Do you have a summer bucket list? If you have never created a bucket list, this summer list will be a great way to start and learn about brainstorming ideas to create a fun and memorable summer! We are big into experiences and activities and love doing and seeing it all. We create these lists so that we can stay focused on all the fun we want to have and not forget about some of the experiences that sounds interesting, or exciting, to us. Bucket lists are fun, bring intentional activities and lots of memory-making! Keep reading so that we can get your summer started off right!
Wondering why you should make a summer bucket list? Why not?! It is a great way to make the most of your time, cure boredom or wasted time and great for individuals, families or friend groups. Bucket lists are truly a great way to motivate you to accomplish more and see and do more. While living in Pennsylvania, my friends and I would brainstorm areas and attractions that we wanted to see. Once or twice a month we would get together and create a day trip out of those ideas. Some trips were a weekend’s worth of fun, while most were day trips that were within an hour or two of our homes. It was fun to see places we haven’t seen before that were so close to home. It always created lasting memories that I still hold near and dear to this day.
So how do you get started? Well first up a good brainstorming session will help immensely. Get a piece of paper and pen to start. You can either create categories and go from there, or just brainstorm everything you want to do and see. If you are planning with family or friends, let them in on this process to create a more memorable activity and get them invested in the activities and trips. I like to include categories for our family bucket lists. I use categories like restaurants to eat at, hikes to take, attractions to see, events to attend and trips to take. Think about what your family enjoys doing and start there. Make sure to include some rainy day activities to brighten up a boring summer day when it is storming. Also, not everything on your bucket list needs to cost money. Include activities like craft projects, nature walks trips to free events and places like the library, local parks, visiting family and more. The possibilities are endless!
Here are some ideas that I brainstormed to help you get started with your own list:
- Go on a picnic
- Try a new ice cream flavor
- Visit a local beach or lake
- Host a backyard movie night
- Make homemade lemonade
- Camp in the backyard
- Attend a summer festival
- Make homemade ice cream
- Read a book outside
- Make play doh or slime at home
- Bake cookies or a cake
- Go on a hike
- Eat at a restaurant you haven’t been to
- Eat dinner outside
- Visit a local farmer’s market
- Have a water balloon fight
- Visit an aquarium or museum (rainy day activity)
- Paint rocks and hide them throughout your neighborhood
- Take a spontaneous road trip
Okay, so now that you have a good list going it is time to put your ideas into action! Schedule a few of the activities ahead of time and space them out during the summer. Plan a trip to the beach or lake and some other activities that are specific to a date, like festivals or events. Space out these activities to allow for filling in the gaps with the less detailed fun like rock painting or baking. Remember to stay flexible because plans usually don’t work out like you hope they will. Another way to stay on track is to keep your bucket list somewhere visible. If you see it each day it will be a gentle reminder to keep working towards accomplishing all the items on your list. Remember to take lots of photos! Celebrating each task as it is completed is a great way to keep going. Use a cork board to display photos of your fun, or keep a journal where you can write about each activity. No matter how you choose to document your activity, you will have a physical memory of your summer fun to hold on to.
I hope this helped you to create your own bucket list! I encourage you to start today and make the most of your summer with your friends and family. Have some ideas of your own? Share them in the comments! As always, thank you for reading and joining us on this journey. We love learning and growing with you! Simply, Beth