In this post I am sharing 10 fun summer activities for Muslim women.
If you’re not a Muslim woman, don’t worry — you’re not banned! You’re more than welcome to enjoy these activities too. I’ve specifically written this list for Muslim women because these are fun things we can do that fit comfortably with our values and lifestyle.
Here are 10 fun, affordable and Muslim-friendly summer activities to try.
1. Have a Beach Day
Plan yourself a lovely day at the beach.
Get your besties together, or grab your family, pack your beach bags and head to the seaside.
If you live in the UK, particularly here in the North West of England, you might want to check the weather forecast first. You don’t want to arrive with your sunglasses, sun hat and picnic only to be greeted by rain.
Pack your beach essentials, including some modest swimwear or a burkini if you’re planning to go into the water, and make a proper day of it.
When we go to the beach in the UK, I’m often quite happy sitting back with a book rather than getting involved in everything. But it’s nice to dip your feet in the water, have a paddle and enjoy yourself too.
You don’t need an expensive holiday abroad to enjoy the seaside. If you have a beach within travelling distance, pick a nice day, pack some food and make the most of it.
2. Have a Picnic in the Park
If the beach is too far away — or you’re not a massive fan of sand getting absolutely everywhere — have a picnic instead.
There’s something about taking ordinary food outside that suddenly makes it approximately 300% more exciting.
You could eat a tuna and cucumber sandwich at your kitchen table.
Fine.
But cut that same sandwich into triangles, put it in a picnic basket, take it to the park and eat it on a blanket under a tree?
Now it’s an experience.
Pack some of your favourite picnic foods. You could take strawberries, fruit, sandwiches, breadsticks, cheese, meat, homemade treats and some sparkling or flavoured water.
Take a book with you too. It could be an Islamic book, fiction, non-fiction or your Kindle. Or you could just sit there scrolling through Instagram and documenting your picnic to the entire world. Whatever tickles your fancy.
Listen to the birds, enjoy the trees and appreciate being outside.
And you don’t even need someone to go with.
If your besties are busy, go on your own. Take your picnic blanket, your sandwich and your book. There will probably be plenty of other people around doing exactly the same thing.
3. Go Hiking or Explore a Nature Trail
This is something I’d really like to do more of myself.
We have some absolutely beautiful places here in the UK, and considering I’ve lived here for over 40 years, there are so many that I’ve never explored.
I always want to run off abroad somewhere — preferably somewhere hot — but there are stunning places much closer to home.
Cornwall, Devon, the countryside, hills, mountains, walking trails… there is so much natural beauty to explore.
And wherever you live in the world, there will probably be places you’ve never visited close to home too.
So get your hiking boots on, grab a backpack, wear something comfortable and weather-appropriate and head out on a nature trail.
You could go with family or, once again, drag your besties along.
At this point, your besties are going to be absolutely sick of you. You’ve already taken them to the beach and forced them to have a picnic, and now you’re dragging them up a mountain.
But they’re your besties. They’ll cope.
Hiking is great for your physical health, but getting outside in nature can be lovely for your general wellbeing too.
Take advantage of those beautiful, dry summer days while they’re here.
4. Grow Something
Summer is such a lovely time to get outside and grow something.
Spring is usually when you’re getting lots of your seeds started, and by summer you can hopefully begin seeing everything grow and perhaps even start producing fruit and vegetables.
Get your hands into the soil and be at one with nature!
You don’t need a huge garden either. You could grow something in pots, containers or whatever space you have available.
Seeds can be really inexpensive, and you can even experiment with seeds from fruit and vegetables you already have. There are loads of tutorials online showing you how to grow things such as tomatoes from seed.
I’d personally love to become more self-sufficient and learn how to grow more of my own food rather than relying entirely on supermarkets.
But even if you don’t want to feed your entire household from your back garden, growing a few tomatoes, herbs or pretty flowers can be incredibly satisfying.
Plant something and see what happens.
5. Try an Outdoor Fitness Class
Summer gives us the opportunity to take activities we’d normally do indoors and move them outside.
One idea I’d love to try is an outdoor fitness class.
If you’re already into fitness, you could even organise something yourself. Get a few local women together — perhaps sisters from the masjid, neighbours, friends or colleagues — find a suitable quiet space in a park and exercise together.
We’re leaving the besties alone for this one.
They’ve been through enough.
You could do a simple workout, stretching, walking or another type of exercise that everyone feels comfortable with.
If organising something yourself sounds like your worst nightmare, check whether a local gym, leisure centre or community organisation already runs outdoor sessions that you could join.
You get exercise, fresh air and the opportunity to socialise at the same time.
6. Go on a Photography Outing
You don’t need a fancy camera to enjoy photography anymore. Most of us already have a perfectly good camera sitting in our pockets.
Take your phone and go somewhere beautiful specifically to take photos.
Summer is a fantastic time for it because everything is looking so vibrant. Flowers are blooming, trees are green and you have those beautiful summer sunrises and sunsets.
You could combine this with one of the other activities too.
Take photographs during your beach day. Go for a drive somewhere picturesque. Photograph flowers in the park. Capture the sunset.
If you really enjoy photography, you could even start a little Instagram account dedicated to your pictures. It doesn’t need to become a business or have thousands of followers. It can simply be a fun hobby.
And you’ll have lovely photographs to look back on afterwards.
7. Try Some Summer Cooking and Baking
We’ve spent quite a lot of time outside, so let’s head back into the kitchen for a bit.
Summer is a great opportunity to experiment with seasonal recipes.
Think fresh smoothies, colourful salads, barbecue food and delicious summer desserts.
And, of course, summer fruit.
Strawberries just scream summer to me. Mangoes too.
Find a few recipes you’ve never tried before and spend an afternoon experimenting in the kitchen.
You could make refreshing smoothies, bake something using seasonal fruit or prepare treats to share with friends, family or neighbours.
Maybe even make something for your besties.
They deserve it after everything you’ve put them through so far.
8. Volunteer in Your Community
Not every fun summer activity has to be purely about entertaining ourselves.
Summer can also be a great time to get involved with your local community.
Have a look at what’s happening at your local masjid, community centre or charitable organisations. Are there any events that need volunteers? Fundraisers? Community projects? Bake sales?
You might even be able to combine this with the previous idea and bake something for a charity event.
Look out for fundraising opportunities for causes you care about and see whether there’s a way you can contribute your time or skills.
Volunteering gives you the chance to meet people, get involved in your community and spend your time doing something beneficial.
And helping others is something that is strongly encouraged within Islam, so it’s a lovely way to spend some of your free time during the summer.
9. Join a Book Club or Study Group
Book clubs are a lovely way to meet like-minded people, discover new books and hear perspectives that might be completely different from your own.
You could join an existing group or start one yourself.
And because it’s summer, why not take your book club outside?
Imagine meeting in the park with your books, a picnic blanket and some nice food.
We’ve come full circle. We’re back at the picnic again.
You could also create an Islamic study group. If you’re studying a particular area of Islamic knowledge, perhaps you could meet with other sisters who are learning about the same subject.
If you’re already part of an online community, summer could even be an opportunity to arrange an in-person meet-up where appropriate.
Obviously, if you’re meeting people you’ve only ever known online, be sensible. Meet somewhere public and take the usual safety precautions.
Once you’ve established that nobody in the group is a serial killer, you can enjoy your books and picnic.
10. Look for Cultural Events and Festivals
Finally, have a look at what’s happening in your local area over the summer.
There are often festivals, fairs, markets, community events and cultural celebrations happening throughout the warmer months.
Check your local council’s events, community organisations and your local masjid to see what’s coming up.
There may be Muslim-friendly cultural events where you can enjoy food, shopping and activities with friends and family.
You might even find an event where you could have your own stall if you have a small business, make food or sell something.
Grab your family — or your poor exhausted besties — and make a day of it.
Make the Most of Your Summer
There are so many things we can do as Muslim women to have fun and enjoy the summer while still staying true to our values.
And having a good summer doesn’t have to mean spending thousands of pounds on a luxury holiday.
Go to the beach.
Pack a picnic.
Explore somewhere new.
Grow some tomatoes.
Take photographs.
Bake something delicious.
Meet other women.
Volunteer.
Read a book in the sunshine.
Sometimes the simplest activities end up creating the best memories.