60 Things to do in the Summer With Friends
From going to the beach to hosting a summer party, if you’re looking for things to do in the summer with friends, I’ve got you covered with fun ideas that will help you make the most of the season.
Things to do in the Summer With Friends
1. Go to the Beach
If you live near the beach, spend a day there this summer with your friends. You can lounge in the sun, swim in the ocean, collect seashells, and even build sandcastles. There are so many fun things to do at the beach.
CHECK OUT: How To Feel Confident In A Bathing Suit
2. Ride a Ferris Wheel
Summer is one of my favorite times because an annual fair comes to town, and it’s become a tradition for my friends and I to go, especially on the discount days.
One of the most iconic parts of our fair experience is riding the ferris wheel. So if you have a fair coming to town, go and have fun riding the rides, eating the food, and enjoying the bright lights and fair atmosphere.
3. Visit a Nature Park
Touch some grass this summer and visit a nature park. From the trees to the birds and all the nature-ry vibes, relax and take in the surroundings.
CHECK OUT: 61 Fantastic Ideas For Your Summer Bucket List
4. Create Vision Boards
Vision boards aren’t just for the New Year. They’re a great activity that you can do year round, especially during the summer. And you can create one for practically anything.
You can make a vision board for what you’re looking forward to for the rest of the year. Your summer outfits. Or how you want your summer to look, by pulling together different pictures and words that capture the vibe you want.
Best of all, you can create digital boards by making a collage on your computer or tablet. Or you can make it a fun activity with your friends by gathering magazines, printing pictures, grabbing scissors and supplies, and creating physical boards together.
5. Start a Gardening Club
Sometimes I randomly get this urge where I just want to take care of something and cultivate it. And if that sounds like you, I would definitely suggest starting a mini garden. Plus, you can invite your friends into this project, by starting a gardening club. Where you guys check up on each other’s harvest.
CHECK OUT: 27 Weekend Friendly Summer Bucket List Ideas For Adults
6. Make Tie Dye Shirts
Grab a tie dye kit and a few white cotton T-shirts, and make your own tie-dye shirts. You can also switch it up by making tie-dye socks or even tie dye baseball hats.
7. Have a Paint and Sip Party
For a fun arts and crafts type of activity, host a paint and sip party where you and your friends can paint while eating snacks.
CHECK OUT: Paint And Sip Ideas For A Creative And Fun Party
8. Make S’mores
When it comes to things to do in the summer with friends, making s’mores is always in my top 10 favorite activities. They’re cheap, super easy to make, and they’re fun and so engaging.
All you need is a source of fire, like a grill, stove, or bonfire. And your classic ingredients: chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows, and kabob sticks. And you’re all set for your s’more making session.
9. Visit a Water Park
If you have a water park near you, summer is the perfect time to go with your friends and cool off from the hot sun.
10. Spend a Day at the Pool
Speaking of cooling off, having a pool day with your friends is another great idea. You could invite your friends over for a chill pool day; head to a community pool; or even turn it into a full pool party with floaties, music, and other festive touches to amp it up a bit.
11. Go Strawberry Picking
I went strawberry picking a couple years ago, and it’s something I still think about because it was so much fun. Just walking through the rows of strawberry plants and picking fresh strawberries right off the vine was such a great experience.
And the best part is how sweet and fresh they were. When I got home, I washed them and ate some right away. I had so many that I was able to freeze some and even make strawberry jam with the rest.
12. Have a Pajama Party
If you’re looking for a cozy girls’ night idea this summer, have a pajama party. You can do really cozy activities like baking cookies, watching a movie, having girls’ talk, and just enjoying being in your PJs.
CHECK OUT: Turn Up The Heat With These Summer Party Ideas And Themes
13. Create a Shared Summer Playlist
Similar to how we have Christmas and fall songs, I love a good summer playlist because the music just feels so bright and full of energy.
In addition to creating your own summer playlist, make one with your friends too! Where you all add your favorite summer songs or songs that remind you of summer. Plus, this is a great way to discover each other’s favorite artists and songs. And you can even play the playlist in the background during your hangouts.
CHECK OUT: 100 Summer Bucket List Ideas
14. Have a Summer Photoshoot With Friends
Whether you’re using a camera or just your phone, have a photoshoot with your friends. You can have your photoshoot at home, at the beach, park, or any scenic spot.
15. Visit a Zoo
If you have a zoo near you, make a trip there this summer. Be sure to pack sunscreen and plenty of water so that everyone can stay hydrated while walking around.
16. Visit an Aquarium
Another popular attraction is the aquarium. If you’re more into marine life and walking indoors with AC (loll), then you’ll love this option.
17. Go to a Concert
Oftentimes, many cities and towns have summer concerts and festivals during the summertime. So if there’s a concert happening, especially a free one, consider going with your friends. Or, if your favorite band or artist is coming to town, grab a couple of tickets and go see them live.
18. Wake Up Early, Catch the Sunrise, and Go Out for Breakfast
Wake up early, head to a scenic spot, and catch the sunrise. Afterwards, you and your friends can go to a restaurant and eat breakfast together.
19. Go Bowling
Aim for a strike or two and head to the bowling alley for a fun and easy hangout.
20. Start an Exercise Challenge
Start an exercise challenge with your friends. This is something my friends and I love to do randomly throughout the year, but especially during the summer. When we try to spend more time outside and do more outdoor activities.
Like last year, we did a challenge where you had to go on an outdoor walk (min 15min) at least twice a week for two months. It was a great way to motivate ourselves to get up, go for a walk, and make the most of the long daylight hours while it was still sunny outside.
21. Go Thrifting
If you and your friends love thrifting, head to a thrift store and see what hidden treasures you can find.
22. Go to the Mall
Another great shopping option is to go to the mall, walk around, window shop, and just spend time browsing. You might pick up a thing or two, but mostly just enjoy the mall atmosphere and hang out.
CHECK OUT: 38 Awesome Summer Bucket List Ideas For Teens
23. Make Dinner Together
Whether they come to your place or you go to theirs, invite your friends over and cook dinner together. It’s a great way to chat and spend quality time together. And best of all, you get to eat the fruit of your labor afterwards.
24. Grab Slushies at the Gas Station
I love a good slushy from my local 7-Eleven. If you love slushies also, head to a gas station with your friends and grab some.
25. Go to an Ice Cream/Froyo Shop
Another treat option, is grabbing some ice cream or heading to a froyo shop with your friends.
26. Host a Field Day
Host a field day by hosting it at a park or even in your backyard. Set up some lawn games and classic activities like tug of war, potato sack races, balancing an egg on a spoon, and hopscotch. And overall, lean into the nostalgic kid vibes.
27. Start a Book Club
Pick a book to read together and start a book club with your friends. Or you can all read different books and use the book club as an accountability group to make sure you’re reading throughout the summer.
CHECK OUT: How To Cultivate A Love For Reading In A Brain Rotting Era
28. Work on a Jigsaw Puzzle
Grab a jigsaw puzzle with a lot of pieces, like 500 or 1000, and work on it together.
29. Watch a TV Series Together
Starting a show together is another great thing to do this summer with your friends. You can pick a new series or even rewatch a show you all haven’t seen in a while.
30. Volunteer in Your Community
From doing a beach cleanup to cleaning up your neighborhood; volunteering at an animal shelter; or helping out at your local church; giving back to your community is an amazing thing to do any time of year.
It’s especially great during the summer if you’re out of school, on break, and have a lot of free time and are looking for a way to fill your days.
31. Go Kayaking
Go kayaking with your friends, and if you’ve never tried it before, check if there are any kayak companies near you that offer guided tours.
My friends and I did this once and we had a blast! We drove to Jupiter, Florida and booked a kayak tour and the best part was that the kayaks were clear. So while we were out on the water we could see manatees swimming underneath and tiny fishes too.
32. Have a Cook Off
Have a cook off with your friends and invite some impartial judges (who don’t know who made what), to taste and rate all the different foods. You can do a dessert bake off, an appetizer cook off, a chili cook off, or really anything you want.
33. Have a Themed Dinner Party
On the topic of food, have a themed dinner party this summer. There are so many different themes you can choose from. For example, you can do a dinner party theme based on a seasonal fruit or ingredient, have a breakfast for dinner night, or even do a dinner and a movie style party.
If you’re interested in this idea and want more creative dinner party themes to try, I’ve written an entire article on it, so check out the link below to read more.
CHECK OUT: 33 Themed Dinner Party Ideas Your Guests Will Absolutely Love
34. Get Manicures Together
Go to the nail salon and get manicures together with your friends.
35. Visit a Museum
From art to science, visit a museum and explore all the different exhibits and displays.
36. Have an At Home Movie Night
Invite your friends over for a movie night, set up some snacks and watch a movie together.
37. Host a Potluck
Invite your friends to bring their favorite dish and host a summer potluck. You can keep it simple or add a fun theme. Like bringing a dish that starts with the first letter of your name or doing a color themed potluck where your dish matches what you wear.
38. Visit a Theme Park
From the roller coasters to the different attractions and the overall vibe, visit a theme park this summer. Just keep in mind that it can get really busy during this time, since kids are out of school. So be prepared for larger crowds when planning your theme park day.
CHECK OUT: Best Snacks At Magic Kingdom You Can’t Leave Without Eating
Fun Things to do in the Summer With Friends
Below is a list of even more fun things to do in the summer with your friends to help you make the most of the season. From going on a picnic to watching fireworks, these ideas will give you plenty of ways to romanticize the summer and make memories together with your friends.
39. Go on a Picnic
40. Go out to Dinner
41. Go on a Road Trip
42. Go on a Gas Station Snack Run
43. Catch a Movie at the Movie Theater
44. Have a Karaoke Session
45. Play Trivia
46. Have a Cozy Girls Night in
47. Have a Blindfold Food Test
48. Have a $20 Thrift Store Challenge
49. Make a Bucket List Jar
50. Grocery Shop Together
51. Vlog an Outing
52. Take Random Pictures While Out
53. Visit an Arcade
54. Have a BBQ
55. Go to the Gym Together
56. Have a Doggie Play Date
57. Play Board Games
58. Rent an Airbnb
59. Have a Favorite Things Party
60. Watch Fireworks
