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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 on our list, it’s a great way to create memories, spend time on new fun summer experiences, and revisit our favorites.
If you’re looking to create a list of summer activities, this is a great place to start!
One of our favorite ways to beat summer boredom is to write down a summer bucket list. It motivates us to come 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’re clear on your priorities before the kids add their “contributions” (and there will be many!).
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:
From here, I narrow down 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:
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 down on parental nagging and creates better behavior (win-win!). This is one big reason we do the summer bucket list.
I like to create a somewhat loose schedule for the summer. Then I’ll have a general idea 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 on a hot summer day will strike!
Think through new routines and put a few visual reminders in place. Here are some ideas to incorporate:
The above will definitely vary depending on what ages you have in the house.
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 miss, like the parade or 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 base and add any fun and educational summer bucket list ideas to your calendar. Or if you want to be more flexible, create a list of your items (or a cute poster on Canva) and print it off. Post it near your calendar, and as you find free time (or the kids are bored), pick an activity to do!
If you’re looking for some inspiration for your own list, here are some of our favorite ideas. The best part? Most of these are free or very low cost. A few ideas are splurge activities. Choose some of these activities or use them as a jumping off 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 on their own.
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 look at it as family inspiration and not a “to-do” list. Even if we don’t get to everything on our wishlist, it reminds us to spend quality time together and try new things, whether we’re out adventuring or at home.
Do you create a summer bucket list? What’s your favorite thing to do in summer?
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Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.
Ice in a blender with a little water can also create “snow” for snow cones. Nice article, thanks!
These are such great ideas, Katie! My kids are grown adults and three of five are parents so as a Gramma, I’m planning some fun things with my grandkids this summer.
These are some of my ideas.
Paint rocks (the kids love to do this).
Go bird watching (the older two grands and I are having a Big Year (counting birds). The movie, The Big Year is so worthwhile and clean enough for kids and grandparents!
Pinch pots (with clay) and then paint them.
Paint on Freezer paper for painting big!
Whiffle Ball (when our kids were young, we mowed a baseball diamond in the lawn)
Badminton
Weenie roast over the fire pit, and make s’mores
Make popsicles
Squirt gun fights.
Afternoon ice cream cones
Ride bikes together
Happy Summer!
What great ideas! I love being outside in the summer and some of these would make great girls’ night out events as well.
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