How to Fight Boredom in the Summer: Real Outdoor Ideas That Actually Work

by Tristan Frybury/ December 1, 2025/ 0

Summer in Melbourne doesn’t mean just heatwaves and endless days of staring at the ceiling. It means long daylight hours, warm evenings, and a whole season built for getting outside. But if you’ve ever sat on the couch at 7 p.m. wondering what to do next-again-you know boredom doesn’t care about the weather. The trick isn’t waiting for something exciting to happen. It’s knowing what to do before you feel stuck.

Start with the water

You don’t need a beach house to enjoy water in summer. Melbourne’s rivers, lakes, and pools are packed for a reason. Try the Yarra River at dawn. Grab a cheap kayak from a rental near Southbank and paddle past the city skyline while it’s still cool. No kayak? Just bring a towel, a book, and a picnic. Find a shady spot under the trees at Yarra Bend Park and let the river do the entertaining. Kids splash. Adults nap. Everyone wins.

Or skip the planning entirely and head to a public pool. The City of Melbourne runs free outdoor pools all summer. The Fitzroy Pool, with its wave machine and waterslide, gets packed, but it’s worth it. Bring a change of clothes, a snack, and don’t overthink it. The point isn’t perfection-it’s being outside, wet, and moving.

Turn your backyard into a playground

You don’t need a big yard. Even a balcony counts. Grab a hose, turn on the sprinkler, and let the kids run through it. Add a slip ‘n slide with a plastic tarp and a little dish soap. It costs less than $20 and lasts all summer. For adults, try a backyard movie night. Hang a white sheet, borrow a projector from a friend, and play a classic like Mad Max: Fury Road or The Sandlot. Add popcorn, fairy lights, and blankets. No need for tickets. No lines. Just you, the stars, and a good story.

Or turn it into a scavenger hunt. Write clues on sticky notes and hide them around the yard. First clue: “I’m where the grass meets the fence.” Last clue: “I’m under the BBQ.” Prize? Ice cream. Simple. Effective. No screens involved.

Walk like you mean it

Walking isn’t just exercise. It’s exploration. Most people walk to get somewhere. Try walking just to see what’s there. Pick a street you’ve never taken. Walk it slowly. Notice the graffiti, the old trees, the dog walkers, the little cafes with outdoor tables. Melbourne’s laneways are full of hidden courtyards and murals. The Dandenong Ranges are only 30 minutes out. Take a trail like the Fern Gully Walk. It’s cool, green, and quiet. You’ll come back feeling like you escaped the city-even if you never left it.

Turn it into a game. Bring a camera. Take one photo every 10 minutes. No filters. No poses. Just what you see. At the end of the week, look back. You’ll spot things you never noticed before. That’s how boredom fades. Not by doing more. By paying attention.

A family watches a backyard movie under string lights and stars, enjoying a summer night without screens.

Get messy with nature

Plant something. Doesn’t matter what. A tomato plant in a pot. Lavender in the garden. Even a single sunflower. Tend to it. Water it. Watch it grow. There’s something about watching life push through soil that makes time feel different. You don’t need to be a gardener. Just show up. Five minutes a day is enough.

Or try foraging. The Dandenongs are full of wild blackberries in January. Bring a basket, wear long sleeves, and pick them slowly. Eat one as you go. Sweet. Juicy. Free. You’ll find mushrooms, fennel, even wild garlic if you know where to look. There are free local foraging walks run by community groups. Check the Melbourne City Council events page. It’s not about the food. It’s about learning to see the land as something alive-not just scenery.

Build something with your hands

Summer is the season of making. Not buying. Not scrolling. Making. Build a birdhouse from scrap wood. Paint it. Hang it in the garden. Watch who shows up. Or make a mini obstacle course in the park. Use cardboard boxes, ropes, and chalk. Let kids lead the design. They’ll invent things you never thought of.

Try making your own lemonade. Not from a packet. Juice real lemons, add sugar, stir. Taste it. Adjust. Do it again. Do it with friends. There’s no recipe. Just trial and error. The point isn’t perfect lemonade. It’s the conversation while you’re squeezing. The sticky fingers. The laughter when someone spills it.

A child picks wild blackberries in the forest, sunlight filtering through leaves as they gather fruit.

Meet people who aren’t on your phone

Boredom often comes from isolation. Not lack of stuff. Lack of real connection. Join a free community event. The City of Melbourne runs free outdoor yoga every Wednesday at the Queen Victoria Gardens. Bring a mat. Show up. No experience needed. Or find a local book swap. People leave books on benches. Take one. Leave one. Talk to the person next to you. Ask what they’re reading. You’ll be surprised how often someone says, “I’ve been meaning to read that.”

Or start a neighbourhood game night. One Saturday, put a table outside. Bring cards, dice, a board game. No phones. Just people. You might not know everyone. But by the third round of Uno, you will. Summer is the time to break the silence. Don’t wait for an invitation. Be the one who starts it.

Go somewhere you’ve never been

You don’t need a plane ticket. Just a train pass. Take the Frankston line to Kananook Creek. Walk the boardwalk. Look for herons. Or ride the Puffing Billy train to Belgrave. Get off at the first stop. Walk through the forest. Sit on a log. Listen. No music. No podcast. Just birds and wind.

Or take the tram to St Kilda. Walk along the pier. Watch the penguins come home at dusk. Bring a sandwich. Sit on the bench. Watch the sky turn pink. You’ve seen it before. But not like this. Not with no agenda. Not rushing. That’s the secret. Boredom doesn’t vanish when you do more. It vanishes when you stop trying to fill time-and start living in it.

Keep it simple. Keep it outside.

Summer boredom isn’t about having too little to do. It’s about having too many choices-and no real reason to pick one. The fix isn’t a list of 50 activities. It’s one thing. One day. One walk. One splash. One moment where you forget to check your phone because you’re too busy noticing the way the light hits the leaves.

Don’t wait for inspiration. Go outside. Do something small. Then do it again tomorrow. That’s how summer stops feeling long-and starts feeling alive.

What’s the easiest way to beat summer boredom?

Go for a walk-no plan, no destination. Just move. Notice one new thing each time. A bird, a smell, a patch of shade. That’s it. Most people find their boredom lifts within 20 minutes.

Do I need to spend money to have fun in summer?

No. Most of the best summer moments cost nothing. Free pools, public parks, foraging, backyard movie nights, and community events are all available without spending a cent. The real cost is time-and that’s something you already have.

What if I live in an apartment with no yard?

Your balcony, rooftop, or even the stairs outside your building count. Grow herbs in pots. Have a picnic on the steps. Watch the sunset from your window with a drink. Walk to the nearest park and sit on a bench. You don’t need space-you need presence.

How do I get my kids off screens during summer?

Don’t take the screens away. Replace them with something better. Start with a simple outdoor scavenger hunt. Or build a fort with blankets and pillows in the backyard. Let them lead. When they’re busy making something real, the phone loses its pull. It’s not about restriction-it’s about invitation.

What’s one thing I should try this summer I might not have thought of?

Sit still in a public place for 15 minutes. No phone. No book. Just watch. People will do the most unexpected things-laughing, arguing, dancing, crying. You’ll see life in motion. And you’ll realize you weren’t bored. You were just distracted.