Make This the Best Summer EVER with These Activities
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It's finally summertime! The best time of the year to step outside to enjoy hot weather, long days, and laid-back vibes that says nearly anything goes during the dog days of summer. As our responsibilities wane and the busyness of the rest of the year goes on the back burner, it’s time to start filling our beautiful days with fun things to do in the summer. If you're looking for options to add to your seasonal list, you’ve come to the right place.
When it comes to things to do in the summer with friends, we love music festivals, free events, cooling off while floating down the river, and volunteering. On the rare day where there’s rain or the weather sours, our favorite summer things to do at home include curling up with a great summer book or relaxing on the sofa with a classic summer movie. (Of course, you can also invite the whole gang over for an ice cream social or to get creative with an exciting DIY summer craft.) Then, of course, there are the once-a-year happenings it’d be a shame to miss out on, such as your local state or county fair.
Our favorite summer activities include going for a swim (or even just floating in an inflatable backyard pool), DIY projects and crafts, long driving on pretty backroads with the top down in a convertible, and—no surprise here—spending time perfecting favorite grilling recipes and no-bake desserts. With our handy-dandy summer bucket list as your guide, this season is sure to be your best one ever!
Discover wonderful summer ideas, recipes, and travel guides to plan the best summer ever:
Host a Lowcountry Shrimp Boil
In this season of outdoor dining, it doesn't get any more relaxed than throwing down some newspaper and gathering around a table for a Carolina-style lowcountry shrimp boil. Don't forget the extra rolls of paper towels!
RELATED: How to Cook a Lowcountry Shrimp Boil
Go Antiquing
Whether you plan to hit up outdoor flea markets or that one backroad antique mall that's always been on your bucket list, summer is the perfect time to start a vintage collection.
RELATED: Go Antiquing Like a Pro With These Designer Tips
Learn How to Hang a Hammock
Enjoy a breezy weekend day with a nap outside in your very own backyard hammock. Follow our easy to follow instructions for how to hang a hammock and you'll be relaxing in no time.
Grill Fruit
Topped with whipped cream or ice cream, fresh from the grill peaches, pineapples, and bananas are a fun alternative to traditional summer desserts.
Fly a Kite
Grab a set of pretty kites in a local toy store and make your way outside for a "model flight" with your family or friends. If you have little ones, let everyone select a colorful kite to enjoy plenty of airplay in your backyard or a park.
RELATED: Learn How to Fly a Kite.
Throw an Ice Cream Social
Set up a serve-yourself bar filled with unique ice cream flavors, toppings, and soda pairings, then invite friends over to create their own root beer floats, banana splits, ice cream sundaes and more.
RELATED: Best Ice Cream Festivals Across America
Toss Out a Fishing Line
If you're an outdoorsy person, take a weekend day to pack up your tackle box, favorite lures, and fishing poles for some quality time with a fellow outdoor enthusiasts near the water.
RELATED: DIY Your Own Fishing Pole
Fire Up the Grill
When it comes to cooking a summer meal outdoors, that usually means grilling. Everyone should know how to make the perfect burger, but don't forget about the best summer sides and even grilled desserts.
Create an Easy Craft
Calling all DIY lovers! This exhaustive roundup of fun summer crafts includes dozens of easy-to-make ideas, including this cute and functional multitiered herb stand made from a collection of vintage bowls.
Pick Up New Summer Sundresses
These easy-breezy frocks are the unofficial outfit of warm weather season. Browse sundresses to find new additions for your dress collection.
Tackle a Scavenger Hunt
Lovers of interactive challenges, download Country Living's free printable scavenger hunt for your next family trip. The fun and challenging summer game will make time on the road fun! The winner gets to pick a prize at the next truck stop.
RELATED: Go on a Country Scavenger Hunt
Go Camping
Head to a local state park or stay close to home by organizing a camping trip with friends for a fun summer activity. Pack up your tent and best camping chairs, and set out for an adventure in the great outdoors. Try some of these best campfire recipes on a camping stove—you'll be hungry after setting up camp!
RELATED: 52 Unique Camping Gifts For Outdoorsy Folks
...or Go Glamping
If your ideal version of being outdoorsy involves a cozy bed and a massage, consider adding glamorous glamping trip to your annual travel plans.
RELATED: 32 of the Best Glamping Destinations Across the United States That Are Seriously Gorgeous
Take the Karaoke Party Outside
Buy a mobile entertainment setup to host a spectacular karaoke gathering at home with family and friends! Fire up the grill and setup in the backyard or on the deck for a long day of singing, esting, and bonding with your circle.
RELATED: 40 of the Best Karaoke Songs for Your Next Night Out
Pack a Picnic
Food just tastes better when you're eating outdoors, whether you're in a park, at the beach, or even in your own backyard.
RELATED: Delicious Packable Recipes to Help You Plan the Perfect Picnic
Hit Up a County Fair
Your local county or state fair is sure to provide fun for the whole family. Where else can you eat funnel cake, ride a ferris wheel, and win prizes while playing games?
Take a Horse Ride
Hit the trails for an exciting summer activity—horse riding. Call local equestrian schools or stables for the schedule of classes. Whether you're an experienced rider or never been on a horse, you're sure to find the right guided experience for an adventure on the trail.
Turn Your Backyard into a Pool
Whether you opt for an inflatable pool or go the stock tank route, a temporary backyard swimming spot is just the thing you need to cool off in hotter months.
Go for a Hike
Calling all early risers! Morning is often the best time to hit the trails, as your hiking path will be less crowded, and you won't be out for hours in direct sunlight.
RELATED: The 50 Best Hikes in the U.S.
Swim with Sea Turtles
If your summer plans include heading to a beach destination with a population of adorable water wildlife, add swimming with turtles to your to-do list. Check out Airbnb Experiences and local directories to find safe activities for playing alongside sea animals.
Hop in a Kayak
If you're near a beach or river, load a kayak and backpack with water and food for an exciting day in the water! Don't forget to also pack a first aid kit and essential supplies for a safe summer excursion.
Surprise Your Friends with a Kind Gesture
Pick fresh flowers from your garden or stop by a floral shop to pick up blossoms to create a beautiful arrangement for a friend that loves nature. From meal trains for a sick family member to bike flower deliveries to a good friend, find unexpected ways to show affections for loved ones.
RELATED: 10 Tricks That Will Help You Arrange Flowers Like a Pro
Plan a Roller Rink Reunion
Plan a carefree outing that includes rolling across a skating rink with your besties. You'll feel like a kid again while catching up with old and new friends! don't forget to make time for pizza, hot dogs, and soda from the concession stand!
Savor Tomato Season!
Regardless of whether you believe this produce is a fruit or a vegetable, tomatoes add a sweet punch of flavor to any dish. Enjoy juicy tomatoes during peak of summer and make some of our favorite tomato recipes too!
RELATED: 37 Best Tomato Recipes for America's Most Popular Produce
Attend an Outdoor Concert
Whether your taste is country or pop, nothing beats a summer day enjoying a musical festival with old and new friends.
RELATED: Summer Country Songs That Never Get Old
Make Homemade Popsicles
Making popsicles in the summer is like baking cookies in the winter—something you have to do. Try using the season's freshest fruit for the ultimate flavor profile.
RELATED: 40 Homemade Popsicle Recipes
Go Birdwatching
Admire the beauty of nature with your fellow birders by getting on the trail at a local park or nature preserve for birdwatching. Spend the afternoon or early evening together at the center of idyllic sights.
RELATED: Beginner’s Guide to Birding
Take Dip in a Swimming Hole
The coolest way to cool off this summer can't be found at the community pool. For a true adventure, head to one of America's most scenic swimming holes.
Treat Yourself to a Lobster Roll
Lobster rolls may be pricey, but they're definitely worth the splurge at least once this summer. Learn how to make these classic sandwiches with our Classic Lobster Rolls Recipe!
Pick a Bundle of Lavender
Come summer, there are plenty of lavender farms across the U.S. that will let pick your own fragrant bundle—or simply offer an ideal photo op for that perfect summer Instagram caption.
Head to the Park
Load the car with outdoor games, a cooler of cold drinks, and basket with delicious picnic food for an afternoon of summer activities at the park with friends.
RELATED: DIY Outdoor Games for Kids and Adults
Discover a Signature Summer Cocktail
Summer is the best time to sip on a cool, refreshing drink. Try out some new summer drink recipes featuring seasonal ingredients, like this Raspberry and Lemon Rosé Sparkler, and discover a new personal favorite.
Make S'mores
There's nothing (and we mean nothing) wrong with a good ol' graham cracker-marshmallow-chocolate bar combo. But if you want to up your s'mores game, we suggest these unexpected, equally delicious s'mores recipes.
Run Through a Sprinkler
Whether you're 5 or 50, running through a sprinkler is just plain fun! And the best part? All you need is a hose and patch of grass to make this classic summertime activity a reality.
Preserve Your Favorite Summer Fruits and Vegetables
When the farmers' market is closed for the season, you're going to wish you preserved all those goodies. Fruit preserves, pickles, and canned tomatoes are a good place to start.
Visit a Botanical Garden
Spending the day surrounded by natural beauty is good for the soul, it's a fact. Browse your local botanical garden for fresh air and gardening inspiration galore. And if your city or town doesn't have one, a stroll through a park has the same effect. Bonus: Kids love it!
RELATED: 10 of America's Oldest Gardens
Shop Your Local Farmers' Market
Get the freshest, in-season produce grown by nearby farmers. And look for meats, cheeses, honey, and flowers from local vendors too. You might be surprised at all the good stuff you can bring home.
RELATED: 9 Ways to Shop Like a Pro at the Farmers' Market
Go to a Parade
Cue the favorite summer tunes and put on your most festive ensemble to attend a grand parade or event that celebrates Juneteenth, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, or Independence Day.
RELATED: 71 Fourth of July Recipes to Celebrate America
Go for a Bike Ride
Take to the trails (or just your neighborhood streets) on two wheels. Also, rent bikes while you're on vacation—it's a great (and affordable) way to explore.
Pick Fresh Flowers
Make use of the pretty flowers you've grown in your yard, or set out to a nearby flower farm to cut fresh blooms. Arrange them in a pretty Mason jar or make one of our DIY flower Crafts for your home.
Drive a Convertible
Even if you have to borrow or rent it, a convertible is hands-down the most fun way to experience the open road. Whether for a day or a weekend (or longer if you're lucky!), consider a family road trip for a summer getaway.
Wash the Car
Skip that drive-through car wash! Pull out the garden hose, fill a bucket with sudsy water, and enlist some little helpers to get your ride squeaky clean. It's a great way to cool off from hot summer temps while being productive at the same time. Reward the car wash crew by taking your clean car on a spin to the ice cream shop!
Float the River
There's a reason every water park in the country has a "lazy river." Whether you live near the Guadalupe in Texas, the Truckee in Nevada, or the Shenandoah in West Virginia, grab your tube (and your cooler, of course), and spend they day living by the motto "it's not the destination, it's the journey."
Go Stargazing
Get ready for a night under the stars! Load a telescope, camping gear and supplies into your car for a stay at camping ground with minimal light pollutions and clear views of the galaxy.
RELATED: The National Park Service Guide to Stargazing
Watch a Movie Outdoors
Movie screens in the backyard are certainly trending. Throw down a blanket, queue up the projector, and bring on the snacks (with no worries whatsoever about spilling!).
Volunteer Locally
Give back to your local community by volunteering your time to a cause important to you. Here are some ideas: feeding the homeless, picking up litter, and planting or harvesting at a community garden.
RELATED: 30 Ways to Give Back to Your Community
Spend the Day on the Water
Whether you're brunching on a boat, dining on the dock, or taking a dip in the lake, a spot on or near the water is the ideal place to soak in the last days of summer.
Eat Corn on the Cob
While everyone has their preferred way to prepare this summer delicacy, why not try a new method at your next cookout? Here are 25 scrumptious sweet corn recipes to choose a favorite pick!
Read a Book in the Park
Take a break from technology while getting a well-deserved dose of vitamin D.
RELATED: Best Summer Beach Reads
Make a Scrapbook
Create a new tradition by making a scrapbook to document your favorite summer moments. Take a picture every time you cross something off of your bucket list and add to an album, along with mementos and funny stories.
Take a Road Trip
Summer is the perfect time to explore, so hit the open road. Let each passenger pick a place they want to see, an activity they want to experience, or a place they want to eat. Make a rule to always stop at roadside stands!
RELATED: Road Trip Stops in Every State You Need to Add to Your List
Catch a Sunset
Even if you don't travel very far, there's nothing like watching the setting sun while surrounded by nature at the end of a long day.
RELATED: Summer Quotes to Help You Celebrate the Season
Take an Afternoon to Relax
Grab a new book from your bookcase and head outside on a sunny afternoon to lounge inside a hammock or chair under some shady trees. Enjoy a healthy dose of Vitamin D in your backyard with a good book, a cold drink, and summer snacks nearby.
RELATED: 15 Best Hammocks for Backyard Naps, Camping Trips, or Anywhere Else
Check Out Free Events
Are you still looking for fun summer activities but on a tight budget? Skip staying at home and find free things to do in your local paper or on Eventbrite and Facebook Events. Don't miss free and fun attractions, exhibits, and festivals across all 50 U.S. states that will leave your wallet unscathed.
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