It’s summer break, the two months of the year that you’ve been looking forward to for the whole year. The first few days are peaceful; you play games, watch TV. and call your friends. After the first week you’ve watched everything and done everything there is to do. On top of that you’re kind of tired of listening to your friend get yelled at over FaceTime for staying up too late. You are bored! The cycle repeats because you have no money and no way to get around, so you do the same-old same-old. Then your summer break is gone and you feel like you wasted it. To keep you from losing your sanity or feeling like you wasted summer break here are five things you can do with no car or money.
- Gardening
Gardening may seem expensive but is actually cheap and sometimes you can do it for free. Last summer I planted tomatoes, I got the seeds from tomatoes in my fridge and planted them in an old can I poked holes in. Then I got the soil I used to plant from a neighbor but you can make your own soil from a compost bin and regular dirt. Gardening may be a small thing but seeing work that you put into something pay off in the form of beautiful plants makes it fun. Gardening can help you get outside and off technology even if it is for ten minutes to water the plants.
- Explore your city
Springfield, Illinois (Tucker Good, Unsplash)
Even if you’ve lived in your city since birth, I’m sure you haven’t seen every part of it. Going places in your city can let you see cool spots. I was exploring in Springfield, Illinois and found a creek with fish in it. While this might seem lame, it was the most interesting thing I did all summer and a core memory I have with my friends. The destination was cool, but it was also the journey. My friends and I had to climb down a steep hill and hike in the woods. It was a whole day trip and made us closer. Believe it or not, you can actually do this in less rural areas. I found a creek under a bridge a week ago and hiked along it. While I didn’t find anything cool, I had fun seeing things I hadn’t seen before and it’s nice to get a change of view.
- Picnic with friends
Going out with friends is always fun. That’s why a picnic would be perfect for this summer. If everyone brings something it can be a way to go out to eat without actually going out to eat and paying money for it. Not only that but sitting down and enjoying the beautiful look of a park and being outside can really improve your mood. A location I really enjoyed in Mckinney was Towne Lake Recreation Area; it was a beautiful park and I liked being by the water.
- Geocaching
Geocaching is finding hidden containers that you have coordinates for. You sign your name on the logbook and can usually swap small items in the containers. This is an activity you can do with friends and is a fun little adventure. You can start by making an account at geocaching.com or on their mobile app and then using the map to find some near you!
- Upcycling
Most people have things in their house that are old and they don’t use anymore. You can turn them into something new and better with household items. For example, you can make oyster shells into trinket trays or paint old furniture to make it new again. Upcycling is a good creative outlet and reduces waste. The best part about upcycling is that you can sell items you make meaning if you get good at upcycling, you may not have to get creative with your summer activities next year!
I personally think that summer break is supposed to be enjoyable so I hope this list helps you find activities that you like doing and prove to you that you don’t need money or a car to have fun.
