Best friends Sony and Simone exploring an art gallery! photo by Lela Sharrow
Eight things you can do to have a super exciting summer!
My best friend Simone and I love to try different activities together no matter where we are, but with finals and AP tests coming up, we find ourselves with no time to finish our school commitments—much less with time to hang out as friends. As a way to look forward to the end of school, we created a bucket list of all the things we are going to do after we hear that final school bell. I hope this inspires you to come up with a list of your own to make the most out of your summer. (or something like that)
Summer is often known as a time for teenagers to lay back and kick up their feet. High schoolers love indulging in late nights, sleeping all day, hanging out with friends, and having minimal responsibilities. But the truth is, the rest of the world goes on, and there continue to be people in need. A productive way to kill time this summer is to volunteer and serve the community. One of my personal favorite places to volunteer are animal shelters—not only are you providing extra help that’s needed, you get to hang out with cute animals.
Washington Park—dubbed Wash Park by Denver locals—is home to many summer events. The park is huge, leaving room for many different kinds of people to do many different kinds of activities. One thing you might not know about Wash Park is that there are volleyball events hosted there frequently. You can join a summer league or participate in pickup games that are often held there. To find these events, you can search for online groups on platforms like Facebook.
Many people like to wind down by going to the spa and getting pampered. However, not a lot of people can afford to take spa trips. That’s okay, because I have the perfect at-home spa day guide anyone can do solo or with their friends:
Drive in movies were thought to be a lost tradition, but they’re making a comeback. A few drive-in theaters have reopened around town, making drive-in movies more accessible. This is a great option to try with your friends when you finally get your license! The 88 Drive-In Theater has movies running all summer long with a variety of genres to enjoy with your friends.
Did you know that the Denver Zoo has recently welcomed a new baby giraffe? The male calf is the baby to parents BB and Jasiri. All three of them are an endangered species called the reticulated giraffe. There are currently less than 16000 reticulated giraffes alive today. That’s not the only exciting thing to see at the zoo this summer. The Denver Zoo has many new babies for anybody to fawn over—all of which are so cute. The newly opened “Down Under” exhibit just welcomed a cluster of red-necked wallaby joeys. The outdoor enclosures has also welcomed a new baby Somali wild ass Foal. There are only 150 individuals of this species left in the world, so having one in our home city is certainly a treat. The woodlands exhibit has also welcomed two sister lesser kudu calves, and, if you’ve never seen one, you have to catch a peek at the zoo. Lesser kudus are a stunning type of antelope you do not want to miss. Lastly, my favorite new addition to the Denver Zoo is a manta ray pup. With the summer return of Stingray Cove, Denver welcomes a new pup named Murphy, dubbed Murph, and the most exciting thing about seeing Murph at the Zoo is that Stingray Cove is a hands-on experience, meaning not only do you get to see Murph, but you can give him a friendly pet as well.There are so many amazing animals to observe and learn about, be sure not to miss it this summer.
While being outside has its benefits, sometimes you can get a little sunburned. When the UV is 12 and the heat is up in the hundreds, sometimes it’s best to stay inside. Lucky for us, there are some great new and returning TV shows to binge all summer. Personally, Simone and I are really looking forward to watching the finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty (out July 16), but there are so many other shows to choose from if that’s not your style. Here’s a list of shows you can sit in and binge this summer:
–Black Mirror – Season 7 – Netflix – Out Now
–The Last of Us – Season 2 – HBO/Max – Out Now
–Poker Face – Season 2 – Peacock – Out Now
–Ginny and Georgia – Season 3 – Netflix – June 5
–Ironheart – Disney+ – June 24
–Squid Game – Season 3 – Netflix – June 27
Time capsules are a seemingly lost art, and 2025 is the perfect year to bring them back. High school is such a special time in our lives, why not document it to revisit in the future? You can put anything in your time capsule (okay, maybe not anything, food is ill advised) to remind your future self what your high school years were like. Maybe even include some useful items for your future self, like some extra pocket change. Another fun thing about time capsules is that you can do them with friends and reunite later to dig them up. I personally would recommend waiting ten years to open it and record where you kept it so you don’t lose it. This is a fun activity for seniors to do with their friends before going off to pursue their futures.
If you intend to go to college after high school, starting a passion project that relates to your dream career is a great idea. Even if it’s not for college, a passion project is a great way to teach yourself discipline and hone in on a skill that you’ve been meaning to build. Summer is a great time to start a passion project, especially as a teenager. When you get to college, your summers will likely not be filled with as much leisure time to dedicate to your passions. There are so many different passion projects to try, so here are a few ideas:
-Write an album
-Write a novel
-Start a Youtube channel and post videos consistently all summer
-Start a small business
-Make an art collection
These are just a few ideas to get started, but the possibilities are endless. As long as you set smaller goals to achieve larger goals, you’ll get there, and have a super cool project at the end of it.
I hope this list inspires you to get out and have fun with your closest friends this summer! See you next year!
