MAKE IT CUTE

Summer is almost over—sniff!—but that doesn’t mean we’ve gotta wave goodbye to fun ‘n’ games. We’re squeezing as much fun as we can into the weeks left before school starts up again. And guess what? It’s gonna be a total blast!

1. Ride the fastest roller coaster at a nearby amusement park.

2. Practice five easy hairstyles you can do quickly in the a.m.

3. Plan a sleepover with your sweeties so you can discuss school scheds, extracurrics and locker decorating ideas.

4. Make dried flower sachets to toss in your gym locker.

5. Pamper your bod with an at-home facial, conditioning hair treatment, sugar body scrum and a mani/pedi.

6. Go to the state fair.

7. Repurpose an old pair of jeans.

8. Go back-to-school supply shopping…and decorate all of your purchases. Glue flowers or feathers to pens and pencils, and use our craft guide for your binders and homework planner.

9. Pull 10 basic pieces out of your closet, then mix and match with other clothing items and accessories to create 10 new outfits.

10. Master a dessert recipe, just in case you wanna bake something delish for the cute quarterback (or your ace lab partner…or your best girl friends).

11. Rent some inner tubes and spend an afternoon lazily floating down a local river.

12. Chat up your babysitting clients to discuss back-to-school hours. Cha-ching!

13. Climb a tree…just because.

14. Perfect your swan dive while the pool’s still open.

15. Finish your summer reading, and then read a book that’s just for fun as a reward.

16. Make a rise ‘n’ shine playlist filled with your favorite songs. It’ll get ya outta bet and boogying on Monday mornings, guaranteed.

17. Take a chance and ask out the hottie you’ve been crushing on all summer.

18. The next time you head to the beach, grab a kite and make it soar.

19. Cool off a steaming hot day with a dash through the sprinklers.

20. Brush up on your Spanish so you don’t totally flop on the first day of your foreign language class.

21. Head to a concert with your belt-it-out besties to catch SZA! on tour 

22. Host a day of ridiculously silly contests with your neighborhood buds. Think who can jump rope the longest, best rollerblading trick and lowest limbo record.

23. New to your school? Take a tour and make a map of your own so you won’t get lost on the first day.

24. Some of our favorite singers are on tour right now. See if you can score tickets to a show near you. Radio stations usually have a bunch to give away, so start callin’!

25. Grab Mom and hit the movie theater on August 11 to catch new flick, Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature.

26. Have a funny faces photo shoot with your sweeties.

27. Fast forward to Halloween. It’s never too soon to start brainstorming group costume ideas!

28. Put on a talent show.

29. Plan a wicked-hard scavenger hunt and ask all participating scavengers to chip in a couple of bucks. The winners gets to keep the dough—or grab a gift card.

30. Make a so-sweet summer time capsule. Bury it in your backyard and dig it up next year.

31. Ask Mom or Dad to show you how to grill a mean burger. Hello, master chef!

32. Watch the sun rise. You could get up early, but we’re bankin’ on staying up all night long.

33. Bored? Come up with a new buzzword.

34. Reserve some time to read a full book series before school work bogs ya down!

35. Grab your girls, pick a music video dance and learn it. Perform for parents, friends or, you know, just bust a move whenever.

36. Spend an afternoon volunteering at an animal shelter, nursing home or hospital.

37. Have a water balloon fight.

38. Lax gym uniform requirements? Get your girls together, grab some plain T-shirts and fabric markers and DIY some gym clothes. Sooo stylish.

39. Wanna make some easy money? Go around to your neighbors and offer up your after school pet-playing services. Those who tend to work late will love the idea of their dog or cat getting some quality play time in before they get home.

40. See what the future will bring by pulling out a ouija board or some tarot cards.

41. Learn how to do something new, whether it’s French braiding, line dancing or bowling a perfect game.

42. Start a prank war with your pals.

43. Write a letter to the editor. GL staffers love hearing what you think. Write us at letters@girlslife.com.

44. Gear up for gym class with an all-afternoon game of capture the flag, or a kickball tournament.

45. Give your room a facelift using any of our ah-mazing redo-your-room tips ‘n’ tricks.

46. Find out what your name means. ‘Cause really, you should know.

47. Play putt-putt. Or quidditch.

48. Make s’mores over the grill. Yum!

49. Make BTS resolutions. Invite your besties over, brainstorm your resolutions, write them down on strips of paper and then seal them inside a balloon and let it go, or burn them in the fireplace or (carefully) over a candle flame to make ‘em happen.

by Maggie Medoff | 8/2/2017