It is officially Summer Vacation over in our household! That of course means we need to make our summer bucket list for kids to complete before the summer is over!
We already do the 1,000 hours outside challenge and are almost done with our first year and first 1,000 hours! I would highly recommend trying it out yourself because it has been remarkably beneficial for our family in more ways than one.
After sitting down and thinking about everything I wanted to do with my kids this summer (from a parent perspective) and then asking my kids what they had hoped to do this summer we came up with a great big summer bucket list. With the goal being to have completed it all by the time their new little sister arrives at the end of summer!
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Summer Bucket List for Kids
Blow Bubbles
This sounds easy enough but my children want to take it to the next level. Not only do they want to just blow bubbles (from either the wands or bubble machines we have). They want to blow those GIANT bubbles! I still need to figure out exactly how to do this, I’ve heard good things about kits you can buy, but I’m trying to find a fun DIY way we can do it to make it a fun learning experience too! (P.S. These bubble wands are priced very well! I used them for our Preschool Party at the end of the year!).
Play With Water Balloons
This one I will splurge for and buy one of those super fast filling water balloon kits like this.
Go to a Beach or Lake (or Both)
It will be fun to build sand castles on the beach with the kids!
Go Swimming
This is pretty much a must-do activity every summer!
Slip & Slide
This is something I used to do as a kid, so of course I wanted my kids to have memories doing this as well! You can go old school and just use GIANT pieces of plastic, some soap and a water hose. Or, you can buy one of the already set up Slip & Slides like this.
Play With Ice Cubes
There is so much fun to be had with ice cubes in the summer! Last year we did color mixing with Ice cubes and this year we want to try to paint with ice cubes. It will be the same kind of set up just this time we will try to paint with them as they melt!
Homemade Popsicles
It is always fun to create new flavors when you make your own popsicles!
Paint Rocks
Super easy, super fun and super cheap activity to do with your kids. You can make it a fun scavenger hunt for the perfect rocks to paint. Then just use paint you would use for other crafts (we use this one) and go to town!
Puffy Paint a Shirt
Did you ever do this as a kid? I know we did growing up and it was always fun! All you need is some Puffy Paint and a shirt!
Plant a Garden
If you’ve been around for a bit you know that I personally LOVE to garden and have a fairly large raised bed garden with DIY trellis’s and everything. I usually let the kids pick a few plants that are “theirs” and put them in the beds, the kids get excited, grab their garden gloves and run to their plants to see if anything it ready to be harvested. However, we have also done an in home garden kit like this and like this before.
Build A Bird Feeder
I did an entire post about an easy and inexpensive way to build a bird feeder here!
Explore with a Magnifying Glass
Go walk around outside with your kids and have an “explorer” Day. You can explore with a magnifying glass and even use a bug catcher to get up close and look at nature!
Have a Picnic
This is such a fun activity to do with your kids, even if it’s in your own backyard! Just pack a Picnic lunch, bring a blanket, and have a fun picnic with your kids!
Seasonal Berry Picking
Head on out to a local farm and pick a bushel of seasonal berries! Or if you have your own little patch like we do, head on out there have fun picking berries!
Go on a Hike
Go to a local park (or state park) and find a trail to Hike. If you don’t have any close by you can always go explore around your house as well!
Go Fishing
Grab a little kid fishing rod and go fishing! Or, you can grab a net and swipe up some minnows or tadpoles instead!
Go Camping
This is one we are really looking forward to this summer! If you don’t have a camper you can always just set up a small tent in your own backyard! Another great variation would be to build a “fort” in your living room and camp out there!
Bonfire & S’Mores
Have a bonfire and make S’Mores with your kids for a fun summer evening activity!
Ride a Bike
Go on a bike ride with your kids, or have them burn off some energy by going for a bike ride up and down your driveway!
Obstacle Course
You can set up your own obstacle course for your kids to complete! Make it a fun event. We use these balancing stones as well as this and this to make ours. You can also use a pre-made Ninja course or simply stuff from around your home!
Fly Kites
Fly a kite in your yard with your kids!
Roller Skate
Roller Skate with your kids, if you don’t have skates maybe try a scooter!
Homemade Lemonade
Make your own lemonade with your kids! just grab some water, sugar, and lemons! The kids will have fun juicing the lemons and also get to enjoy a tasty drink!
Play with Sidewalk Chalk
You can even make your own sidewalk chalk if you wanted to! I will have a post about how to do that soon!
Hopscotch, Jump Rope Or Hula Hoop
This is a favorite for my daughter, she loves all three of these! Plus they are staple summer kids activities to have on a summer bucket list for kids!
Play at a Park
Have fun and go Play at a Park!
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