lay out a route across campus or around the perimeter, and make sure youve got water and treats like ice cream or fruit cups for finishers. But to draw interest, youll need to look beyond formal talks and job fairs. Let students get creative! Sleepover Movie Marathon Think. Whether youre an event planner, a professor or faculty member, or anyone else involved in collegiate affairs, these 14 simple yet effective college event ideas are just what you need to boost attendance and engagement. Just be sure to clear your calendar wargaming classics like Squad Leader and Warhammer can take place over days or weeks. Bring in even more dough by lining up your bake sale with a major holiday or event, like Valentine's Day, Halloween, or an on-campus movie night. Sell coffee for $1 in the libraries during finals and donate the money to a scholarship fund to help more students attend college. Regularly invite former students back to meet and speak with current students. And dont forget to match the theme with authentic cuisine. Lay out a route across campus or around the perimeter, and make sure youve got water and treats like ice cream or fruit cups for finishers. With more college kids playing video games on PCs or consoles like PlayStation or Xbox than ever before, a video game tournament can be a gamers fantasy. Many students are away from home for the first time and may need anicebreakerto connect with others. Coordinate your event with your schools LGBTQ+ community to create an inclusive, gender-neutral event. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers . Learn how to work with clay and make beautiful pottery. Paint Night: Organize an instructor-led step-by-step art class. 4. Students looking for their first job, a summer internship, or a part-time gig can bring their resumes and do a series of quick interviews. Run online contests with enticing prices and take advantage of social media engagement one of the primary communication methods for modern students. Get inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, or Etsy for the latest crafting trends. You could either partner with a local yoga instructor or have students teach. Pet therapy is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. Focus the question on significant works and authors, or discuss childrens books or cookbooks for a more lighthearted event. A group gets on a bus and hops around town visiting local bars and indulging. Team up with an off-campus organization to promote and orchestrate a meaningful community event. Have art students sell their pieces to students for cheap dorm dcor and donate the money to . You could either have a theme or let students come up with their own ideas. Consider marketing to individual departments, clubs, and organizations related to your event. The color red dominates decorations, which often include traditional crafts like intricate paper cutouts and couplets written in Chinese characters wishing good fortune in the coming year. Or put the pedal to the metal with a go-kart race at a nearby indoor or outdoor track. Indoor games dont have to require athleticism. Light up your campus for the holidays with a festive tree lighting ceremony. Youll want to contact your schools facilities department about availability. What is hard is creating one that will be able to compete with everything else that is going on around campus. Create a mentorship program that connects students with others who have faced and overcome similar challenges or experiences. Include a petting zoo with goats, sheep, and other barnyard animals. Even something as simple as petting a dog or cat is associated with lowered blood pressure and increased relaxation. We all know college students may not have the kitchen or the time for such culinary achievements. You might even connect with students worldwide who speak your clubs language natively. Everyone loves a game show with high stakes. Local cafs can refuel students and soothe their throats after the scream-a-thon. A fun run is similar to a5K or marathon it emphasizes enjoyment instead of a serious race or competition. Be creative! This is a great activity for mild or warmer fall and spring weather and is a great way to get students to exercise or to introduce new students to the entire campus. If your school has a Hindi or Urdu language department, see if they have additional resources to incorporate. Scavenger hunts involve creating a list of goals for a group to accomplish or items to collect. Devotees attest to the therapeutic effects of drum circles, which are said to instill feelings of warmth and community. Theres nothing like spending a night under the stars. All you have to supply is the instructor, the PA system, the space, maybe a few retractable outdoor banner stands to mark the spot and make it official, and the collection jars. String all the origami together the colorful garland can then be displayed somewhere on campus, or donated to the organization for which the funds were raised! You can even invite students to draw their own and share! 6. Thank you for supporting this resource. Alumni speakers are always a great way to get students excited about an event. Pick a day to showcase entries in a theater setting, complete with snacks and awards, and sell tickets via Eventbrites, Host a workshop where students can make their own dorm room decor think plant hangers, terrariums, or recycled frames for their art. STEP ONE: Assemble Your Committee. If you want to get more creative, consider hosting a Campus Scream right in the middle of final exams when tensions are highest. Target outreach to students who are most likely to be interested in the events content to both boost your attendance rate and limit the amount of unwanted event invites students receive. Talent shows are always a lot of fun, and they provide a great opportunity for students to show off their talents. On-Campus Entertainment Ideas Not every weekend at college needs to be all about tailgating and keggers. With a campus-wide clothing swap, students can clear their dorm rooms of gently used and unworn clothing and maybe even find their new favorite t-shirt. Cooking classes help keep students healthy and prepare them to become more self-sufficient. Long-distance students attending virtual classes will have little experience with your schools campus. The series might include a trivia night, in which student teams answer questions about sexuality and health statistics, free STD and HIV testing, expert-led panel discussions about sexual health and empowerment, and a raffle to win toys or other goodies. You could partner with a local pet therapy organization. These games are great because theyre entirely adaptable to the size of your party. Its possible to hold them over a wide, though not necessarily connected, area. A walking tour of your campus landmarks, lecture halls, and popular student hangouts can help give them a sense of the college experience. You could partner with a local charity or organization. You can find a Campus Relay for Life branch on over 500 high school and college campuses in 47 states. Students love food, so play with the idea of a taco or burger crawl. Tour local gardens, pinpoint hiking opportunities, and point out the local flora and fauna. You can either do this on your own or team up with another campus organization. Tip:With this many devices in one room, it may be advisable to ensure that the computers are equipped with virus protection and that every outlet has surge protectors! Raise awareness about positive relationship behaviors, safe sex, and healthy intimacy with taboo-busting programming tailored to college-aged students. They involve a lot of creativity on the part of the participants and can be adapted perfectly to your event. It can be challenging, however, for businesses, organizations, and evenuniversity event plannersto come up with creative college event ideas that actually work. Invite popular indie rock bands and hip-hop artists, and coordinate with the university art department about showcasing student works. Whether you play indoors or outdoors, theres something for everyone. This is a great way for current students to support their fellow students even if they arent in the same major. Most campuses have your run-of-the-mill sports teams: basketball, baseball, soccer, football, etc. Include an online component as part of an in-person club meeting, or make it solely online and open it up to a broader number of participants. Either way, be sure to make sure there are plenty of power strips to go around and dont skimp on the snacks and soda either! Quick Links Throw CompetitionsAdd Some FunRun WorkshopsHost CharitiesGive MentoringFood! College students love free food and they love brunch! Yoga classes are always a great way to relax and de-stress. Student life can be incredibly stressful. Millennials and members of Gen Z feel strong connections to political awareness, community engagement, environmentalism, social justice, activism, and impactful change.