15 Reasons Being a Kid During the School Year Is Seriously the Best

One of the best parts about being in school is that children get to be around their friends all day long. There's nothing like pairing up for group projects, sharing snacks during lunch, and making up fun games to play together during recess.

Art time, projects, writing, and music class are just some of the activities kids can partake in to explore their creative sides. What a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Raise your hand if you still have vivid memories of recess as a kid. The chance to perfect your four-square or tetherball game is what recess is all about, and that sweet window of playtime every day was so much fun.

Once naps are officially over (RIP), many schools offer quiet time where children are encouraged to read. Even if it's just to look at pictures, this time gives them a chance to relax and enjoy a good book.

No matter where you stand on participation trophies, playing sports as a kid is the BEST. Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and so on: school lets children stretch their athletic muscles and stay active. They bond with their teammates, learn about hard work and resilience, and can have a blast doing it.

Food tastes better when you're sitting with your friends, especially if they have something delicious to trade for. And swapping stories and funny jokes makes for some lifetime memories.

Learning can be a lot of fun! From reading and math to science and history, school is an exciting time to learn about the world around you and the events that led to right now. Who doesn't remember learning about the Oregon Trail or the Revolutionary War?

Pretend play is what helps kids learn. In school, they can turn an ordinary block set into a magical tower, or the jungle gym into mountains that needs to be climbed.

Maybe this is more exciting for the parents, but they can play with toys, scatter their books, and finger paint without you having to worry about the mess.

It doesn't have be a whole new wardrobe — back-to-school shopping is so much fun just for pencils and a new backpack.

Duck-Duck-Goose and Heads Up, Seven Up are two classic classroom games kids get to play. When I taught high school, I had students ask me to play those games at least twice a semester. They really are the best.

Nothing makes learning quite as fun as getting to play dress up with your friends. It doesn't matter if it's Tie-Dye Tuesday or Wacky Wednesday, spirit week and special costume days are a blast.

It seems like as soon as kids can write, they're passing notes to their friends, but that's part of the fun of being in school! I still have some of my shared notes at home — things like MASH, secrets from the third grade, and doodles my friends drew.

If I could go back to the time when all I had to do when I got home was a single worksheet with some fractions on it, I'd be stoked. This is the one time in a kid's life where homework, even if they don't like it, is their only real responsibility. Let them enjoy it.

Exploding volcanoes and playing music for flowers are just some of the classic science-fair projects that kids will do. While our STEM-focused society has certainly upped the ante, playing around with elements to make something happen is always exciting!