How to Have a Fun Summer (Teen Girls)

Co-authored by Veleké Brown and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: March 14, 2023 References

When summertime rolls around, you might not know what to do with all the spare time on your hands. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to fight boredom over the coming months. Try and get out and about, so you can see more of the world around you. If you’d prefer not to travel, try planning some fun activities from the comfort of your own home. You can also spend some time pursuing a new hobby or skill while school is still out. Don’t forget to take it easy, so your unforgettable summer can be both fun and relaxing!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting Out and About

1
Watch a movie at your local theater. Check online to see if there are any fun movies currently playing in the movie theater. Choose a film that fits into a genre that you really enjoy. To double the fun, invite a friend or family member to come along!^{[1]
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- You can save money by seeing a matinee instead of a nighttime movie showing.^{[2]
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- Try switching things up! If you usually watch drama films, opt for an action movie instead.
2
Get a part-time job to make some extra cash. Start saving up money by working at a local business over the summer. Look for places near you that are hiring, like restaurants and retail stores. If you don’t have a car of your own, try applying to places that are relatively close to your home. When you’re scouting for jobs in the area, ask employers right off the bat if they hire teenagers.^{[3]
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- Some businesses are okay with hiring teens, while others require you to be at least 18.
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3
Visit a nearby town as a fun day trip. Look on a map or search online to find an exciting, interesting place to sightsee. If you can’t decide on a town to visit, try going to the next town or city over from your hometown. You never know what fun things might be waiting for you nearby.^{[4]
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- If you live near a public transit system, see if a friend or family member would be interested in going with you to visit a big city.
Tip: Always travel with a companion when you visit a new town or city.
4
Attend a nearby music festival. Search online to see if there are any concerts or fun musical activities being hosted in your community. Depending on the venue or event, you might be able to get in for free, or you might have to pay for a ticket. Invite a friend or family member to join you whenever the time comes!^{[5]
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- If it’s an outdoor music festival, bring a towel or blanket to sit on.
5
Sign up for a summer camp in your area. Ask your parent or guardian for permission to register for a summer camp. If your parents or guardians tend to be more overprotective, try attending a day camp instead of a sleep away excursion. Choose a generalized summer camp if you want to do stereotypical camp activities, or register for a specialized camp if you want to focus on 1 specific activity (e.g., horseback riding)!^{[6]
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- Depending on the place, specialized camp can end up being expensive.
- Invite a friend to join you for summer camp.
6
Find an escape room in your town. Search online to locate the nearest escape room, or puzzle room. Get a group of friends or family members together and register for an escape room, where you work as a group to find your way out of a locked room. Before booking anything, be sure to check the reviews of the escape room business first.^{[7]
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- Ask for everyone to chip in a little bit of money to make the cost more manageable.
- If you’re traveling with younger kids, try choosing an escape room with a more family-friendly theme.
7
Check out local parks and hiking trails to enjoy nature. Search online to see if there are any parks or trail systems near your home. When the weather is nice, drive or catch a ride to begin exploring the great outdoors! Take in the beautiful scenery by taking a hike, or by going on a bike ride.^{[8]
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- Ask your friends and family to join you on a hike. If you have a furry friend, bring them along too!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Organizing Fun Activities at Home

1
Host a fun party to celebrate summertime. Ask your parents or guardians if you can invite over a few friends for a get-together. Once you have permission, start planning a theme for your soirée. Consider making the party themed around food, like tacos or ice cream. If you’d prefer a more general theme, try hosting a barbecue or campfire party.^{[9]
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- For your safety, always ask an adult for help before using anything with an open flame.
- If you have a pool in your yard, consider hosting a pool party for your friends!
2
Invite your friends over for a movie night. Rent or purchase a few crowd-pleasing movies, then call or text your friends to have them to come over! Assemble your viewing space with lots of snacks, drinks, blankets, and anything else that your friends need or desire. Then, have all your friends vote on which movie to watch first!^{[10]
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- If you’re hosting a sleepover, consider playing a marathon of a movie series, like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.
- Always ask for permission before inviting people over to your home.
3
Start a garage or bake sale in your neighborhood. Conquer your boredom and empty wallet in 1 fell swoop by selling things out of your yard, driveway, or neighborhood! If your parents or guardians have a lot of extra junk in the garage, ask them if you can sell it in a garage sale for extra cash. If you’d rather hone your baking skills, try cooking up a variety of sweets to sell at a bake sale.^{[11]
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- Advertise around the neighborhood and nearby streets to let people know that you’re hosting a sale.
- Try to keep your prices reasonable. While it’s fun to earn extra cash, you won’t be able to earn much if your goods are too expensive.
4
Dye your hair a fun new color. Change your look by picking a fun color to highlight your hair. If you’re dying your hair on a whim, you can use temporary dyes to re-color your hair, like Kool-Aid. If you’d prefer to dye your hair permanently, look into bleach and other similar options.^{[12]
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- Remember to ask your parent or guardian for permission before making any permanent changes to your hair.
- If you don’t want to dye all of your hair, consider dyeing the underside of your locks, or highlighting a few streaks.
5
Assemble a scrapbook of your best memories. Collect a variety of photos from your childhood and teen years to compile in a single place. Go to a craft store to pick up different scrapbooking supplies, like the scrapbook itself, as well as decorative paper, stickers, and other decorations. Dedicate each page to a different memory or time in your life, so you can look back on those times with a smile.^{[13]
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- Store the scrapbook somewhere safe once you’re finished with it. In a way, it can serve as a time capsule.
6
Create a vlog to document your summer. Start creating your YouTube career by recording daily videos about your summer life. You don’t need to use a fancy camera for this—a phone or small video camera will work just fine. Spend a few minutes talking about your day, keeping the topics as interesting as possible.^{[14]
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- Don’t share any personal information about yourself in the videos that could allow creepy strangers to find you in real life.
- Ask your parents or guardians for permission before setting up an account on YouTube, or another video sharing site.
7
Play card or board games at home. Ask your friends or family members if they’d like to chip in to purchase a fun tabletop game. Do you prefer action games, strategies and puzzles, or mindless, fun activities? Whatever you do, choose a game that best represents your interests, and has enough room for several players. If you’d prefer to go down an adventurous route, you can also try role-playing games.^{[15]
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- For example, if you prefer a simple board game experience, you might enjoy something like Sorry! or Trouble. If you’re more interested in strategy, then Settlers of Catan or Monopoly might be a great option.
- Card games are always a great option to play with friends. Try playing Trash, Slap Jack, Egyptian Rat Screw, War, or other fun games!
- Try solving a jigsaw puzzle if you’d prefer to spend some time alone.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Learning a New Skill

1
Practice playing a sport that you’ve never tried before. Think about a sport you’ve always wanted to play, like volleyball, dodgeball, or water polo. Make an effort to improve your athletic skills by joining a local sports club or camp over the summer. If you can’t decide on a sport to learn, choose an activity that best suits your interests. Ask your friends and family members if they’d like to join you if you choose to join a sports club or team!^{[16]
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- If you prefer team sports, you might like group-oriented sports like beach volleyball, soccer, or tennis. If you’d prefer to play by yourself, try an activity like swimming, diving, or gymnastics.
2
Work on your drawing skills throughout the summer. Take a few minutes each day to practice sketching or doodling on your sketch pad. While you might feel discouraged at your lack of progress, keep chipping away hobby. Practice drawing things that are especially difficult for you, and see if you notice an improvement over time!^{[17]
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- If you have a laptop or computer, you might want to try digital art instead.
- For example, if you don’t feel skilled at drawing facial features, spend 1 day working on eyes, then another day working on noses.
- Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for feedback!
3
Study a foreign language to impress your friends. Search online or look in your local library to find language learning resources. Start with the basics, like simple grammar exercises and basic greetings. Continue practicing a little bit each day, working until you become more comfortable with your language skills!^{[18]
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- If you can’t decide on a language to learn, choose one that’s spoken on a widespread level, like Spanish, Hindi, or Mandarin Chinese.
- Websites like Duolingo, Memrise, and Busuu are great online language learning options.
- If you know of a friend or family member who speaks the language that you’re learning, ask if you can practice with them.
4
Hone your cooking and baking skills in the summer months. Surprise your friends and family with some delicious treats throughout the summer months. Have a flash preparing cupcakes, pies, cookies, or whatever your heart desires to bake. If you want to prepare a special surprise for your friends and family, try cooking a meal for them in the middle of the summer.^{[19]
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- Start with simple recipes before working your way up to complex foods.
- Ask for permission or assistance if you’re working with hot surfaces in the kitchen.
5
Teach yourself how to play a musical instrument. Get in touch with your musical side by renting the musical instrument of your choice. Ask your parents or guardians if they’d be willing to sponsor you for music lessons, or if they’d help you chip in to rent or purchase a fun instrument. Use books and video tutorials to teach yourself how to play basic notes and songs!^{[20]
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- Only rent or purchase an instrument if you’re prepared to make a commitment to your music.

Expert Q&A

Question

What should a 15 year old do in the summer?

Veleké Brown
Educator, Organizer, and Social Innovator
Veleké Brown is an Educator, Organizer, and Social Innovator, as well as the Founder of E-RoadMap, a non-profit that offers youth development programs. Through Veleke's 15 years of dedication and relentless pursuit to succeed, ERM's work today catalyzes viable change that has driven individuals to become self-reliant, own and elevate their situation, develop a healthy relationship with food, and share learned knowledge with their children and others. ERM takes a transformative approach to address food inequality and insecurity issues for BIPOC throughout Florida. Veleke's work centers around philosophies, principles, and practice. These pillars govern her approach as she strives to create capable, confident, compassionate youth and communities working together using skills to solve problems not just for themselves, but for the world. She holds a BA in Public Administration and Social Service Professions from Virginia State University, as well as a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Veleké Brown

Educator, Organizer, and Social Innovator

Expert Answer

Try taking a walk while listening to meditative music—this is a great way to exercise and decrease stress simultaneously. You could also participate in a cooking class, seek out mobile cooking demos, or follow along online to learn some healthy tips and tricks to improve your nutritional habits.
Question

What if I can’t go out to buy new clothes?

Community Answer

Experiment with the clothes you already have. Mix and match tops and bottoms together, and try to form new outfits.
Question

What are some activities I can do at home/by myself?

Emma Coombs

Community Answer

You can watch a movie, draw, read, watch TV, learn a new language, do a puzzle, etc. There are tons of things to do at home and/or by yourself!

Warnings

Keep your wits about you whenever you talk to strangers online. Always trust your instincts—if someone seems creepy or off, then don’t spend anymore time speaking with them.

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