Creating a Summer Bucket List for your Family

Good Morning everyone!  I hope you’re enjoying this Independence Day weekend!!  I love being able to gather together with family and spend time together during the summer – I think it takes me back to all of those family bbq’s from my childhood and helps summer to feel fun again as an adult!  Speaking of fun summer things when we were kids, this week I wanted to talk about fun ideas to keep those kiddos entertained when they’re off from school.

Do you create a Summer Bucket List for your family?  I have several friends and family members who look forward to creating a Summer Bucket List of things to do each summer – either as a family or for the kids to stay busy – and I thought it would be perfect to share some ideas for creating your own list for this summer!

Ideas for your Summer Bucket List:

1. Stay in pajamas all day – Now I know that this one will have to be done when you don’t have to go in to work for those working parents, but I think this idea will appear even to the adults in the family!!
2. Take a nature hike – You can plan a hike along a trail if there’s one near you or just take a hike at your local park or river bank – you’ll be surprised at how enjoyable it is to just be out in nature and appreciate its beauty up close!
3. Go to the county fair – Try to plan out a day that you can go to the county fair as a family.  Don’t forget to check the fair schedule though as some counties will have certain days with special prices for riding rides or admission.
4. Free Slurpees at 7-Eleven – Did you know that you can get a free slurpee at 7-Eleven on July 11th?  It is 7-Eleven Day and you can get a free small slurpee from 11am until 7pm.
5. Book Reading Challenge – Here’s one of those things that the parents especially love since the kids can do this activity on their own.  Set up a reading challenge that each child reads a certain number of books over the summer.  You can create a fun tracking chart too – maybe a piece of poster board where you put stars for each book read for each child?  I’ve even seen poster board with balloons blown up where you get to pop each balloon as you finish reading a book!  Make it fun to encourage the kids to spend some quiet time reading!
6. Tie Dye – Have you ever tie dyed before?  You can get tie dye kits at most big stores like Walmart or your local craft store and have fun tie dyeing shirts together.
7. Family Bike Ride – How long has it been since you’ve been on a bike?  If it’s been a while (like it has for me) don’t worry, it’ll come back to you because “it’s just like riding a bike, you never forget!”  Take a ride around your neighborhood or at your local park.
8. Game Night – Settle in for the evening and play some games together.  Pop some popcorn, maybe make sundaes, and have a fun night together!
9. Plan a Trip to a Local Historical Site – I currently live a couple hours from Gettysburg to give you an idea of a site to pick.  Take a look at what’s local to you and plan a day to go walk around and take in the sites.  Sometimes your kids can even learn something during the summer and still have fun!
10. Donuts for Dinner – This one’s fun for everyone!  Take one night and DON’T COOK!  Pick up either regular or mini donuts and have a fun twist on dinner!
11. Water Fun – There are a few ideas for this one.  If you have a pool, then have a few friends over for a pool party.  You can keep it as easy as turning on the sprinkler or setting up a slip-n-slide in the yard for the kids, or even find a local water park to go to as a family.
12. Go Camping – As a kid, this was the type of vacation we went on all of the time and I thought they were the best vacations ever!  I had no idea it was because it was a reasonable way to vacation!!  You don’t have to go out of state to camp, you can find a local campground and stay the night, or even camp out in your own yard for the night!
13. Go on a Picnic – This is another one where you can plan a trip to a local park or just picnic in your own yard.  It’s the act of laying a blanket out and eating outdoors that makes it fun!
14. Send the Kids to Camp – This was one of the most exciting times in my childhood honestly!  I LOVED going to sleepover camp at Camp Haluwasa in New Jersey growing up and those are some of my fondest memories!  There are so many options for camp for the kids these days!  You can look for a sleepover camp where the kids stay all week or look for some day camp options.  Our local church has several different day camp options each summer: Pioneer Camp, Adventure Camp, Teen Week, Kid’s Day Camp, etc…  Another options to check into is day camp at your local gym.  An example is SoldierFit where they have Kid’s Kadets where they not only are entertained for the week but are active and learning.
15. S’more’s Night – This is one that everyone can love!  If you have a fire pit or are going to build a fire while camping, then this is a no-brainer.  But don’t worry – if you don’t have those options you can still make s’mores! You can use chafing dish fuel to cook the marshmallows or build a small tabletop fire pit with a flower pot – just start searching online for the best option for your DIY project.  If fire isn’t an option for you, you can STILL make s’mores!  There are lots of recipes to make s’mores in the broiler or the microwave so just start looking for the best way to make your summer s’mores!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this list of Summer Bucket List ideas and are ready to create your own list!  Have some other ideas to share, comment below so we can all enjoy them!  Don’t forget to share this post so everyone can start enjoying the summer together!