Are you looking for some fun ways to have a super fun summer outside? Well then, you’ve come to the right place! Here are some fun, easy, inexpensive ways to beat the heat this summer!
The first thing you probably think of when you think of summer is, of course, swimming. Swimming is an awesome way to not only have fun, but escape the heat! So, on the next sunny day, why not hit the pool or beach? For home-made water fun, break out the sprinkler.
Something that probably doesn’t come to mind but is actually a really fun thing to do is making your own dolls out of mud. If you’re the kind of kid who loves getting down and dirty, then you should try this! My friend and I do this all the time and we love it. What you do is find some mud, which shouldn’t be very hard. Then you shape a handful of mud into whatever shape you want! It could be a person, an animal, anything you want! Let the mud-figurine dry out over a night or two. When you come back the next day, you’ll have a new mud doll! Then, you can take leaves, sticks, rocks, branches, pretty much any natural object, and make houses and furniture for them!
My absolute favorite thing to do in the summer that I look forward to all winter is playing on the trampoline with my best friend, who is also my neighbor. A lot of people don’t like trampolines because they think they’re boring, just jumping up and down, up and down, up and down. But in reality, you can do just about anything on a trampoline! My friends and I usually play monkey in the middle or a game we call mad-cow. In mad-cow, one player says what animal he/she wants to be. Then, that person must act like that animal and try to tap the other players while his/hers eyes are closed. Now, one might argue that trampolines are much too dangerous, but you can easily get ones with nets, which make you much less likely to get hurt. Also, it’s great exercise!
An activity that doubles as a way to make some money is having a lemonade stand! I find it to be much more fun when you’re with friends, but if they’re not around, you can do it on your own, too. All you need is, of course, some lemonade, cups, a small table, and maybe a chair or two.
Another activity that I really enjoy doing, alone or with friends, is fishing. We always have a great time, enjoying the warm weather, maybe wading in the water, spotting a turtle or two. Fishing is a peaceful way to relieve stress. Also, the thrill of hooking a good-sized fish cannot be beat.
Honestly, you don’t need to do anything to have a good, or even great, time! Just laying back, enjoying being wherever you are instead of being stuck at school, is an awesome way to spend your day. Just watch the clouds go by. If it’s one of those days where there isn’t a cloud in the sky, then try to get a nice tan. (At least until Mom comes after you with the sunscreen!) Just being with a friend can really make your day.
Editor’s Note: Allison Ervin, 13, the granddaughter of Lehman’s Hardware founder, Jay Lehman. She joins us this first weekend of summer for a youth’s-eye-view of summer fun. Look for her pieces periodically. She’s a great writer, and we’re glad to have her perspective.
