Blog

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Summer is a close second to spring for me when it comes to favorite seasons. It may have something to do with being raised in Arizona and not knowing much different when it comes to weather.

Regardless, I love spending time outside and in the water in the summer, usually at a lake or beach. So here are my top 50 activities to do with friends and family in the summer, with an emphasis on water activities:

1. Swim at a nearby lake
2. Rent jet ski’s and take them to the lake
3. Rent a paddleboard and paddle down to the Salt River or at a lake
4. Have a picnic on the lake’s beach
5. Go tubing down the Salt River
6. Rent an RV and camp out by the lake
7. Go camping
8. Go feed the ducks at the pond by the Arizona Farm Bureau’s office in Gilbert
9. Do water games: water balloon fight, Slip ‘N Slide, sprinklers, etc.
10. Swim in a pool
11. Make popsicles
12. Make homemade ice cream
13. Take a road trip to a beach
14. Try boogie boarding at the beach
15. Go fishing off the ocean pier
16. Fly a kite at the beach
17. Learn to surf
18. Go deep sea fishing
19. Try parasailing behind a boat
20. Try kitesurfing
21. Try sailboarding
22. Read a new book
23. Read an old favorite book
24. Set up and enjoy a hammock
25. Make a summer playlist
26. Buy a Fourth of July t-shirt from Old Navy (my family used to do this every year)
27. Make a new recipe for the grill
28. Learn how to carve a watermelon jack-o’-lantern or fruit basket
29. Learn to make a fun summer drink (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). As kids, my friends and I loved to drink homemade virgin pina coladas!
30. Try a new recipe for a side dish
31. Decorate the house for the Fourth of July
32. Go back to school clothing shopping with your kids
33. Go back to school supply shopping with your kids
34. Make a fort (try this awesome idea: use a king sized sheet on a queen sized bed (or queen size on a full bed, etc). Tape the box fan to the sheet so it has a sheet border on the side of the fan by the edge of the bed and to the top, leaving the side of the sheet at the end of the bed not taped down like the other 3 sides of the sheet, so you can crawl inside!)
35. Do a DIY project
36. Do some home improvement
37. Plant a flower garden
38. Plant a vegetable garden
39. Plant a potted herb garden in your house
40. Buy a succulent or house plant
41. Learn how to make pies and/or cobbler! Cherry, blueberry, peach, raspberry, etc. It also makes the perfect Fourth of July dessert served a la mode.
42. Learn how to make jam
43. Be the host for a barbeque
44. Attend a film festival
45. Make smores
46. Throw a bonfire party
47. Watch your favorite movies about summer
48. Find a new podcast to listen to
49. Discover some new musicians and songs that you like
50. Go to an art museum

Find more fun activities on Fill Your Plate’s blog!