As the mercury dips to single digit, the biggest sufferers are the children who have to leave for school covered in several layers of woollens, braving the morning chill and fog. December and January are not the best months to go to school. Picnic is often the first thing that comes to the kids’ mind, courtesy the Christmas and New Year fervour. But Santa’s gift of a vacation is a week or two long, at the most. Bottom line: school cannot be skipped. Here are a few

interesting ways how the little ones plan to beat the chill this winter…

Mamma’s kaadha...

Even in his final year as a school student, Rishabh Raj does not like going to school in the winter. Like most of his friends, the Class XII student of Radiant International hates waking up in the morning when it is chilly outside. But, as they say, options are little. Rishabh, without much fanfare, uses traditional methods to keep himself warm, when the weather is not. He religiously follows “Mamma’s measures”. Mufflers, inners, sweaters… he wears them all. Moreover, he takes the kaadha (a herbal concoction) his mother gives him to stay warm. But he does not quite enjoy his mother’s methods. “The kaadha is really difficult to take. It tastes awful but I know that it would keep me fit,” he says. We empathise with you Rishabh. Be brave a few more weeks.

The pocket magic...

Layers of woollens don’t appeal to the fashion-conscious GenY. They rather prefer a warm sweater or jacket with big pockets. If you don’t have one of your own, take some “warming-up” tips from Rahul Keshari, a Class X student of St Karen’s Secondary School. “The pockets of Utkarsh’s blazer are the best,” he says. Utkarsh, obviously, is one of Rahul’s best buddies. But how do Utkarsh’s pockets help Rahul? “Simple,” he says. “When my hands are cold, I just put them inside his blazer pockets. It’s really warm and snug.”

But what if he feels cold inside the classroom? He “pockets” them in his own sweater whenever he’s not taking down notes. One request to the teachers, please avoid theory, winter is for practical lessons.

Socks and soup formula...

Sanskriti Singh doesn’t mind the chill. “Winter is supposed to make you feel that way. But if your feet are warm, so can be the mind and body,” she says.

The Class XI student of St Joseph’s Convent High School is not fussy about the woollens, but a pair of stockings is a must. “I do not forget to wear a pair of socks and a pair of stockings during winter. Waking up in the morning and getting out of the quilt is a tough job. While getting ready for school in the morning, I wear a pair of gloves as well,” she says.

Not only is she conscious about her clothes, she makes sure that she has the right kind of food. “A bowl of vegetable soup in the morning makes things a lot better,” she adds. What an idea girl!

Four sweaters and more...

Sanskriti’s classmate Navya Arora feels “colder than most of her friends”.

The remedy? Layers of woollens. Not one, not two but four of them if the temperature is that low. “While going to school I wear four sweaters, a muffler and also a cap,” she counts. Navya, obviously, is much more conventional when it come to winter fashion.

Towel act...

Swapnil, a Class XI student, loves his bike. Winter does pose a challenge for this biker but it cannot stop him from enjoying his ride. Swapnil, in fact, takes the chill in his stride and covers himself well before getting on the mean machine.

He is style conscious too. He covers himself with a “Stylo”. “It is a towel that covers the face as well as the neck. This was used by Akshay Kumar in Singh is Kinng,” he explains. “Actually, I am a big fan of his,” he quickly confesses. We guessed so.

News you can use...

For Amit of St Dominic Savio’s High School, newspapers have a completely different utility. “When I ride my bike while going to school, I cover my self with newspaper,” he says. How does he manage to do that?

“I push the newspaper inside my pullover. The paper stops the wind from getting inside the clothes,” he explains. Thanks Amit for your idea. We at The Telegraph office can try it out too.

Last week’s question:

Identify this famous actor (in picture left).

The correct answer for last week’s question is:

Dev Anand

Readers who gave the correct answer are:

Rishikesh Kumar
Class XII,
R.L.S.Y. College, Muzaffarpur

Jitendra Kumar
Class XII,
St Xavier’s School, Muzaffarpur

Aman Kumar
Class VI,
Asian School, Muzaffarpur

Manish Kumar
Class XII,
St Xavier’s, Muzaffarpur

This week’s question:

Identify this Hollywood actor .

Clue: He recently came to India to promote his film set to release today

Readers can send their answers to ttbihar@abp.in

Remember to mention your name, address, class, school and email id with the answers. Please send only one answer for the question.