Summer Bucket List

We’ve all heard the crippling saying: “You only have 18 summers with your children, make them count…”

This phrase triggers me in more than one way, but I’ll spare you my parenting advice here and get to my point.

Make each summer count! Sure, many parents work during the summers and can’t take off entire weeks to fulfill their child’s wildest summer dreams, but that doesn’t mean a bucket list isn’t completely out of the question either. You can use Fridays as Bucket List days, or Sundays… whatever day of the week works best for your family.

And here’s the best part: a summer bucket list doesn’t have to be expensive! The Dollar Store, Amazon and Five Below have a lot of summer bucket list essentials… even Walmart and Target.

If this idea sounds good to you, here are some Summer Bucket List ideas from my family to yours.

1. Visit Local Parks: In our area we have 20 Metro Parks. They are free and so fun to explore. If you have a nature lover like I do, take a small notepad so they can record what they see.
2. Scavenger Hunt: Not a new idea, but always fun to do. You can make it nature like or a simple walk through the neighborhood… be sure to have little prizes for winners.
3. Go Find It Game: I found this on Amazon and it’s so cheap and clever! The kids love playing this one.
4. Sidewalk Chalk Competitions: Our babysitter is really great at this one with our kids. Ask the kids to draw their favorite animal or sun and rainbow, have candy for winners or popsicles.
5. Popsicles: speaking of popsicles, kids can make their own (even healthy ones) with this mold found on Amazon.
6. Bubbles and water balloons for the win! Need I say more?
7. Kids Dinner Night: ask the kids to search Pinterest or go to a library and check out a kid friendly cookbook and give them the task of making the family dinner. Heck, they might even appreciate your hard work in the kitchen more, lol
8. Family Movie Night: Maybe after dinner, hand out popcorn and movie tickets and enjoy a movie together. Bonus: you can keep track of good deeds or chores the children complete during the week to earn those tickets
9. Plant a garden: You can find seeds even at the Dollar Store and watch your garden grow this summer
10. Take a photo a day: At least one, and keep them in a special album. Don’t forget to get them printed! You can do this very affordably at CVS or Walgreens. Write a short little caption about the day next to the photo and the kids will have something to look back on for years to come.

Be sure to ask your family what they’d like to include in their summer bucket list. Maybe even have one BIG outing at the end of the summer like Legoland, the zoo or a mini road trip.

Here’s to Summer Sunshine and making new memories that last!