Summer is the warmest season of the year, falling between spring and autumn. In places like the United States, summer runs roughly from June through August, bringing long days, short nights, and heat that makes swimming pools and ice cream especially appealing.

Summer happens because of how Earth tilts as it orbits the sun. When your part of the planet tilts toward the sun, those direct rays create the warmth and extended daylight of summer. While the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer, the Southern Hemisphere has winter, and vice versa.

For students, summer usually means a break from school, a stretch of months for adventure, reading, playing outside, visiting family, or learning new skills. The season has become so associated with freedom and fun that people use summer as a verb: families summer at the beach, meaning they spend their summers there year after year.

Beyond the literal season, summer suggests warmth, growth, and things thriving. A poet might describe the summer of someone's life to mean their peak years of strength and productivity. When gardeners talk about plants that summer well, they mean varieties that flourish in the heat. The word carries feelings of abundance, energy, and life in full bloom.