Playing on campus during the summer is a terrific way to explore UC Davis in new ways.

For those seeking fitness or simply relaxation, the Recreation Pool offers both — two lap lanes, two diving boards and a large grassy area for sunbathing and socializing. Over at the Activities and Recreation Center, students not enrolled this summer but who still want to stay in shape can take advantage of a 2013 summer membership to this premier fitness center. From June 23 to June 29, the ARC is also offering Try Before You Buy deals for the group exercise and instructional series classes.

The artistically inclined can pick up a new hobby or cultivate an existing one at the Craft Center, which offers more than 90 classes on a wide variety of topics, including woodworking, ceramics and photography, throughout the summer.

Parents with children under 18 can sign up their kids for one of the Youth Programs offered through Campus Recreation and Unions. Activities include summer camps on cooking and dance, swimming and an eclectic assortment of kid-friendly classes. There are other youth programs made available by UC Davis Extension, the School of Education, COSMOS, the Young Scholars Program and the UC Davis Explore Math program.

Although the UC Davis Summer Abroad programs for 2013 are now full, students can start planning for the2014 program, which offers 4-week courses led by UC Davis faculty in more than two dozen countries around the globe. Finally, research-minded undergraduates can find opportunities in a variety of summer projects around the country through the Undergraduate Research Center.