This is the summer where you create a bucket list with your besties, and actually start knocking things off your list.
It’s time to start your anti-rot routine and get out of the house this summer.
And these 8 things to do with your friends this summer is the perfect place to start. It’s a perfectly simple list of girls trips, dinner parties, and music festivals.
Also, it’s an amazing way to connect over weekend getaways, create memories, and get a bit out of your comfort zone.
So before the summer days are over, let your best friends know that they’re doing these summer activities with you whether they like it or not, and get started on making memories.
8 Fun Things to Do in The Summer With Friends
1. Host a Dinner Party
Hosting a dinner party is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done, and it’s even better when you do it with a best friend. But if you’d rather just plan it all out yourself and have your friends come over once everything it’s set, then that’s fine too!
So pick a date, start inviting some friends, pick a theme, create a playlist, figure out your dishes, and enjoy a long evening of good conversations and good food.
2. Go to a Music Festival
Look at the music festivals going on in your area, or even your state this summer, and start making plans.
It doesn’t matter if you know the bands or not, just have fun with it. Go to the ones you know, sing your favorite songs with your BFF, and make memories.
And for the ones you don’t know, it’s just a great excuse to find new groups to fall in love with, and spend quality time with your besties.
Also, make sure to save your ticket stubs and make them apart of a collection of memories you made this summer.
3. Travel to a Location You’ve Both Been Talking About
Plan a last minute girls trip this summertime. It’s time to stop talking about that really cool location in the next state over (or in another country), and start booking tickets.
Split the accommodations, food, and activities, and have fun on your short vacation together.
4. Try a Digital Detox
If you’re creating a list of activities to do with friends in the summer, then this should definitely be on it.
Many of us are so consumed with our phones that we hardly have any time for ourselves or for others.
So take some time this summer to do digital detox sessions, and then use this extra time to get closer to your friends and connect on a much deeper level.
Go on bike rides to coffee shops, have picnics, go swimming in a lake, or stay up late with a list of fun or juicy questions to ask your friends.
5. Go On a Road Trip
Take your car and go on a road trip with your BFF. This can be planned or completely spontaneous.
Just turn up the volume to your favorite songs, blast the AC, and head down the road to a fun location. But don’t forget to pack some snacks and drinks, and do a little bit of research to see if there’s anything fun or cool to check out on the way to your destination.
Honestly, this is probably one of the most quintessentially fun things to do with friends when it’s warm outside.
6. Start a Book Club
Apart from the activities you do under the summer sun, you can also have a weekly get together for a book club. Make it at night and prep some fun snack and drinks, or have it during the day and make it apart of a picnic. It’s up to you!
It’s just a fun way to have some good yap, read good stories, have some good food, and enjoy each other’s company.
long season – all summer
7. Plant Together (And Have Garden Parties)
Not only is this a good summer activity, but you’ll also be helping out the environment.
Plant trees and grow different vegetables and fruits in a backyard garden you make together. Then watch over them all summer long and help them as they grow in the heat.
You can also take pictures of the day everything was planted, and then a final picture at the end of summer to see the progress.
And lastly, have garden parties! On the days you get together to take care of the plants, set up a table or a blanket and enjoy some good food, drinks, and music.
8. Have a Spa Day
Don’t forget to pamper yourself after all those outdoor activities, and devote a full day to some good personal care with your BFFs.
Get facials, learn to do nail art, grab some body oils, and make your own signature spa day drink.
It’s a great way to relax and connect, and maybe you can end the day with a movie you all love.
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.