What are some good ways to keep busy during the summer?

Question

I'm in high school and I want some hobbies or places to go or any ideas or anything!! Links to websites with things to do,hobbies,ideas?

Answer 1

There are many good answers already, but here are a few I came up with:
Get lost in your home town. Pretend you're a confuzzled tourist and ask passersby if they know of a great museum, park, restaurant, whatever. Then go check it out. It helps if you have a big backpack and map. (These give credibility to your queries, as you look like a wandering student post HS graduation.) This is a fun time to keep a journal. Or gather up your gal pals and go on a roadtrip (Same M.O., different location(s).) I highly reccommend Cameron Tuttle's "The Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road." (Not all content appropriate for everyone, FYI, but a fun read nonetheless.)

Start a small business. Walk dogs, herd small children with a Super Soaker, do lawn work. You can make your own hours, and earn cash to spend on your "don't need no stinkin' time off request" days

Volunteer (or join) a summer reading program at the library. I know, I know, the last thing you want for your summer vacation is more book learnin', but you can meet new people, get turned on to new authors, and hey, maybe they'll waive those over due fees you racked up. (Well, at least the first two.)

Take up crochet or knitting (I do both, and really, they're not as hard as you think.) Knit lap blankets for the elderly, crochet premie caps to donate to your local hospital, or just sauce the poop out of your new fall wardrobe. (Don't expect to finish a sweater before fall. It's easy, not fast!) I found Debbie Stoller's books very helpful. http://www.knithappens.com

Tackle your weaknesses and fears head on. Figure out what makes you a less than well-rounded person and make an effort toward fixing it. Shy? Strike up a conversation with a random person in a coffee shop. Selfish? Take a month and
donate time and money. Vain? Volunteer at a battered women's center or as a candy striper dealing with breast cancer patients. You'll learn what beauty really means darn quick. Overly cautious? Throw caution to the wind and try one (legal!) crazy thing. (note: anything truly dangerous i.e. mountain climbing, cliff diving, etc. should only be done with appropriate training and supervision.)

Need more ideas? Good for you! Check out http://www.youcandoitbook.com/ This is a book that should be required for everyone born with a uterus, and highly reccommended for those without one too.

What's the best part?
Colleges love these sorts of things. Think of the great application essay that your resident tourist gig would make! Community service is like gold in transcript form, as is the industrious go-getter-osity of small business ownership. ("Oh look, she's helpful and can manage time and resources well. We should just give her a degree!" Maybe that's a bit of hyperbole, but yeah!) Spending the summer in the library? Come on, they'll be eating from your palm.

Have fun, be responsible, and live as you want people to remember you. That's truly living.

Answer 2

If possible, try going on vacations with family or friends. If not, then the best alternative is to get a job. You cannot be bored AND you can earn money at the same time. OR you can help the community by partaking in community service. OR you can read a book. Camp is also a good place to waste away your summer. You can meet new people and make new friends at the same time. But if that is out of the question, then the best bet is to get a summer job.

Answer 3

You can check your listings for the local community college and check and see what kind of art classes and PE classes they have. You would be able to get college credit for classes you might have to take at school anyway and it's cheaper than paying for private lessons or joining a gym.

Also, at most community colleges, there are job faires you can attend, that can point you in the direction or get you into contact with people who may provide you with a summer job. A hobby is fun, but a part-time job would put some spending money in your pocket. ;-)

You can also go online to volunteer.com and check to see what kind of volunteering opportunitues are available in your community. You would get to meet new people and do something beneficial for your community at the same time. Volunteering is usually a very enriching experience.

If all else fails, go to your local library and check out the some of the books they have available to you. Reading can be quite enjoyable.

Answer 4

Read a book per week.
Start a new sport - for fun.
See the tourist places around your town. Many times people travel, and don't see the places close to home.
Make a journal. http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/makingbooks/sc_clothcovered.htm
Clean up a roadside.
Plan a picnic.

Answer 5

You could do volunteer work somewhere..an animal shelter, a hospital, a museum, etc. You'd learn a lot of interesting things and meet new people, too.

Answer 6

Massive jigsaw puzzle or teach them how to garden.