Free & Fun Summer Activities

As summer approaches and LA continues to reopen, here are some ideas that are worth looking into!

Free Local Events!

With summer quickly approaching, it is time to get out of the house and get the beautiful Californian summer time experience; with no cost of course! Here are some free local events in Los Angeles that you can enjoy with your family.

Rap Up (Hip-Hop ● Uptempo Vibes ● Party Anthems) | Fri, May 21 at 9:00 PM

Get down to 1455 Sunset Boulevard and dance the night away while listening to the most recent fire hip hop tracks !

Made in L.A. 2020: A Version | Apr 17-Aug 1 |The Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd

Head down to 10899 Wilshire Blvd and experience beautiful contemporary artwork from LA’s emerging and under-recognized artists. The art is stunning and life flies by when you're rifling through the exhibits entranced by the mesmerizing artwork.

Hikes!

As summer is fast approaching, the weather is getting warmer and being outside starts sounding better. Being outside is good for us because it improves our mental and physical health. The sun is a great provider of Vitamin D but also serotonin, which makes us happy and allows us to keep our mental health in check. The outdoors inspire being active while taking on some cool views. The city of Los Angeles has some of the best mountain hikes! Hiking improves cardiorespiratory fitness, lower risk of blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and lowers the risk of coronary heart disease. Try these hikes this summer to feel mentally and physically strong (see below)

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

Hike to the top and get 360 degree views of downtown LA to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

- Total distance: 2.3 miles

- Difficulty: moderate

- Cost: FREE

Griffith Observatory

Hike up Griffith mountain and end your hike outside the Griffith Observatory! Here you can get awesome pics of the biggest telescope in LA and the city!

- Total distance: 2 miles

- Difficulty: easy

- Cost: FREE

Tourist Destinations!

No LA experience is complete without a trip to these one-of-a-kind destinations! Come entertain your creative side by visiting the provoking art installations and inspiring scenery at these amazing city spots.

The Getty Villa Museum

Take a walk through history with the Getty Villa Museum’s Greek and Roman antique exhibits, idyllic gardens, and calm oceanside view. Immerse yourself fully in the museum’s unique recreation of a Roman country home and explore 4,000 years worth of art and artifacts! Reserve your entry time online at www.getty.edu.

Hours: Daily 10am-5pm, closed Tuesdays | Admission: FREE with reservation

LACMA

With an ever-changing host of exhibitions, no visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the same as another. Come experience art all the way from ancient times to present day in a single walk through this museum! Plan your visit and purchase tickets at www.lacma.org.

Hours: Mon/Tues/Thurs 11am-5pm, Fri 11am-8pm, Sat/Sun 10am-7pm | Admission: Tickets available online.

Farmer's Markets!

Whether you're looking for fresh, local produce, artisan crafts, or unique gifts, a trip to the farmer's markets will always leave you satisfied.

Westwood Village Farmer's Market

Head down to the Westwood Village Farmer's Market that takes place on 1036 Broxton Ave in west LA. Every Thursday from 12-5pm, a variety of local vendors gather to sell produce, food, clothing, and more! Free parking is available in the Broxton Avenue Structure!

West LA Farmer's Market

The West LA Farmer's Market is another great place to stop by! Located on 1633 Purdue Ave in west LA, local vendors offer produce, foods, and gifts every Sunday from 9am-2pm. There will also occasionally be live music and kids crafts! Free parking is available!

The Importance of Me, Myself, and I During Summer

Honestly, 2020 and 2021 have been tough. We’ve all over-stressed, over-thought, and dealt with the oh-so-gloomy thoughts of “When is this pandemic going to end?” It still feels strange, surreal almost to feel like something good might happen. Our lives have been upended, overrun with crazy events happening one after the other. That’s why our top priority this summer should be to show ourselves some love.

Now that places are starting to open back up, the eventual fate of having to interact with others once again is quickly approaching; social events will populate and we will be able to look at peoples’ faces hopefully without a mask blocking their smile. Coming from a place of partial or even complete isolation, many fear this transition, contemplating whether their social skills are up to par with what they were before. With this in mind, it is incredibly important to understand that taking time for yourself away from others (even after the pandemic has subsided) is completely OKAY.

If you do choose to spend some time with yourself, consider working out (perhaps taking inspiration from our workout section below), checking off some tasks on our summer bucket list, or trying our deliciously refreshing popsicle recipe. Don’t forget to spend some quality time with yourself this summer and try something new without fearing failure!

Let’s all take a deep breath and collectively agree to put ourselves first. We deserve a break from our constantly buzzing minds. Trust me, there is a lot of good in just resting and relaxing! Be kind to yourself <3!

Workouts at Home:

To be active you do not need to spend money on a gym membership since many exercises can be done at home! As you build endurance and strength you can add weight to your home workouts to increase difficulty. At home workouts are great for everyone, it does not matter if you are at a beginner level, intermediate level, or advanced level. It is important to learn how to do exercises properly to avoid injuries.

A few of many exercises that can be done at home are push-ups, lunges, and wall squats. According to Malia Frey in “At-Home Strength Workouts for All Levels,” form is essential when performing an exercise and shares tips on how to execute the exercises. When trying to do a push-up, lay down on your belly then place your palms approximately shoulder-width apart. Lift your body up by pushing on your toes and extending your arms to push yourself up. To reduce the difficulty of push-ups you can drop your knees to the floor. You can also do back lunges by placing your hands on a wall or chair for balance and then stepping with one foot back and bending both knees. One last exercise is wall squats. This exercise can be done by standing with your back on the wall and slowly lowering your body into a squat position by bending your knees while keeping your back straight. Again, these exercises can be done at home with or without weights. It is important to be careful with your form to prevent injuries. More information about these and other exercises can be found at https://www.verywellfit.com/best-home-workouts-3495490.

Summer bucket list:

• Go to the beach with friends and family (making sure that everyone is vaccinated)

• Paint a portrait outside while listening to music

• Water balloon fights

• Visit the aquarium (if open)

• Go on a hike

• Virtual movie night!

• Plan a picnic

• Challenge someone to a photography contest

• Redecorate your house/ room

• Create an art piece only using recycled/ natural materials

• Backyard camping

• Stargaze

• Go on a blind date with a book (pick up a random book at a bookstore and read it!)

• Write a letter to a celebrity and send it

• Experiment with new recipes

• Give yourself a spa day

Healthy and Refreshing Popsicle Recipe (for about 6 popsicles)

• 1 can coconut cream

• 1 banana

• 1 cup berries of your choice

• A teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup of milk of choice (almond, cow, cashew, etc…)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and let set in the freezer overnight or until completely solid.

3. Enjoy!

School's Out! What to Make of Your Summer as a High School Student

As summer break approaches, many of you may find yourselves wondering how to most productively make use of your newly gained free time outside of the classroom.

Should you get a job? Volunteer? Take summer classes?

We understand that not everything is black and white. There’s no set path on how to get accepted into college and pursue the career of your choice. As such, four UCLA students who were once in your shoes will share their experiences over the summer to offer you some perspective and ideas on what you could possibly do!

Wilson is a fourth-year Psychobiology major and on the pre-med track.

When I was in high school, I actually never enrolled in summer classes my entire four years! However, I still found myself involved in various extracurricular activities. I was a volunteer at a Saturday school for individuals with developmental disabilities where I would spend five hours each week leading fun activities and creating an engaging environment for the students to take part in. Beyond our regular Saturday sessions, the program also had an annual summer camp that I would serve at each year. Though I’ll admit it wasn’t always easy, the experience I gained from working with special needs individuals during high school was truly rewarding. Even after I stopped volunteering to go to college, I found myself visiting the students on Saturdays whenever I was home from school on the weekends. I was and still remain extremely grateful for the opportunity, which helped to shape a lot of the decisions I would make after high school and even today!

Samantha is a third-year Physiological Sciences major and Asian American Studies minor on the pre-med track.

Before attending school at UCLA, I worked as a ropes course facilitator for two summers. While my job was not directly related to healthcare, I got to learn new leadership styles, improve my teamwork abilities, and learn new skills such as belaying. In addition to working outdoors and leading group activities, I also got to intern in the office and learn more about how non-profit organizations are run behind the scenes. Finding a job that you enjoy is a great option to earn money, meet new people, and develop personally over the summer!

Brittany is a second-year Physiological Sciences major on the pre-med track.

While I was in high school, I was a hospital volunteer at Regional Medical Center and attended a cardiothoracic surgery summer program at Stanford University. Throughout my summer experiences, I had the opportunity to directly serve patients, assist healthcare workers with their daily responsibilities, and learn more about the healthcare industry as a whole. These valuable experiences allowed me to develop my professional skills, explore science, and serve my community in a rewarding, enjoyable way.

Carmen is a second-year Bioengineering major and French minor on the pre-med track.

During my summers in high school, I attended summer school, did research, or travelled with my family and took some time to relax. Summer school allowed me to experience a faster-paced classroom environment, preparing me for the rigors of college. It also allowed me to get ahead in my classes and take more courses that interested me, such as Anatomy and Physiology. Taking summer school demonstrates to universities that you are a student who really enjoys learning and goes above-and-beyond in your academic endeavors. The most valuable summer experience I had was doing research with a PhD student. I learned so much during that summer not only about the research project, but also about how to conduct myself in a professional environment, how to write a research paper, and how to approach a novel project. Additionally, I was able to write about this experience in my college applications, which I feel definitely helped me to gain admittance into some of my top schools. However, I also took a lot of time during the summers to relax and spend time with friends and family, and during two of my summers I didn't do anything “resume worthy,” so you definitely shouldn’t feel any pressure to be super productive during your summers.