Many Bucknell students will pack their bags and head home this Friday for a much needed week-long break.

After weeks and weeks of deadlines and exams, Thanksgiving break is a lifesaver for students and faculty alike. Even students who aren’t heading off Bucknell’s campus can enjoy the luxury of a week without lectures, labs, recitations and group assignments. With a largely empty campus, students might be stumped when thinking of things to do next week. Here are some ideas: 

Students can volunteer at a food pantry near Lewisburg. The holiday season is a busy time for food pantries and they are often looking for extra hands to help out around Thanksgiving. You can go to your local grocery store, like Giant or Weiss, and pick up a couple of things to donate. You could volunteer at one of the pantries and help hand out food to those who visit. You can also volunteer on Thanksgiving and help prepare and serve food to visitors. Volunteering is a great way to give thanks and to give back during the holidays, so don’t overlook this when thinking of ways to fill your schedule next week. One food pantry close to Bucknell’s campus that you can look into volunteering at is The Hand Up Foundation in Milton. 

One way you can get off Bucknell’s campus next week is by making a visit to Reptiland. Clyde’s Peeling Reptiland is located in Allenwood, Pa., on US-15. Reptiland has been open for more than 50 years and has never failed to disappoint its visitors. At Reptiland, you can see pythons, vipers, cobras, lizards, frogs, tortoises and so much more. If you are an animal lover, or more accurately a reptile lover, Reptiland is the perfect place for you to visit this Thanksgiving break.

Another off-campus trip you can take that will surely result in a good time is a visit to Hoopla’s Xtreme Family Fun. This trampoline park is located in Shamokin Dam and provides an experience of fun for all ages. In addition to trampolines, Hoopla’s is home to an arcade, mini golf, mini bowling and a sky rail rope course. Grab your friends and head over to Shamokin Dam for a fun afternoon. 

Sunset Rink is another exciting destination for Bucknell students to scope out this Thanksgiving break. For experienced roller skaters and new roller skaters alike, this rink will offer an experience of fun and even a little bit of exercise. This is a great way to get your body moving this break while also spending time in the company of friends. On Wednesday nights, Sunset Rink has a student night where students are admitted for just $2. On regular afternoons, admission is $5. A trip to Sunset Rink is a fun and affordable thing to do this break.