Care Bears, Play-Doh, PJ Party: Colleges help students cope with exams
To help students cope with final exams, colleges across the country are rolling out 'de-stress' events filled with slime-making, Lego-building, and stuffed animals.
This exam season, colleges across the country are rolling out “de-stress” events filled with slime-making, Lego-building, and stuffed animals to help students manage their stress.
Campus Reform reviewed dozens of college wellness calendars and found many schools hosting events that resemble kindergarten playtime more than collegiate rigor.
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Care Bears and PJs
Indiana University is hosting “College Care Week,” which includes Care Bear stuffed animal giveaways and a pajama-themed event called “Pajamapalooza.”
Students are encouraged to wear their pajamas for a slumber party experience featuring “hot chocolate, cookies, music, and games,” according to the university’s event listing.
“Wear your favorite PJs…the cozier, the better,” the event description reads.
Play-Doh and Recess
Everett Community College in Washington hosted a “Reset with Recess” event where students were encouraged to play with Play-Doh, board games, and coloring pages.
“Come take a break from adulting [and] relive the magic of recess,” the event description states.
Students received free containers of Play-Doh to “squish away any stress.”
Mechanical Bull and Massages
At the University of Detroit Mercy’s annual “De-Stress Fest,” students could ride a mechanical bull, play inflatable games, and get free messages. Students could also decorate Christmas cookies and build a snowman.
Goat Cuddles
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln allowed students to cuddle rescued goats in the campus library to “goat your worries away.”
Robot Dogs
Central Michigan University substituted live therapy animals with a “Robot Petting Zoo,” inviting students to pet robotic dogs and other animatronics during finals week.
“Come de-stress and pet some robot animals,” the campus announcement said.
Screenshot obtained from @cmu_cam on Instagram.
Slime and Stress Balls
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) College of Business hosted a “Squish Away the Stress” event where students made slime and stress balls.
“Squeeze and stretch your way through study breaks,” the university wrote on its event webpage.
Friendship Bracelets
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Engineering hosted a “DIY Day” for engineering students to make friendship bracelets, play with slime, and paint ceramic animals.
The school also hosted a “Mindful Coloring” session featuring “affirmation-based art pages.”
Legos
The University of Houston (UH) hosted a “Lego Your Stress” session for students to play with Lego building blocks during its “Stress Free Finals” week
Additional events include “circle time,” tie-dye crafts, and cutting “stress-free snowflakes” from paper.
Stuffed Animals and Mocktails
The University of Pittsburgh hosted a “Stuff-A-Plush” event allowing students to create their own stuffed animals.
The university also offered therapy dogs, mocktails, coloring, games, and a hot cocoa bar.
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These events are often funded by student fees or university wellness budgets. Student activity fees at public universities can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per year, and a portion of these funds is frequently allocated to student affairs offices or wellness departments that oversee event planning.
In some cases, event descriptions explicitly state that activities are “free for students,” despite the fact that students are ultimately paying for them through fees embedded in their tuition bills.
