Slay Summer Bucket List for Kids
Why did I built this summer bucket list for kids? Being at home with my 3 elementary school daughters over summer break and winging it each day can be frustrating. Both for you and for the kids. “I’m soooo borrrrred” not 2 minutes after you just had a picnic with them, argh!. Or just siblings bickering non-stop you want to send them to their rooms. That’s just no fun. Summer break is so memorable for kids, and as a mama I’d like to help them along as much as I can. This all started with me scouring Pinterest to build a list that made sense for our family and then I figured I’d share a giant list to save you a ton of time!
How to Build Summer Bucket List for Kids
These summer bucket list for kids ideas are extensive and by no means should anyone expect to complete them all. Build this list for your kid(s) this year and make a few minor adjustments each summer thereafter! More time savings, yes!
First, start by copying down the ones that jump out to you. Second, work with your kid(s) to get their opinions and ideas thrown in the mix. Third, post the list somewhere in your home where everyone can see, check completed list items off and be reminded to do something on the list when they get bored.
Now, lets jump into my favorite category of the summer bucket list for kids… life skills! This section can be equally as beneficial for you as it is for them. I don’t know about you, but my kids are spoiled as can be! Simple reminders to have them help out around the house or learn something they should absolutely learn as an adolescent is such a great use of their time!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that if you click through & make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Life Skill Ideas: Summer Bucket List for Kids
Whether its a household chore, staying sharp academically, making healthy habits or physical fitness related, these life skills are great ideas to add to your kid’s summer bucket list!
- Wash the family car manually
- Wash lawn furniture
- Vacuum the family car
- Wash their bike
- Water flowers
- Clean swing set
- Sweep trampoline
- Set a goal to read X books over summer break
- Do something kind for a neighbor
- Learn to cook a meal for your family
- Make a healthy smoothie
- Bake or prepare a dessert for a friend
- Stay sharp with math worksheets
- Other educational freebie worksheets like these:
- Start a summer journal
- Collect sticks for a campfire
- Learn to build a campfire
- Setup a lemonade stand business
- Build a legit sand castle
- Ride bike on a challenging route
- Learn to roller skate or roller blade
- Learn to skate board or work on a new trick (beginner skate board)
- Learn how to ride a hoverboard
- Learn to jump off a diving board
- Build a nature scrapbook
- Learn how to make a craft
- Learn how to tie-dye shirts
- Practice a new gymnastic trick
- Choreograph a dance or gymnastics routine
- Learn to dribble a basketball between your legs
- Play catch in the yard with a baseball or football
Next, beat some of that blow your budget summer temptations with sprinkling a healthy dose of free, fun ideas to add to the summer bucket list for kids!
Free Fun Ideas: Summer Activities for Kids
In my opinion, start by looking into your town and neighboring town’s free summer activities. I find free outdoor movie nights, concerts or even kids yoga classes in the park or mall areas are fun things to work into your schedule. I always pencil in reminders for those into my calendar so if we find ourselves with a free night (and the energy!) we remember to go! Play dates and sleepovers with friends, cousins and grandparents are a must to schedule, too! Last, just plain being a kid and getting dirty is what summertime is all about!
- Find a nearby town’s outdoor movie night in the park
- Free concert in the park
- Play date with a friend
- Sleepover with a friend
- Go to a park
- Go to the library
- Read a chapter book series together
- Write a letter to your future self
- Create a secret handshake
- Look for cloud animals
- Catch frogs
- Catch fireflies
- Make a “magic potion”
- Make a mud pie
- Watch a local fireworks show
- Do an outdoor scavenger hunt at a local walking trail or park
- Go on a hike
- Stargazing
- Dance in the rain
- Race sticks down the curb in the rain
- Learn to skip rocks on water
- Climb a tree
- Printable freebies (i.e. summer word search)
Third, lets talk about those dreaded rainy days. As much as we want it to ignore it, some days the weather or even our health cause us to be stuck inside. That doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun!
Rainy Day Ideas: Summer Bucket List for Kids
Here are a few activities to get your wheels spinning! Fight off the boredom and limit the sibling bickering with these rainy day activities:
- Stream an at home movie on Amazon Prime
- Help a parent prepare dinner
- Go to a local toy store with allowance from chores
- Go to a local coffee shop and play a board game (try a new one of these from my parent and kid tested, Family Date Night Top 10 Games list!)
- Go to the movie theater
- Go out to dinner at their favorite restaurant
- Visit a local book store
- Mail a letter to a friend or grandparent (learn how to address an envelope!)
- Make friendship bracelets
- Stay sharp for next school year with an academic workbook (such as these inexpensive, timed math tests)
- Watch a YouTube Kids video that teaches how to draw something cool on a sketch pad
- Color a birthday card for someone’s upcoming present
- Snuggle up and read a chapter book together
- Create an Amazon Music summer playlist or customize my ah-mazing 4th of July playlist
Being intentional about the amount of quality time I plan is super important to me. These precious times with our kids will be gone in a blink! Fourth, lets go over some summer bucket list ideas that you can be present in the moment for and will create lifelong memories!
Quality Time Ideas: Summer Activities for Kids
Everything from taking a vacation, to going on one-on-one dates, to playing sports games with the family… it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing it, it’s all about that QT!
- Camping
- Mommy-daughter or Mommy-son 1 on 1 date
- Daddy-daughter or Daddy-son 1 on 1 date
- Mom + Dad date with each child individually
- Indoor rock climbing
- Family bike ride to neighboring town for lunch, dinner or dessert
- Visit a water park
- Visit an amusement park
- Go boating and tubing on a lake
- Go mini-golfing
- Play cornhole
- Setup individual, solo-dates with grandparents
- Wander through local small business shops
- Go to their favorite restaurants
- Have a picnic at the park
- Create a Summer Olympics
- Play tennis (can of tennis balls)
- Play pickleball (pickleball paddle for kids)
- Play game of basketball “PIG” (junior size, glow in the dark basketball)
- Go to a local festival or carnival
- Go to a drive-in movie
- Go to a baseball game
- Make Father’s Day gift or card (easy, unique gift decorate golf balls & tees)
- Go fishing
- Back to school, backyard movie night
- Play with gel blasters or nerf guns
- Back to school school supply shopping
- Back to school outfit shopping
- Plan their birthday party
- Take a road trip
- Plan the ultimate local staycation (and do my free hotel scavenger hunt!)
- Take them to their 1st concert (what’s on your Concert Bucket List?)
Lastly, you can take a breath with these super easy or no-prep ideas to add to your summer bucket list for kids!
Easy or No-Prep Ideas: Summer Bucket List for Kids
- Go to a local ice cream shop
- Go to Target or grocery store, give them the list to find items
- Go to the local, public pool
- Make s’mores
- Backyard swimming at a family/friends house
- Night swimming
- Make a fairy garden
- Get Slurpees/Icees from a local gas station
- Lunch picnic in your backyard
- Make butterfly house
- Jump and learn tricks on a trampoline
- Make root beer floats
- Play with sparklers
- Water balloon fight
- Baseball game
- Run in a sprinkler
- Play hide and seek outside
- Slip n slide
- Jump rope
- Hopscotch
- Paint rocks
- Draw with chalk
- Sister fort in trampoline
- Play cornhole bags
- Play tetherball
- Throw a frisbee (no-hurt, kid friendly Activ Flyer rings)
- Collect rocks and tumble
- Sister picnic in playground fort
- Make a bug hotel
- Stand up paddle board (inflatable SUP and accessories)
- Scooter
- Play catch
- Backyard soccer (soccer net)
- Play kickball at the park
- Play football
- Play PIG basketball
- Make smoothies
- Run as fast as you can
- Hula hoop
- Make a sand castle
- Decorate a box fort
- Campfire jokes or Would You Rather Campfire Edition
- Capture the flag
- See how big of a bubble can blow with gum
- Make popsicles
Yay! It’s summertime! Go have fun with your kids and make those lifelong memories. This is what I’m all about at Memory in the Making! Follow me for tons more family fun ideas. I’ve got you covered…
FIND SOME INSPIRATION FOR WHAT PROJECT YOU WANT TO WORK ON NEXT, ACROSS THESE FOUR CATEGORIES:
Without a doubt, save this Slay Summer Bucket List for Kids to your Pinterest board for later!
…Or text a link to your partner in crime!
