No one should be bored during the summer. After all, being able to comfortably spend time outdoors opens up so many opportunities for fun. These months are so precious, especially for us college students, that it’s almost a crime to waste a single moment. I hope this list can help if you ever find yourself with zero obligations this summer!
1. Ride your bike to the nearest convenience store.
Of course, you could drive, but where’s the novelty in that? I’d recommend investing in a blue raspberry slushie and some dill pickle sunflower seeds while you’re there, but that’s just me.
2. Play beach volleyball with your friends.
If you don’t have enough people, then try asking a group you find at the beach. Yeah, it can be kind of nerve-wracking to ask a bunch of strangers to play volleyball with you, but it’ll be worth it if they say yes!
3. Help out your parents and clean the house, do dishes or do laundry.
They’ll appreciate it so much and it’s a good way to pass the time quickly.
4. Draw all over your driveway with sidewalk chalk.
You’re guaranteed to feel like a little kid again.
5. Read a book, if you’re into that kind of thing.
You have from now until September to read strictly for enjoyment, so take advantage of it!
6. Update your music playlists.
There’s always good music out there that you’ve never heard. In fact, Spotify creates a helpful playlist for each user called “Discover Weekly.” It’s updated every Monday and is full of songs recommended for you.
7. Have a cute little picnic at the park.
Gather up some sandwiches, fruit, chips, a bottle of sparkling grape juice, a blanket and some friends and go to your favorite park. You could even have the picnic in the comfort of your own backyard.
8. Paint something.
Your cat, a sunset, a tree, you name it. Brushes are optional since finger-painting is so gosh darn fun.
9. Make homemade popsicles.
These Jell-O popsicles, fat-free chocolate fudge popsicles and coconut popsicles all sound delicious.
10. Start a journal.
Write about your day, your thoughts, your feelings, etc. Anything goes! Hopefully, you no longer have to worry about your little siblings searching through your room to find your “top secret diary.”
11. Make your own backyard slide.
This has always been a dream of mine ever since I saw it done in some movie about college. All you need is a tarp or plastic sheet, a hose, and a hill.
12. Go to any city, state or national park of your choosing and go for a walk or a run on the trails.
If you don’t know of any places like this in your area, then just look online. I was oblivious to the beautiful parks within 50 miles of my home until I Googled “places to hike near me” one day.
13. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while because life got in the way.
See what they’re up to and ask if they’d like to catch up. Chances are that they’ve been missing you, too.
14. Think about your future and do some online research.
Wherever you’re at in life, there’s always a “future” to get excited about. Maybe this means looking up apartments in the area you want to live in one day, workplaces you might apply at or cars you may want to purchase.
15. Write a letter to a long-distance friend or family member.
Everyone loves finding a personal letter in a stack of junk mail! Spend time making it look creative and artsy. I like making my envelopes look like this.
16. Learn (or re-learn) how to play an instrument if you have access to one.
If you’re a total beginner, then YouTube is full of tutorials on anything from how to read music to how to play the ukulele. Playing an instrument is truly a lifetime activity and there’s always room for improvement.
17. Rearrange or organize something.
Whether it’s your entire room or a certain shelf or drawer that hasn’t been in tip-top shape lately, organizing the material things in your life can feel extremely refreshing.
18. Lay outside.
The sun feels amazing and is a great source of Vitamin D. You know you love being tan. Blasting your favorite music makes this pastime even more enjoyable.
19. Drive around with no destination.
Take roads you’ve never been on before and see what you find. Being a Wisconsinite, I usually come across more than a couple farms when I do this. Make sure you have a charged cell phone to GPS your way back home when you’re done exploring.
20. As the perfect last addition to my list, try to spend as little time as possible on social media (meaning when you’re done reading this, log off)!
When we’re bored, it’s become instinctive to mindlessly scroll through every social media app on our phones. When we’ve exhausted all of our options and have run out of things to check, we probably think, “Well, what now?” It’s a downward spiral of boredom. So put down your phone and do something that’s physically or mentally stimulating, such as numbers one through 19 on this very list.
I hope you can use this list if you’re ever at a loss for things to do. Summer should be a time for adventure, not boredom. As my middle school principal, Mrs. Martino, used to say, “Make every day the best day of your life, until tomorrow.”
