Summer Bucket List Ideas: 30 Fun Things to Do with Your Family
Summer is the time to make special memories and do fun activities with your family, whether it’s doing something at home or going on exciting adventures. It can also be a great time just to relax or enjoy the simple things in life as a family.
There’s no better time to make a summer bucket list of warm-weather activities that will bring you closer together. So, here’s the ultimate list of fun family activities you can do this year.
What Should I Put on My Summer Bucket List – 30 Fun Ideas?
Have a Big Backyard Cookout with Family and Friends
Nothing says summer fun with family and friends like a backyard cookout. If you have a pool in your backyard, that’s even better! People love coming together over good food and fellowship and having everyone bring a dish to make it less stressful for you.
Spend the Day at an Amusement Park
When the kids are out of school, head to the closest amusement park. There’s a ride for every member of the family, like roller coasters, water rides to beat the heat, swings, and much more.
Visit a Farmer’s Market
In the Spring and Summer, local farmer’s markets open up so you can buy locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. No more canned corn and green beans, at least for a while. Your family will love the flavor of the fresh stuff better.
Have a Lazy Day at the Local Pool
If you have a pool in your backyard, this is even better, but if not, a membership at the pool is totally worth it. Plus, it’s safer than leaving the kids at home with a pool and no supervision. Lifeguards are always on duty, and your kids can meet up with their friends for more fun while beating the heat.
Take a Vacation Somewhere the Family Has Never Been
You and your family may have a favorite vacation spot you visit every year, but why not try a new location? There are plenty of great places for summer vacations that you may not have thought of, such as:
- Yellowstone National Park
- San Diego, California
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Cannon Beach, Oregon
- Boston, Massachusetts
And many more places. If you only get one vacation a year, visit somewhere different every other year so you can still vacation at your favorite spot too.
Try a New Food
Even if you have a family of picky eaters, this can still work for you. Make it a challenge to see who can beat the others by being brave and trying a new dish. You don’t have to pick something crazy but expand your family’s culinary horizons.
Coordinate a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
Remember the scavenger hunts of your childhood? They’re still a great way to bring people together, whether that’s just your family in the backyard or a neighborhood scavenger hunt. There’s no better way to meet your neighbors, and you can even throw in a block party to make it epic.
Find a Local Farm Where You Can Pick Strawberries
Take a trip to a local strawberry farm to pick your own fresh berries. It’s a great way to teach the kids where their food comes from, and they’ll be excited that they took part in the food preparation.
Have Brunch with a Group of Friends
Sunday brunch is a great way to enjoy time with your friends. It allows you to sleep in and still spend time with some of your favorite people. A lazy Sunday brunch is the perfect way to get ready for the week ahead.
Swing on a Rope Swing Over Water
Remember how fun it was to swing over a river or lake on a rope swing? If you still live close to that location, that’s great, but if not, there are plenty of watering holes that have swings. Swinging out over the water is old-fashioned summer fun that you can introduce the kids to and bond with them.
Take Pictures of Local Attractions
Most of us take the local attractions for granted while tourists love them. Pretend to be a tourist and take pictures of the most popular local places people like to visit. It’s a great way to document them in case one day they’re gone.
Take a Road Trip Down Memory Lane and Visit Places from Your Childhood
Take the family on a trip down memory lane to the places of your childhood. You can make a vacation of it or just a day trip visiting the places you used to eat and play. The kids will love traveling back in time with you.
Go to the Local Fair
Summertime means fair time as counties all across America have a local fair that showcases animals that families raise and produce they grow. There are also other competitions for baking and other prepared foods. And don’t forget the rides that are a favorite part of the fair for kids everywhere.
Camp in the Backyard
If your family loves camping, then staying overnight in a tent in the backyard is a fun adventure for the whole family. It’s also the perfect way to get young children used to camping with the comforts of home if they’ve never stayed in a tent before.
Catch Fireflies While Backyard Camping
During your backyard camping trip, teach the little ones how to catch fireflies like you used to as a child. The pure joy of creating memories with the people you love makes the lazy days of summer a favorite time for families.
Go on a Family Hike
During the hottest days of the summer, a hiking trip in the woods is the perfect way to cool off while still getting exercise in. You can even make it a bigger adventure by making it a camping trip, whether that’s with family, friends, or both.
Go to an Outdoor Concert
Many cities and towns have outdoor concerts on certain nights or the weekend as a way to bring the community together. Often, it’s a mini-fair with food trucks or other food vendors so people can eat while they enjoy music played by local bands.
Spend the Day at a Water Park
There’s only one thing better than a day at the amusement park in the summer, and that’s a day at the water park. Spend the day on water rides and slides to cool down.
Declare an Internet and Phone-Free Weekend
Today we’re so attached to our electronics and the internet that it may be a nice break that helps the family bond over board games or a movie night. Even a 24-hour break can be refreshing.
Have a Bonfire
Many people grew up with bonfires on the beach or at home. Gather the neighbors around a community bonfire, so you get to know your neighbors and spend time with friends. Just make sure you check on the local regulations for open fires before you start one.
Attend a Summer Parade
Memorial Day and July 4th celebrations often include a parade with fire and rescue apparatus, tractors, other vehicles, people marching, and more. Make sure you take in a summer parade this year.
Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream Like Grandma Use To
Many people have never even had homemade ice cream, so they don’t know what they’re missing, but it’s a treat. Make ice cream the old-fashioned way as a family, just like your grandmother used to.
Slide Down a Slip N Slide
Remember the fun of sliding down a Slip N Slide in the backyard when you were younger? They’re still around in a variety of brands and even better than before with tunnels of water spray or even double slide lanes.
Go on a Long Bike Ride with the Family
There’s no better time than summer to go on bike rides as a family. Whether it’s just around the area where you live or taking bikes on your camping trip. It’s the perfect family bonding time and a great way to get in exercise with the whole family.
Build a Sandcastle
This idea sounds so simple, and that’s what makes it even better. Some people go their entire lives without ever building a sandcastle at the beach. So, next time you go, teach the kids how to build one.
Have a Picnic Outside
A good old-fashioned picnic is the perfect summer bucket list activity. Pack a picnic lunch and head out to the local park and take in some nature while you eat. You can even take your lunch outside at work to make your break more relaxing.
Play the Lava Game
This game is especially fun for young children. Pretend that the floor is lava and use cushions to stay off it.
Read a Book You’ve Wanted to Finish
This is another simple summer bucket list idea, but sometimes that’s all it takes. Spend a Saturday afternoon laying in a hammock reading that book you’ve wanted to finish but haven’t had enough time to.
Go to a Winery with Friends
Spend a Sunday or Saturday afternoon with friends at a wine tasting. Good food and good wine go together as long as you have a responsible driver.
Stargaze
When was the last time that you laid on a blanket in the backyard, looking up at the stars? Our lives are so busy, and technology has taken our attention away from the simple things in life. Spend some time with the whole family, trying to identify constellations and teaching the kids all about them.
There’s no better time than the summer to spend quality time with family and friends. These summer bucket list ideas are all fun activities that you can do with the people you love.
Sit down with your family or friends to create your bucket list for this summer and see how many you can check off. If you don’t get to all of them, add them to next year’s list.
There’s no better way to enjoy time with family and friends this summer.