Life feels like it’s racing by more often than not these days. Why not pump the brakes this summer with some slowmaxxing activities from yesteryear? If they were good enough for our great-grandparents, they’re good enough for us!
Vintage Crafts to Solve Your Summer Boredom
They say idle hands are the devil’s playthings, and these crafts from decades past will keep your precious appendages busy all summer long.
- Make clothespin dolls.
- Cut out and dress up paper dolls.
- Weave popsicle sticks with yarn.
- Make pinecone bird feeders using peanut butter and seed.
- Twist cornhusk dolls into shape.
- Whittle a stick.
- Press and dry flowers.
- Paint flower pots.
- Knit.
- Crochet.
- Make a needlepoint pillow.
- Stitch a cross-stitch sampler.
- Embroider pockets, cuffs, collars, and more.
- Net a fishing net.
- Tat a doily.
Old-Fashioned Outdoor Activities Perfect for Sunny Days
We’re meant to spend the breezy, bright summer season outdoors, and these old-fashioned activities will reignite your passion for the planet in no time.
- Listen to (and record) bird calls.
- Find and paint some smooth stones.
- Balance stones*.
- Find whirlygigs and watch them fall.
- “Play” a piece of grass (aka a grass whistle).
- Create an en plein air painting.
- Watch a summer rainstorm.
- Hunt for four-leaf clovers.
- Nap under a shade tree.
- Braid flower crowns with wildflowers.
- Find and blow dandelion puffs.
- Collect flower specimens/cuttings.
- Look for constellations in the night sky.
*Leave no trace behind by removing the stone structure before leaving the area to protect the habitat and all the critters that call it home.
Related: Wishing on Dandelions & Other Flower Fluff Traditions
Retro Pastimes That Put the Slow in Slowmaxxing
From scrolling through your phone to racing through food delivery options, our lives are more go-go-go than ever. Break free from doomscrolling with these slow-paced activities that’ll help you relish every second of summer.
- Relish a long, complicated book.
- Cook homemade boiled peanuts.
- Churn up homemade ice cream.
- Complete a paper crossword.
- Decorate a homemade cake.
- Can cucumbers for homemade pickles.
- Complete a large jigsaw puzzle.
- Put together model trains, cars, planes, and more.
- Darn and mend worn clothes.
- Write a handwritten letter to your loved ones.
Traditional Group Activities to Enjoy the Summer Together
Just because you’re slowmaxxing the summer season doesn’t mean you have to spend it alone! Embrace your community and share in celebrating every moment with these timeless group activities.
- Gather 'round and sing folk songs.
- Play card games like Gin Rummy or Bridge.
- Compete in an apple peeling or corn shucking contest.
- Organize and perform a backyard play.
- Take a Sunday drive.
- Compete in a wildflower tops shooting contest.
- Compete in a rock skipping contest.
- Look for shapes in the clouds.
- Play “Mother May I?”
- Play horseshoes.
- Challenge someone to pick-up sticks.
- Compete in a potato sack race.
Soak Up Every Second of the Summer Season
Summer will be gone before you know it! Cherish every second you get by slowing things down with our favorite old-fashioned pastimes.
