50 Fun Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids to Enjoy
I clearly remember hopping off the bus on the last day of school, giddy with wild freedom and a blank slate of nothing but play ahead of me. My friends and I whooped and hollered; we skipped down the sidewalk, linked arms, and felt like the world was ours! All the visceral things are embedded in my memory: the smell of the driveway tar on an extra hot day, the cicadas singing a midday tune, looking up and seeing the sun shining through the leaves of trees, and the sticky red popsicle juice running down my arm. Is there anything better than being a kid in summer? I think not! What is better than the idea of endless time filled with catching fireflies, ice cream trucks, swimming, and riding bikes?
Even with so much to do – nevertheless, “I’m bored” and “There’s nothing to do!” seems to be on repeat once the novelty of being out of school wears off. In the past few years, I’ve gathered a bucket list of about 30 things to do in the summer. I put it on a large poster board with a little box next to each item. I tack it up underneath our family calendar, and whenever I hear the word “bored,” I tell my son to go to the bucket list and pick out one thing and do it. Once he completes it, he can check it off. As an added motivation, I tell him if he completes every single item on his summer bucket list, he gets a “Yes Day” (more on that to come).
There are a few things on the bucket list, like going to the zoo and outdoor movie night, that have become summer traditions in our house. I compiled a list based on what we’ve done in the past and things we want to do this summer. I hope this inspires you to do the same. There’s truly nothing like making memories for your kids during the summer months. They will remember their magical summers for life!
THE ULTIMATE SUMMER BUCKET LIST FOR KIDS!!!
- Go to the zoo. Buy a disposable camera and let your kids snap away! A camera seems to make them stay super engaged.
- Paint rocks and have fun placing them all over your neighborhood
- Lemonade Stand (Tip: if you know there are lots of garage sales around you during a specific time, pick that day!)
- Have a water balloon fight
- Play Hop Scotch
- Go berry picking
- Play flashlight tag
- Learn how to Double Dutch
- Outdoor Movie Night
- Climb a Tree
- Go Fishing
- Go to a new park and have a picnic
- Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can and have your parents help you identify what tree they came from
- Attend a local fair
- Use a slip-n-slide
- Wash your parent’s car
- Have a watermelon seed-spitting contest
- Watch a movie you’ve never seen before
- Play outside for 3 hours straight
- Build a fort in the woods
- Visit a farmer’s market
- Read 20 books (or 5 chapter books for older kids)
- Go Fishing
- Catch fireflies at night
- Play a New Board Game
- Join the local library summer reading program
- Catch a Frog
- Try a new food
- Go to a museum of your choice
- Make a blanket fort and watch a movie from it
- Camp out in the backyard in a tent
- Play frisbee
- Make and bury a time capsule
- Make necklaces or bracelets
- Play in the sprinklers or hose
- Make tie-dye shirts
- Learn a new card game and become a master!
- Go on a family bike ride
- Make slime
- Learn how to make a great paper airplane
- Lie on your back and stare at the clouds. Keep track of all the shapes and designs you see!
- Build a backyard obstacle course
- Volunteer as a Family
- Write a story
- Make a fruit salad for your family
- Lay in the grass at night and wait for a shooting star
- Use sidewalk chalk to decorate your driveway or sidewalk
- Check out a new splash pad park
- Set up an easel and paint what you see in nature around you
- Make ice cream
We’d love to hear from you if you have any other great ideas. Have a fantastic summer with your family!! And if you’re in that summer frame of mind, I have some great guides to make those summer months stylish and fun!