Afternoon Activities
The afternoon activity program meets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons (60 - 90 minutes). The activities provide students with an opportunity to try a new sport or practice an old favorite while developing relationships with a group of peers. All activities are co-ed and are recreation-based.
Afternoon Activities are available for regular students in the Upper School Program. Click on an activity listed below to learn more:
Badminton is played in a recreational, non-competitive, OUTDOOR environment. All skill levels are welcome, from indoor experts to backyard aficionados. Students should bring their own racquets; the school provides shuttlecocks.
Boys and girls work on the skills of the game and are organized into teams to compete on an intramural basis. Basketball shoes are required. Running shoes are not allowed.
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This activity is open to all students, but some experience with dance is preferred. Students may work on a range of styles from modern to ballet and jazz. All students will get the opportunity to show off their new moves at an end-of-summer dance recital.
This program is the perfect blend of dance, Pilates and yoga. It is designed to create length, strength and movement in our bodies— nourishing the entire metabolism, bringing better health to our minds and bodies. It is an amazing way to workout.
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Regardless of religious background or beliefs, the gospel choir is open to faculty and students who are interested in learning about the historic and contemporary aspects of this American idiom. Secondly, the group uses its meeting sessions to prepare for an end-of-the-summer concert which will feature soloists and ensembles from within the group. All are welcome.
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Outdoor Adventure presents a series of physical and problem-solving challenges requiring students to work together cooperatively and effectively in order to achieve success. Activities become more demanding as groups progress from ground activities to the high element ropes course climbing. Additionally, students spend several days learning and practicing rock-climbing skills at the state of the art Josh Miner indoor climbing facility. Groups of 8 – 10 students are paired with experienced instructors and work closely together over the five-week session.
This program is designed to improve muscle tone, strength, endurance and flexibility. Taking advantage of our state-of-the-art fitness center, activities include weight training with free weights or variable-resistance machines and cardiovascular fitness using machines such as stair climbers, stationary bicycles and control gravity machines. Everyone is welcome, but participants should prepare for a rigorous, demanding activity.
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A low-level aerobic activity that is open to everyone, power walking provides an opportunity to improve general fitness while participating in an Olympic sport. Walkers tour the Phillips Academy campus, bird sanctuary and Andover town area.
This is an afternoon activity for any kind of runner, even joggers, and for the beginner as well as the most experienced. Each participant runs with her/his chosen group— slow, medium or fast, but all students are expected to stretch and run, using this experience as a chance to improve their endurance. Students must wear proper running shoes.
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Players are organized into teams and receive some instruction in the rudiments of the game. There are numerous skill levels, and everyone finds a proper niche. This activity is coed. All participants must bring molded cleats and shin guards.
Social dance teaches students how to dance a variety of partner dances, including salsa, Argentine tango, mambo, swing, merengue, hussle/modern disco and waltz. Students learn to both lead and follow. The partner dance principles taught are applicable to multiple dances and the steps taught can be used in over half a dozen different dances. Upon completion of this activity, students should be comfortable spontaneously leading or following in most social dance settings. No experience or partner required.
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This sport is offered as a free-play activity, with some guidance for those who want it. The school furnishes the balls, and the players supply their own racquets and protective eyewear. Players must also have shoes with non-marking, light-colored soles. (Running shoes are not acceptable.)
Swimming can be taken as either an instructional or recreational activity. It takes place in Phillips Academy's indoor, six-lane pool and participants are required to have nylon or other synthetic fabric bathing suits. Those with long hair must wear caps or a tight braid. The group is divided into beginners, recreational swimmers and competitive swimmers.
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The tennis program consists of recreational play at the intermediate and advanced levels. A small group of beginners will receive some instruction. Players must provide their own racquets.
Ultimate Frisbee is a team sport resembling soccer but played with a disc. It is an exciting and invigorating game. Basic skills are reinforced daily.
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This activity is open to all levels and played both for the fun of it and for competition. Instruction is available for those who need it.
Yoga, meaning "to unite," is an age-old Eastern practice that unites body and mind. Increasingly popular as a means of developing a stronger, more flexible body, yoga offers health and spiritual benefits as well. Students will practice postures that intensely work their muscles and leave them with an increased sense of calm and clarity.
Get some afternoon exercise in the coolest place on campus (literally) and develop a lifelong skill at the same time. At the new South Rink and in a group setting, students are taught the basic skills of ice skating and encouraged to improve their proficiency during practice time. Rental skates and helmets are provided.
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A rotation of games like kickball, dodgeball, capture the flag, and others. Do you remember the amazing afternoons in elementary school when your class split into teams and battled on the field with a red rubber ball? Those are the dreams we will recreate daily in this activity. Perhaps you’ve never played but are intrigued by the first sentence of this description. All skill levels are welcome.
Card games, board games, puzzles—have fun learning new games while enjoying the social interaction of friendly competition.
This activity is open to everyone and is designed to cultivate strengths, coordination, and stamina. Participants learn and practice fundamental techniques of punching, moving, defending, and kicking, without actual sparring. In this way, emphasis is placed on the role of martial arts in physical training and personal fitness. No previous experience required.
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