10 Free, Cheap, and Fun Summer Activities

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MCT

The sun sets over Carmel Beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., where a weekend getaway offers all sorts of dining and playing delights. (Jim Harrington/Bay Area News Group/MCT)

Marie Bobb, Staff Writer

Being a teen during the summer can either be absolutely amazing or absolutely dreadful. Teens aren’t always going to have a job, meaning they may not have money to do exactly what they’d want. Summer time is the perfect time for teens to go out and get away from the long hours of school for a while. Here are some fun, cheap, and possibly free summer ideas to do with friends or on your own.

  1. Go to the beach or have a picnic – This can be set up easily and fast. Call up some friends, buy your favorite foods, and lay it all out on the sand and have a fun, relaxing time.
  2. Scavenger hunt – This activity is especially fun if you’re friends join you. Scatter around a bunch of different items in or outside, and the person who finds the most items wins a prize. This is such a great activity because it can keep you busy for a while, and can be done with what you might already have.
  3. Bake something – With or without friends, this is my favorite activity. Baking is a cheap and fun hobby for all ages. Not only is it fun, but at the end of the day you’re left with delicious homemade goodies.
  4. Water balloon fights – There is always a way to cool down from the summer heat, and water balloon fighting is a way to remedy the intense heat. You can purchase water balloons at most local stores, fill them up with water, and the rest is up to you. You can make it like a game of dodgeball, another similar sport, or create one of your own.
  5. Recite duos or monologues – You may think this is one of the weirdest activities that you’d only resort to out of boredom, but give it a chance. You can gather a few friends and preform these monologues together, practice one on your own, or have a friend preform a duo with you. It can be interesting to watch, and can bring out plenty of laughs.
  6. Sightseeing – No matter where you live in the world, there’s something interesting to watch near you. It may take a bit of research, but it’s worth it in the end. Catch a ride to a local place and enjoy the view.
  7. Scrapbooking – Most of us have pictures laying around our house or hidden somewhere to find, and these photos are perfect for scrapbooking. Not only is this a great, time consuming activity, but it might just take you down memory lane.
  8. Create your own clothing – Clothes that you no longer wear don’t have to go straight to the trash can. Youtube has many DIY videos that demonstrate how to turn many clothing items from drab to fab.
  9. Set up a home movie theatre – Not everyone can afford going out to the movies, and some people just don’t like movie theaters. Stores like Publix and Walmart have movie booths where you can purchase a variety of films for cheap. Gather up some of your closest friends and have yourself a little movie night.
  10. Make a music video – This has to be one of my favorite activities. Reenacting your favorite music video or even completely creating one of your own is a fun way to not only express yourself, but it’ll give you something to do when boredom begins to set in.