Things To Do In The Summer Holidays

Well, the summer holidays are finally here. You know, that magical six weeks where the alarm clock gets a well-earned break and your daily routine becomes a suggestion rather than a rule. It’s the time of year when the sun stays out longer, the ice cream van’s jingle becomes your personal soundtrack, and you suddenly remember you have a garden—or at least a balcony with a sad-looking plant.

But let’s be honest: after the first glorious week of doing absolutely nothing, a little voice might whisper, “What now?”. The excitement of lie-ins can fade into a strange guilt about watching daytime TV in your pyjamas. Don’t worry, that’s totally normal.

Rediscover the Joy of Doing Nothing (Properly)

First things first: embrace the slow. Summer is the only season that officially gives you permission to lounge. Remember being a kid and lying on the grass just staring at clouds?

Try it again. Really do it. Pick a patch of grass at your local park, lie down, and watch the sky for ten minutes.

The Art of the "Perfect" Afternoon

You don’t need a two-week holiday in Spain to feel the summer magic. Sometimes the best day is a “staycation afternoon” in your own back garden. Pop some iced tea in a flask, grab a crappy paperback you’d be embarrassed to read on the tube, and just sit there.

Let the bees buzz. Let the neighbour’s lawnmower drone on. It’s weirdly soothing.

The "Low-Stakes" Day Trip

Everyone talks about grand adventures, but let’s be real: packing for a big trip is exhausting. Instead, try a micro-adventure. Pick a town you’ve never been to that’s only forty minutes on the train.

Walk to a charity shop. Eat a mediocre pasty on a bench. Mission accomplished. You’ve done something different without the stress of a full itinerary.

I did this last July to a seaside town called Leigh-on-Sea. I spent two hours watching a guy fly a kite that kept crashing. It was, honestly, the most peaceful afternoon of my year.

Cooking Without a Recipe (Gasp!)

Summer is the time to throw away the rules in the kitchen. The oven is off-limits (too hot!). Instead, embrace the “fridge-raid salad.” Grab whatever is in your fridge: leftover chicken, a sad cucumber, some feta. Toss it together.

Drizzle it with olive oil and lemon. Eat it outside with your fingers. It doesn’t matter if it’s messy. That’s the whole point.

Remember the simple joy of a perfectly ripe peach eaten over the sink, juice running down your chin? That’s a five-star meal in my book.

Reconnecting with Old Friends (and New Hobbies)

Summer holidays are a social lifeline. You know that friend you keep saying, “We should grab a drink soon!” to? This is the time. Send them a text. Don’t overthink it.

“Hey, it’s sunny. Fancy a park bench and some crisps?”. No plan needed. Just show up. If you’re feeling brave, try something random: learn to juggle with two oranges or attempt a handstand on the grass. You’ll fail, laugh, and that’s the memory.

The Great British "Rainy Day" Protocol

Let’s be realistic: it will rain. Probably on the one day you planned a picnic. That’s okay. That’s when you deploy the “indoor fort” strategy.

Drape a sheet over two chairs. Bring in all the cushions you own. Watch a silly action movie from the 90s. Eat popcorn for dinner. It’s not immature—it’s therapy.

Capture the Small Stuff

Don’t worry about taking Instagram-worthy photos. Instead, collect tiny souvenirs. A smooth pebble from the beach. A receipt from a café where you had a really good slice of cake. A photo of a funny cloud.

Years from now, you won’t remember the “perfect” holiday. You’ll remember the time you and your sister tried to build a sandcastle and it collapsed seventeen times, and you laughed until your stomach hurt.

Why you should care about all this:

Because summer is a rare permission slip to slow down. The rest of the year is all efficiency, deadlines, and grown-up responsibilities. The holidays are a gentle nudge from the universe: “Just be for a bit.”

You don’t have to climb a mountain or learn a language. You just have to notice the longer evenings, the smell of cut grass, and the way a cold drink tastes after a hot walk. That’s the whole recipe for a perfect summer.

So go on. Put your feet up. Eat that peach. Watch that kite crash. The holidays are yours to mess up—and that’s the best part.