30 Things to do in the Summer Sun Without Spending a Dime

I love the summer time! The beautiful colors of flowers blooming, swimming in a pool on a hot day, and the smell of an afternoon rain shower.

What do you love about summer?

During the winter time, I tend to get stir crazy from being inside for long periods of time. There’s no sun, no bright colors to look at, and not as many activities to enjoy. When the weather finally gets nice outside I try to take advantage of the sun as soon as I can!

Whether it be taking my laptop outside to work, laying out for a quick tan, or finally make some sun tea. Oh how I LOVE sun tea. I enjoy making a big jar, letting it sit for a couple hours, and inviting family over to visit. Something about conversing with good friends, drinking sun tea, and enjoying the nice weather is SO relaxing.

If it’s not summertime where you live, take a look at my 30 Fun Date Ideas to Try During the Winter. There are some great ideas in there!

So we already know there are plenty of things to do in the summer. But, did you know that there are actually activities you can do that won’t cost you any money? Yes, I said no money, not a dime, not even a penny.

How does that sound to you?

You may be thinking, “Well, you can’t have any fun without spending at least some money.” Or, “All the super fun activities require money to be spent.”

Personally, I have the most fun when I’m not spending any money at all! So that’s why I came up with a list of things to do in the summer sun all while saving your hard earned cash.

 Toast Marshmallows

Assuming you have marshmallows in your pantry, grab a long stick and toast them either over your stove or outdoor fire pit. Make them extra tasty by turning them into smores. There is nothing better than a nice hot smore on a cool summer night.

Have a Picnic at the Park

Make some sandwiches and grab a bag of chips. Head to your local park and enjoy the sun’s rays.

Take a Night Walk

Summer nights are the best! Take a walk and watch the sun go down for an extra relaxing evening.

Go to the Lake

 There are many things you can do here. Walk or run around the whole lake. Bring along your fishing poles and see if you can catch dinner.

Run in the Sprinklers

This sounds like so much fun! Turn on those sprinklers and chase each other around. I like the idea of playing tag while the sprinklers are on.

Fly a Kite

Make a kite with paper. Make sure it is slightly windy on that day. Check out these awesome DIY Kite Tutorials.

Play a Card Game Outside

Bring those cards outside and play war, slap jack, or UNO. If you haven’t heard of the game Spoons, I highly recommend you try it out. It is my favorite card game of all time!

Let’s say there are six people playing, so you will place five spoons in the middle of your group. With only four cards in each hand allowed, pass them along to the person next to you until someone receives a match of four. Example: four 9 numbered cards or four queens. The first person to get a match of four grabs a spoon and the rest follow. The person who doesn’t end up with a spoon losses. Give it a try!

Bird Watch

See how many different types of birds you can spot. Try to snap a picture as birds make for great photography.

Take a Hike

Put on those running shoes and go hike a mountain. Don’t forget to dress comfortably and take plenty of water.

Garden – Do Yardwork

Yardwork might not sound fun to most people, but it has to get done sometime. I like to wait for the late afternoon to start when the sun isn’t at its peak. If you have a green thumb plant and water those suckers! Every year my husband and I plant tomatoes and peppers so I can jar salsa by the end of the summer. We usually end up with about 36 jars to last us throughout the year.

Stargaze

Grab a blanket and try to find all the constellations in the beautiful night sky. If you have a telescope, that’s even better.

Tan Outside

Lay on your lawn chair or take a towel to the grass and receive that vitamin C the sun provides for us. I usually have my music and headphones on while often finding myself eventually singing out loud.

Play Freeze Tag

Bring all the neighborhood kids together for a fun game of freeze tag. Hey, as an adult I still enjoy playing tag with others. You are never too old for a good old game of tag!

Catch Fireflies

Where I live there aren’t any fireflies, but if there were I would totally do this. It’s so pretty to watch them fly. I would, of course, release them afterward so they can live a long happy life.

Camp in the Backyard

Camping is one of my favorite things to do in the summer! My husband and I try to go camping every other week if possible. For those days when we just can’t make it, pitching a tent in our backyard sounds fantastic! Especially fun for the little ones.

Read Under a Tree

Pretend you’re in your favorite fairytale movie and read a book under a big large tree. If you have a canopy, even better!

Go to the Beach

Walk along the beach and pick up some sea shells for home decor. Take a swim in the ocean to cool off.

Make Homemade Popsicles

There are so many recipes for homemade popsicles. Some with fruit, some with fruit and veggies. Pick one and enjoy eating it outside. Check out these 25 Best Homemade Popsicle Recipes.

Play Frisbee

Play a game or two of frisbee. Maybe even frisbee golf. If you don’t have a frisbee golf park near you, make your own game!

Take a Nature Walk

Find a nature path and take a stroll. This makes for a super relaxing time.

Have a Water Fight

Fill up some balloons and the game is on! If you want to be really sneaky, grab the hose and start splashing everyone.

Make Sun Tea

Like I said before, I LOVE sun tea! When it’s done curating, have a glass of tea and enjoy your friend’s company.

Outdoor Yoga

Take your daily yoga routine outdoors. You can’t get any closer to nature than that. Listening to the birds chirping while practicing yoga or meditation sounds so relaxing!

Walk the Dogs

That way the both of you can get some exercise at the same time.

Play Sports

Play a game of football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.

Wash Your Car

This might not sound like fun, but my husband loves to wash our cars. I guess it’s fun to cruise down the street in your nice shiny ride!

Take Pictures of Nature

Take some pictures of flowers in your garden or the beautiful bloomed tree in your yard. If you have them developed, those pictures would look great as wall art decor for your home.

Lay in the Grass

This one pretty much explains itself. Although I hate when those snappy wasps come to fly around me. I am deathly afraid of them!

Ride Bicycles

Take those bicycles for a ride.

Find Shapes in the Clouds

If it is a slight overcast day, try to find as many different shapes in the clouds as you can. This game can get pretty funny.

 Have you decided what you are going to do today yet?

Me? I think I’ll stop writing for the day and take my dog on a walk. She sits so well when I’m working, so she deserves a nice summer walk and maybe a bone for after.

Remember, not every activity involves spending money! Go ahead and try any of these 30 things to do in the summer sun without having to spend a dime.

So what’s on the schedule for your family to do today? Comment in the section below, I would love to hear your fun activities!