Close Out Summer By Ticking Off This Summer Sex Bucket List

When I look back on my life so far, I've had my best sex in the summer. There’s just something about the constant sunshine, the lack of clothing, and the proximity to water that makes hookups especially spicy this time of year. Don’t just take my word for it. Google searches for sex and dating-related queries tend to go up during the summer season, a 2012 Villanova University study found.

Although we only have about a month or so left of this period of warm weather pleasure, there's still time to complete (or come up with), a summer sex bucket list. 

Of course, this summer your list is going to look a little different due to the pandemic, says Shula Melamed, a relationship and wellbeing coach. But that might mean we need to try out new salacious sex acts now more than ever. “Anything with novelty that’s a little out of the ordinary is great, because we’ve been so structured and regimented with our routine because we haven’t been able to get out of the house,” Melamed says. “So being able to have fun and access your imagination is crucial these days.”

So if you're looking for a sexy way to mix it up this summer, add one (or all) of these to your erotic bucket list.

Whether that’s on the kitchen floor (a la When Harry Met Sally) or out in public on a balmy day, you'll have a ball. (Just make sure you're hidden enough that no strangers will accidentally stumble upon your tryst and see something shocking.)

Find a secluded body of water and shed your skivvies before diving in. If you don’t have access to a lake, river, or ocean, buy a kiddie pool from Walmart, make a drink with an umbrella in it, and create your own oasis.

If you’re at a picnic with a few friends in your bubble or sitting in a public park with your lover, lean over and whisper in their ear what you want to do to them when you get home. Create that sexy anticipation. 

If you want to take the teasing to another level, agree to skip hooking up for a week, but send your boo provocative messages the whole time. 

Make your shower steamier than usual with your lover. If it’s a hot day, you can keep the water cool while things get hot between you two. Maybe bring a waterproof vibrator into the mix. Just be careful of slipping.

“Lots of people from the city are renting Airbnbs for their vacation during the pandemic, so if you get into a house with a beautiful backyard that’s a little secluded, you can go outside,” Melamed says. “Make sure there are no neighbors around, put down a blanket, and have sex under the night sky.” 

 “It’s not like summer camp where we were sneaking behind the bushes,” Melamed says. “We’re adults now and just because it’s outside doesn't mean it can’t be that five star experience." In other words, you don’t have to be uncomfortable on the ground with sticks digging into your back. Get a bunch of pillows, and tea lights to set up around you. Get rose petals. “Create a hippie love nest,” she says. 

Alternatively, if you have access to a pickup truck, you can make a makeshift bed in the back with pillows and comforters, and drive to a secluded area where you can stargaze — or just gaze into each other’s eyes. 

Take “roughing it” to a new level. You can go camping or, if you don’t want to go all the way to a state park or into the woods, you can just set up a tent in your yard.

If you can find a quiet area on the beach, this is a sexual fantasy so divine they named a drink after it. Just make sure you’re doing it on a towel or a rock to avoid getting sand in places. 

When the weather is warm, there’s no better time to try incorporating temperature play into the bedroom, a practice Luna Matatas, sex and pleasure educator, previously described in detail to Refinery29. 

“I love using the ice cube on their body first,” Matatas says. “Dragging a cube from their lips, down their chin, across their chest, down their belly, and then picking it up with my mouth and making a show of me swirling it in my mouth, and then allowing drops of ice to dribble onto their genitals from my mouth… By time the ice cube has melted, you've got a cold tongue to use on their genitals.”

Hook up with your SO on a patio chair on an empty rooftop, and enjoy those ~views~ while getting off. 

“BDSM and role play has been becoming more popular during the pandemic because people are wanting something different when the days are so monotonous,” Melamed says. “This can add variety.”

A good place to start if you’re new to the practice is trying out bondage, nipple clamps, or spanking. If you’re already into the scene, try something more vanilla to mix things up, Melamed suggests. 

National Creamsicle Day is happening on the 14th, so you can combine temperature play by teasing your lover with the delicious treat. You can also try something like the fabled whipped cream bikini (just don’t get any in your actual vagina to avoid yeast infections). Feed each other strawberries, and ask your partner to lick some Manuka honey or chocolate sauce off your nipples. 

Streaming Hamilton is the most summer 2020 activity, now that the acclaimed musical is finally on Disney+. But it’s long, so you might as well get busy whilst rewatching. For the record, “My Shot” has a great tempo for humping and pumping. Or you can use the intermission to go grab a vibrator to incorporate into your second act sex acts.