Did your students enjoy reading about The Trials when exploring this series?  Why not recreate them in a classroom contest?  Here you will find each of The Trials as they appeared in the books and suggestions for ways you can recreate each trial with your students.  As students are eliminated, allow them to participate in other ways as judges, spectators, and partners for teamwork activities.  Instead of having students compete as individuals, you can also have them compete as teams.  With both models, if you choose, you can assign points for order of completion or level of success, rather than eliminate participants.  With the winner, and new avatar, being the person or team with the most points at the end of all seven trials.

1. In the books, the first trial is an overall test of the health of the body with a swimming race from one end of the arena to the other.  In this trial, the last six mermyds to finish the race were eliminated.  For this trial, you can partner with your physical education teacher if you wish.  This trial can be a straightforward foot race.  Either eliminate the last students to complete the race, award points for the order in which the students finish, or award points based on the time bracket in which each student finishes.  For example, five minutes or less equals 10 points, five minutes to six minutes equals 9 points, six minutes to seven minutes equals 8 points, etc.  If your students are competing in the trials as teams, either have them select one student to race on their group’s behalf, or have them compete in a relay race.
2. The second trial in the books is a test of will, stamina, and health with a race in which each mermyd must carry a heavy object across the arena.  For this trial, instead of overburdening your students by having them carry objects that may be too heavy for them, test your students stamina by having them carry multiple light objects one at a time.  Try partnering with your school’s physical education teacher, whom may already have a game they use in class similar to this.  Either as individuals, a chosen team member, or in relay form, have the students transfer objects one at a time from a bin at one end of the room to the other.
3. The third trial is a test of cleverness and teamwork with a race through the city to find hidden objects that could be the answers to various riddles.  For this trial, arrange a scavenger hunt through your classroom, wing, or building, depending on what is allowed at your school.  You can use the exact riddles from the books or come up with your own.  If students are competing as individuals, let them choose a partner from the eliminated students.  If they are competing as individuals, but you are not doing elimination, let them partner up for this activity and each member of the duo will receive equal points.
4. The fourth trial tests problem solving and wisdom by having the mermyds attempt to find their way through a labyrinth.  There are a few options for how you can have your students perform this trial.  You can print off maze handouts from online and have them race to complete them the most quickly or the most number of mazes in a set time period.  If you have a large enough classroom and movable desks, you can design a simple maze with the desks acting as walls, but have your students attempt to make their way through blindfolded.  If your students are competing in teams, you can allow them to give directions to the blindfolded person to help them get through the maze.  Since one of the skills being tested is problem solving, you could do a math connection with this trial.  Have students complete math problems, with each correct answer counting as a correct turn through the maze.  Decide how many correct turns they need to make to get through the ‘maze’.  Once they have solved this many problems correctly, then they will have escaped the maze.
5. The fifth trial also tests problem solving and wisdom, but does so by asking the mermyds a question of judgment.  This trial is a great way to have your students get involved in the governance of your classroom.  Ask the students questions about problems that may arise in a classroom.  Have them decide how each problem should be handled in the future.  Evaluate their answers on thoughtfulness given to the problem and the depth of their response.
6. The sixth trial tests each mermyds connection to magic by having them demonstrate a magical ability of their choice. For this trial, have your students put on a mini-talent show!  These can be real talents, silly talents, or skits made up by the groups.  Let your students have fun and show off their creativity.
7. The final trial is a riddle.  For this trial, you can ask one riddle, with whichever student answers it first winning or gaining the most points.  You can also do a worksheet of riddles, easily found online, with more consideration or points given for the more riddles answered correctly.