10 things to do before the end of summer

If you leap into a body of water, it's summer, no matter how warm it is outside. So take one last jaunt out to your local lake (or swimming hole or beach), and throw yourself in. Trust us, you'll look back on this moment in mid-January and smile.

You can look up at the stars any time of year, but clear skies and warmer temperatures mean that summer is optimal stargazing time. So lay out a blanket, lie back, and take in the universe's most incredible light show.

As the weather cools, it actually might be a better time than ever for a picnic—less ants, less risk of sunburn, and less crowding. So grab your picnic basket and your favourite blanket and head down to a local park for a last hurrah. And if you want to picnic like a total pro, check out our 5 tips for the perfect summer picnic.

We believe that there's no wrong time to eat ice cream, but the final days of summer are a particularly great time to savour a cone. Make the experience extra special by pulling out all the stops—sprinkles, waffle cone, and flavour syrup.

One of the things we'll miss most from the summer is the smoky, charred flavour of a barbecued meal. So bust out the grill while you still can and invite friends and family to share the bounty.

Get out onto the court, or the field, diamond, or the tarmac, and show off your skills. Don't have any? Who cares! Pick-up games are about trash-talk, not world-class play. So get your friends and family together and have a game as easy or as competitive as you want, followed, of course, by cold drinks and discussion of the play-by-play.

If you're not under a fire ban, start gathering twigs, stat! There's only so much time left to have a proper outdoor campfire, complete with ghost stories, s'mores, and the deep contemplation that comes from staring into the embers of a dying flame.

Fruity cocktails, lemonade, iced tea, cold brew . . . These are what summer is made of. So before we enter the season of pumpkin-spiced everything, take the time to savour the liquid flavours of summer. Don't forget the ice!

Save War and Peace for a more ponderous season. It's your last chance to spend a few hours alone with the cheap paperback of your dreams. Whether it's sci-fi, romance, or just eminently readable fiction, this is the season for a good pulpy novel.

Don't shelve your shorts just yet. There are still some warm days ahead, which we recommend celebrating with your favourite summer-clothing combo. Show off your tan, wiggle your toes in your sandals, and put on your best summer hat. We guarantee that walking outside and feeling the sun on your skin will do wonders for the impending-autumn blues.