As we head into the summer months here in north Texas, the time we can spend outdoors with our friends becomes limited until cooler temperatures arrive in the fall. Fortunately, you can choose among many ways to occupy your time with friends this summer as you stay inside to beat the heat. Check out this list, and remember to check our activity calendar frequently for even more ideas.
Organize a Canasta Tournament
What better way to while away a hot summer afternoon than organizing foursomes for a canasta tournament? Whether you prefer traditional play, the hand-and-foot variation or house rules of your own, you can easily lose hours at a time as you work to build your groupings of seven, close out natural and unnatural canastas and thoroughly rook your opponents.
Love playing cards but canasta’s not your game? Use this list of popular games and get busy signing up friends and neighbors for an afternoon of competition.
Love the idea of a games tournament, but cards aren’t really your thing? Consider other games instead, including:
Dig Deeper into Your Past
Have you spent time working on your personal genealogy? This pastime can be truly addictive — the more you learn about past generations in your family, the more you want to learn. And working on genealogy with your friends or relatives can make it twice as fun. Split the work of tracking down information and piecing together branches of your family tree, and cheer each other on when you seemingly hit a dead end.
You may even consider taking a class about researching your genealogy with your neighbors in the community. Chances are that one of the folks you already call a friend may have great knowledge to share about getting started with genealogical research and discovering new information. Gather once a week to share this knowledge and spend time together delving deeper into your past.
Don’t Scrap Your Scrapbook
Do you have a shoebox full of memorabilia from events you’ve attended, movies you’ve seen and places you’ve been? Many people save these scraps over time with the intention of pasting them into keepsake books but then never get around to it. With some of your free time this summer, gather friends, load up on supplies like glue dots, scissors and decorative paper and stickers, and get those long-awaited scrapbooks put together.
Share a Meal and a Story
Create a supper club with your favorite friends, and alternate hosts by the week. Whoever is that week’s host gets to set the menu — whether it’s food you prepare for yourselves, request from the kitchen or send out for — and the program for who will share stories that evening. Pick a few people per meal to share one of their favorite stories — and remember to let them know ahead of time so they can get ready to share their tales with flair.
This summer, forget melting in the heat. Instead, use these ideas as ways to further connect with your friends in the comfort of air conditioning. You’ll have fun and grow closer to your Bethesda Garden friends.
