List of things we should learn this summer

Learning doesn’t have to feel boring or forced. Find something you love to make it exciting.

 
Find something you’re passionate about and you’ll discover that being enthusiastic about learning comes naturally. Developing skills and hobbies will not only make you a more interesting, well-rounded person, but it will also boost the quality of your life through added abilities and interests.


1. Say common phrases in the five most commonly used languages in the world.
2. Write in fancy calligraphy.
3. Crochet or knit. Scarves, mittens, elf hats—the possibilities are endless.
4. Speak a second (or third!) language. Parlez-vous français?
5. Identify geography. Be able to point out places like Tajikistan, Vanuatu, and Addis Ababa on a map.
6. Learn more about the cultures of the countries you hope to visit one day.
7. Play an instrument. The harmonica, ukulele, and bagpipes all count.
8. Master origami.
9. Cook an authentic recipe from your favorite country or region.
10. Recite famous poems, passages, or speeches—historical or fictional. Ideas to get you started: “Jabberwocky” or one of Shakespeare’s soliloquies.
11. Learn about five political leaders from outside your country.
12. Juggle. Just don’t practice with eggs.
13. Make balloon animals. Kids will love you.
14. Whistle with your fingers (helpful for sporting events and in large crowds).
15. French braid your hair for young women or tie a bow tie for young men.
16. Memorize the entire periodic table of elements. Then send a friend a clever note.
periodic table
17. Write with your nondominant hand—legibly.
18. Paint. Either the watercolor-on-canvas kind or the painting-your-whole-room kind—with your parents’ permission.
19. Draw portraits. Or caricature drawings. Or just work on improving those stick figures.
20. Solve a Rubik’s cube. Try to see if you can do it in a certain amount of time.
21. Cook five real meals—instant mac ’n cheese doesn’t count.
22. Sew. Know at least the basics or get really ambitious and learn how to make your own clothes.
23. Bake bread from scratch. See how tasty a loaf you can make using as few ingredients as possible.
24. Drive a stick-shift vehicle—if you’re of driving age, of course!
25. Pick out good produce. Do you tap on a watermelon to see if it’s ripe? Smell it? Check for bee stings?
26. Garden. You can start by planting your favorite vegetable to give you some incentive.
27. Make (and stick to!) a budget. Consider starting a savings account and calculate how much interest you’ll earn in five years.
28. Become an upcycling pro. See what ordinary things you can repurpose.
29. Change a flat tire on your bike, car, or unicycle.
31. Write HTML or other computer code. It’s almost like learning a new language.
32. Create a web page. Wouldn’t you like to have your own .com?
33. Become skilled at storytelling. Memorize some fairy tales while you’re at it.
34. Be comfortable with public speaking—without passing out.
microphones
35. Write in shorthand, or in other words, taking notes really fast. It’s useful for learning from all of those quick-speaking teachers at school or in Church meetings.
36. Do creative writing. Or tell your story, but tell it in a fun way.
37. Learn to iron like a pro.
38. Learn to fold fitted sheets.
39. Learn about the countries your ancestors came from.
40. Pick up and instrument and watch a youtube video on how to use it
41. Find family history stories and discover what you have in common with your ancestors.
42. Learn CPR and basic first-aid. Being prepared can feel pretty cool.
43. Tie different kinds of knots, Navy-style.
44. Learn to protect yourself with self-defense.
45. Identify constellations and research astronomy: black holes, nebula, supernova—it just sounds cool.
46. Learn a new sport. Consider swimming (after all, 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water).
47. Navigate somewhere new. Try it with a paper map and a compass before using GPS.
48. Country, swing, or ballroom dance—unless you’re more interested in Irish hard shoe.