Image: Jessica Giles

There’s something very nostalgic about this time of summer. Maybe it’s because of what those late July, early August days mean to most kids. Everyone runs around trying to enjoy themselves while increasingly frequent glances at the calendar remind them that school is looming in the near future. Of course, for me school is looming in the near future, but you get what I mean.

Here are some articles about summer fun, past and present.

• So many people are writing about Jewish summer camp! It makes me wish I’d gone…I was too busy spending my summers at nerd camp studying Latin. (Can we pretend that I’m kidding?) Like all things, the concept of Jewish summer camp has changed a lot from one generation to the next (though Israeli dancing has remained a favorite activity among campers). Now there’s even an eco-friendly camp, called Eden Village Camp, that focuses on teaching campers to be environmentally friendly! Crazy kids.
• There’s a new fad taking over Jewish summer camps everywhere: Jewish-themed Silly Bandz! The popular rubber bracelets are now available in the shape of various Jewish symbols, ritual objects, Hebrew letters, etc.
• A lot of boomers, Jewish and not, have fond memories of summer days at Coney Island. Astroland closed a couple of years ago, and its heyday had arguably passed a long time before. Now Luna Park, its replacement, is making new memories for Coney Island veterans and their kids (and grandkids)!
• Alright, so there isn’t really anything nostalgic about this article: It’s just about a hip ice cream place in the city. I argue, however, that the very idea of ice cream itself should make you nostalgic…or at least very hungry.

School is starting up in just a little more than a month! Let’s make the rest of the summer count.