Heading into summer can feel daunting for many busy parents. While our children are thrilled to have the school year end, many parents are feeling the pressure to create a super fun, activity-filled summer for their kids. Try making a Family Summer Bucket List! Find out how in this post and get a free Summer Bucket List Printable and a list of summer bucket list ideas page to help you get started.
To make summer a little easier and a whole lot more fun, try creating a Summer Bucket List. This is a list of things that you would love to do during the summer break. It can have big events or small activities.
We usually go into summer with excitement and big expectations. That excitement often begins to slip away when we get a few weeks in, and the kids are already complaining that they don’t have anything to do. Creating a summer bucket list is an easy way to have a list ready to go when the kids cry, “We’re bored!”
Why Should You Make a Summer Bucket List?
Making a family summer bucket list is a fun way to get the kids involved in making plans for the summer. It’s also a great visual reminder if you post it somewhere everyone can see it. It’s a great reminder for your kids that you DO actually have fun things planned. So when there are boring days, they can be reminded that more fun is around the corner. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like crossing things off a list? The kids can take turns crossing off each activity when you do them.
What to Include in Your Summer Bucket List
- Vacations and trips – This is an easy one. If you have any big trips planned for this summer, be sure to add them to your list.
- Birthdays, Holidays, and Celebrations
- Craft activities
- Outdoor activities
- Movies
- Live music events
- Sports or exercise
- Acts of kindness
- Silly things
- Quick and easy activities
- Break-the-rules activities – like wearing pajamas all day – having ice cream for dinner – Staying up all night, etc.
- Fun food activities – ice cream trucks, trying new unique cuisine, having a picnic,
Where to Find Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List
You might have lots of great ideas for your bucket list, but what if you need a little extra help? Below are a few places you can check to find new and fun ideas for your list.
- Local newspapers – If you have access to your local newspaper or magazine, they will likely have a local events section that is regularly updated.
- Local Business Community Boards – Many cafes and local shops allow the community to advertise events and services on corkboards in their store. This is a great place to find businesses and non-profits that are hosting events during the summer.
- Online community calendars – This is one of the best ways to find out what is happening in your area. Most towns or cities have an online calendar of events.
- Libraries – Don’t forget about your neighborhood library. Libraries are great resources for activities! Most libraries also host a summer reading challenge that you can add to your list.
- Movie Theaters – Contact your movie theaters, many have events or specially discounted tickets for kids in the summer. Our local movie theater now has a drive-in, which sounds fun!
- Local theaters – Many communities have local theater programs that host camps and put on fantastic performances.
- Google Maps – This is my go-to! You can look up parks or hiking trails nearby, lakes and rivers to visit, new bookstores, unique restaurants to try, new parks to play at, and so much more! Be sure to include new ideas that your family may have, they might come up with some more fun and sometimes goofy ideas!
- Ask your kids – Gets the whole family involved. Including the whole family will get them even more excited and invested in the items on the list. Whenever possible, I loved to get the kids’ input on things so that they feel included and excited. When we include even our littlest in the planning, they will feel super special when you add their idea to the list. This helps reinforce the truth that they matter and their ideas are important too.
Looking for more Summer Posts?
- Surprise Your Kids with a Disney Vacation Scavenger Hunt
- Road trip tips
- Road Trip Bingo Game to Print
- Easy Dump-and-go crockpot meals for busy summer nights.
Create Your Family Summer Bucket List
Be sure to get the whole family involved in this next step. Using the Summer Fun Bucket Ideas page, get the family together, and pick activities that everyone wants to add. Then fill out the summer bucket list printable.
Post this list somewhere in your home where everyone can see it and try to see how many of the activities you can cross off throughout the summer.
52 IDEAS FOR YOUR SUMMER BUCKET LIST
| Make popsicles | Make homemade bird feeders |
| Have a movie night | Make snow cones |
| Go on a nature walk | Jump rope |
| Have a picnic | Learn how to ride a bike |
| Go to the zoo | Visit a local museum |
| Go to an aquarium | Play flashlight tag |
| Bake treats for a local nursing home | Have a pajama day |
| Do chalk art | Make your own pizza night |
| Go on a family bike ride | Have a no-screens day |
| Camp in your backyard | Have ice cream for dinner |
| Make friendship bracelets | Create nature journals |
| Go for a walk in the rain | Bake cookies and give some to neighbors |
| Make an inside tent with blankets | Explore a new city or town |
| Have a campfire | Fly a kite |
| Make a time capsule | Go bowling |
| Go stargazing | Wash the car / bikes |
| Go swimming at night | Make root beer or soda floats |
| Make hotdogs over a campfire | Go fishing |
| Have a lemonade stand | Have a water balloon fight |
| Play kickball | Go to a local carnival or fair |
| Plant a garden | Use a slip-and-slide |
| Go to the beach or lake | Have a painting party |
| Watch the sunrise | Paint rocks |
| Have a game night | Read a book as a family |
| Do a big puzzle | Go to the drive-in theater |
| Go to a local music event or concert | Pick flowers for a friend |
Things to Remember When Creating Your Summer Bucket List
This summer bucket list is just a list of potential ideas. Some families make this a summer-long challenge and try to see if they can check off every single activity.
Just remember that you can do it your own way. You may want to set a goal with your kids, to do 5 or 10 activities on the list, this way if you’re creating some expectations that are easier to reach, you can always add more activities if you have time.
To request your free printables, fill out the form below, and the Printable Summer Bucket List will be sent to your inbox today!
You should receive your file(s) link via e-mail within the hour. Be sure to check your spam or promotions folder if you cannot find the e-mail. If, after an hour, you have not received anything, contact me and I’ll help you figure out what happened. For personal use only. Please do not reproduce or redistribute without written permission. Classroom use is permitted.
Instructions on how to print and resize your printable to fit your own planner can be found here.
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