Summer Activities Roundup

Ah… the lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer! The sights and sounds of summer always bring back fond memories of sunny days spent on the family farm. But, to be honest, summer on a working dairy farm is anything but lazy! Nowadays, I have more time to relax and I’m grateful for lazy-hazy-crazy days. While thinking about the possibilities for this summer, I took a look back at some of the summertime stories and projects I’ve shared previously. Today’s blog post features a roundup of 12 outdoor activities for the season—a dozen ideas for summertime fun!
1. Float a Boat One of the joys of summer is spending time on or near the water. Floating a toy boat on water—whether it’s an ocean, lake, pond, river, stream or swimming pool—is the perfect way to bring back some childhood fun. I’ve shared a couple of posts, Simple Folded Boat – DIY Tutorial and A Landlubber’s Toy Sailboat – DIY Tutorial, which provide detailed instructions to make simple toy boats. This simple folded boat is suited to shallow waters…

…while this toy sailboat is better suited to water that is at least 1½ feet deep.
2. Have a Picnic What makes a good picnic great? A pleasant natural setting, agreeable weather, tasty food, cool drinks, a leisurely pace, a few key items for comfort, enjoyable company and amusing ways to relax. I’ve shared a few ideas for picnics in the posts: Picnic Under the Wisteria, A Colorful Backyard Picnic and Sunrise Breakfast Picnic.

There’s also a tutorial to make, what I’ve dubbed, “the ultimate picnic blanket”. This picnic blanket provides a protected place to sit while keeping moisture, bugs and pokey things at bay. Plus it’s durable, easy care and machine washable. The design of red-and-white gingham check with white daisies is bright and cheery. Check out The Ultimate Picnic Blanket – DIY Tutorial.

3. Watch Birds According to All About Birds, birdwatching is more challenging in the summertime. Many baby birds have fledged by July and the adult birds are keeping a low profile while they molt. Ironically, although the birds are more difficult to find, there are actually more of them because of the influx of young birds. I’ve shared a few blog posts about birds including From Feeders to Quilts, 15 Bird Photography Tips Starring the Osprey, Catfish for Dinner?, Stately Swans and their Surprising Stories.

4. Enjoy the Forest Whether it’s called Shinrin-yoku, Forest Therapy or Deliberate Dawdling, a slow stroll along a quiet forest trail is a great way to get immersed in the healing powers of the forest.

5. Stack Stones   Try building a stone tower by balancing rocks one on top of another. Experiment with size and form. Try piling stones into the shape of human figures (called an inuksuk). See the post Heaps and Stacks of Stone for some ideas.
6. Hunt for Sea Glass   Stroll a shoreline and look for sea glass gems. Check out the tips for a successful search in the post In Pursuit of Sea Glass.

7. Indulge in Shutter Therapy Seek out an interesting destination and focus on taking photos. Find the diversity and beauty of the surroundings. The blog post Shutter Therapy in North Rustico shares examples from a day of shooting photos in a fishing village. Strive for the perfect shot while experimenting with subjects, angles, focus, composition and light.
Seek out the beautiful natural light of early morning or late evening.   See the blog post, First Light at Peggy’s Cove, for more information about magic and golden hours.
8. Learn about Sea Turtles In the post Turtles Racing to the Sea, I shared my experiences attending a Sea Turtle Conservancy Tour de Turtles event and a sea turtle nest excavation. Consider learning about sea turtles, or other wild creature of interest, to help preserve and protect wildlife.
9. Chase Butterflies Seek out habitats and gardens dedicated to butterflies for the best chance of seeing these winged beauties. The habitat at Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch in Eatonton, Georgia is a great destination. Check out my post Chasing Butterflies for lots of pretty photos from my visit.

10. Admire a Lighthouse In the post, Beacons of Light, I share stories and photos of lighthouses I’ve had the opportunity to visit. Most of the lighthouses were located in Prince Edward Island, Canada but the neighboring provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also make an appearance. Lighthouses, which are associated with strength, guidance, hope and safe harbor, always have a story to tell.

11. Visit a Local Attraction Thanks to the miracle of COVID-19 vaccines, local travel is possible once again. I’ve shared several of my visits to nearby attractions including:
. A Bridge of Oconee County shares a visit to the Elder Mill Covered Bridge in Oconee County, Georgia.
. Crowing and Clucking in the Barnyard documents a visit to the free-range chicken yard at Hundred Acre Farm in Madison, Georgia.

. Counting Buttons Instead of Sheep shares the quirky story of the Button King from Bishopville, South Carolina.
12. Learn a New Skill Summer is a good time to learn a new skill. How about learning to juggle? Check out the blog post Felt Juggling Balls with Pouch – DIY Tutorial for instructions to make a set of juggling balls.

Or how about making a lucet and learning to make cord? Check out the post Lucet Cordmaking – DIY Tutorial for detailed instructions.

Or check out the post Weaving Lavender to learn how to weave lavender wands.
That makes 12! I hope today’s post provided some new ideas for summertime fun.

More Info

The Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website is a great resource for birding.
You can learn more about Sea Turtle Conservancy events on the Tour de Turtles website. The Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch website provides information on sea turtle nest excavations.
You can learn more about Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch in Eatonton, Georgia on their Facebook page.