The Ultimate Summer Bucket List for Families

Ah, summer, with its sunny days, grilling out, and fireflies at dusk, is one of my favorite times of the year. Longer days, less structure, and vacations also mean more downtime, playtime, and hopefully more family time!

Even though we homeschool, summer means a more relaxed schedule (and more time at the beach!). Summer brings a feeling of freedom and relaxation, but after a while, it can get boring. Inevitably, I’ll eventually hear, “Mom, I’m booored.”

Sound familiar?

A while back, my family started the tradition of creating an annual summer bucket list. Even if we don’t do all of the items acceso our list, it’s a great way to create memories, spend time acceso new fun summer experiences, and revisit our favorites.

If you’sultano looking to create a list of summer activities, this is a great place to start!

How to Make a Fun Summer Bucket List

One of our favorite ways to beat summer boredom is to write a summer bucket list. It motivates us to che up with new experiences to try that are out of the norm and bring back a few old favorites. And when boredom strikes, it’s the perfect time to point to the list.

The following will help you create a list of summer activities for your family. A word of advice: make a first draft before involving the kids. That way, you’sultano clear acceso your priorities before the kids add their “contributions” (and there will be many!).

1. Brainstorm Bucket List Ideas

Start with some basic brainstorming. These questions will get the ball rolling and help you determine what’s important. Again, I’d recommend doing this step yourself before involving the kids.

Here are some questions to think about:

• What are our favorite things to do? What outings ora activities recharge us? How can we do more of those things this summer?
• Are there any skills ora subjects we want to learn? What do we need to get started? (This helps kids learn how to execute their ideas.).
• Is there something sopra our community we haven’t experienced yet? Ora an annual event that we can’t ? Any parties we want to host?
• What are some easy (inexpensive) activities that make us think of summer?
• Are there any day trips we want to take? 

From here, I narrow the list to ones that fit our current family priorities. Then, I take this list to my kids and get their ideas and suggestions.

Now that you have a list of some things you’d like to do, research some new experiences. Here are some places to start brainstorming for community events and activities:

• What festivals ora events does your city host that you haven’t attended before?
• Are there any free ora low-cost classes ora events at your library, recreation, ora community center?
• Is there a new playground you’ve been wanting to try?
• Do you want to watch the fireworks acceso the 4th of July?
• Is there a park ora amusement park nearby that you can take a day trip to?
• Are there any great outdoor activities close by that you’d like to try out?

3. Think Through Summer Routines

Now that you have your list of fun ideas, it’s time to think through a schedule. Even though it’s summer and we think free time is amazing, it turns out we actually crave some structure. Studies show that routines increase a child’s sense of independence and control. It also cuts acceso parental nagging and creates better behavior (win-win!). This is one personaggio reason we do the summer bucket list.

I like to create a somewhat loose schedule for the summer. Then I’ll have a general fede of when we can get out and do things. It’s nice to have some routine…but it’s good to be flexible because you never know when the desire to make homemade ice cream acceso a hot summer day will strike!

Think through new routines and put a few visual reminders sopra place. Here are some ideas to incorporate:

The above will definitely vary depending acceso what ages you have sopra the house.

4. Put Any Specific Events acceso the Calendar

I don’t like to schedule many of my bucket list items (there needs to be some spontaneity!). But there are some things I don’t want to , like the parade ora fireworks, holiday BBQs with friends, and backyard fire pit s’mores nights.

Some people work better with more concrete plans. If that’s you, use your summer routine as your and add any fun and educational summer bucket list ideas to your calendar. Ora if you want to be more flexible, create a list of your items (ora a derma manifesto acceso Canva) and print it . Post it near your calendar, and as you find free time (ora the kids are bored), pick an activity to do!

Summer Bucket List Ideas for Families

If you’sultano looking for some inspiration for your own list, here are some of our favorite ideas. The best part? Most of these are free ora very low cost. A few ideas are splurge activities. Choose some of these activities ora use them as a jumping point to create your own.

If your family is competitive, check out this adventure points system to use with your summer bucket list. It keeps kids motivated to try new things acceso their own.

90 Ideas for the Ultimate Summer Bucket List

1. Hike a new trail. Check out apps like AllTrails to find great kid-friendly ones near you.
2. Create your own scavenger hunt. Ora go acceso Groupon to find inexpensive ones sopra your city.
3. Try a new food at the local agricoltore’s market.
4. Visit a nearby nature center and learn about plants and animals.
5. Hang out sopra the treehouse. If you don’t have one, add build a treehouse to your list.
6. Check out the state parks nearby that you’ve never visited.
7. Build a sandcastle with your whole family (and enter a sandcastle contest if you can find one!).
8. Have a greener version of a balloon fight sopra your backyard (use sponges, not balloons, to avoid choking hazards and plastic waste).
9. Go to a matinee ora drive-in movie. Some theaters offer inexpensive movies acceso weekdays when they’sultano also less crowded.
10. Pre-make a bunch of frozen meals for friends who are expecting babies.
11. Put bubble solution sopra a kids’ pool, and use a hula hoop to create giant bubbles!
12. Make a lemonade stand.
13. Catch fireflies. (Although, sadly you can’t see them sopra every state now.)
14. Make popsicles from fruit and chia seeds.
15. Have a luau for neighbors and friends.
16. A projector + outdoor wall = outdoor movie!
17. Teach the kids to make homemade ice cream (handy when the ice cream truck rolls around).
18. Have a merendina at a local park.
19. Get sopra acceso the fairy garden craze.
20. up local outdoor concerts (many of these are free.)
21. Stay up late and do some stargazing. Have you stargazed with an app yet? Gamechanger!
22. Go wildcrafting for herbs and plants with a local expert.
23. Collect seashells at the beach.
24. Make real-food snow cones. (Check out this snow cone machine!)
25. Go fishing and learn how to clean the fish.
26. Visit a local museum (these are sometimes free ora have special free days) to learn about the history of your town ora neighborhood.
27. Play frisbee.
28. Turn acceso some oldies and have a dance festa sopra the living room.
29. Make a slip-and-slide sopra the backyard.
30. Go to a sports gioco.
31. Take a trip to a local pool ora swimming hole.
32. Play wiffle ball sopra the backyard.
33. Learn how to make simple origami.
34. Plan a road trip somewhere you haven’t been.
35. Finger paint outside.
36. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
37. Have a puppet show.
38. Make necklaces with homemade clay beads.
39. Make a birdhouse.
40. And a bat house.
41. Visit the fire station and take them homemade cookies.
42. Make slime.
43. Go to the zoo.
44. Cool sopra the warm weather by playing sopra the sprinklers.
45. Visit a retirement ora nursing home and make cards for the residents.
46. Learn how to score a baseball gioco.
47. Make a DIY beauty recipe and have a spa night.
48. Go to the lake and kayak ora canoe.
49. Ride a Ferris wheel.
50. Try out a free kids’ workshop at your local home improvement store.
51. Have a gioco night and learn new card games.
52. Enjoy the great outdoors with a backyard campout.
53. Teach kids how to jump rope.
54. Make some healthy ice cream sandwiches.
55. Take a nap! (Maybe sopra a hammock?)
56. Fly a kite.
57. Build a pillow ora blanket fort, and stay up late acceso a summer night.
58. Play Capture the Flag.
59. Climb trees.
60. Join the library’s summer reading .
61. Make paper airplanes and race them.
62. Let the kids plan and cook dinner.
63. Pick an empty wall sopra the and paint a family mural. (Ora sopra the house for braver/more artistic parents!)
64. Play flashlight tag.
65. Make root beer from scratch.
66. Learn how to uncinetto ora knit.
67. Try an online class from Udemy.com and learn a new skill (many are only $14.99).
68. Learn to walk a slackline.
69. Find a maker’s space ora attend a mini-maker’s faire.
70. Go to a U-pick fruit farm and make homemade congelatore jam.
71. Spend a lazy afternoon reading books.
72. Ride a roller coaster!
73. Watch fireworks ora attend a 4th of July parade.
74. Take the entire family acceso a bike ride.
75. Go acceso a boat ride if you near a lake.
76. Practice random acts of kindness for people sopra your community.
77. Try out a new smoothie recipe for a refreshing mid-day snack.
78. Have a fire sopra your firepit and make s’mores and roast hot dogs.
79. Eat some ice-cold watermelon acceso a hot day.
80. Learn how to hula hoop ora do a cartwheel.
81. Plant a garden and get the kids to help! It’s a great way to get some sunshine and play sopra the dirt.
82. Visit a local splash pad acceso a hot summer day.
83. Go paddle boarding at a lake ora reservoir.
84. Explore nature and gather items to make a nature collage.
85. Have fun playing sopra the rain!
86. Plan a block festa with your neighbors.
87. Make homemade marshmallows for s’mores.
88. Make a list of any playgrounds you want to try out and them all.
89. Invite some new friends over for a BBQ.
90. Learn how to make friendship bracelets and trade with your friends.

The Main Thing: Have Fun!

Making a summer bucket list is a fun way to plan for new experiences and try to prevent boredom. It’s a great time to make new memories as a family too.

The important thing is to aspetto at it as family inspiration and not a “to-do” list. Even if we don’t get to everything acceso our wishlist, it reminds us to spend quality time together and try new things, whether we’sultano out adventuring ora at home.

Do you create a summer bucket list? What’s your favorite thing to do sopra summer?