50 Things to Do in Summer

            I don’t know about anyone else, but down south in Texas it’s getting really hot. Mosquitoes are invading our backyards and the temperatures are rising into the nineties. Pool cleaners are busy with plenty of business, and the waterparks are starting to get busy. Also, you can hear the not-so-subtle hum of children anxiously waiting to get out of school. For me, I’m out today (Friday, May 29, 2015) at 12:30 PM. WOOHOO! It’s summer!

            Plenty of people are going on vacations or sending their kids to camp. I’m not even going to be in my state for the entire month of June, but others have no plans whatsoever. For this I have a solution.

Here we are, with 50 Things To Do in Summer!

(I apologize in advance for how long this is)

1.     Lemonade Stand or Bake Sale

This is good to start your summer off with. It will probably fund some of your activities, which is especially good for friends who don’t want to pay very much. Also, it’s nice to be the one refreshing people.

2.     Pictures

Take plenty of pictures. Selfies, landscapes, and everything else. Even polaroid pictures! You want to remember your fabulous summer, so why not capture a vibrant photo of it. This activity will also help with activity #49.

3.     Shopping

Because it is summer, you are going to need a new wardrobe. Spend a day with the girls at your local mall and buy light colored clothing to wear in the next three months. A tip: flowers and pastels look great in sunny places.

4.     Game Non-Stop

If there are boys in your group, they are going to love this (not saying that girls don’t like video games. I’m all about gender equality. It’s just a fact that there are more boys playing video games than girls. Maybe this activity will change that…). You basically play video games for a set amount of time (two hours is a good minimum) without any breaks. Yes, this means no bathroom breaks, so make sure everyone takes a trip to the powder room before starting.

5.     Movie Marathon

You can pick any series of movies for this one. A few suggestions are Harry Potter, Star Wars, Fast and Furious, Twilight, etc… You could also pick a genre (like Disney Princesses or thrillers). This is a great activity for family, friends, or just yourself.

6.     Concert

This is definitely one for you and either your friends or a significant other. If it is an artist dedicated toward younger audiences, a family trip also may be fun. Concerts are great ways to see local artists, or watch your favorites live. It is a great opportunity to discover a new favorite band or genre. A music festival is also a nice endeavor that is similar to this activity.

7.     Fake Tattoos

This is fun to do before you get to the beach. Take some white nail polish and draw the design you want somewhere on your skin that is visible when you are wearing your swimsuit (the back of your hand is a good place). Then, when you’re on the beach keep the nail polish on. The water should not take it off, but if it does it’s not a huge deal. Leave the nail polish on as long as your beach trip lasts. If it comes off, paint it back on as exactly as it was before as possible. When you’re done with your beach trip take the nail polish off with nail polish remover (non-acetone works best). You should have a cool tanline-design!

8.     The Beach

Though I don’t personally like the beach (because sand gets everywhere), it is a favorite for all ages. Sunbathing, swimming, what more is there to ask for? Tip: Bring sunscreen. Boiled lobster probably isn’t the look you’re going for.

9.     Dip Dying

Though this definitely is not mandatory, it is nice to lighten your hair up for the next sunny months. If you don’t know what dip dying is, it is basically when you dip your hair into a colorful hair dye to make the tips change color (hence the dip dye). Instructions to do this cheaply here. Tip: Read all the instructions before you dye your hair.

10.  Volunteer Work

To give back to the community, why not do some volunteer hours at a food bank, homeless shelter, animal shelter, or anywhere else that you think is appropriate. Might as well get some good karma.

11.  Fair, Carnival, or Circus

Each of these events is really fun. Music, food, what more could be asked for? You may even get to ride a pony (or an elephant)! I personally love the circus.

12.  Fireworks

If you live in America, 4^th of July is a great date to do this, but if not, it’s fun anyway. Host a party and shoot off some bottle rockets. People love watching the night sky light up in front of their eyes. Tip: Light the fireworks at night so you can see them. Also, make sure you aren’t violating any laws and that you are located in a clear space so no trees catch on fire.

13.  Parade

Go see a parade, whether it’s for patriotism or a holiday. It would be even better if you participated in a parade. Tip: Make sure to bring candy to throw out for children.

14.  Picnic

There is something about a basket filled with some P B and J that just screams summer. To start with, pack a few sandwiches, snacks, and some juice pouches in a basket. Make sure to bring disposable silverware, plates, and napkins also. To cushion your food, include a blanket in the basket. Then, head to your local park, spread out the blanket, and dig in with whomever you invited. Tip: Pack some bug spray. You wouldn’t want any ants carrying away your watermelon.

15.  Fly Kites and Blow Bubbles

This is a classic summer activity. Buy a cool kite online, (or make one) or some bubbles from the dollar store. Then, walk (or drive) to a park and chill out. Tip: Make sure it’s a windy day; otherwise your kite won’t fly.

116.  Bonfire

Sometimes summer nights get a bit chilly. This is where a cool bonfire (that was sort of an oxymoron) comes in. If no one you know is willing to have a bonfire party, then you can make one yourself, but be cautious. I wouldn’t want you to burn your neighborhood down. Maybe bring some marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate to make some s’mores. Tip:  S'moreos are my favorite variation on this. Just sick a toasted marshmallow in between the cookies and cream of an Oreo.

17.  Stargaze

Whether it’s in the back of a truck, or in your backyard, stargazing is relaxing yet summery at the same time. The Night Sky is an app that allows you to point anywhere with your device and see what constellations are in the area. Try to identify as many as possible.

Note: The Night Sky does not sponsor me. I actually do use the app.

18.  Water Park

You don’t have to know how to swim to go to a water park. Most of them cater to all skill levels and will have warning signs for dangerous rides. Water parks are an excellent way to spend your day. Your trip may exhaust you, but it will be worth it. Tip: Bring sunscreen and reapply. Nobody wants to look like a lobster while sporting his or her new clothes.

19.  Roller Skate

This is my favorite on the list by far. My friends and I love to roller skate. Even if you don’t know how, it is fairly easy to catch onto. A tip on getting started: don’t be afraid to get off the wall and lift your feet up. That’s what gets you moving.

20.  Something Stupid

Summer is no fun if you are serious the whole time. Be silly and dumb, just not to the point of serious  consequences.

21.  Paint War

This takes a little explaining, so I’m going to give you instructions in steps.

1.     Lay a large tarp out in a clear area. If you are using a public place (like a park), make sure you have permission.

2.     Have everyone dress in white. A white t-shirt, white pants, etc… Also, wear shoes that are waterproof that you don’t care about. Make sure everyone packed a separate pair of clothes and store them in a safe but nearby place.

3.     Give all people who don’t want their hair to get messy a shower cap.

4.     Pour bright colors (blue, red, yellow, basically anything from the rainbow) on separate paper plates around the tarp.

5.     Start the fun. Allow people to dip their hands in the paint and start flicking it onto each other. Hit them (lightly), drip it onto them, etc… Have fun with it.

6.     Change out of your paint splattered clothes and lay them somewhere to dry. Now is when you get into your change of clothes, unless you prefer to stay naked, which is your choice. You may not want to strut your birthday suit if you're in a public park though. This would also be a good time to wash off.

7.     When the clothes are dry, have everyone sign their names on the shirts/pants with a fabric marker (or permanent marker). Now everyone has a souvenir to remember the summer.

22.  Bowling

The great thing about bowling is there can be many players. It is also relatively cheap for an alley. Don’t forget that there is food: junk food, but still food.

23.  Movie Theater

Go and see the latest flick with someone. You can pick any movie you like, and it is easy for everyone to pay for their own ticket separately, so there is no need for any tricky division problems. You just got out of school, you wouldn’t want to start math up again.

24.  Skype Sleepover

This activity is geared more for middle-school students. If you have a group of friends with both genders (like me), this is the activity for you. Basically, you Skype the entire time (except when you’re changing. Ew). You can chat, make jokes, anything, but you aren’t in the same room, so your parents won’t be suspecting anything fishy is going on.

Note: Skype does not sponsor me. It’s just the most common video chat software for computers.

25.  Spa Day

If you want to go by yourself or with the girls, this is a great destination for anyone who feels like being pampered. A massage, a facial, waxing (if you want to. It sounds painful to me), and anything to do with internal and external beauty is perfect for any girl. If an actual spa sounds too expensive, here is a link for a spa party at home. 

26.  Ice-Cream

This sweet treat is everyone’s favorite. Make floats, banana splits, or anything else your sweet tooth desires. There’s even an ice-cream for those who can’t eat dairy: sherbet. This ice-“cream” is made of fruit juice, not milk. There are a few cool treat recipes coming in a future blog post, so watch for it.

27.  Swim

If you can’t make it to a beach, you can always go to a swimming pool. In Texas, many people (including myself) have their own private pool in their backyard, but if no one you know is willing to let you swim with them, go to a community pool. A season pass may be something to invest in if you plan on swimming often.

28.  Aquarium or Zoo

It’s cool to see all the rare (and not so rare) animals from all around the world, and what better place to go than an aquarium or zoo. Aquariums typically feature marine life, but the one local to my area features a dinosaur exhibit also (don't ask me why. I have no idea). I tend to avoid zoos because of the giraffes, but everything else is really fun. There are normally small aquariums inside of zoos, but sometimes they cost extra money. Zoos also normally offer food dispensers for some harmless animals.

29.  Foreign Restaurant

Even though I know you would much rather be munching on a Popsicle, you need to get some culture in the summer. Try a new restaurant with food you’ve never had before. This will expand your palate and if you don’t like the food, you never have to go there again.

30.  Museum

Though I’m not into history much myself, I think museums are really cool. Try to find a museum with a cool new exhibit, or a presentation of some sort. This will also give you the culture needed for a balanced summer.

31.  Binge

If you don’t know what binging is, I will explain it to you. Bingeing is basically when you take a lot more of something than you know you should, but you enjoy it so much you do it anyway. Bingeing is most commonly used with junk food, but you can binge with other things too. Summer is the time to relax, so take a binge day. Watch too much of your favorite Netflix show, listen to too many sad love songs, and eat all the chips you desire. Just make sure you only designate one or two days in the summer to do this. I would not want to be responsible for problems too much bingeing would cause. Binge bingeing is the last thing you want to do.

32.  Dollar Store Spree

This is a fun one. Have everyone take ten dollars to the dollar store, and then get as many different items as possible with the money. Whoever buys the most items should receive some sort of prize (maybe any item they choose from the store?).

33.   Be Generous to a Stranger

This is very simple but also good for good karma. Tell a stranger that they’re beautiful, or give them fifteen bucks, or help them with something. My family gives tacos to the local homeless people. Even a smile may make someone’s day.

34.  “Teach Me” Day

This is another one of my favorites. Think of the one (or more) thing that you cannot do, but most people can do it. Maybe it’s riding a bike or swimming. My friend can’t twirl spaghetti. Then, get all your friends together and teach each other how to do the things. It may be a “Teach Me” couple days depending on how long it takes to teach someone something (like swimming).

35.  Be Tourists

Take your friend or significant other and act like a tourist for your city. Visit all the famous landmarks or sites, buy something at a gift shop, and eat at a popular restaurant. This may even change your perspective on the wonderful place you live in.

36.  Board Games

Set up a few board game stations. Some of my favorite games are Clue, Life, Connect Four, Battleship, and Uno. Rotate games after a set amount of time (thirty minutes should be good for longer games, and shorter games can be replayed), and switch every once and a while. There should be two or more people in each group.

37.  Tournament

Pick a tournament of some sort (dance, sports, thumb wrestling, anything). Have someone set up brackets on a large poster and hang them on a wall. Then have a designated referee fill in the brackets as people go, announce things, and of course, ref.

38.  Dance Party

Host a dance party in someone’s house. Set a theme (disco, punk, rap, etc…) and have people dress accordingly. Play music from the theme, and have some dance offs. For instructions on a cool dance party, click here.

39.  Pie Someone

Buy some premade piecrusts at a grocery store and fill their bottoms with pudding. Then top them off with a whole lot of whipped cream. Select a few people (preferably volunteers) to be pied. Then, have them line up and play a game of Russian roulette. There should be one designated pie-er (I hope that's the word), so have them line up with a few other people. Have each pie-ee pick a person, and whoever gets the pie-er, well, gets pied.

40.  Prank a Stranger

This is one of the easiest. All you have to do is visit this website and pick a random line to say to a stranger. Have someone videotape it so you can admire your work. Tip: Don’t go too far with a pickup line. It may not end well.

41.  Debate

Pick a topic (it could be political or utterly idiotic) to debate over. Be civilized, and don’t yell or argue. Have a referee in case something gets out of hand and a few judges to see who argued the case better. Whoever wins should receive a prize of some sort.

42.  Art

This doesn’t have to be a Leonardo Da Vinci painting. Do something weird, like crayon or interpretive art. Maybe work with clay, or something like that. Just have fun with it.

43.  War

Have a Nerf or water war in someone’s backyard. Set up obstacles and barricades. Divide people into teams and set rules for when somebody dies. Make sure that nobody gets seriously injured, because it’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

44.  Water Party

In someone’s backyard put a few sprinklers on and set up a water balloon station. Also stash some water guns around. Then, have a water fun day. For a bonus, add a slip and slide.

45.  Shaving Cream Party

Set up a tarp in a clear area (again, if it’s public get permission). Then, have everyone be either in a swimsuit or clothes they don’t care about. Have everyone bring a can of shaving cream, and party away. Shape it, fight with it, do whatever you want with it. There are no boundaries (except maybe stuffing it down someone's throat. That may be a little overboard).

46.  Find or Make a Reading Spot

On of my favorite things to do, not just in summer, but in all times, is reading. Just because you’re out of school or work doesn’t mean you have to stop reading. Find a happy place for reading (such as under a big tree or in a comfy armchair). If you can’t find a place, make one. Put a blanket on the floor with a beanbag chair or some pillows (or both. Your call). They you can set up a fan to keep you cool. BAM! You’ve got yourself a reading nook.

47.  Extreme Truth or Dare

 Truth or Dare is fun for friends, boys and girls alike. This is also hard to explain, so I’m going to give you steps on how to do this one.

1.     Optional Step: Take a hat and have everyone write truths and dares on separate pieces of paper. Then place all truths in one hat/container and dares in a hat/container.

2.     Take a piece of paper and divide its surface into four sections. In each section write one of the following: Dare, Double Dare, Pain, and Super Dare. Then take another piece of paper and divide it into four sections and write one of the following in each section: Truth, Opinion, Burn, and Secret. Then attach a spinner to each piece of paper. It could be anything from a piece of paper to a spoon.

3.     Gather your friends around in a circle, with both pieces of paper in the center. Also include a soda can/bottle in the middle.

4.     Spin the can and see whom it lands on (the side with the tab points to the chosen one).

5.     Ask them truth or dare.

6.     For truth, spin the spinner on the truth paper. The opposite goes for dare. See the following for what to do with each section.

Dare: Either create a dare or pick a dare from the hat to perform.

Double Dare: Spin the can to see who performs the dare with the selected person.

Pain: Give the chosen one a painful dare.

Super Dare: Everyone has to do the dare.

Truth: Either pick a dare from a hat or make one.

Opinion: Share an opinion about something chosen by another player.

Burn: Burn (verbally, not with fire) another player (don’t be too rude).

Secret: Tell a secret to all the players.

Additional Note: Everyone is allowed one chicken (figuratively, unless, you know, you want to buy one or something. Eggs work). A chicken is when you refuse to do the dare/truth. After a chicken is used you may refuse a dare or truth, but the other players then have the permission to give you something worse.

48.  Mix Tape Swap

This is best done at the end of summer. Have all the people participating put their names into a hat. Then have everyone draw a person. If they get themselves redraw. Then have everyone create a custom playlist for the person they drew. Burn the playlist onto a CD and make a “Table of Songs”. Include an explanation for each song and why you put it on their playlist.  If you want to get old school, you can actually record tapes. You may want to check if the receiver has a tape player.

49.   Collage

Making a collage is excellent for summer memories. Give each person a poster board and pile plenty of pictures on a surface of some sort. Allow everyone to tape/glue the pictures onto their board. Also, give everyone a marker so they can write a message to each person on their board.

50.  Popsicles

Eat a lot of popsicles. It is summer after all. Also, make your own homemade popsicles.

            FINALLY! I’m done with my list. This took me at least four hours to write, probably more. I’m planning on doing all these things during my summer. I hope you will too. Have a wonderful vacation, and enjoy it while it lasts.
Note: None of the pictures in this blog are mine. They are all from various websites.

Signed,

The Odd Child

SLOTH