How your family your summer vacation

Family Travel Tips: How to Plan Your Vacation

Does it ever feel like winter will never end? Don’t worry, summer will sneak up on us sooner than we expect, and with it comes summer vacation!

For families, summer vacation can mean the rare opportunity to escape the demands of our work and school schedules to relax and have fun.

Summer vacation planning, on the other hand, might seem like the opposite of relaxing. But with the proper amount of time and consideration for the details of your trip, the planning process can be almost as much fun as the vacation itself.

We’ve laid out some great travel tips for summer vacation planning to make them simple and stress-free. Get the family involved in the planning process, and you’ll be enjoying the excitement of summer vacation together in no time.

1. Brainstorm your options.

The options for planning a summer vacation can be as plentiful and varied as the sunscreen collection at your local grocery store. Do you prefer camping in the mountains or a beachside cottage? Volunteering with sea turtles in Costa Rica or exploring Europe by train? SPF 15 or 45?

With every option comes varied opinions from your family members. So get started by allowing everyone in the family to share their ideas. Write them all down and then discuss as a group which ones could best be enjoyed by the whole family.

2. Define your budget.

Before you commit to a place or activity, one of the simplest travel tips is to lay out a budget.

By establishing your budget first, you can then pick places and activities that are reasonable and also allow for a cushion to accommodate the unexpected.

You don’t want to spend your vacation days worrying about money. Establishing a realistic budget at the offset will prevent the temptation to spread your finances too thin once you’ve reached your destination.

3. Pick a place.

Now that you have a budget in place, it’s easier to narrow down the possible vacation destinations.

Flights for the whole family will likely be the biggest cost of your trip. If your budget doesn’t allow for flights, consider a road trip or even a special “staycation” getaway close to home.

Picking a place for your family’s summer vacation can be the most overwhelming, but also the most exciting decision. You’ll want to pick a place that can accommodate every family member.

Places with extreme climates or fewer amenities might be more difficult if you’re bringing along infants or older family members. And traveling on long flights with young children can pose additional challenges.

4. Research the different activities to choose from.

You’ll have even more options to choose from once you pick a location. Search popular travel sites such as TripAdvisor to find the available excursions and popular attractions in your destination. If you’re in the United States or Canada, Trekaroo offers lots of ideas for family-friendly vacation experiences.

It can be hard to get everyone on the same page when deciding how you’ll spend your vacation time. Younger kids might not be able to keep up with activities that your teenagers are interested in. And teens can become bored and restless with activities that are suited for the younger ones.

To eliminate frustration, give each family member a day or time slot for which to pick an activity. Giving the kids a chance to take an active role in the planning of the vacation will make them feel more included and enthusiastic about the trip.

Don’t shy away from the idea of splitting up for certain activities. It’s great for everyone to spend time together, but some time apart to indulge in activities that don’t work for everyone can be fun and fulfilling, too.

5. Obtain passports (if necessary).

Don’t wait until the last minute to handle passports, or you could get stuck paying extra fees in order to have the process expedited.

If you’re traveling overseas by air, every member of the family will need one. For children under 16, you’ll need to go to your local passport agency in person, with your child.

Every person who is applying for a passport will need 2 passport photos (2×2”), proof of citizenship, a DS-11 form, photo ID, and two checks for applicable fees. Consult your local passport agency for more thorough instructions on obtaining a passport where you live.

6. Book airline tickets and accommodations.

You’ll land the best fares on flights if you book them well in advance. When you’re planning a trip for the whole family, the cost of flying will have a big impact on your budget, so you’ll want to secure the best deal possible. Some experts suggest around 60 days before the travel day is the best time.

Use sites like Kayak and Skyscanner to compare prices on various different airlines. If you have some flexibility, it’s best to book your flights before your accommodation, as prices can change from day to day. Flying on a Tuesday might save you a pretty penny, compared to flying on a Saturday.

Next you’ll want to book your accommodation. While solo travelers may enjoy booking accommodation on the ground to get last-minute discounts, families will find it much less stressful to know where they’re sleeping long before they arrive.

If you’re willing to be spontaneous, you can save money by booking some accommodation once you’ve landed at your destination. But securing a place to sleep for at least the first night is always a good idea.

7. Get vaccinated (if necessary).

You’ll need to research the destination you’re traveling to in order to identify any required or optional vaccines.

Passport Health is a trusted organization that can help with fulfilling all of your necessary travel vaccines.

Visit your local Passport Health office and tell them about your vacation plans. They will offer you all of the information and vaccines you may need, along with answers to any health-related questions you and your family may have.

8. Count down and enjoy!

Once the logistical details are out of the way, it’s time to look forward to your big trip! Start a countdown on the family calendar to make the most of anticipation and excitement.

The more you and your family can learn about the destination you’re visiting, the more you can appreciate it once you get there. If you’re traveling somewhere that speaks a different language, involve the whole family in learning some of the basic vocabulary words and phrases.

Reading books, listening to music, and watching movies from the destination are other great ways to learn about the culture of the place you’ll visit.

Once you’re there, remember that plans aren’t what make the trip. It’s great to be organized and prepared before you go, but expect the unexpected, and enjoy the things you can’t plan for. Travel is always going to involve some bumps in the road. But, with the right attitude, your family will enjoy the experience no matter what.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll help make your next summer vacation one that the whole family will remember for years to come! –Britany Robinson

BIO: Britany Robinson is a freelance travel and culture writer based in Portland, Oregon. Her works appears in BBC Travel, Mashable, The Daily Dot and more. Her blog, Travel Write Away, shares advice and musings on travel writing. When she’s not planning her next big trip, she’s scoping out Portland craft beers and local hikes.

“How was your summer?”: Vocabulary, Reductions and Phrasal Verbs you need to know

“How was your summer?” It’s a common conversation starter this time of year! This week’s video equips you with vocabulary, reductions and phrasal verbs you can use to answer the question and get the conversation off to a great start.

Video Text:

Do you love summer as much as I do? We’ll celebrate the end of summer in this video by studying several conversations about your summer. You’ll study some important reductions and learn the phrasal verb, wrap-up, as well as great vocabulary words like opportunity and chaotic. Watch all the way to the end to learn things like what is an extended family versus a nuclear family and how to use ‘bookend’ and ‘tied to’ figuratively.

Mom, how’s your summer been?

It’s been good. We usually go out to Colorado late May, early June, but this year, we had an opportunity to babysit our grandson in Philadelphia.

Opportunity. This is a great vocabulary word. It means a set of circumstances that make something possible. We had a trip and so we invited my parents to come take care of Stoney while we were gone. Sample sentences: I had the opportunity to go to NYC for the weekend because my friend was out of town and offered me her apartment. Or, my work offered to fly me to a conference in Anaheim so I took the opportunity to visit Disneyland while I was there.

But this year, we had an opportunity to babysit our grandson in Philadelphia.

Do you know the term babysit? This means to care for someone else’s children. It’s also a noun: every month or so, David and I hire a babysitter to watch Stoney so we can go out.

In the US, the term has evolved and we now use the terms ‘house-sitter ‘and ‘pet-sitter’ to refer to people paid to look after our houses or pets while we travel. These can be used as a verb as well: I’m going to house sit for my aunt and uncle for a month while they’re in China.

But this year, we had an opportunity to babysit our grandson in Philadelphia.

In late June, so we waited to go out to Colorado until we did that.

What are you going to do to wrap-up your summer? Um, we’re almost at the end here.

Wrap up: this phrasal verb means to end something. Notice the W is silent. What are you doing to wrap up your summer? Another example sentence with this phrasal verb: I think we covered everything – why don’t we wrap up the meeting?

This verb can also mean to cover in something. For example, you might wrap up a gift before giving it to someone: cover it in nice paper, maybe a bow. When I was at the beach this summer with Stoney, he got cold when he got out of the water. I said, “come here and I’ll wrap you up in a towel.” Wrap up.

What are you going to do to wrap-up your summer? Um, we’re almost at the end here.

Well, I have a, we spent a week here in a camp with my extended family.

Extended family is different from your nuclear family. A nuclear family is made up of just two generations: a parent or parents and his or her children. An extended family goes beyond that: spouses of children, children of children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etcetera. I have a vocabulary video that goes over the terms we use for various family members. I’ll be sure to link to that video at the end of this video.

Well, I have a, we spent a week here in a camp with my extended family. And then we’re going to go visit some friends in Northern Michigan, and then, we’re going to drive up to Isle Royale National Park which is an island in Lake Superior.

A national park is park set aside by the national government for conservation and the preservation of wildlife, and the enjoyment of the people. In the US, we have about 60 of these parks. You’re looking at some pictures that I have taken while enjoying some of the national parks of the US.

Then, we’re going to drive up to Isle Royale National Park which is an island in Lake Superior.

Is there anything else like kayaking or biking or is it mostly just hiking?

Oh, it’s mostly hiking, although they do have kayaks.

Kayak, this word is a palindrome, which means it’s spelled the same way forward and backward. Have you ever gone kayaking before? I find it very tiring!

Is there anything else like kayaking or biking or is it mostly just hiking?

Oh, it’s mostly hiking, although they do have kayaks. But I don’t think they have bikes out there.

Are you going to do any swimming or is it really chilly up there?

>>It would be really cold.

Did you hear how I described the water in Lake Superior? I said ‘chilly’. This is another way to say ‘cold’. You wouldn’t say ‘chilly’ for something that was very cold or extremely cold. It’s cold, it’s not comfortable, but it’s definitely not as cold as it could be. It’s chilly.

Are you going to do any swimming or is it really chilly up there?

>>It’s cold.
>>Yeah.
>>It would be really cold.
>>Yeah.

How’s your summer been?

We started out…one of the things that is fun about our summers is we have David’s family’s beach week at the beginning of the summer to get things going. And then we have my family’s week here at Lake Michigan at the end of the summer. So we have these two really great weeks that’s sort of bookend our summer and mark it.

Bookends: there are objects that you use on a bookshelf to keep your books upright, often one on either side of a set of books. But we can also use this term figuratively. This would be anything that appears on either side of something. Here, I’m talking about two vacations that bookend our summer: one at the beginning with David’s family, and one at the end with my family. We have two great vacations to bookend our summer.

So we have these two really great weeks that’s sort of bookend our summer and mark it.

The month and a half or so in between has been pretty chaotic.

Chaotic. This word is spelled with a CH, but it’s pronounced with a K sound. Chaotic. Chaos. Chaotic means disorganized, in turmoil. It often refers to too much going on, being too busy.

The month and a half or so in between has been pretty chaotic with getting ready to go on a maternity leave and working extra overtime.

We had two terms related to work there. ‘Maternity leave’ refers to the period of time a woman takes off from work after having or adopting a baby. ‘Paternity leave’ is the time that a man takes off from work when welcoming a new baby to the family. Maternity, paternity. Notice in both of these words, the first T is a True T because it starts a stressed syllable. The second T is a Flap T because it comes between two vowels but doesn’t start a stressed syllable. Maternity, paternity.

With getting ready to go on a maternity leave and working extra overtime.

The other term you heard was ‘overtime’. This refers to working more than your usual number of hours. For example, in the US, at many companies, the standard work week is 40 hours. Depending on your job, if you work more than 40 hours, that’s considered overtime and you might receive higher pay for those hours above 40. A compound word, stress on the first word, over. Overtime.

With getting ready to go on a maternity leave and working extra over time to get all my YouTube videos ready, to get everything for my academy ready. So I’ve definitely been working more than normal and too much, if that was my normal, something would have to change. But it’s not the normal. It’s just to get ready for the new baby. But the summer has been great! I love summer. You know, as an adult, we don’t have kids in school yet and neither of us works in the school system or the university system. So summer is sort of just like every day life but it’s not because you still always take vacations in the summer. Summer is about, I don’t know, it’s something still so tied to the school schedule.

I’ve just used the term ‘tied to’, and I’ll use it several more times here. This doesn’t literally mean that I am tied to an object. We mean it to talk about something that is paired together, that goes together, that we must adhere to or rules that we must follow. It usually implies some kind of a limit. For example, I can work anytime from anywhere, but I used to be tied to David’s work schedule. We had to be in Philly on certain days. Another example sentence: I like to cook all sorts of different things, but I’m tied to the ingredients I can buy in my town. I can’t cook all the things I want, because I don’t have access to certain foods needed to make some international dishes.

Summer is about, I don’t know, it’s something still so tied to the school schedule. The summer is where even if you’re not tied to the school schedule, you’re doing stuff. Probably ’cause all of your other family, you know, is tied to a school schedule. But yeah, we feel really lucky that we get to take advantage of it with the two weeks, with one week with each of our families and…

Yeah, I hadn’t thought about that but that they’re just at the perfect time.

>> Yeah.
>>Um, with those space in between to…
>>do other things.
>> The start of summer…

The end of summer, and then a few: want to take a trip in the middle to go do something extra exciting somewhere you can? But yeah it’s a fun way to sort of start and end.

Thank you Mom for sitting down to talk with me about this. Now let’s get a different perspective, my cousin’s 10-year-old daughter.

How was your summer? This is a conversation starter question you can use with somebody that you see around the end of August or beginning of September.

>> So Ani, how was your summer?
>> Good.
>> What did you do?

What did you do? Did you hear how I pronounced this phrase? We can take the words ‘what’ and ‘did’ and combine them by making the final sound of WHAT a D instead of a T. WUD. WUD. That’s something you’ll hear Americans do. Also, it’s common to take an ending D sound and combine it with ‘you’ to make a J sound: wa-ju. Wa-ju. Wa-ju-do? Do you hear the J sound? Wa-ju. Wa-ju do?

>>We went to San Francisco and I saw this really cool breakdancing show.

Breakdancing. Chances are, you know what this is. In New York City, it’s common to see fabulous dancers performing on sidewalks and in subways.

We went to San Francisco and I saw this really cool breakdancing show. Or seeing that, like, big prison.

>>Yeah. And the Golden Gate bridge.

Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge are two popular sights in San Francisco. Have you ever visited either of them?

>>Or seeing that, like, big prison.

>>Yeah. And the Golden Gate bridge.

>>Did you tell her you’re going to camp?

>>Did you go to camp?

>>Yeah, we also, I also went to camp at Everheart.

>>Is it sleep-away?

A sleep-away camp is one where you send your kids and they stay over night, usually for a minimum of a week. This is different from a day camp, which is typically near your home, and where you would send your child during the day only. In the summer in America, when kids aren’t in school, it’s pretty common to send your kids to camp for families who can afford it.

>>Is it sleep-away?
>> Uh-huh.
>> How long?
>>One week.
>>Fun.
>>Did you love it?
>>Uh-huh, my programs were rock climbing, arts and crafts, swimming.
>>What did you do in the arts and crafts?

Notice how I’m pronouncing ‘arts and crafts’. Two things: The word AND is reduced: arts and– arts ‘n’ crafts. Also, I drop the T in ‘crafts’. This is because it comes between two consonants, F and S. However, I didn’t drop it in the word ‘arts’. Why? It does come between two consonants there. It’s because of the R. We DO pronounce the T if it comes after an R and before another consonant, but we usually drop the T if it comes after any other consonant and before another consonant. Arts and crafts, arts and crafts.

>>What did you do in the arts and crafts?

>>What did you make?

Wa-ju make? Another example of taking ‘what did you’ and reducing it to ‘wa-ju’. Wa-ju make? Just like Wa-ju do? at the beginning of this video. Try that out loud with me now. Wa-ju? Wa-ju make? Wa-ju make?

>>What did you make?

>>Um, so we made this, like, floral painting thing.

>>That sounds pretty.

>>And we also did tie-dye.

Tie-dye. A favorite summer camp activity. Have you ever done tie-dye? Notice the two words are spelled differently, but they both make the AI as in BUY diphthong. Tie-dye, tie-dye.

>>And we also did tie-dye.

>>Wow! You did a lot!

>>What a great summer.

>>How old are you?

>>That’s a good ten-year-old summer.

>>Thank you Ani for letting me interview you!

Earlier in the video, when we were talking about extended family, I told you about a video I made on family vocabulary. Click here to watch that video to see the various terms we use for family members in English.

To see other English conversations analyzed like this, click here for a full playlist. That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.

How Would You Spend Your Ideal Family Vacation?

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What is your favorite family vacation you have ever taken? What did you love about it?

In “How Do Families Around the World Spend Their Vacations?,” Jaime Lowe writes about the different ways families across the globe spend their time off together.

Short two- to three-day vacations, a typical length in Japan, offer a brief refuge from life in the country’s densely populated city centers. A summer escape might be as simple as a visit to an onsen, or hot-springs spa.

In Chongqing, China:

The closest respite for local families is a 16-acre Caribbean- and Mayan-themed water park, built on Nashan Mountain. On a summer day, more than 13,000 day-trippers and vacationers from Chengdu to Guang’an might visit the attraction, most of which is underwater or within the range of hoses and sprinklers. Picnic tables are built into shallow pools for games of Chinese chess and mah-jongg; musical acts perform on the water stage. The most popular spot is a wave pool that produces eight different kinds of swells.

In Tuscany, Italy:

At summer’s start, families and friends might dam up small portions of Italian rivers that run through the Apuan Alps and the Apennine Mountains or use tarps to create pools, sometimes constructing small huts beside them. Lunches of wine, pasta, meats and cheeses are laid out and consumed slowly, over hours, while children and dogs play in the water of the pools.

Most Iranian families trek north to escape the summer heat at the beaches along the Caspian Sea. In accordance with religious laws, Iran’s beaches are divided into three sections: one part for men only, another for women and a family section where all are welcome. Women are free to wear bathing suits at the female-only beaches, but at the family beaches, they must be fully clothed and wear a head scarf.

Ecotourism, which Colombian officials have said was a priority before last year’s accord, has become more feasible in the past year. Now that the countryside is significantly more open, Colombians are free to hike the trails and wade through the frigid rivers in places like Chingaza National Natural Park and Rocas de Suesca, located within a few hours of Bogotá.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— How does your family typically spend vacations? Are family vacations relaxing, adventurous or learning-filled? Do you travel within your own state, throughout the country or go abroad? Which kind of vacation do you prefer?

— How would you spend your ideal family vacation? Where would you go? How long would it be? Who would join you? What activities would you do? What kinds of food would you eat?

— Which of the family vacations featured in the article is the most appealing to you, and why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Here you can find samples of letters to a friend about vacations, free-time activities, week-ends, picnics, all kinds of journeys and hiking trips, and the like. In these letters people share their vivid impressions and feelings.

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 1

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 2

Dear Paul,
Thank you for your letter. I’m so glad to hear from you.
It’s great that you’re on vacation in Italy.
You ask me how I spent the summer. I rested at a youth camp on the lake Chebarkul is located in Chelyabinsk region in Russia. I can not say that the summer was very hot, but at the camp we had fun. We play games, play sports, go to the disco. As for me, I really liked the large and beautiful lake. Moreover, I had a lot of new friends!
And you have many friends? Who’s best friend? Why are you friends with him?
Sorry, I must go. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Tanya

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 3

Dear Paul,
Thank you for your letter. I’m happy to get it.
In your letter you ask me how I spent my summer. I think that most people spend the summer on the shores of ponds, swimming and sunbathing. As for me, I spent the summer with his grandmother in the village. We walked a lot in the woods, picking berries and mushrooms. I’ve seen a lot of wild animals and birds. Moreover, we met a large moose with huge antlers. I did not think that the forest is so interesting!
How did you start out? There are new lessons? You learn in school last year?
Sorry, I have to go now. Write back soon!
Best wishes,
Alex

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 4

Dear Ashley,
Thank you for your letter. It’s always a pleasure to receive your letters.
You asked me how I spent the summer. Well, it was not the best summer of my life. First, I caught a cold and was sick for two weeks. Because of this I could not go to a youth camp and I spent a month in a stuffy city.
Then the weather turned bad and again I had to stay home. Only in August, I managed to go hiking with friends. We had a lot of fun and sang songs around the campfire.
How is your new dog? Did it get used to you? What do you feed it?
Well, I’ve got to finish. It is now 11:00 pm, it’s time to sleep.
Take care of yourself,
Anna

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 5

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 6

Hi Mark,
It’s always nice to get your letters! I am really happy that you had a great holiday. I think I’d enjoy travelling, but I’ve never travelled abroad.
I usually go to my summer house not far from Moscow. I spend summers there swimming in a river, playing with my friends and enjoying the nature. I have a wonderful garden with different flowers. It’s usual for Russians to grow vegetables and fruit at summer houses but I never do it! You asked about the type of holidays I like. Well, let’s say I don’t like lying on a river bank doing nothing. I prefer working in my garden and hiking.
You mentioned taking French classes. What made you take them? Do you think French is difficult? When are you going to start?
Write soon,
Lena

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 7

Dear Michael,
Thank you for your letter. So wonderful to hear from you.
In your letter you asked me how I spent my summer. I had a great this summer. First I went to a youth camp, which is located only a short distance from Kaluga on scenic Lake. We have a lot of sunbathing and swimming in the lake, playing soccer, dancing in the evening, etc. Ive made lot of good friends.
Then, the second half of the summer I held a at the grandmother in the garden. The garden is located near a large forest. We went hiking, picked mushrooms and berries and bathed in a wide river.
However, I already want to school, I miss my school friends.
Sorry, I must go. I will write to you soon again!
All the best,
Sergei

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 8

Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your recent letter. It was great to hear from you!
You asked me to tell you how I spent the summer. Well, I spent this summer very well. Our family was invited to visit our relatives who have a house in Spain in the suburbs of the city of Barcelona. We spent almost a month traveling around the country. By the way, I learnt a little Spanish.
We have a lot of sun and swimming in the warm sea. We visited the Salvador Dali museum and Barcelona Zoo. We watched «Singing Fountain» and the botanical garden Gaudi. As for me, I liked the water park with dolphins.
I must go now, my mother is waiting for me. I will write to you soon again.
Take care,
Katia

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 9

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 10

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 11

This summer was unforgettable for me. I was in Gelendzhik. In my opinion, there’s nothing like the Russian resorts. There were different kinds of entertainment there. I liked water scooters the most. There was nothing to do all day except for taking sunbathes and swimming. Every day we walked around a town and rode on an excursion.

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 12

Your friend, Natasha

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 13

Sample letter to a friend in English в„– 14

Текст «Summer Holidays» (10 класс)

In my opinion there is a great number of different ways of spending summer holidays. It depends on person, on his culture, education, age, social level and personal tastes and preferences. So, everyone likes his own way of summertime spending. It is a great pleasure to have a rest after a whole year of hard work or study. People like to travel during their summer holidays. Some people go abroad to see new countries, some people prefer to go to the country-side to enjoy country-life far from noise and fuss of big cities. Other people like staying at home doing nothing, but watching TV and playing computer games. Some people like to spend their holidays in cities, visiting theatres, museums and going sightseeing. But a great number of people go to the seaside. As for me, I prefer to go on holiday to the seaside. I do not like crowds. My family and I always have our holiday on the coast. Sea and sunbathes, that is what we look forward to every summer. Hotels at the large seaside towns are rather expensive, so we usually go camping. Last year we spent our holidays in a camp. Each day was full of small joys. We swam in the sea, lay in the sun, played different games and had a wonderful time. We lived there for about a month. The time passed very quickly. It was a wonderful holiday.

Different Ways of Spending Vacations

One can really feel the heat already here. It is summer time and people are getting out under the sun and having fun. Now, I’m guessing most of you guys have your flights booked and your reservations fixed in some of the finest hotels and the whitest sand beaches in the world. But for those who are not, do not fret; there are a lot of cool stuff to do in the summer. So, make a list, and try to do them one day at a time.

5. Go on outings with friends or family. Though most of the time, I travel just with my mom as we can afford, we never end a summer without going out with our family. It gives us time to bond with them, to get to know what is happening in their lives, to update ourselves. There are also times when you would want to be with your friends, so you can do stuff together. It strengthens your friendship and you get to know them more.

7. Read a book. During school days, I never really have the time to read a lot of books except for those needed in book reports, or text books. So, I use up my time to catch up with my favorite novels. It would be nice to do so especially on a warm, sunny day when everything is calm and peaceful.

8. Develop a new hobby. This is all just conditional. If you are bored at home and you feel like cooking something up or maybe try to learn magic, then do so. In the long run, it will a great asset to you and you might just become a famous chef or street magician like Gordon Ramsay or David Blaine. Just saying.

10. Exercise. Well, it is not that you do not do it every day, but summer gives you more time than you can ever imagine. For me, who has a very hectic schedule during school days, I really do not have the time to even stretch in the morning. Probably the only exercise I get is by walking or climbing up the stairs or maybe carrying my ten-kilogram bag. That is why, I must catch up during summer. Swim, jog, run, and all that exercise. Additionally, you will stay fit and healthy; that is the important thing.

12. And finally, summer is about having fun. Whatever you do, just try to enjoy it. Always think that by doing this, you gain something for yourself. Do not exasperate yourself nor should you just lounge around. Stay positive and productive, whether in the house, outdoors or anywhere. Try to learn new things. Live life to the fullest.

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

School is finally over, but what are you going to do now? The excitement of getting out of school can quickly turn into boredom and frustration about having nothing to do. Don’t let this happen to you. Read on to find out how to make the most out of your summer vacation!

Method 1 of 7: Cleaning out the old year

Clean your room out. Throw away, destroy (rip) or put away anything you don’t need this season. Homework, bulky Christmas sweaters, etc. Clear out your clutter for a fresh, clean start this summer.

Method 2 of 7: Outdoor fun

Get outside! You’ve stayed inside all winter, get out your bike and go for a nice, long ride. Grab a friend or two and go hiking. Go to the beach, lake, ocean for an afternoon of swimming and tanning. Go jogging or even just for a walk in the park or on the sidewalk. Walk your dog (or your neighbor’s dog if you don’t own a dog yourself. Go camping. Gather some friends and go set up a tent somewhere. A yard, open field (if you’re allowed), or a camp site are great places to set up camp. Make sure you have the necessary equipment so you’re not stranded in the rain wearing shorts and sandals with nothing to do. Try to set up camp by a lake for a lovely view and easy access to swimming grounds. Camping and swimming. What’s not to love? Go to a camp for a few days. After all, camp is a great place to meet new friends. Plus, there are a lot of different camps out there to choose from. Visit places. You don’t have to go anywhere exotic, just visit somewhere in your country, state, or even in your town. Go on a road trip with your family, or go with a few friends to a local place you’ve never been to before.

Method 3 of 7: Indoor fun

Get membership at your local library. Spend some time there reading books that you like and are interested in. Novels, magazines, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, etc. and lot more are all there for you to read for free. Pick what you like and read on. Lots of libraries also have summer reading clubs, so consider joining one of those if you enjoy reading. Learn how to cook. Cooking is a fun and delicious activity to try. Take some classes, ask your family members for help, or find a book or search in the internet for easy cooking recipes. Listen to your favorite songs. Music will calm you down and make you feel happy. Make a summer playlist of all of your favorites to listen to while you exercise, go to the beach, or just relax at home. You’ll find you end up associating certain songs with your long vacation times, so pick some good ones for good memories.

Watch your favorite movies. Watching movies with friends is a good way to spend time with them.

Method 4 of 7: Craft

Make a scrapbook of the summer. Buy several disposable cameras in the beginning of summer and carry them around with you. When you go out with your friends, take a few snapshots. Buy some cheap stickers, glue sticks, glitter, etc and have fun. Make crafts that you’d like to try but haven’t yet. Borrow books from the library on how to make them, or use online resources. You don’t need to spend a fortune on materials––see what’s inside your house, at the local thrift store or in online auctions and save money.

Method 5 of 7: Shopping

Go to the mall. The mall is crowded with teens during summer. It’s a great way to make new friends too. Hang out around the mall with your friends. Enjoy yourself even if you don’t have enough money to buy anything.

Method 6 of 7: Relaxing

Stay indoors once in a while and be alone. Take a nice bath, put on some pajamas, and curl up on the couch with a great book and a snack. Rent a movie or two and spend some time with yourself. Use your imagination and waste some time. Pretend that you’re in a magical world and that you can do anything you want to do there! Relax barefoot out side with some friends.

Method 7 of 7: Having friends over

Invite some friends over and have an overnighter/sleepover. Grab your favourite drinks, snacks, movies, video games, magazines, and books to have a night full of fun.