Summer's on its deathbed, guys. In these first weeks of August, many of us are putting away our bathing suits and dragging our dusty backpacks out of the closet. For high school students, this means setting your alarm for the wee hours of the morning, and setting up a ride with your friends to the first day of school. For college students, this means buying books, paying fall tuition and stocking up on ramen and protein bars. But wherever you're going to school this fall, you aren't there yet (and if you are, have strength, fall break is only two months away). There are still a few days of summer left, and a few more dollars in our pockets. Here are 10 fun things to do while you still have school free days and homework free nights.
1. Go on a hike with your friends.
All of my friends will tell you that my go-to "fun thing" is hiking. That's because hiking is great. It works as both a group outing and a day to yourself (please take precautions when hiking alone). Everyone could use a day admiring nature every now and then, and most popular hiking places offer trails for both beginners and experts. So invite some friends, bring some snacks, and get out into the great outdoors before you're stuck inside studying for pre-calculus tests all fall.
2. Have a relaxed lake, beach or pool day.
Not everyone has access to a personal pool, but a lot of people are only a few hours or minute's drive from a public lake or pool. I'm lucky enough to live on a lake, and I can tell you there's no better day spent than one just relaxing on the water. Just sit out with some pals, have a good conversation and enjoy the waning hours of summer in peace.
3. Plan a movie marathon.
Relaxed days in are the easiest and cheapest things to plan when you're running out of money and time this summer. With streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon readily available for a low monthly payment, it's easier than ever to watch all of your favorite movies in a row. Or you could do it the old fashioned way and pull out the DVDs. Set up a pillow fort, throw on some pajamas and have a chill night in.
4. A small scale road trip.
Obviously a big, planned out road trip is out of the question for the last few days of summer. Not only are you out of money at this point, but you're out of time. So to save gas and money, plan a little road trip with a few other people. Find a place you've never been before that's within three or four hours of your home and prepare a good playlist for the road. That's the makings of a fun day and a lot of good memories.
5. Go stargazing.
Watching the stars is one of the best and most calming things to do before a busy school year. Sometimes, even our summers get busy and bogged down with things to do and people to see, and we forget about the show the sky is putting on each and every night. So get a blanket, some pillows, and some friends and sit out underneath the stars for a night. You might even want to stay up and watch the sunrise, but either way it's a great way to center yourself and prepare for the stresses of school days to come.
6. Try out a fun recipe.
If you're anything like me, half of your Facebook page is just videos of people making attractive looking food that you could never even dream of accomplishing in your own kitchen. Most of the time, however, these recipes are actually pretty simple. A quick trip to the local supermarket and a preheated oven later, you could have those matcha white chocolate cupcakes right in front of you. Of course, be careful around ovens and toasters and knives and such, but spending a day baking is a day very well spent and everyone knows the calories don't count when you made it yourself.
7. Hold a yard sale.
What better way to start out the new school year than by cleaning out some junk from the last one? Yard sales are fun, lucrative and fulfilling. While it may seem hard at first to give things away, eventually you'll be able to sort through things of value and useless junk easily. Also, setting one up and painting advertisement signs with your friends could be a fun craft as well.
8. Volunteer with friends.
Volunteer work is one of the most fulfilling things you can do. I know, it sounds horrible. I mean labor is bad enough when it's paid labor, am I right? Actually, not necessarily. Volunteer work has a lot of different sides. Depending on where you live, you could be doing anything from grooming horses to helping kids with math. It's not all back-breaking physical labor, and it's all for a good cause. Volunteer work also looks really good on those college/job applications.
9. Play board games or card games.
A day playing games never gets old. Whether you're rained in or just looking for fun things to do while hanging out, pull out the old board games and card decks and throw the rule book away (until someone tries to build a condo on your plot of land in Monopoly, then it's time to use that rule book against them). Here's a link to some instructions and rules on a lot of different card games, in case you can't find Sorry or Twister or just need a refresher on a few classics.
10. Play outdoor games.
This is an especially good idea for larger groups of friends or family. Outdoor games are fun and offer exercise that doesn't really feel like exercise. You could tackle fan favorites like football or soccer, or get more complicated with capture the flag or kick the can. If you want to go a little more digital with your gaming, there's always the classic Pokemon hunt if you all happen to have Pokemon Go downloaded.
