It’s that time of year again, summer is here and the hottest thing to do is make a summer bucket list for kids! If you’ve been drooling over all the fun stuff other moms have planned for the hotter months, but feel inadequate, don’t worry. We’re here to help!
Ready to make your own awesome summer bucket list on the cheap? You don’t have to spend tons of money or get super complicated to have a great summer.
Create Your Own Summer Bucket List for Kids
We’ll start out with some basics to plan a really awesome, memory-making summer with your kiddos, but don’t worry . . . if you scroll down to the bottom, we also include a summer bucket list for kids cheat sheet.
But first, how do you even start with a bucket list? There are three things your activities need to be:
- Fun for the kids (and you!)
- Different from what you normally do
- Take full advantage of summer weather
Before you start, grab a notebook or a laptop, so you can write down ideas as we got through all the ways to come up with terrific activities this summer.
Ask the Kids
The simplest method of finding great activities is to ask your kids to name three things they’d like to do this summer. They’re bound to have some fun ideas!
Get them to come up with the summeriest ideas they can think of and then pick the ones that will work for your budget, schedule, and energy levels.
Look for Summer Events
Most towns have a bunch of summer events for free or very cheap. Watch for plays in the park, craft days, baking days, and special events that are available in your area and plan your calendar around them.
Not sure where to look? Look on Facebook Events for ideas of what is coming up in your town. You can also check newspaper listings, company websites and the community’s main page. Some places will even include a small booklet or newspaper with ideas for what to do this summer.
Watch for Specials and Coupons
If there’s somewhere special you want to go, but it’s out of your price range, try checking the place’s website or FB page and keep an eye out for special offers. For example, our zoo frequently has discount days and our local children’s museum gives family specials a couple times a year.
Create Themed Days
A friend of mine has a neat idea, she assigns a theme to each day of the week and finds ways to make memories according to those themes. For example, Monday might be for crafts, Tuesday for animals, Friday for food, etc. You can pick any themes you like, but here are a few you might like:
- Art day
- Baking day
- Water day
- Helping day
- Reading day
- Field trip day
- Exploring day
- Hiking day
- Make believe or dress up day
- Build something day
You’re bound to come up with lots of fun ideas when you have themes like this!
Plan for the Holidays
The 4th of July is coming up fast and you’ll probably be celebrating that, but what about all the other holidays that fall during the holidays?
Check out Days of the Year to find something to celebrate pretty much every day! Today is Flip Flop Day and Smile Power Day, for example! You could challenge each other to smile at everyone you meet or decorate flip flops before heading to the beach.
Relive Your Childhood
What do you remember most from your own childhood? Why not turn those memories into fun activities for your kids to enjoy now?
If you had a blast building ramps for your bikes and sailing off them, why not try it with your own kids . . . with full protection, of course. Or you might want to roast hot dogs over an open fire or go swimming in a lake. Bring those memories back to life and make them happen with your own children.
Make Something
There are millions of ideas on Pinterest to get you started, but crafting and art is always a hit. Grab some masking tape and try some of these activities.
You might also want to try some of these fun science experiments or mix up some homemade playdough. Kids will also love it if you just fill a box with random supplies and let them make whatever they want. An invention box can be plenty of fun.
Do Something Crazy and Fun
Ice cream for breakfast? Filling buckets with bubbles? Have a pea pod fight? These are just a few crazy things that can end up being remembered for years to come.
Don’t automatically say no to everything. Consider saying yes sometimes. It will be a fun surprise for your kids, who expect you to say no!
Get a Pre-Made Summer Bucket List for Kids
Out of ideas? Here are a few more that we’ve come up with for you.
Don’t Forget the Photos
While you want to be present while you’re out having a blast with your kids, keep in mind that photos will help you remember this time of your life. Even better, print those photos out and put them on the fridge during the summer.
Just before school goes back, have a pajama party and create a scrapbook of your summer fun. It will be a great reminder of just what you can do with these warmer months.
What are your plans for this summer? Will you be making the most of it?
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