By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern
Summer is a close second to spring for me when it comes to favorite seasons. It may have something to do with being raised in Arizona and not knowing much different when it comes to weather.
Regardless, I love spending time outside and in the water in the summer, usually at a lake or beach. So here are my top 50 activities to do with friends and family in the summer, with an emphasis on water activities:
- Swim at a nearby lake
- Rent jet ski’s and take them to the lake
- Rent a paddleboard and paddle down to the Salt River or at a lake
- Have a picnic on the lake’s beach
- Go tubing down the Salt River
- Rent an RV and camp out by the lake
- Go camping
- Go feed the ducks at the pond by the Arizona Farm Bureau’s office in Gilbert
- Do water games: water balloon fight, Slip ‘N Slide, sprinklers, etc.
- Swim in a pool
- Make popsicles
- Make homemade ice cream
- Take a road trip to a beach
- Try boogie boarding at the beach
- Go fishing off the ocean pier
- Fly a kite at the beach
- Learn to surf
- Go deep sea fishing
- Try parasailing behind a boat
- Try kitesurfing
- Try sailboarding
- Read a new book
- Read an old favorite book
- Set up and enjoy a hammock
- Make a summer playlist
- Buy a Fourth of July t-shirt from Old Navy (my family used to do this every year)
- Make a new recipe for the grill
- Learn how to carve a watermelon jack-o’-lantern or fruit basket
- Learn to make a fun summer drink (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). As kids, my friends and I loved to drink homemade virgin pina coladas!
- Try a new recipe for a side dish
- Decorate the house for the Fourth of July
- Go back to school clothing shopping with your kids
- Go back to school supply shopping with your kids
- Make a fort (try this awesome idea: use a king sized sheet on a queen sized bed (or queen size on a full bed, etc). Tape the box fan to the sheet so it has a sheet border on the side of the fan by the edge of the bed and to the top, leaving the side of the sheet at the end of the bed not taped down like the other 3 sides of the sheet, so you can crawl inside!)
- Do a DIY project
- Do some home improvement
- Plant a flower garden
- Plant a vegetable garden
- Plant a potted herb garden in your house
- Buy a succulent or house plant
- Learn how to make pies and/or cobbler! Cherry, blueberry, peach, raspberry, etc. It also makes the perfect Fourth of July dessert served a la mode.
- Learn how to make jam
- Be the host for a barbeque
- Attend a film festival
- Make smores
- Throw a bonfire party
- Watch your favorite movies about summer
- Find a new podcast to listen to
- Discover some new musicians and songs that you like
- Go to an art museum
Find more fun activities on Fill Your Plate’s blog!