50 Summer Trivia Questions

Summer is finally here!

Celebrate with 50 seasonal trivia questions perfect for road trips, lazy days on the beach, game night, family get togethers or posting on social media. Find out how much you know about summer blockbusters, music, food, and other hot topics. Water you waiting for?

Summer Movies

  1. Who directed summer blockbusters Jurassic Park, E.T., and Saving Private Ryan? Steven Spielberg
  1. Which male actor is known as the “King of the Summer Box Office”? Will Smith. He has starred in a string of hits including Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II and Hancock.
  1. What “out of this world” film earned summer blockbuster status in 1980?The Empire Strikes Back
  1. What animated movie racked up over $440 million in the summer of 2004?Shrek 2
  1. What classic musical was WALL-E obsessed with? “Hello, Dolly!”
  1. Where did Danny and Sandy from Grease reunite after a summer of love? Rydell High School
  1. What fictional New England town was terrorized by a great white shark in Jaws? Amity Island
Food

  1. What cold, creamy treat was first introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904? Ice cream
  1. How many varieties of watermelon are there? 25, 500 or 1,000? Over 1,000!
  1. Damson, Elephant Heart and Mirabelle are varieties of what fruit? Plums
  1. What is the name of the iconic ice cream truck song? “Turkey in the Straw”
  1. What is the must-have dessert at the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London? Strawberries and Cream
  1. Where is the “Barbeque Capital of the World”? Kansas City, MO
  1. When is National Peach Month? August
  1. In what U.S. city was the ice pop invented? San Francisco in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson
  1. What were pie tins used for after dessert was finished? Frisbees
  1. When and where does Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest take place? Fourth of July. Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York
Summer Dates

  1. What holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday in August? National Friendship Day
  1. Between what dates can the summer solstice fall? June 20 and 22
  1. Cheers! What day is National Lemonade Day? August 20.
  1. When is the anniversary of D-Day when allies stormed the beaches of Normandy, France? June 6
  1. When are the “dog days of summer”? The weeks between July 3 and August 11. This sweltering part of the season is named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the Canis Major constellation.
  1. Which U.S. state was the first to make the Fourth of July an official holiday? Massachusetts in 1870
  1. What day do pasta lovers look forward to? Don’t lose your noodle! National Macaroni Day is July 7.

Animals

  1. Do male or female mosquitoes drink the blood of their victims? Females! They use the protein in blood to help their eggs develop.
  1. What mammal migrates approximately 12,000 miles round trip from Arctic feeding grounds to the Baja lagoons and back again? Gray whales
  1. What type of butterfly spends summer months in North America before migrating south for the winter? Monarch
  1. What beach loving birds can live up to 15 years? Seagulls
  1. True or false. Each dolphin has its own unique whistle? True
  2. Which is the only continent where you will not find lightening bugs? Antarctica
  1. How many calories per day do bears eat in preparation for hibernation? 5,000. That’s the equivalent of two large pizzas!
  1. What do animals lose in the summer to cope with the heat? In summer, hormones cause dense winter coats to fall off and then replaced with a lighter covering.
  1. What is one animal that hibernates in the summer? When the temperature goes above 86 degrees, the hedgehog will lower its metabolism and live off fat stores for up to six weeks waiting for the heat wave to pass.
Summer Travel

  1. Which well recognized monument gets bigger in the summer? The Eiffel Tower in Paris can grow up to six inches taller during hot summers due to the expansion of its iron structure.
  1. What is the name of the famous pink sand beach in the Bahamas? Pink Sands Beach.
  1. Where are you if you are watching the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival? Tokyo
  1. What is the main attraction at the Iowa State Fair? A 600-pound cow sculpted from butter.
  1. What is one sweet treat you can’t buy in Walt Disney World? Gum. It is banned to make the parks cleaner.
  1. Can you name the five most popular places to summer vacation in the United States? Beach/ocean, a famous city, national parks, lakes and resorts
  1. What stretch of road is known as “Americas Mother Road”? Route 66 stretches from California to Illinois, passing through iconic small towns, motels and roadside attractions.
  1. If you are in the busiest airport in the United States, where are you? Atlanta, Georgia at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
  1. True or False. Over 90% of the Grand Canyon’s terrain has been surveyed by archeologists. Only 3.3%
Songs

  1. In May 1991, what American hip-hop duo released “Summertime” as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Homebase? DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
  1. Who sang the 1970s rock anthem “School’s Out”? Alice Cooper
  1. What group produced the iconic hits “Fun! Fun! Fun!,” “California Girls” and “Surfin’ Safari”? The Beach Boys
  1. What song was performed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in 1978? “Summer Nights”
  1. What are the fish doing in the song from the George Gershwin musical “Porgy and Bess”? Jumpin
  1. What year did the famous reggae artist Bob Marley sing about “Three Little Birds”? 1977
  1. This song became the Go-Go’s highest chart single in August of 1982. Vacation
  1. Andy Gibb, the younger brother of the Bees Gees, achieved what number one summer song in 1977 and again in 1978? The chart toppers were “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” (1977) and “Shadow Dancing” (1978)
Seas the day and stay cool this summer!

Courtney McLaughlin is a freelance writer in Charlotte, NC. She gratefully shares her life, home and heart with her daughter and their dog.