As the weather continues to warm and spring begins to fade into summer, the excitement for sunny days, longer nights, and attempting to make movie-worthy summer plans becomes within reach. Growing up, summers could be filled with sleep-over camps, evening sports, family vacations or visits, park playdates, or sleepovers with friends. The whole summer felt up for grabs as every day became a new chapter waiting to be explored.
Now with the four months of summer vacation that university provides, days can be packed with summer classes, work, and internships. Even with those precious months in between, being able to afford fun activities or time off to do them can be costly.
For that reason, here are six fun activities you can do, alone or with friends, in your spare time and while on a budget!
1. Create a summer bucket list
Creating a summer bucket list is my favourite way to get excited and brainstorm ideas for summer! Not only is it a fun craft, but it allows you to reflect on what you want to accomplish for the summer. You’ll be able to refer back to your list every time you are bored or want something to look forward to. You can create a summer bucket list on Pinterest or, in my preferred way, on a piece of paper. Bust out your coloured pens, sharpen those pencil crayons and get to work! It’s fun to revert back to your childhood ways when creating this – make silly drawings and use lots of colour!
If you’re doing this with friends, you can brainstorm activities to do together. Play some music, grab your favourite drinks and snacks, and go to town! Remember the key is to have fun and get excited for your summer ahead!
2. Try a new craft
Trying a new craft can be expensive but if you look for the right ones, you could end up with a new hobby and some really cool finished projects!
An easy one to start with is a bikini/summer box. You can buy all of your materials from the dollar store, a craft store, or Amazon. All you’ll need is a small wooden crate (big enough to fit your swimsuits, sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen), paint colours of your choice, paintbrushes, and a marker safe to use on wood. Depending on your budget, you can buy little stickers related to the ocean or beach to decorate it. But regardless, having a cute box tucked away in your room will add a boost of summer serotonin.
Crocheting is another great craft to try, as it is perfect for any time of the year! Your projects can be anything you can imagine: tote bags, stuffed animals, dresses, and blankets (which also come in handy for gifts). If you can think of it, you can create it. There are great beginner sets on Amazon which come equipped with 10-15 different-sized crochet hooks, stitch markers, a pair of scissors, and needles all for around 25 dollars. The yarn itself can vary in price but typically costs 8-13 dollars for one ball. On YouTube, you can find thousands of free videos showing you where to start and how to make simple to complex items. If you can imagine it – it’s probably somewhere on YouTube.
The next craft works perfectly if you have a sewing machine, but also works well with a thread and needle. Patchworking shirts, bags or sweaters is a great way to upcycle and create a unique piece that is custom to your style. You can take any piece of fabric (either from a fabric store or from recycled clothing), cut out the shape you desire, and sew away! Patchworking a sweater or a shirt with your university’s logo, abbreviation, and spirit symbols is my favourite way to create this craft. If you’re short on ideas, I recommend exploring Pinterest for inspiration and watching a YouTube video on how to get started.
3. Make a four-course meal
Finding time to spend with our loved ones and friends can be hard and expensive. Thankfully, I play a game called Four-Course Meal Roulette – a cheap and easy way to bring everyone together. If you’re playing for one, you can still enjoy the fun of the game! Here’s how you play:
- Pick a theme: junk food, healthy food, summer foods, new foods, foods that start with the letter of your first name, etc.
- Through an online wheel spinner or by drawing names from a hat, each person is assigned a specific course to prepare. The courses can include, but are not limited to, an hors d’oeuvre (small appetizer), an appetizer, main dishes, dessert, and drinks.
- If you’re alone, you can brainstorm a bunch of food ideas for each course and then make separate online wheel spinners for each course!
- Depending on your time and budget, you can prepare or purchase your course.
- Gather together and enjoy your four-course meal!
- Optional step: set the table and dress according to your theme.
4. Go For a Walk and Collect Flowers
Walking in nature and soaking up the sun is one of my favourite summer activities. Depending on where you live, it might be hard to immerse yourself in nature. Instead, you can make a game out of finding nature around you. Instead of driving two hours to your nearest flower conservation, set your sights around you. Go for a walk in your neighbourhood and see where the flowers take you. Personally, collecting different flowers on my walks allows me to be grateful for the life spring and summer brings, connects me to nature in a bustling city, and gives me a cute bouquet for my room.
5. summer inspired TV marathon
Some days, all you want to do is sit down on your comfy couch, with your favourite snacks, and binge-watch tv. Summer is a chance to do things you wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to do during school, so if you want to take a moment to catch up on summer shows and movies, now is the perfect time to do so.
Some of my personal top summer TV shows and movies include:
Television Shows
- The Summer I Turned Pretty
- Outer Banks
- Sirens
- H2O Just Add Water
- The Four Seasons
Movies
- Mama Mia and Mama Mia 2
- Dirty Dancing
- Safe Haven
- Hannah Montana: The Movie
- Soul Surfer
Watching summer shows and movies always puts me in a good mood and reminds me of the magic summer holds.
6. Eating Fresh Fruits
With summer comes in-season fruits and farmers’ markets. Local and exotic fruits are a great way to enjoy the ripe fruits in their intended season. Thinking about making fresh orange juice or lemonade? Haven’t tried dragon fruit or lychee yet? Take advantage of grocery stores and farmers’ markets near you. While some fruits can be expensive, buying only one can be a cheap way to have a taste test of many different fruits. You can even make a game out of it! Have another friend buy the same fruits and have your own Master Chef Taste Testing. It’s all about being creative and thinking about ways to elevate a simple activity.
Whatever you choose to do this summer, it’s important to enjoy your time. Whether it’s reading, baking, swimming, or surfing the web, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to add fun to your summer!