GJOA HAVEN - It's one class you can't get in trouble for playing games in.

Students at Quqshuun Ilihavik in Gjoa Haven have been taking up class time playing traditional games and drum dancing as part of Cultural Fun: a month of half-hour sessions of traditional activities.

Grade 5 Matt Ningark and Moses Totalik try the foot pull while Shania Hiqiniq, Shenell Kaloon, Leah Qitsualik and Angie Hunter watch. The games are part of Cultural Fun at Quqshuun Ilihavik in Gjoa Haven. - photo courtesy of Susan Hillier

'They enjoyed it,' co-principal Susan Hillier said. 'You hear in the hallways 'When's (instructor) Bruce (Ameralik) coming?''

Grade 5 student Moses Tootalik confirmed his sense of anticipation before class figuring it 'must be fun jumping and playing other games.'

'It's pretty cool,' he said.

Tootalik said he's good at jumping, which is why his favourite Inuit games are the one-foot and two-foot high kick.

Fellow Grade 5 student Matt Ningark agrees that taking school time to play traditional games is fun.

He also happened to beat Tootalik in a game of foot pull. Or did he?

'The first time, I beat him two times,' Tootalik said. 'The second time he beat me.'

Hillier said Cultural Fun is an example of Inuuqatigiit, the Inuit curriculum elements taught in school.

'Inuit games don't have to be done in the gym,' she said. 'It's nice to bring them into the classroom.' It may also be training the next generation of Team Nunavut members for the Arctic Winter games, Hillier said.

That sounds like a good idea to Ningark.

'Maybe it's going to be a lot of fun there,' he said

The first week had students playing Inuit games, Hillier said, with drum dancing taking over last week.

There are also plans to teach jigging and square dancing.

Tootalik said he's already well-versed in drum dancing, but otherwise he and his classmates have learned a lot from Cultural Fun.

'I've been doing (drum dancing) a lot of times. I did that when I was seven,' he said.

'(But we're) already learning a lot.