Use this huge list of summer bucket list ideas to create your own list of fun ideas with your whole family! Make your own summer bucket list with these 140 awesome ideas and a free printable summer bucket list template!
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Summer is coming. Are you already thinking of responses to the constant “Mom, I’m Bored!” musings that are about to be coming your way?
If you’ve already made a Summer Planner with these printables, then you’re partially prepared for what seems like 382 school-free days. But why not take it a step further and actually plan some fun things to do this summer season with a summer bucket list!
The great thing about summer time is that there are SO many fun options for things to do, from berry picking farms to summer story time at the library… but it can also be difficult to remember your summer to do list if you don’t have it written down. Having a bucket list will help you remember all of the fun activities that you want to do with your family and prioritize your time.
You may not be able to accomplish everything on this list, but if each family member picks out a few of their favorite ideas, you can add them to your list so that everybody gets to do what they want to do.
So get ready to make fun family memories all summer long with these cute summer bucket list printables!
What is a Bucket List?
Think of a bucket list as a to-do list… except instead of mundane everyday tasks like picking up the dry cleaning, it’s filled with fun activities that you want to do in a certain time period. Creating your own bucket list is the perfect opportunity to talk with your family and plan out how to spend your free time together, especially during the summer months when there are plenty of warm days and fun activity options!
*For more fun bucket list ideas, be sure to check out my other free bucket list templates:
- Free Printable Bucket List for Couples
- Free Printable Christmas Bucket List for Families
- Free Printable Spring Bucket List
- Fall Bucket List for Families
Why I Love Making Bucket Lists with My Kids
I’m a big fan of creating bucket lists with my kids, and I highly recommend that you give this simple activity a shot, whether you have young children or older kids. Here are a few of the benefits of creating your own summer bucket list:
- Bucket lists are a great reminder of the fun things you want to do. Use your own bucket list as a visual reminder of all of those outdoor concert events that you don’t want to miss or the special happenings at the local museum.
- Bucket lists help you plan your time. You’ve heard the old adage, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”… the same goes with planning your time during the summer months. If you don’t have a list of things that you want to accomplish during the summer time, then you may blink and it will be late July and you could be out of time to make those memories with your family.
- Bucket lists can save you money! When you don’t have inexpensive and fun summer activities planned in advance, then you may be tempted to do last-minute activities that have an extra cost. Planning ahead also allows you time to look for coupons or deals. For instance, some museums or amusement parks offer discounts to residents during certain days of the summer.
- Bucket lists empower your kids and make them feel special. When you involve your kids in the planning of the bucket list, you’re signaling to them that you value their opinions. You could even allow each child to put down their top 4 or 5 summer bucket list ideas on the template.
And the NUMBER ONE reason why I love making a summer bucket list with my family…. Our annual summer bucket list shows my kids that they are a priority!
Life can get busy… I get it… I’m a working Mom, and I work from home, so it feels like I am ALWAYS working! But during the summer, I make an extra effort when my kids are out of school to spend more time doing fun new things with them. Making a summer bucket list, and then actually doing the things on the list as a family, is a great way to show your kids that you want to spend time with them and that they are what’s most important.
*For even more fun activity ideas for kids, check out this post with fun things to do with kids at home and learn how to make this cute Activity Jar!
140 Summer Bucket List Ideas for the Entire Family
Here are tons of fun summer bucket list ideas, including fun water activities, rainy day activities, easy outdoor game ideas, and more:
- Make a summer playlist of your favorite songs.
- Set up a lemonade stand.
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Create a time capsule.
- Go on a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Grab my free printable neighborhood scavenger hunt checklists here!
- Blow bubbles.
- Have a reading hour outside. Set up a big blanket in your yard and let your kids read books outside.
- Have a silly string fight. Get one can of silly string for each child and let them go to town!
- Go for a family bike ride.
- Take a day trip to the next town over. Explore the local parks or museums and maybe visit an ice cream shop.
- Play four square. Draw a giant square with four quadrants on your driveway with sidewalk chalk.
- Set up a makeshift putt putt course. Use bouncy balls and make homemade “putters” with empty gift wrap tubes.
- Visit a water park.
- Learn a new sport – like cricket or pickleball.
- Have a picnic in the park.
- Catch bugs like caterpillars in a cute bug cage.
- Make your own bean bag toss. You can buy some bean bags online, or fill old socks with beans and tie them closed. Then set up different boxes and baskets in the driveway.
- Play balloon tennis. Make rackets by taping paper plates to empty paper towel rolls or tongue depressors. Then use the rackets to hit an air-filled balloon back and forth.
- Play with Hot Wheels in the driveway. Have kids draw big roads with sidewalk chalk and then “drive” their Hot Wheels or other toy cars all around the driveway.
- Make outdoor fairy houses. Mound sticks, rocks, and leaves into a “house”. You can even decorate the fairy house with miniature flowers, small Barbie furniture, etc.
- Plant a garden. Even if you don’t have a huge outdoor space, you can still do a small herb garden in a long rectangular pot.
- Take a rest on a blanket in the yard and point out shapes, animals, and other objects in the clouds.
- Take a cooking class.
- Take a family photo. The summer time is a perfect time to get the whole family together for updated family photos.
- Learn a new skill. You can search for online courses for things like embroidery or watercoloring, or watch YouTube videos to learn something new.
- Try frisbee golf. You could even set up your own “frisbee golf” course using hula hoops, laundry baskets, and trash cans.
- Visit an amusement park.
- Host a backyard barbecue.
- Offer to plant flowers at an elderly neighbor’s mailbox.
- Make a family TikTok or reel.
- Host a water balloon party with kids from the neighborhood. We do this at the beginning of the summer, and my kids love it!
- Play in the sprinkler.
- Have a car wash for toy cars. If your kids have Cozy Coupe cars, or even smaller toy cars that can get wet, set up a car wash for them in the driveway.
- Slip ‘n slide!
- Hang out at a new coffee shop.
- Take a weekend road trip.
- Relax by a campfire or a fire pit in the backyard.
- Make a homemade water table by filling a big plastic storage tote with water and adding in some plastic waterproof toys.
- Visit the pool or go swimming in the lake.
- Have a water gun fight!
- Re-read your favorite book.
- Watch a movie outdoors – whether you set up a projector in your backyard, visit a drive-in movie theater, or head out to a local summer movie night event.
- Try some new restaurants. You could even set a goal to visit one new restaurant each week.
- Try an extreme outdoor activity – like zip lining or mountain biking.
- Do a complicated jigsaw puzzle as a family.
- Create a vision board. You can create a family vision board for the upcoming school year or make individual vision boards.
- Have a beach day.
- Go watch a parade.
- Visit somewhere that you’ve never been before, like a new museum, a new restaurant, or even a new state.
- Watch the sunrise.
- Build a blanket fort in the living room.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Swim in a lake.
- Visit a local farmer’s market.
- Go geocaching. This is one of my family’s favorite outdoor activities – and it’s fun for the whole family!
- Learn something new – like how to sew, how to play the harmonica, or how to tie your shoes.
- Take a social media break. If you have older kids, challenge them to stay off social media for a set period of time (like a week).
- Visit local state parks or national parks. You can pack a picnic and enjoy the warm weather for this perfect summer activity.
- Make homemade popsicles!
- Go see a baseball game.
- Visit the library.
- Have a pajama day! Stay in your pj’s all day long, watch movies, and eat breakfast for dinner!
- Do an A-Z Scavenger Hunt. Have your kids walk around the house and locate items that start with each letter of the alphabet, in order. For example, A for apple, B for bra, C for crayon, etc.
- Let the kids climb in your bed and watch a family movie together.
- Make some new friends, and invite them over for a backyard barbecue.
- Have a camp out in the living room. Set up a tent or just put down sleeping bags in the middle of the floor, and make s’mores in the microwave.
- Make root beer floats.
- Go for a boat ride. You can look up boats to rent in your area or even rent a canoe or kayak.
- Start a Summer Reading Challenge! Print out some reading trackers, or challenge your kids to read a set number of books over the summer.
- Decorate cookies with a fun cookie decorating kit!
- Let your kids help you cook breakfast for dinner… pancakes with sprinkles anyone?
- Attend an outdoor concert. Search the internet for music festivals in your area.
- Learn some new card tricks. Search YouTube for some kid-friendly tutorials.
- Do something that’s out of your comfort zone.
- Read a new book.
- Fly a kite.
- Plan and go on a summer vacation… Even if it’s just for a weekend, this is a great opportunity to spend quality time with the whole family.
- Try a new recipe that you’ve never made before. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even try completely new foods that you’ve never had before.
- Visit a local historical site.
- Take a nap outdoors.
- Visit the zoo or a wildlife sanctuary.
- Host an outdoor movie night. Hang a white sheet over your garage, set up some lawn chairs in the driveway, and serve popcorn and candy. You may even be able to rent a projector to keep costs down.
- Do a service project or volunteer as a family.
- Sit around the fire pit and roast marshmallows.
- Spend a day doing random acts of kindness.
- Start gratitude journals, and have your kids write in them (or draw pictures) of something that happened that day that they’re thankful for. This is a great quiet time activity to do before bed! Go here for a free printable Gratitude Journal for Kids!
- Catch fireflies. If your kids are older, you can even have a friendly competition to see who can catch the most.
- Lay on a blanket in the grass, look at the stars, and try to pick out different constellations.
- Stay up until midnight.
- Build a sandcastle.
- Host an ice cream social. Make an ice cream buffet table with a few kinds of ice cream, different sprinkles and candy toppings, and chocolate and caramel sauce. Invite the neighborhood kids over for a sweet treat after dinner time.
- Play flashlight tag.
- Visit a botanical garden.
- Join a summer book club.
- Host a “Pizza and Popsicles” night!
- Watch a sunset.
- Take a selfie at the top of a ferris wheel.
- Let your kids invite some friends over for a sleepover.
- Have a family game night. You could even set a recurring game night (like Friday nights), and alternate which family member gets to pick the game.
- Make fairy gardens. You can buy super cute fairy garden kits online. I’ve personally used these kits with my daughters and they loved them!
- Catch fireflies.
- Draw pictures! You could even turn this into a daily activity (you do have 3 months worth of days to fill up after all!) with these 90 drawing prompts for kids! Print them out and make a drawing prompts jar for when your kids complain of summer boredom.
- Visit friends or family that you haven’t seen in a while.
- Take an art class. Look for classes at local craft stores or try a class at a painting studio.
- Collect seashells.
- Make homemade cards to send to veterans or active duty military on the Fourth of July.
- Make tie dye t-shirts, socks, etc.
- Go to a fair or carnival.
- Eat a snow cone.
- Make paper airplanes and have a competition to see which one flies the farthest. You can even have your kids watch YouTube how-to videos for creative plane ideas.
- Make a summer scrapbook. Take one photo for each day of the summer break and compile them into a keepsake book.
- Get out some paper and markers or crayons and turn on YouTube for an easy art class. Look up videos about drawing for kids for some great tutorials, and let your kids follow along. This is one of my youngest daughter’s favorite art activities and it’s no work for me!
- Paint rocks!
- Get other neighborhood families together for a game of kickball.
- Play flashlight tag.
- Visit the library. Most libraries have a bunch of different kids’ activities (crafts, story time, etc) during the summer.
- Go play putt putt.
- Visit a local arcade.
- Pack a picnic lunch and spend the day at your local park or playground.
- Go to a summer movie. Regal Cinemas and AMC both have special summer showings of kids’ movies that are super cheap!
- Visit an outdoor festival near you.
- Turn any outing into an A-Z Scavenger Hunt! At the mall or walking around the neighborhood, find items that start with the letters of the alphabet, in order from A-Z (A for American flag, B for bush, C for car, etc).
- Shop garage sale Saturday! My kids and I love to pile in the car on Saturday morning, run through the Dunkin drive thru for breakfast, and visit all the garage sales. And most of the time you can even get your kids a few new toys for just a couple bucks.
- Visit the splash pad.
- Try the summer craft camp at Michael’s craft store! For just a few dollars your kids can attend a mini class and make a cute craft to take home.
- Go pick berries at a local farm. Just Google “berry picking farms” and your city to find one near you.
- Go bowling for FREE! Certain bowling alley locations across the country offer free bowling for kids all summer long!
- Get a temporary tattoo.
- Visit a nearby lake or pond and feed the ducks.
- Have lunch at a food truck! Great way to go out to eat without worrying about your 2 year old running around a restaurant.
- Go for a walk and take photos of pretty flowers.
- Perfect a new barbecue grilling recipe.
- Bake cookies and deliver them to a local fire station.
- Visit the drive-in movies in your pajamas, and don’t forget the snacks!
- Watch fireworks on the Fourth of July.
- Go on a family hike.
- Visit a park or playground that you’ve never been to before.
- Go out for ice cream!
- Visit your local children’s museum.
- Go fishing. Every year, most states have a free fishing day, so you can take your kids to enjoy this summer activity without spending money on a license!
Tips for Making Your Own Summer Bucket List
Creating your own summer bucket list with your family is easy, especially with the free printable summer bucket list that I have for you down below! Just follow these tips:
- Brainstorm a list of all of the fun activities that you want to do during the summer months. Write all of the bucket list ideas down on a scrap sheet of paper as they come to you, even if they’re a little far-fetched (like your teen daughter’s idea to go on a cruise around the Mediterranean or your son’s life-long dream to ride a bull).
- Narrow down the list of the activities that are most important to you. You could let each family member pick their top 5 activities or, if you’re having trouble narrowing it down, write the summer bucket list ideas down on strips of paper and draw out of a hat.
- Make your ultimate summer bucket list. Transfer the summer bucket list ideas to a bucket list template or write them down on a dry erase board.
- Hang the bucket list where you’ll see it and cross things off the list as you go!
Free Printable Summer Bucket List
Want to grab my free printable summer bucket lists? I’ve got a cute template that’s already filled with these awesome summer bucket list ideas and a blank bucket list printable for you to fill in yourself!
Just click the dark teal links down below to print out your bucket lists, hang them on your fridge, and start enjoying some fun family activities this summer!
Click HERE for the Summer Bucket List to Color
Click HERE for the Rainbow Summer Bucket List Templates
Click HERE for the Popsicle Summer Bucket Lists
What about you? What kinds of activities are on your summer to do list? Is there anything that your kids really look forward to doing at summer time? Leave me a comment down below! I’d LOVE to hear from you!
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