The lazy summer days when you’re a kid, all blissfully unemployed and high on sugary pixie sticks, are some of the most carefree in our lives. You might have spent them walking around the neighbourhood aimlessly, picking flowers, making mud creations in the backyard… whatever you did, you did it without apology.
Now that you’re an adult, you’re probably lucky if you have a free afternoon alone to do something just for the fun of it. This doesn’t mean you can’t”it just means you have to plan for it and you should. Because there are many summer activities that you can totally still do as an adult in that are just as awesome. Here are a few you should definitely make a point to do before the summer ends.
Indulge in ice cream truck ice cream
The day this is no longer socially acceptable is the day we throw in the towel with adulting. $2 ice cream cones with chocolate dip and extra sprinkles are a simple pleasure that no one should be denied, ever.
Have a picnic
Now you can just do them with booze. Even better, right? Picnics grant a distinct kind of freedom that we should all take advantage of as adults in the summer.
Hang in the park
You can absolutely swing on those swings with abandon! Just make sure you’re not, um, hogging the swings from the kids who they’re actually there for.
Camp in the backyard
Pitching a tent in the backyard with sleeping bags is one real nostalgic way to get right back in touch with your inner child. Now that you actually call the shots when it comes to your bed time, you can really make the most of it. Better yet, invite people over and make an epic end-of-summer party out of it, complete with outdoor movies and all kinds of snacks. (Check out some of these genius backyard camping hacks and learn how to eat s’mores essentially wherever you are.)
Go on a bike journey
The girls of Now and Then really did this right. Going for a long bike ride with friends while feeling the wind in your hair is a purely joyful way to spend a day at any age. Take a look at the Toronto Cycling Map for trails and routes in the GTA and get planning a bike trip.
Go swimming
Pool or lake, swimming is just one of the most liberating feelings. Now that there are floaties that look like emojis and the very on-trend pineapple, it’s all the more enjoyable as an adult.
Swing on a porch swing
Remember staying up late during sleepovers, waiting for Red Shoe Diaries to start? Late summer night porch swings are for LOLs and unbridled heart-to-hearts, which never lose their appeal.
Visit an amusement park
Funnel cakes taste even better when you actually know you “shouldn’t” eat them”and rides are even more fun when you don’t care about saying no to ones you’re actually too scared to go on.
Listen (and dance) to the happiest of pop hits
Every summer has it’s distinct batch of hits. Revisiting those you loved back in the ’90s (think: Robyn’s “Do You Know (What It Takes)”, Christina’s “Genie in a Bottle” and Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West”) will take you back to a simpler time, when parties were mystifying and alluring grownup things and everything social was a mega huge deal… some things really are easier as an adult.
