The Tokyo Olympics are almost here, and why should the *official* athletes have all the fun? Challenge your friends or family to some fun and competitive Olympics-ish events. You might even decide to represent different countries or institutions--real or imagined. (We heard Hogwarts is looking for athletes.)

Here are a few events you could add to your lineup:

• Paper Airplane Flying

• Any of the challenges listed here

• ...or here (We like the dice stack/balance game.)

And by the way, a box of cupcakes makes a great prize. Just sayin’.

To (temporarily) beat the heat:

3. Get cookin’...outdoors.

Zip, zip, hooray! Hop on over to Lake Travis Zipline Adventures and enjoy the views while catching a breeze! And while you’re out there, why not cool off with a swim after you finish?

To make use of all your kitchen gadgets:

4. Host the ultimate cookie showdown.

Time for a bake-off! It’s chip vs. chip. We’ve sifted through some tough competitors in search of the best-ever chocolate chip cookie recipe and landed on a couple of frontrunners. Pit these two all-stars against each other and determine a winner, once and for all. 

Is this the best batch? Surely, 18,000 reviews can’t be wrong! Or should we trust the professionals? 

If you can’t make a decision, it’s ok. When you compete in cookies, everybody wins! 

Psst...Wanna know Lori’s secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies? Form the dough into a log, wrap with parchment paper and put in the freezer for an hour before baking. Slice the frozen dough into 1-2” circles and bake off as few or as many as you need!

And last (but certainly not least), for the adults only:

5. Pickles + WINE = a winning combo!

General wisdom holds that being “in a pickle” is no fun, but we disagree! Our friends at 5 Soul Wine Co. provide the perfect experience for you to enjoy a friendly game of Pickleball, your favorite new sport. Not only do they have courts available for reservation, they host leagues and socials, too! Learn more about the sport and reserve your spot on the court here!

What fun things are you up to this summer? Let us know! Tag us on Instagram @thecupcakebar and show us your summertime smiles. We may feature you on our social media!