Beat Summertime Boredom

We asked readers for ideas of things to do to beat the end of summer blahs. Here’s what you came up with:

• Enjoy the outdoors. Sleep outside and look at the stars, plant a garden, go on a picnic, play group games like hide-and-seek, roll down a hill, or go walking, hiking, fishing, or camping.

• Find time for family. Play or talk with your siblings. Help plan a family trip, excursion, or service project.

• Cool off. Have a water fight, run through the sprinklers, or swim in a pool, lake, or the ocean.

• Read the fine print. Read and highlight the scriptures. Check out good books from the library. Catch up on reading Church magazines.

• Make new friends; keep the old. Help elderly people with yardwork, take them cookies or flowers, or record their personal history (see the May 1999 Idea List). Give a neighbor a bottle of bubbles. Offer free baby-sitting for a family. Call friends who wrote to you in your yearbook.

• Stay fit. Make an exercise plan. Include fun activities like field hockey, rollerblading, biking, or running.

• Write away. Write letters to relatives, missionaries, and friends. Keep a journal. Start a neighborhood newsletter. Write a story or play.

• Discover a talent. Take a community class that interests you. Learn a new handicraft. Put together a neighborhood or family talent (or untalent) show. Learn to cook.

• Score goals. Work on Personal Progress or Scouting goals.

• Clean up. Help your mom or dad with something around the house. Clean your room.

• Be creative. Draw or paint a picture. Design a game. Make a musical mix tape for someone. Write music. Throw a theme party.

• Make history. Make scrapbooks. Record your personal history. Take pictures. Make a movie about your family. Learn to do family history work.