125 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Families
Are you looking to make the most of your summer break by creating your own summer bucket list for the whole family?
A summer bucket list is a great way to make sure every family member gets to do something to make the summer months a little extra special.
With young kids, I always try to keep in mind that the days are long, but the years are short.
Well, the same could be said about summer. Except summer days are extra long, yet somehow summer seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. Before you know it you're snapping that first day of school picture with a spiffy new backpack and fresh school supplies wondering how your little baby became so grown up.
Each day of summer seems to stretch on forever, especially here in Florida where the heat and humidity make it hard to go outside in the middle of the day. There are only so many trips to the library we can take before we all start going stir-crazy!
But I always reach the end of summer with a slight feeling of panic. Did we have enough ice cream? Did we lay in the grass enough? Did we ride bikes, eat popsicles in the driveway, or go to the beach enough?
If you're anything like me, you have amazing memories of summer, and you want the same thing for your kids without also feeling like you have to entertain them every second of every day.
I think one way to find that middle ground is to have a summer bucket list. If you have enough excursions, outings, and special days planned for your summer, you end up appreciating the relaxing days at home while also making memories. It also keeps you from getting overwhelmed with the sheer number of fun summer activities you could be doing, and narrows it down to the specific things your family actually wants to do.
The perfect summer bucket list will have a mix of big trips and small moments. Some items will require planning days and weeks in advance, while other items won't even require getting out of your pajamas.
Also keep in mind that a summer bucket list is not meant to box you in or stress you out, but rather to give you peace of mind and structure. If you don't get to everything on the list, no big deal! Add it to next summer's list, save it for Labor Day Weekend, or just skip it altogether if it wasn't that important to you.
So without further adieu, here are some fun summer bucket list ideas. Pick and choose the ones that work for your family, and use these as a springboard to come up with your own ideas.
Fun Ideas to Add To Your Summer Bucket List
1. Go camping at a local park
2. Make homemade popsicles or homemade ice cream
3. Have a Summer Kickoff or Summer Solstice party
4. Go to the beach (or lake or river)
5. Buy each kid a water bottle or cup with a straw and decorate with puffy paint
6. Go for a family bike ride
7. Make lemonade on a hot summer day
8. Have a water balloon fight
9. Have a picnic
10. Go for a nature walk
11. Visit a state park or national park and try hiking a new trail
Related: Check out all of my Guides to Visiting National Parks with Kids
12. Go swimming
13. Blow bubbles (my kids are OBSESSED with this cheap bubble machine)
14. Get up early and watch the sunrise
15. See a fireworks show
16. Make s'mores
17. Visit the local library
18. Have a barbecue
19. Go to a museum
20. Have a movie night
21. Write a letter and send it in the mail
22. Play with sidewalk chalk
23. Go to a baseball game
24. Participate in a summer reading program
25. Take a day trip to a nearby city and eat from food trucks
26. Have a family sleepover in the living room
27. Bake cookies (brownies, cupcakes, whatever!) and bring them to someone
28. Go to the zoo
29. Make a fruit salad
30. Have a family Olympics day
31. Write in a journal
32. Go to a splash pad
33. Stay up extra late
34. Watch a parade
35. Eat a snow cone
36. Build a fort
37. Have a lemonade stand
38. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds
39. Look at the animals at the pet store
40. Visit all the parks in your city
41. Play with glow sticks when it's dark out or play flashlight tag
42. Make shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks
43. Go fishing
44. Plant flowers
45. Make ice cream sundaes
46. Go to a fair
47. Go berry picking at local farms
48. Go to an outdoor concert and listen to live music outside
49. Go to a local farmer's market
50. Play Mad Libs
51. Drive to another state
Related: 50 Road Trip Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
52. Make a scrapbook or photo book of your summer adventures
53. Have a movie marathon and pajamas day
54. Get haircuts
55. Listen to an audiobook together
56. Be a tourist in your city
Related: How to Be a Tourist in Your Own City
57. Go to a drive-in movie theater
58. Go on breakfast dates
59. Have an Uno tournament
60. Create a summer playlist
61. Enter a photo contest
62. Play yard games like bocce ball or bean bag toss
63. Create an obstacle course in your yard
64. Collect rocks or seashells
65. Start learning a new language (use podcasts or audiobooks from the library)
66. Visit an aquarium
67. Try a new recipe (we love this cookbook for kids!)
68. Go mini-golfing
69. Toss a frisbee
70. Visit a fire station
71. Dress up in costumes and put on a show
72. Visit a relative
73. Learn to hula-hoop
74. Roll down a grassy hill
75. Learn a new skill from YouTube
76. Create chore charts
77. Rent paddle boats
78. Splash in puddles on a rainy day
79. Teach your kids how to cook (or help cook) a specific dinner
80. Toss water balloons
81. Read your favorite book from childhood aloud to your kids
82. Clean out your closets and donate or sell your old clothes in a yard sale
83. Learn everything you can about a famous artist and try to draw like them
84. Create a family exercise routine
85. Learn how to set a table properly
86. Go barefoot in the grass
87. Have a garage sale
88. Get disposable cameras and do a photo scavenger hunt
89. Find a constellation
90. Make fruit-infused ice cubes for refreshing summer drinks
91. Paint rocks and hide them around town for others to find
92. Volunteer together
93. Make an outdoor pouring station with water and ice cubes
94. Have a tea party
95. Stay in a hotel for a night
96. Have a squirt gun fight
97. Do a hop-on-hop-off bus or trolley tour
98. Start a family savings jar for your next big trip
99. Play hopscotch
100. Do workbooks together
101. Play a board game
102. Interview your kids on video
103. Go to a candy store
104. Go to an amusement park
105. Fly a kite
106. Try cuisine from another country
107. Visit a botanical garden
108. Read books in the park
109. Take a walk in a neighborhood you've never been to
110. Have a Bunco tournament with your kids and wrap up prizes from the dollar store
111. Jump rope
112. Try a fruit or vegetable you've never tried
113. Take photographs of your family at sunset
114. Play Spoons
115. Make and decorate your own cupcakes
116. Find treasures at a local thrift store
117. Go for a scenic drive
118. Have a popcorn night with different seasonings
119. Make virgin piña coladas, daiquiris, margaritas, or slushies
120. Decorate baseball caps or t-shirts with fabric paint or markers
121. Make root beer floats
122. Go out for ice cream
123. Make your own pizzas and grill them
124. Visit a water park
125. Check out a local summer festival
Make Your Family's Summer Bucket List
Now it's time to pick and choose which items to add to your to-do list! My kids and I always have so much fun coming up with our list - it's the perfect opportunity to bond with them and see what fun goals they have for summer!
Of course, you won't be able to do all of the items on this list, and some of them might not be conducive to your family. Pick and choose which items would be fun, exciting, and doable for your family, then add them to your list! If you have younger kids, some of these activities might not work for you, and if you have older kids they might want to give more specific input!
I tried to give a lot of great options that you could do locally or at home with the entire family, but if you're looking to add a family vacation to your summer schedules, I've got so many suggestions and travel guides for you! Check out my USA travel guides for families! Each city or destination guide is filled with fun activities for the entire family.
If you're up for a summer road trip, be sure to read my road trip tips with fun things to do for kids from toddler age through elementary age.
But whether you spend quality time together at home or on the road, I hope this list of family summer bucket list ideas helps you have the best summer vacation ever!
You can also download my free printable summer bucket list blank sheet so you can add your own list to hang up in your home!
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Emily Krause is a Wisconsin-based travel blogger who writes about exploring the world with kids. On A Mom Explores you’ll find best family travel destinations, Disney World and theme park tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
