Summer of Friendship: Activities and Plans
Father’s Day is the perfect excuse to kick off your summer of friendship. Whether you’re celebrating with family or gathering your friends, The Sunday Paper Recommends has you covered—from pickleball to a pastry crawl and everything in between. Consider this your Summer of Friendship bucket list. Return to it whenever you need your next great idea!
At Home Hang Outs
Crafting: Bring your own craft or hobby you are working on, and just enjoy the company of your friends.
Group game: You can challenge them to a classic card game of rummy, or grab a mahjong set and gather your crew for a timeless tile game.
Themed movie night: Everyone brings a food or drink themed to the movie chosen.
Dinner party: Pick out a recipe, then shop at the farmer’s market or a local store with friends for the ingredients, and come together to cook. You can even sync up over FaceTime with that long distance friend. Don’t like cooking with friends? Divvy up recipes, and then meet up together for a fun group dinner party! Check out The Sunday Paper Recommends for some recipe favorites!
Book club: Need to break up all the activity? Try a book club with your friends and family! Take a break from the action and try some of these reads:
- We Called it a War was written by none other than Maria's own dad, and what better time to dive in than this Father's Day weekend if you're looking for something to inspire you this summer!
- For your next fiction book, Whistler by Ann Patchett is next up on your summer reading list. The story follows a woman who reunites with her former stepfather after 45 years apart and begins to unravel everything she thought she knew about her past.
- Searching for a good romance read? Check out Beach Read, an enemies to lovers romance about two rival authors who find themselves in neighboring beach houses for the summer. Fans of the book won't want to miss the film starring Patrick Schwarzenegger and Phoebe Dynevor, hitting theaters May 7, 2027.
- It's time for your next summer binge! Catch up on this year's biggest hits, Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, then dive into their addicting adaptations! When you're done reading these swoon-worthy hockey romances, stream the series Heated Rivalry on HBO, and Off Campus on Amazon Prime.
- Snuggle up with your little ones and delight in Here and Now and Small and Close by John Pavlovitz this summer. A joyful and heartfelt story that reminds kids that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the world a more beautiful place.
- Look back at our Sunday Paper Recommends for more!
Be the at home host: Invite your friends over for a low-pressure hang. Hosting doesn’t have to mean a lot of prep. Watch a movie, gossip over drinks, or have everyone bring their favorite hobby.
Get Out and About
Farmers markets are a great place to wander around and enjoy the ambience, support small businesses, sample great foods, and many will have live music to enjoy!
Ever heard of a pub crawl? Well how about a pastry crawl! Pop into your local bakeries and cafes, and see what the best baked goods in your town are!
Grab a blanket, a basket of goodies, your friends, and set off to the closest park to you! A picnic at the park is a great way to enjoy the summer weather, and hang out with the ones you love. Add more to it by bringing a book, a craft, or a game!
Flashback to nostalgic summer fun and go to your local ice cream shop, because some things never get old!
Hit the pickleball courts and join the craze this summer!
Want to take your pickleball game to the next level? In recognition of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, we’ve partnered with moorlow to give one lucky person the chance to kickstart their new brain-healthy activity, pickleball, with the perfect outfit. If you need another reason to support moorlow, $2 of every moorlow purchase is donated to their brain health charity partners.
Want more summer sports? Check out what the local club teams your town has to offer. Join a team, or get your game-day fill by watching and rooting for your home town!
If options are limited in your city, take a day trip nearby to learn more about what exciting adventures your state has to offer!
Do you love swimming? Get your group together for a morning swim and brunch, or wait it out till dark for a night swim and make the kind of memories that feel like a movie!
Gather your friends and family, then head to the movie theater and see the summer programs they have to offer:
- AMC Summer Movie Camp - $3 movies on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6/22 to 8/12.
- Regal Cinemas Summer Movie Express - $1 movies Monday through Thursday after 11am, from 6/1 to 8/13.
- B&B Theater Kids Summer Series - $3 or $5 movies Wednesdays and Thursdays, with showtimes at 10am and 12:30pm.
- Megaplex Kids Summer Movies - 10 family-friendly films for only $2.50 per ticket.
The library: Check out your local library for summer reading programs and all summer long! Most libraries host free in-person and digital events, award prizes for reading, and even offer free lunches for the community. Your library might also have free or discounted museum and zoo passes available to you with your library card.
- Los Angeles residents can join the Los Angeles Public Libraries Central 100 Celebration—the centennial anniversary of the iconic institution. Participate in exciting activities like going from branch to branch around the city with a set of historic catalog cards to collect the anniversary architecture stamps. Or join the color-by-numbers reading challenge to earn a Central 100 enamel pin!
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