Summer 2021 is ending – how many items did you check off your bucket list? Have you been less active than you hoped, or went on fewer outings with your friends than you wished?
It’s not too late! Grasp your last chance to have some fun this summer with your friends before you end it with regret.
*disclaimer: prioritize health and safety, so choose activities wisely
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Apply Now1. A Day in Your City
Are you still unsure what assets your beautiful city has to offer? Is there a pike place market, a state park, or large shopping center that you have wanted to visit but haven’t gotten the chance to? Or are there places you look forward to revisiting, but don’t have the time or a good excuse to?
Now’s your chance! Gather a few friends for a friend-bonding hangout in the city to try local delicacies, replenish your closet before the start of the school year, and snap a few pictures for your next Instagram post!
Depending on how big your city is, I recommend making plans accordingly. Here are a few suggestions for what most cities have to offer, so use them as a reference to make sure you don’t miss out on any fun:
- Brunch
- Shopping mall
- Movie theater
- Go-Karting
- Laser shooting
- Berry picking
- Park/picnic
- Ice cream/sweets shop
- Manicure
2. Gallery Or Museum Visit
An artist? An art enthusiast? It's never a bad idea to bring a friend with you to a local gallery and museum.
Art galleries are seasonal, customized, and more interactive, typically designed with multiple rooms that guide you on a journey through one specific artist's paintings. From Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet to modern artists like Picasso and Banksy, you will only need to do a basic search to find what's available in your area!
Museums are permanent structures that are usually bigger in size and not specialized for displaying one artist, but rather multiple artists from a similar time period or with a similar style. Most cities are home to many – big and small, realistic and abstract paintings and sculptures – so be sure to find the one that best fits your interest. Search for local museums here if none immediately come to mind.
3. Creative Class
Book a creative class with your friend, even if it is a session about something you guys are not experts in. Experiment and innovate in a pottery, drawing, or cooking class, creating DIY gifts for yourself, each other, or others!
Below are ideas for sessions you can try with your friends:
- Pottery/sculpture
- Art (drawing, painting, glass art, etc.)
- Cooking/baking
- Chocolate
- Yoga
- Flower bouquet
- Gardening
4. Beach Day
Swimsuits, lemonade, friends. Can anything be more summer-y than this? Release your energy and the monster of stress and anxiety that has started to build up inside you. Share stories about your summer with your closest friends and play a few rounds of truth-or-dare to level up the excitement!
At the beach, there’s so much more to do than swimming. Check out this list below for ideas!
- Bonfire party
- Barbecue
- Sunbathing
- Beach volleyball
- Spa
- Surfing
- Watch sunrise/sunset
5. House party
Quarantine has made us all closer to our home, whether it is in a desirable or frustrating way. Now is the time to invite friends over to “mess things up,” or give you a break from your normal routine.
- Cards or board games
- Movie night
- Gaming/Xbox
- Potluck
- Dancing and karaoke
- Sleepover
Ready to Head Out!
After you have made up your mind on what to do and gotten a satisfying list of friends on board, you're good to go! Just don't forget to choose a stylish outfit to hype up your mood, charge your phone beforehand to take photos, and put on sunscreen to avoid getting sunburn. I am confident this will become a fun experience imprinted into your memories of Summer 2021.