Creating a Summer Bucket List (with free printable)

One moment you are driving home blaring Alice Cooper’s Schools Out for Summer and firing up the grill to celebrate. It feels like the lazy days of summer will never end. Then the next moment you walk through Target and see them lining up the school supplies and you realize that vacation came and went in the blink of an eye.

It happens every year. We think we have a lot of time and it just goes by so fast. By creating a summer bucket list, it helps you to remain intentional with your time together as a family. So call a family meeting and have everyone write down something they really want to do this summer. Pin it up on the fridge and check them off as the days go by.

Creating a Summer Bucket List

My kids love this activity. In fact, we do it each season. I will list our summer bucket list below to give you some ideas. You can also easily download and print it here. Canva is a free, fun and addicting software that allows you to easily design fun lists like this. Feel free to use ours or make your own.

Of course, during the pandemic days, things are going to look a little different. We are opting for staycations. Part of me misses adventure, while another part of me is enjoying the white space in the calendar. We are being present with our kids and finding adventure in our own backyard.

If you are still nervous about traveling, there are precautions you can take to ensure the safety of your family. Take road trips over flying. Stay in an Airbnb instead of a hotel. If you go out, have kids use the potty before leaving to cut down on using public bathrooms. Bring your own snacks and drinks. Always carry hand sanitizer.

Here is our family summer bucket list:

Click here for a PDF printable

Here is the list written out:

Camp out in the backyard & tell ghost stories
Go to the drive-in
Have a beach day
Go out for ice cream cones
Go searching for a geocache
Have a campfire and roast s’mores
Plant a vegetable garden
Find a bike trail and go on an adventure
Run through a sprinkler
Pop popcorn and have a family movie night
Make tie-dye tee shirts
Set up an obstacle course
Pick wildflowers
Build a tree fort
Have a car wash
Have a water balloon fight
Go canoeing or kayaking
Set up a slip and slide
Play capture the flag
Lay in a field and name the shapes of the clouds

I hope this summer bucket list gives you some good ideas about what to do this vacation, even though a lot of us will be spending most of our time at home. No matter where you are, you can find adventure if you just look.