By Valentina Ceriello
Summer is the time to relax, decompress, and just have fun. However, it can be easy to get bored and feel like we have nothing to do when the routine of school ends. In reality, there are many fun and exciting things to do over the summer that people of all ages can enjoy. Here are ten cool and fun summer activities that can appeal to anyone.
Make Lemonade
A lemonade stand is a classic way to make money. You can save that money for college, new clothes, new shoes, etc. To start, put up a lemonade stand that will attract many customers. For example, you could pick a park where lots of people will go. Then, you can make lemonade in a variety of flavors, including regular, strawberry, or any other flavor of your choice. You can also sell additional snacks or candies as a special sweet treat.
Go to the Beach
A classic summer activity, beach trips can be a way to relax after busy days. There are a plethora of beaches in Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, and many other places in America. Beaches have calming sounds, like that of the ocean and seagulls. You can play in the ocean, make sandcastles, tan in the sun, surf, and so much more. Some popular beaches you can go to are Long Beach in New York, Jones Beach in New York, the Jersey Shore in New Jersey, Rockaway Beach in New York City, and Cape Cod beaches in Massachusetts. Personally, beaches are my favorite places to spend a hot summer day.
Go to a Waterpark
Waterparks are a fun trip that all can enjoy. Popular waterparks include Kalahari in Pennsylvania, Splish Splash in Long Island, SplashDown Beach in Fishkill (which is local), Dreamworks Waterpark in the American Dream Mall, Great Wolf Lodge in Pennsylvania, and a lot of others. These waterparks are notable for their fun rides, slides, lazy rivers, and more. I’ve been to only one waterpark, and that is the one in Sesame Place when I was really little. It was fun and I really want to go to another one someday!
Swim in a Pool
One of my personal favorite summer activities, swimming in a pool can be great exercise for your legs and arms. Whether the pool is at your house, at your family’s house, or in the community, I’ve always enjoyed swimming and being in the water is a great way to cool off after a hot day. Swimming.org suggests that swimming is great for your wellbeing, as it’s one of the best ways to stay fit and maintain a positive outlook on life. The website also says that swimming is a great way to burn calories. Overall, swimming is a fun activity that everyone can enjoy and is a great form of exercise.
Make Homemade Ice Cream
What if you want to get ice cream, but don’t have enough money? Then, homemade ice cream is the way to go! One recipe says that you need heavy cream, whole milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. However, you can make it any way you want and with any flavor you want. There is also a way to make homemade ice cream with an ice cream machine, which I recommend.
Have a Barbecue
Barbecues are a fun way to have dinner with family, friends, or anyone else you want. You can eat steak, hamburgers, chicken wings, hot dogs, sausages, chicken, and so many more foods off the barbecue. Barbecues usually happen on the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. However, they can also take place whenever you want (on the sunnier days, of course). In my opinion, barbeques are fun and have really tasty foods that I enjoy.
Have a Water Balloon Fight
If you’re not a big fan of pools, beaches, or waterparks, water balloon fights are a fun, playful activity for people of all ages. The best water balloons for this situation are ZURU’s Bunch-O water balloons so you can fill them all up at one time. Personally, I enjoy water balloon fights, especially with my cousins during the summers.
Go on Vacation
Summer is the most popular time to go on vacation. With vacation spots such as Florida, Rhode Island, and Italy, there are a plethora of places that you can visit during this season. On vacations, you can do many fun activities. For example, if you’re in a beachy location, go visit a beach. If you’re near a mountainous location, go hike up a mountain. If you’re near a location with tons of spots to eat at, go eat at a restaurant. The list goes on. My personal favorite vacation spot is Mystic, Connecticut, which I highly recommend you visit because of its great pizza spot, Mystic Pizza. This spectacular pizza spot was also turned into a classic rom-com movie in 1988. No matter where you go, any vacation spot is bound to make memories that can last a lifetime.
Go Camping
For outdoorsy people, camping is fun and a cool way to spend time outdoors. I recommend camping with a few friends or your family. You can roast marshmallows on the campfire and make s’mores, hike in the wilderness, go fishing, swim in a lake, play lawn games, try stargazing, go boating, and so on. Some of the best camping spots in the state of New York are the Adirondack State Park, Pooh’s Corner in Watkins Glen, Jellystone Park in Gardiner, and Beaver Pond Campground in Stony Point. Although I have never been camping, I still think it’s a cool summer activity that anyone can enjoy. So this summer, make it a must to go camping!
Visit Colleges
For rising seniors or juniors, looking at colleges in the summer is a great way to know where you would want to go for college. To start, go tour a college local to you. Two popular picks for colleges in Rockland County are St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill and Dominican University in Orangeburg. Then, pick a few colleges further away from you, whether that be a few hours away in the state of New York, or out of state. A few great ones are UCLA (located in Los Angeles, California), Penn State University (located in Centre County, Pennsylvania), Duke University (located in Durham, North Carolina), Syracuse University (located in Syracuse, New York), and the University of Rhode Island (located in South Kingstown, Rhode Island). College applications are due sooner than you think, so start looking at some when you can!