What are YOU doing this summer? Got nothing planned? Just lying around on the couch? Sleeping all day? TikTok, TV, and movies? If so, get up, get moving, and check out this list!
Duck Duck Jeep
Five years ago, my family parked our bright red Jeep outside of a pizza shop on the way home from New York. Thirty minutes later, we came out to find a small yellow surfing rubber duck tucked into the door handle. Little did we know, we had just entered the world of Duck Duck Jeep.
According to the official Duck Duck Jeep Facebook page, the rules for ducking jeeps are simple, but there are a lot of them. Some examples are: all Jeeps are allowed to participate, negative notes on the ducks are not allowed, and even no sending ducks through the mail.
So this summer, if you see a Jeep and have a duck, you have your whole plan. Simply put the duck anywhere on the Jeep: in the handle, on the windshield, or even on the roof! And then, you too, will have entered the world of Duck Duck Jeep.
Prank Call
In eighth grade, my friend and I would sit on the field, dial random numbers, and hopefully have a really weird, but amusing, conversation with someone in the country. After they picked up, we would pretend that we were old friends and that they won a trip to France or some random country.
Prank calling is so much fun, and we highly recommend it, unless the person you called turns out to be someone that you know, or the police.
Pie Someone
Last October, my sister came to me exclaiming that she had won top ten in a contest held at the WT Middle School. As a reward, she was tasked with pieing a teacher in front of everyone. Pieing someone surprisingly has some strategy. In preparation for this, we found a video that had five different methods for pieing, like “the pie hat,” “the twist,” “the pie and slide,” “the splat,” and “the pie sandwich.” So add this prank to your summer bucket list, or maybe recommend it to Mr. Davidson for Pi day 2026.
Ride a Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons are not normally something you see flying around in the sky, and are one of those things we all know about, but all forget about. In fact, how often do you actually see a hot air balloon? Even in Disney Springs, the only place where I have actually ever seen a hot air balloon, it just floats up on a string 400 feet into the air.
After some research, there truly aren’t very many hot air balloons that fly. There are only about 3000 in the United States and Turkey has the most hot air balloons. So this summer, either take a trip to Turkey and get a hot air balloon ride, or find one somewhere in the United States. Either way, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Tap Dance
A couple months ago, my grandma told me that she started taking tap lessons. When she said that, it brought me back to my elementary school tap dance and ballet phase. However, we all know that most seven-year-olds do ballet and only several of them stick with it through high school.
This summer, try on a pair of dusty tap shoes from your attic or buy a fresh pair from the store. Go to the dance floor, and see what you can do.
Toilet Paper Someone’s House
Several years ago, my family and I arrived at our house to find the gorgeous pink flowered dogwood tree in our front yard coated in toilet paper. My aunt and her family had trailed the sopping wet paper around the trunk and up through the branches. It took my dad hours to clean it up. Later that year, we did the same to my aunt, but instead of just her tree, we littered her entire front yard with toilet paper.
This summer, even though it’s annoying to clean up, toilet papering someone else’s house is a lot of fun. Just be careful that they don’t do it back to you!
Running of the Bulls
In Middle School, my Spanish teacher would not only teach us the language, but also the Hispanophone culture. She was obsessed with the running of the bulls, a festival that takes place annually in Pamplona, Spain, from July 7th to July 14th.
Every day (except opening and closing day), bulls run on the three streets of the old quarter to a bull ring, chasing after humans who attempt to out-run them. This often leads to many injuries, but people continue to come from all over the world to experience the thrill. If that’s not your thing, spectators watch from balconies. So if you’re visiting Spain this summer, make sure you save the date and enjoy some crazy, surprisingly legal bull runs.
Irish Goodbye
If you ever get insanely mad at someone, it’s time for you to take initiative. The act of the Irish goodbye is discreetly leaving without saying anything at all. This is often done at big gatherings, but can also be done to a roommate. Simply wait until they’re gone, gather all your belongings, and I mean everything. Then leave without a trace. They will be so surprised when you suddenly disappear.
