Suns out – Funs Out! Summer Activities

OUTDOOR FUN!

Beach! This is my number 1 activity. When summer rolls around, all I want to do is sleep on my beach towel on the sand, get tan, and listen to the ocean. Perfect life. Others like to do activities on the beach… This list is fullll of beach activities 🙂 However, I prefer to sleep and tan. And swim in the ocean when its super hot.

Pool: I love the beach, but I also love sitting by the pool. And if its super hot and humid and you just need to get in the water, the pool is always convenient (if you have one – or a friend has one). The ocean waves can be strong and the water temp can be brutal – but usually the pool is a good temperature and  there are no waves. Also – the temp outside is lower by the ocean, so of course if your pool is not on the ocean, its going to hotter out there.

Ice Cream: I love ice cream. Wait – let me rephrase that… I love frozen yogurt. I would eat Pinkberry every day if possible… and I do eat it all year round. And now that the suns out, I am cravinggg real ice cream – as in the hard stuff. Yum! Cookie dough… long lines at the window… saying hello to the cows who produce the stuff we love. That is summer. But if you’re trying to watch your weight, all ice cream places still have soft serve and fro-yo… And smoothies and milkshakes… And FRAPPES. (From Boston? Go to Crescent Ridge in Sharon for Ice Cream this summer!)

Picnic: Ahh, outdoor eating in the sun! I love it. You can picnic on the beach OR go off to a park by a lake and watch the sunset. (Activities can be played on a picnic) But seriously, this is a great thing to do with friends or a significant other. Make some sandwiches, bring some fruit, and sit down on a big beach towel and eat.

BBQ: I love BBQs. First of all, I love hamburgers and hot dogs… and drinking. All are associated with a bbq. This is so much cheaper than going out to eat. If you have a bbq, you can just get a bunch of food and then get a few dollars from everyone. Have the meat, the buns, the rolls, salad, fruit, maybe a watermelon (vodka infused? why not), chips & salsa, and anything else your heart desires. And if you’ve been drinking, you won’t have to worry about driving after this meal – because the bbq can last all night!

Eat outside! Why do you think restaurants have a bunch of tables with umbrellas outside their restaurant? DUH, for summer eating. I love eating outside in the sun. You can wear sunglasses… sip a cold, refreshing beverage (margarita anyone?!)… and love life. Why sit in a stuffy restaurant inside and watch the sun shine down through the window when you can sitting under it outside. There’s something about outdoor eating that is super romantic too…

Bonfires: Bonfires are pretty nice. Great thing to do at night with friends instead of going to a bar if you have a friend with a house. You can get a fire pit at the store OR if you’re in the woods/camping, you can create your own.

ACTIVITIES!

Kayaking: There are kayak rentals all over… unless you live in a desert where there are absolutely no bodies of water close by, you can definitely find a place to rent kayaks and go out for a ride. Not only is it super relaxing, but you are also giving your arms a workout from rowing. You can get a single kayak or a double – and go out for a romantic ride with the boy/girlfriend OR go racing with a bunch of friends.

Bike riding: The suns finally out and you want to get some exercise – but you want to spend as much time as you can outside rather than inside at the gym… Sooo, go for a bike ride! It’s different from running and can be very scenic and fun – while your legs get a great workout. People bike along the Cape Cod Canal… and when I was in LA, people would always bike along the trails across the beaches on the pacific coast. Beautiful. And you can do it with a friend!

Running: Yeah, this is a given… but not everyone is outdoor runner all year round. I certainly am not – and any hint of wind kills my ears when running outside – so when it gets super hot, I am going to get outside and go running. Not only will I feel great and athletic, but I will get a tan while doing so. Two points for my daily summer checklist (tan & exercise). I recently went running with my boyfriend and that was great – it made me want to run faster and longer to keep up with him. There’s no competition on the treadmill (unless there’s a hot guy running next to you or your friend (or enemy) is on a machine near by – creeping on your stats), so running outside with a significant other or friend can bring some. Also, 5ks & other marathons also take place during the summer months – so why not train??? Great activity for a great cause that can get you in great shape (and give you a great tan). I’m in.

Fishing: This is not my thing. I will eat seafood, but I don’t want to actually hurt a live fish or take it out of it’s natural habitat. I have never done it before, so I’m not even going to say anything about it. Just wanted to put the idea out there! (Maybe you can get a tan in the boat?)

Cornhole: Here is a fun game you can play in your backyard, at a tailgate, or even at the beach – sober or not sober (people tend to get better at games when drunk though). You need the boards of course, and they are around $100 for the set (you can get them for more or less). You toss bean bags into the hole and get points… it’s kind of addicting.

Kiddie Pool: Lacking the real thing? Don’t worry – they sell kiddie pools for a reason… and no, they are not just for kids. The picture on the box may be very deceiving though, so be sure to check the actual measurements of the pool. No, you won’t be getting a 5 foot deep pool with diving board in tact, but you will have something to cool off in outside with friends… And if it gets dirty, so what? If you’re drunk, you won’t care… And you’re going to shower eventually anyway.

Horseback riding? I searched “outdoor fun” on Google and found a picture of a girl riding a horse… So I thought why not share the idea? Maybe you can ride a pony? Not really sure how this works – just throwing it out there!

Fly a kite: Why not?

Drunk hide and seek / scavenger hunt: Oh boy, now these are some fun ideas! I think drunk hide and seek sounds horribly dangerous. But a scavenger hunt doesn’t and it would be fun if someone planned it. I’ve heard of people doing drunken scavenger hunts for their bdays and I want in! I know there are tons of pub crawl events, but wouldn’t it be cool if a drunken scavenger hunt was planned in your city?

Ultimate Frisbee: Frisbee you can play anywhere outside – beach, backyard, tailgate… It keeps people busy and happy.

Golf/Mini Golf: If you’re a golfer, you’re definitely going to be hitting the golf course many times this summer… But if you’re not don’t worry – there is mini golf for a reason. It was fun when I was 6 – and it is still fun now! I went this past weekend to Pirate’s Cove in West Yarmouth in Cape Cod and had tons of fun. It was a nice day out… I got a hole in one… It was great! Whether you’re with a group of friends or a significant other, mini golf is a great way to spend your summer day.

Sailing: Mmm, sailing. One year at sleepaway camp, my sail boat sailed all the way to a private beach… It also capsized numerous times. What I’m trying to say is sailing is not for everyone – but that does not mean you can’t relax in the boat! What you need to do is find a friend who can sail and go with them… There is no better way to spend a sunny day than on a boat if you can!

Water Ruit/Pong: Yes, there is such thing. You can either get an inflatable “table” that floats in the water and has cup holders… or you can get a wooden/hard table that also has cup holders. Either way, this is way more fun than playing in your backyard – or your house/apartment. No pool? Put it in your kiddie pool!