English and maths were forgotten as Nayland College students swapped textbooks for fun in the mud.

The students finished term two yesterday with a mud run, a "quirky quiz", a rave and even an eating competition.

The activities were held as a part of the Winter Festival, which involved the school's house system.

More than 200 students who participated in the mud run had to run through a creek, dive under a cargo net, go through a tunnel "commando style" and step through tyres, and were finally hosed down by firefighters.

Mud run participant Ruby Cunningham, 16, swapped her Friday afternoon English class for a cold dip in the muddy swamp next to the school.

Dripping with mud, she said she could not get enough of it and had completed the run three times.

Mud run organiser Britt Benson, 17, said the day had been a success. She was looking forward to a run in the mud herself but said her mother might be a little shocked when she got home.

"She'll say, `Just stay out there while I hose you down'."

The teachers were not going to let the students have all the fun, and Pegasus House head teacher Jeff Bryant planned to dive into the mud himself.

He said the student organisers had collectively given more than 100 hours of their time.

"When you give students the opportunity to step up, they do. I am humbled, really."

Draco House head teacher Gaye Bloomfield said it was "a nice way to end the term. It's been a long 11 weeks".

- © Fairfax NZ News