Summertime is all about fun, sunshine, and adventure – but what about the days when you’re just at home? You may not have the luxury of owning a swimming pool or having that much yard space, so what do you do when you’re tired of watching TV, mowing your lawn, and cleaning your house? Rather than being cooped up, feeling lazy, and lacking vitamin D, here are plenty of fun things to do at home this Summer when you have no plans.
Camp in the Backyard
You don’t have to go to a campground to have a little outdoor getaway. Pitch a tent, pull out those sleeping bags, and get ready for a night under the stars.
Make Ice Pops
Popsicles are simple to make, and you don’t need a popsicle mold. Pull out some small plastic cups, and you can insert popsicle sticks, forks, or thick straws. The recipe is this easy:
- 2 cups of your favorite fruit juice
- 1 cup of citrus soda (such as Sprite)
- opt. add whole fruits or sweetener to taste
Combine the ingredients and fill your cups or molds, and stick them in the freezer. (If using plastic cups, wait to insert the sticks, forks, or straws until the mixture becomes slushy and can hold the stick in place.) Freeze for 2 hours or until solid.
DIY Games (Using Everyday Objects)
Bowling
All you need is a flat surface, any large ball (such as a basketball or soccer ball), and 10 inexpensive household items that can stand on their own (such as old jugs, tin cans, plastic cups, etc). Mix and match if you need to. If an item is too light and falls over in the wind, just fill it with a bit of dirt, sand, or rice.
Super Sized Tic Tac Toe
You’ll need another player for this one, but all you need is rope or string to make three columns. The paint or cut out Xs and Os on paper plates.
Water Balloon Piñata
Fill a bunch of balloons with water, tie them with string, and hang them from a tree or post. Grab a stick or a bat and get to swinging.
Balloon Dart Board
Fill the balloons with whatever you desire (water, air, rice, confetti, paint, etc). Pin the tails onto a cardboard backdrop and sharpen some pencils or use darts, if available.
Penny Toss
The goal is simple: get as many pennies into a cup as you can by throwing them from a distance. You can do this one sitting or standing.
Cardboard Scrabble
The rules are exactly the same as the board game. To make it, cut up scrap cardboard into 100 pieces and paint on the alphabet in these quantities:
A (9), B (2), C (2), D (4), E (12), F (2), G (3), H (2), I (9), J (1), K (1), L (4), M (2), N (6), O (8), P (2), Q (1), R (6), S (4), T (6), U (4), V (2), W (2), X (1), Y (2), Z (1), and two blank tiles.
In the corners, you’ll paint the point values, which are:
- 2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
- 1 point: E, A, I, O, N, R, T, L, S, U
- 2 points: D, G
- 3 points: B, C, M, P
- 4 points: F, H, V, W, Y
- 5 points: K
- 8 points: J, X
- 10 points: Q, Z
A Good Old-Fashioned Barbeque
Whether you want to invite friends over last minute or want to treat yourself to some yummy grilled food, a barbecue is the flavor of summer.
Here are some recipes we think you might like:
- BBQ Marinated Chicken
- Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Beef
- Easy BBQ Short Ribs
- Texas-Style Brisket on Texas Toast
- Grilled Corn
- Grilled Chicken Kebabs
If you don’t own a smoker, a grill, or a Blackstone, here’s how you can emulate those flavors from your kitchen:
- Use a cast-iron skillet and high heat
- Flavor your BBQ with a little liquid smoke
- If you have a gas stove, you can carefully char items over the direct flame. (Just don’t let anything drip onto the stove top or burners.)
If Nothing Else, Move Your Indoor Activities Outside
Rather than sitting inside to read a book, take a nap, or play a game on your phone, why not do those activities outside? All you need is a comfy place to sit in the sun or the shade. Any chair, hammock, or blanket will do. Blow some bubbles, write in a journal, or do anything that relaxes you. If you’re planning to read, a lounge chaise or a nice Adirondack chair will do the trick. You could also make yourself a little picnic lunch.
You can even do some of these inside on a rainy day
If it’s a rainy day, you can still do lots of these things inside. We understand you might not have the space indoors to set up a tent or make an indoor bowling alley, but even a little rain shouldn’t stop you from trying our other suggestions.
Whether the weather is sunny or dreary, there are always ways to keep yourself entertained in those moments of boredom. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, so we hope it sparks other ideas on how you can make the most of your days at home.
