Staying home for the summer? Or planning a nice camping trip with friends? Whatever summer plans you have, spice them up with these 7 activities. There’s no doubt you’ll have an extra fun summer this year and accompanying memories to look back on for years to come! 

• Build a piece of furniture 

Nothing beats home-made stuff. The same goes for furniture. Your chair, table or cabinet may not turn out as pretty as you’d hoped and you’re probably able to buy a perfectly good alternative in your local interior store, but where’s the fun in that? Experimenting with materials, tools and techniques not only provides you with hours of fun, you’ll also have an end result to be proud of! Proudly yell out “I made that!” to whomever wants to hear.  

• Brew your own beer 

Taking the home-made trend even further, brewing your own beer is all the rage right now. Buying a starter kit isn’t all that expensive and all instructions can be found online. Add your favourite ingredients and experiment with different taste combinations. Some ginger perhaps? A touch of cardamom? You decide! Make sure to invite your friends over for an official home-made beer taste.  

• Book a spa day or organize your own

What’s more relaxing than a spa day? Facials, massages, soft towels – the whole shebang. Whether you decide to book a spa day at a professional facility or supply the necessary face masks, towels and more yourself is up to you! Invite friends to your spa day or enjoy your day in solitude, and end the day with a comfortable bath. You’ll be re-energized to survive the entire summer!

• Plan a poker tournament 

Playing games with friends is always fun. But raising the stakes and getting competitive is even more enjoyable. So why not rent a poker table, get your deck of cards and play poker for an entire evening? Bring food, drinks and even dress up as the flappers and gangsters you are! You’re guaranteed an evening filled with bad poker faces and game highlights. 

• Teach your pet some cool tricks 

The free days during the summer are perfect for some owner-pet bonding time.  Look up videos online of talented pets and find out if your pet has the skills and willpower to jump through a hoop or roll over. Make sure to buy enough treats and spoil them for each new step in the process towards becoming a circus animal. 

•  Do some voluntary work 

There’s always work to be done, even during the summer. Maybe your local animal shelter is in desperate need of extra hands as all pet owners leave for the holidays and bring their pets to be looked after and cared for? And what about kids summer camps? There’s never enough staff to keep the little monsters happy and cook enough food for the entire camp. If you enjoy the company of others and want to make yourself useful over the summer, do voluntary work! 

• Build a fort 

Yes, you read that right. Bet your mind occasionally wanders off to when you were a kid building forts out of blankets, cushions and pretty much anything else you could find. Getting comfortable in your fort and leaving the world behind as you entered the skilfully fabricated door to your fort felt liberating! Why not do it again? 

Or just relax

Of course, you’re always right to just relax during your summer holidays. If you don’t want to do anything, don’t. If you do like to plan activities during your days off, get creative and find friends who enjoy them just as much as you do! 

Edward Bertrand