Summer Like It’s The 90’s: 30 Ways To Enjoy a Nostalgic Summer
Do you remember the feeling you had when school let out and summer was in session? Vaguely, am I right? You know it was a fun time but then you became an adult and realized we don’t get summer break anymore. Our parents seriously undersold adulting. “Enjoy being a kid while you can, being an adult sucks". That most certainly doesn’t prepare us for the fun we’re about to miss out on. Explicit details were needed parents! Now, I’m finding myself craving that genuine happiness I felt as a kid when summertime was here.
Hot girl summer has taken center stage for long enough. I don’t care about being the “hot girl”. I want to be the happy girl! It’s time to channel the 90’s and bring back summer like it should be: carefree, sun-drenched and alive!
What Was So Great About Summer in the 90’s?
Honestly, EVERYTHING! Our parents went to work and we just slept in knowing we were having a better day. The days moved slower, we spent every waking moment outside playing and riding bikes with our friends. There was no social media. Waterparks were open. Ice cream trucks were chased down like they had the last bites of food left in the world. If we were lucky, we could get a surprise trip to Disney World!
When it was too hot or rainy out (I grew up in Florida so this was basically every day during 2-4pm) we had a huddle of neighborhood kids hanging out inside playing Mario on Nintendo, flipping through the latest Delia’s catalog and circling everything our parents were never going to buy us, watching Recess or the coolest Blockbuster tape someone had kept for too long. Oh the late fees of the 90’s!…that we didn’t have to pay for (sorry parents).
Everything just felt so much simpler. There was no need to complain about anything because we would move on to something else if one thing didn’t work out. We were excited about everything. Happy, care-free kids running around like the world was ours.
Let’s Summer Like It’s the 90s
Things to do:
Make a Summer Collage with Disposable Cameras & Polaroids
For those of you who weren’t around in the 90’s, our cameras were a little different than a phone with professional quality, zoom and instant review and delete. We were limited to the amount of photos available in the film we had and there were no do-overs. I know this sounds like a downgrade but there is just something so special about waiting to see how your photos turned out once CVS and Walgreens processed them. Instant gratification has taken the fun and anticipation out of so many things but a disposable camera is sure to bring that back.
Bring them along this summer for boat days, girls’ nights, birthday parties, special events—all the summer activities you want to remember. I think growing up with the disposable cameras instead of smart phones made our time more intentional. We captured moments because they felt special and we wanted to remember them later, but now you can photograph and record every second without any limits. The best disposable cameras for that classic 90’s look to your photos are Kodak and Fujifilm. Want a camera you can keep for longer? A polaroid is always a good idea. Snap a photo & shake until your photo comes to life. It’s like watching a magic trick!
Create a Scrapbook
Scrapbooking is such a fun hobby! I always love making travel journals with random pieces I find along my trips but it started when I was kid making scrapbooks. Grab those freshly processed photos and add them into your summer scrapbook.
One of my all-time favorite movies and books (truly amazing when a movie and a book are equally great) is The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and I always loved their yaya book! Think of that book when putting yours together. Get messy. Cut things up. Add stickers. Draw & color outside of the lines. Don’t get caught in things being perfect. Get lost in the crafting!
Go Roller Blading
Take your workout outdoors and have so much fun that you forget you’re working out. I feel like we were a lot healthier in the 90’s and it’s probably because we got a workout in to go anywhere—along with the superior ingredients in our food. If we went to a friend’s house or just played around in the street it was a workout: roller blading, skateboarding, biking, razor scooters! We were so active and constantly had a smile on our face.
Swap out your HOKAs for some in-lines and channel your inner Brink (yes, you need to run to Disney+ for a rewatch of the best movie)! Want to feel like you’re back at the roller rink? Go for a retro-style classic high top instead. I know it’s probably been a while since you skated around so friendly reminder: stretch! I’ve been using my skates lately but my gosh I didn’t realize I would get such a leg workout. Charlie horses are never a fun alarm clock.
Bike-Riding Around the Neighborhood
When’s the last time you rode your bike just for fun rather than a cycling workout? Forget the biker shorts and just take a ride through the neighborhood. Tell your friends to join you at sunset and have the best time channeling your inner child together.
A beach cruiser is my favorite bike for casual and fun rides. I especially love that it has a basket and a rear cargo rack so I can ride it down to the local farmer’s markets.
Have a Super Soaker War
There’s nothing more fun than a super soaker war and you can’t convince me otherwise! A few years ago, I went to a friend’s pool party and brought some super soakers for the kids. When I tell you those kids couldn’t get their hands on those things for more than 5 minutes, I truly mean it! The adults hadn’t seen a super soaker in decades and I’m still amazed everyone made it out without losing an eye.
Adulting is no fun but it does come with some perks—such as being able to finally afford the biggest and baddest super soaker we always begged our parents to get us from Walmart and Toys-R-Us. Challenge your besties to a duel and see who brings the best
Play Outdoor Games
Playing games outside was all we could think about in the 90’s and we always had the best time! Thankfully, we can still play these without feeling immature. Get a group of friends together to enjoy playing the games we loved as kids like Toss & Catch, Tetherball, Kickball (the greatest and most painful game on the playground) and Spikeball. Take it up a notch with Mega-Jenga, Jumbo Yardzee, or Bucketball.
Set Up a Slip & Slide
The last time I played on a slip n’ slide there was table of flip cup at the bottom of the hill (yes, us millennials made drinking games out of everything) but I haven’t actually played on one just for the fun of sliding with friends in decades.
Head to a park with a great hill and set up a slip n slide to beat the heat with your besties. You can easily set this up with a long tarp, some long yard nails to secure it in place, a sprinkler attachment to make it feel like you’re in a waterpark and some baby oil to slide faster than your health insurance wants you to.
Want to really make the most of your slip n slide day? Have you ever tried Slip N Slide Kickball?! If that doesn’t sound like the most amazing summer activity, I don’t know what does.
Play on A Swing Set
Is it me or should we have never stopped playing on swings? The rest of the playground is definitely for the little kids but us millennials have been masters of the air long before Austin Butler, and it all happened on a swing set. I’m honestly amazed that my knees have made it this far in life given the heights we went to in a competition of jumping from our swings.
Catch a sunset with your bestie on your local playground’s swing set and challenge them to a competition. Don’t worry, the landing spot is no longer aggressively packed sand, dirt or grass like we grew up with. You’ll practically bounce off the tire bits like it’s a trampoline with the upgrades these younger generations are blessed to have. If you don’t feel like testing out your body’s limits just having a casual swing and chat.
Tie-Dye T-Shirts
There wasn’t a single childhood summer that went by where tie-dying t-shirts wasn’t involved. It’s a miracle I even had any solid shirts left when September rolled around. I don’t care of they’re not in style anymore. If there’s anything time has shown us it’s that everything comes back in style at some point. If shoulder pads can do it, so can a properly tie-dyed shirt.
Get some plain white shirts or some graphic tees you feel need a little enhancing, your tie-die kit and go wild! I especially love this kit because it’s non-toxic (something we did not have back in the 90’s). Be sure to have some extra gloves on hand so you don’t walk around with multi-colored hands for the week.
Create a Chalk Sidewalk Challenge
Don’t just stop at the 1-10 hop scotch. Go all the way and create the coolest challenges. A tub of sidewalk chalk is all you need to create some amazing designs and let your creativity come to life! I know, you may feel like people are judging you for being an adult spending your afternoon drawing with chalk on the sidewalk but we didn’t care when we were kids. We were having too much fun!
Make Friendship Bracelets
I used to love making these! Get your friends in on it and gift them to each other. Spend an afternoon at the park making bracelets and enjoying quality time with your besties.
There are plenty of kits that are cute enough for us to wear as adults. This clay & gold bracelet kit is perfect for creating fun bracelets for yourself or your friends. This one has more natural stones and gemstones to give that mermaid vibe to your creations. If you want to really go back to the 90’s and early 00’s though, this classic friendship bracelet kit is sure to transport you back in time. I think is the exact same book I used as a girl, all the way down to the cover photo. This book is the epitome of “why fix something that ain’t broke”. Just looking at it unlocks a core memory.
Make Sand Castles at the Beach
When’s the last time you made a sand castle…and not because you were helping a kid? Go all out. Try and make the absolute biggest and coolest sand castle ever! Growing up in St. Pete, FL gave me easy access to beaches and each year they host the Sanding Ovations Sand Castle Competition. It’s usually held in November so if you can make it down there around that time make sure you don’t miss the event.
The amount of sand castle moldings you can find is endless! You can make a classic sand castle with adorable sea creatures or a large castle with bridges and tower molds.
Picnic in the Park
I love taking my dogs with me anywhere I can and a day at the park is perfect fun for all of us. You can pack a basket with snacks or you can grab one of your favorite meals to-go and hang out for a few hours in nature with your fur babies. I like to call one of my best friends and invite her along with her pups so we can all enjoy the summer day. I usually bring an anchorstake and a 25’ long cable with me so I can give my dogs extra space to wander without letting them completely off leash.
Enjoy the parks in your town and try to check out a new one each week. Maybe you’ve been to the parks before to get your steps in but hanging out for a quieter visit lets you really see the parks come to life. Bring along some cards to play Uno or Go Fish while relaxing in the sun.
Have a Neighborhood Block Party
Oh, how I miss block parties! Seriously, why did we stop having them? All of us kids ran wild in the street playing games, blowing bubbles, running through sprinklers, all while our parents sat around enjoying some wine, beer, bbq and a potluck of wonderful dishes. There was always freshly cut watermelon, a s’mores station, kids from a few streets over we didn’t get to play with as often that were being welcomed into our friend group. It was just a genuinely good time centered around pure connection and fun!
Now, I unfortunately don’t live on a side road anymore like when I was growing up so if I were to attempt a block party on my street I’d anger a whole bunch of people driving by along with endangering the life of every single party-goer. I do have a clubhouse at my condo complex though and it would be the perfect spot to tell neighbors to bring a dish or drink and hang out for a fun summer tradition they probably haven’t celebrated in decades.
If you live on a less busy street and feel confident having an event that takes over the road, chat with your neighbors about putting together a block party. It’s a wonderful event for us adults that doesn’t cost much money and lets kids see what was so great about our summers growing up.
Go Running in a Summer Rain
It’s no secret that summer showers come around almost every day, especially here in the south. In Florida, you can almost 100% count on a 3pm shower. Don’t let that literally rain on your parade though because a summer shower is truly the best! They’re a weird phenomenon to see where the sun is shining but the rain is coming down. So long as there isn’t any lightning (please don’t go running into lightning and prove common sense still exists), throw on your crocs or shoes you don’t mind getting wet and run through the rain.
Catch a Baseball Game
Take me out the ball game! I’m a big baseball fan and growing up just 15 minutes from the Tampa Bay Rays most of my life—along with Yankees spring training across the bay in Tampa. It was always easy to grab last minute tickets and enjoy a game. There are a lot of minor league teams around the country as well and honestly, I think I enjoy going to their games more. They’re usually outdoors and have a more casual feel to them.
Here in Nashville, we have the Nashville Sounds and it’s always a fun time, especially when they have special event nights. They had a dachshund races night but you can bring your dog with you every Tuesday for their Tito’s Tail Waggin’ Tuesdays. Again, I love bringing my pups with me wherever I can. They’re the children I raise apparently. There are over 200 minor league teams throughout America so you’re probably close to one, especially if you live in a bigger city.
Mini-Golf
Don’t wait for your family trip to Florida to enjoy some mini-golf. Get a group of friends together and play a round. Break up into teams and whoever loses buys pizza for everyone. I still have no clue how to play real golf. All I know is it’s a super expensive hobby and from what I’ve learned during my trips to Top Golf…I’m not good at it. Mini-golf, however, I will totally kick butt!
Read Outdoors
Summer reading list goal? Grab an outdoor blanket and your book of the month—or week if you’re like me and love getting lost in as many books as possible! Lay by the pool or hit the beach and enjoy a quiet day of reading. Just don’t forget to apply sunscreen or tanning oil! Burning through the pages of your next great read? Great idea. Burning through your every layer of your skin? Not so much.
Enjoy An Outdoor Concert
Summertime is definitely concert season and one of my favorite pastimes. Going to concerts nowadays can set you back the price of a luxury car payment and honestly, I don’t think they’re worth that price no matter what. Ok, I take that back—the Eras Tour was worth it but you got like hours upon hours of a performance rather than 45-60 minutes for the final act. I always loved sitting in the grass with a whole group of friends at concerts whether it was as a kid or when I got older.
Find out who’s coming to an outdoor venue near you (they’re usually cheaper than arenas, too) and get a group of friends together for a musical night out. If buying concert tickets isn’t in the cards for this year you can always create a fun concert night in the backyard with Disney+’s concert series choices.
Get a Group Together for Kickball
Is there any sound that screams 90’s more than the ping of a kickball? Maybe a dodgeball but hey, if you can get a group together to play that too, go forth! Just remember, those balls most certainly do hurt and we were gaslit by our PE teachers who told us we were over-exaggerating.
No matter how much trauma this game caused us, it was also a staple of our childhood. Enjoy the summer days with your friends or post on your town’s local Facebook page that you’re looking for people to play with. You may even make a whole new group of friends.
Visit a Public Pool or Waterpark
Laying by the pool is always a perfect way to spend a summer day but it used to be such a vibe in the 90’s. Think the Sandlot or channeling the waterpark day from Grown Ups. Thank you very much Adam Sandler for making a movie that shows how awesome it was being a kid before the internet took over!
Waterparks are always fun but nowadays, we don’t visit them unless it’s with our kids and the goal is to give them a fun day. I miss the summer days at Adventure Island and Wet N’ Wild (RIP!). There’s clearly not as many theme parks around me here in Nashville as there were in Florida but the Gaylord Opryland has opened up their SoundWaves waterpark to the public for a fee. Check out the local resorts in your area to see if they’ve got a waterpark you can enjoy for the day. If you live near a waterpark you loved as a kid though, go back and forget about any judgment. Just have the best day ever on the slides and water rides.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Channel your inner child and problem-solving skills with a scavenger hunt. Years ago, when I worked at Disney, I would actually do scavenger hunts throughout the parks with my friends and fellow cast members. Sometimes there weren’t enough of us to make a team so we would partner up with others who needed team members, too. Scavenger hunts are fun in general but, at Disney?! Nothing can beat it. I have so many fond memories of those scavenger hunts!
Obviously, that’s not something many people can do very easily or often so a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt will never disappoint. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch Sleepover! Create a list with your friends throughout your local area and invite others to join in, too. You never know what new friends you might make while scouring your town or neighborhood with a healthy competition. Don’t want to do all the work of planning out a full hunt? Check out apps like GeoCaching or Scavify to let someone else put it together for you.
Pick Wildflowers & Fresh Berries
Have you ever wandered through a strawberry field in the summer? If you didn’t feel like growing your own fruits & veggies this summer, get out to your local farms and go berry picking. There’s nothing tastier than fruits fresh off the vine. Grab your basket and your besties and enjoy a gorgeous summer day outside with fresh fruits and wildflowers just waiting to be plucked.
Enjoy Fro-Yo Outdoors
Ice cream and fro-yo is always a good idea but there’s something about a hot summer day that makes it even better. I’m never gonna hate on a classic ice cream in a waffle cone but if I can make my own creations with all the childhood sweets on top you can certainly count me in!
Call up your girlfriends and invite them out for a friends & fro-yo night. Some of my favorites are Cold Stone Creamery,
If you’re in Nashville and want to try out something other than Jenni’s (no offense Jenni’s) check out these in 12 South neighborhood: Fryce Cream and Wanna Spoon. Fryce Cream specializes in fries with ice cream. If you’re one of those people who used to dip your fries into your Wendy’s frosty, this place is for you! Wanna Spoon channels all the delicious cereals we wanted as a kid that were nowhere near good for us but tasted fantastic. You can literally get Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream topped with Froot Loops.
Have a Movie Night — Bonus Points if it’s Outdoors
Summer was always a fun time for us as kids but, after hours on end outside, you could find us huddled together on a bunch of pillows in the living room watching a Disney movie, the Sandlot, the Princess Bride and so many more! Make a pillow fort on the ground, grab your snacks and get comfortable.
Set up an outdoor screen or an old sheet, position a projector and watch the best summer movies! Invite all your friends over and tell each person to bring their favorite snack so everyone can enjoy a potluck of childhood snacking!
Spend a Night Stargazing
I’ve got an app for mapping the sky and learning more about what I’m looking at but it’s nothing compared to laying down and just staring up at the sky. Stargazing can be tough nowadays since cities and light have grown so much but you can still see a lot on a clear night. Finding them with the naked eye or using a telescope.
I’ve been blessed with a wonderful backyard to look up at the night sky that is also south facing so I see Orion’s Belt every night. Looking up at the sky and finding as many clusters as possible with the naked eye is one of the most peaceful ways to spend a summer night outdoors. You can use a telescope to see them more clearly, check out the moon and just let your eyes roam through the sky.
Take a Camping Trip
I know glamping is super popular nowadays but classic camping will always hold a place in my heart. Even when we couldn’t get out of town to camp we would go camping in the backyard. I don’t know what made that feel like such a cool experience but it truly was amazing! Read Goosebumps stories by the fire with a flashlight for that super 90’s scary vibes
If you can get away for a true camping in the wild weekend with your friends, be sure to seize the opportunity. You can usually find camping sites for rather cheap. Even Disney World has camping sites for under $100 a night. I used to love going to Ginnie Springs with a big group of friends for camping and floating down the river. Read Goosebumps stories by the fire with a flashlight for that super 90’s scary vibes effect and see if The Haunted Mask was really that scary of a story. That’s not even a question…of course it was!
Spend Some Time at Summer Camp
Can you believe there are adult summer camps?! There’s a whole plethora of choices that are sure to please no matter what your preferences are. Check out this post about Summer Camps for adults. They’ve done a great job of going into detail about so many different camps that you can visit during the summer months. Camp Walden may not be an option, but there are a bunch of adult summer camps.
Visit Disney World!
This is the big one! There’s no bigger splurge than a trip to Disney World but it’s always the perfect trip down memory lane. I’m actually planning to go in September just as summer’s ending. I’m not going full Disney adult but I am bringing my two doodles so I think that still puts me in the crazy lady category. Since we’re channeling that carefree attitude of childhood summers I’m not judging myself too hard for being an over-the-top dog mama. We’re going to Disney and we’re going to love it!
Tune in for my dog-friendly visit to Disney World in September!
