70+ Ultimate Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids in 2023

Are you ready for summer? A great way to begin your summer break is with a summer bucket list to get you clear on what you want for your summer season! There are plenty of fun ideas and engaging activities that elementary kids and preschoolers can enjoy during the summer. No reason to sit around feeling bored during the summer months! 

Updated Summer 2023

 

Summer is the perfect time for relaxation and fun–it’s my favorite season and I look forward to it all year! I always want to enjoy it to the fullest and spend lots of quality time together as a family! The best way I’ve found to keep it the magic of summer from slipping by AND be joyful and intentional with our summer activities as a family is to write out a Summer Bucket List. 

Why Make a Summer Bucket List? 

Basically a bucket list is part to-do list and part fun brainstorming. Making a bucket list helps us be more intentional with our summer. When we plan for fun we actually do it! A summer bucket list helps keep boredom at bay. 

A summer bucket list can be a family group project that brings everyone together and on equal footing. Your kids may have some wonderful ideas for summer fun you wouldn’t think of doing–I know mine did!

Your summer bucket list can be full of simple moments like “climb a tree” or “make homemade lemonade“. There are plenty of free ideas that fit your budget and bank account. You can also add a few bigger moments like going to a water park or beach days. I would start small and know you can always add things to your list later! 

70+ Ultimate Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids

1. Go on a picnic
2. Camp under the stars
3. Lake Michigan beach day
4. Zoo trip
5. Let your kids photograph a day-in-the-life
6. Pick blueberries
7. See a parade
8. Run or walk a 5K together
9. Make homemade ice cream
10. Take family photos
11. Go to the 4-H Fair
12. Make a blanket fort
13. Explore a waterfall
14. Run a lemonade stand
15. Make s’mores 
16. Go to an art museum
17. Make root beer floats
18. Read 5 new books 
19. Join the summer library reading program
20. Have a paper airplanes race
21. Go to the dollar store and let each kid pick out one thing
22. Go for a hike at a state park
23. Write a poem
24. Go to a  local farmer’s market 
25. Bake a pie (Easy Dutch apple or peach blueberry are favs!) 
26. Go for a boat ride
27. Visit a local farm or petting zoo
28. Go on a scavenger nature walk
29. Create a backyard obstacle course
30. Make homemade popsicles
31. Build a sand castle at the beach or in the sandbox
32. Have an outdoor movie night under the stars
33. Go to a drive in movie theater
34. Plant a garden
35. Create or buy a nature journal
36. Visit a new playground
37. Write and illustrate a book
38. Pet a kitten
39. Climb a tree
40. Cloud watch
41. Go to an amusement park for a day (check for discounts on half days too!)
42. Have a themed dress up day (pirates, Disney characters, superheroes) 
43. Go to a minor league baseball game
44. Try paddleboarding
45. Find the closest National Park and go visit it! 
46. Learn a new outdoor game like capture the flag or kickball or badminton.
47. Organize backyard Olympics for the whole family
48. Make a pinecone + peanut butter bird feeder
49. Wash the car together
50. Lego-building competition – everything from tallest tower to making houses to creating characters and scenes! 
51. Make friendship bracelets or tie dye t-shirts with friends
52. Have a homemade ice cream party! Make it yourself and invite friends to enjoy. 
53. Sidewalk chart art competition
54. Attend an outdoor concert (lots of parks and fairs have them in the summer!) 
55. Family game night with a new board game (Preschool fav and Elementary fav)
56. Go on a mini road trip -Take a day trip to a nearby town or attraction that you haven’t visited before. Explore new places, visit landmarks, or try local cuisine.
57. Do a science experiment
58. Decorate bikes, strollers and scooters for a neighborhood bike parade. 
59. Host a water balloon fight with friends or family
60. Go on a bike ride
61. Ride a ferris wheel 
62. Try a new fresh fruit
63. Give everyone $2 dollars to spend and go to a yard sale
64. Catch fireflies
65. Stay up late roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories or asking would you rather questions.
66. Do a random act of kindness for a friend, teacher, church or community member
67. Go geocaching! 
68. Turn off TV and electronics for a full day (or week or month!) 
69. Kayak or float on a river
70. Let them “be bored” and see what happens! 

How Do You Make a Summer Bucket List for Kids? 

• Ask them what they want to do this summer.
• Ask what are they excited about? 
• Ask them what they loved doing last summer (if they can remember!)

You can write down their answers or have them draw their ideas if they aren’t reading and writing yet. 

Use my FREE Playful Mom’s Summer Guide to help you get started! I have lots of ideas for embracing play together this summer season including a FREE printable summer bucket list so you can brainstorm and create your own summer bucket list for your family!

Plus get my favorite playlists and trello boards for even more family fun! 

What is a Reverse Bucket List and Why It’s Genius. 

A reverse summer bucket list helps take the pressure off you, if a summer bucket list feels overbearing or you’re already low-key dreading “failing” by not checking everything off.

Simply add memorable and fun things you do to your Summer Bucket List AFTER you do them!

This how visiting a waterfall and making a blanket fort made its way onto our list! Yesterday the kids and I built a blanket fort (I needed to dry a large comforter so win-win). Then another time we spontaneously decided to check out a local park and it had a beautiful waterfall!  

I realized after-the-fact these were fun, memory-making activities we had already completed, so onto the list they went! 

Remember the list is there to serve YOU not the other way around!

RELATED: An Imperfect Summer

Remember, meaningful moments don’t create themselves. If you want joyful and  adventurous days this summer–not whiney, hectic, and bored days–it’s time to think about summer differently.

And a great place to start is with a summer bucket list that the whole family can get behind! Putting pen to paper can help you prioritize your time (there are only so many weekends in the season) and be intentional with creating memories all summer long. Don’t forget to grab your Playful Summer Guide with the FREE DOWNLOAD Summer Bucket List

This summer we have weddings, hikes, road trips, family lake vacations, live music, 4-H fairs and so many other fun activities on our list. We’ve also been intentional about NOT being involved in summer sports or theater.

Enjoy the summer and create wonderful memories with your little ones!

What is one thing on YOUR summer bucket list?