World championships and Olympiads are all well and good. But at Åsa, it’s disciplines like “Measuring String,“ “Ball in the Gutter“ and “Red Light/Green Light“ that put both body and mind to the test.

Anyone moving about the school grounds as week three of the academic year got underway will know what’s being referred to:

The Activity day.

One Monday afternoon at the start of each term, (almost) all of the school’s course participants gather for a series of competitions that test not only strength and brainpower, but also individual grit and teamwork. This autumn term was no exception.

“The most important competition of the year!” was how some participants described it before teams were drawn and the battles began in disciplines such as “Hula Hoops,“ “Folding Paper Planes,“ and “Recycling Sorting“.

To be sure, a small first prize is awarded to the team that performs best across the ten or so challenges. But the real reward is shared by everyone taking part: the chance to connect across different courses.

That in itself is an important part of the folk high school’s belief that community and diversity help create an environment where knowledge and learning truly flourish.

Here are some pictures from Activity Day, autumn term 2025: