Outdoor Summer Activities

Hello my caffeine lovers and sunshine drinkers! Summer is here and what's better to do on these long hot days than to spend time in the great outdoors!?

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Growing up in Exeland, WI, a town of less than 200 people, and that's NOT an exaggeration (see below),

there wasn't much to do in comparison to here in Southern California. The only "indoor" options we had were to stay inside and watch movies, visit friends' houses, take a 30 minute drive to Walmart, drive an hour just to get to a small mall, or hang out at the local laundromat.

Now, I know all of that sounds amazing and I'm sure you're all extremely jealous of us boonie dwellers, BUT, the lack of indoor activities led us to spend more of our time outdoors. Not to mention, almost everyone in school wanted to join sports as an outlet and a way to see friends on a daily. Side note: That is one thing that I did appreciate about living in our small town, you could be in a sport without really having to "tryout" unless you were going for varsity. I think this gave a lot of kids an opportunity to try new things, gain new experiences, release a lot of energy, and make new friends. Side Side Note: Us kids who lived in Exeland did not go to school in Exeland, we had to take a bus or drive 25-30 minutes away to a town called, Bruce. Bruce Public Schools consists of one large building that contained all K-12. My class, in particular,

had about 30-34 graduates. So you can imagine the drama, the "he said, she saids," and people mistaking others for couples when they were in fact cousins (I am people).

Anyways, I digress, one outdoor activity that I enjoyed during the summer months was going to Windfall Lake which was a short mile away from our house. My friends, siblings, and I would walk there to swim, go fishing, or just bathe in the sun during the only four months of heat that we had before fall and winter came.

Now, regardless of where you live, be that a small town or here in the busy cities of SoCal, there is a plethora of recreational activities that you can either dive into or just do from time to time. Some outdoor activities that you can do during these summer months include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Hiking

• Camping

• Going to the beach (whether it be a lake or the sea)

• Fishing

• Renting a boat

• Mini golf

• Sand volleyball

• Frisbee

• Bonfires at night

• Biking (leisurely or trail)

• Rollerblading/skating

• Swimming

• Tubing on a lake or down a river

• Stand up paddle boarding

• Canoeing/kayaking

• Walking/running

• Going to the park to read, do yoga, or play with a pet

• Fulfill a bucket list activity like

  • skydiving

  • bungee jumping

  • white water rafting

• Parasailing

• Have a picnic

• Four-wheeling

• Playing catch

• Soccer

• Pickle ball

• Basketball

• Tennis

• Badminton

• Rock climbing

• Archery

• Surfing

• Gardening (or go to a plant nursery)

• Ziplining

• Horseback riding

• Visit an animal farm

• Visit a sunflower field

• Visit a zoo

• Theme parks and water parks

• Go to a vineyard

There's honestly SO much that you can do outdoors! Sometimes it's hard to come up with ideas so I do hope that this list helps a bit on those days where you know that you want to get out of the house, but aren't quite sure on what you want to do.

If you can think of anything else to add, please feel free to comment below!