By: Britni Vigil
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Make this the best summer ever with these fun summer bucket list ideas. There are tons of fun ideas to add to your summer bucket list whether you just want to have a better time this summer or you want to keep kids entertained during the hot summer days!
What Is A Bucket List?
If you’ve never made a bucket list before, they’re so much fun!
A lot of people have bucket lists full of items they want to do sometime in their life. Maybe a travel bucket list of places they want to travel or a seasonal bucket list (like this Christmas bucket list) of things they want to do during a specific season. It’s basically a list of things you want to accomplish within a setamount of time.
While some people like to put together say a lifetime bucket list, I prefer to make bucket lists for short periods of time such as the summer.
With summer being such a short time, it’s a great way to really dive in and try to enjoy as many of these summer bucket list ideas as possible! It’s really the perfect time to make a bucket list!
And if you get through all of these, you can always move onto my fall bucket list!
120 Summer Bucket List Ideas
Everyone’s bucket list can be a little different, but these summer bucket list ideas should hopefully be enough to get you started with creating your own! There are tons of fun things to choose from!
I tried to make them generic enough that they were things everyone can do, not just people who live in Kansas City like we do. If you want to use the one I made, you can get a free printable summer bucket list at the bottom of this post!
This bucket list is full of fun summer activities you can do during the free time that summer brings! There are tons of creative ways to enjoy the extra time we have off including outdoor activities, rainy day activities, and more!
It’s also full of ideas that work for the entire family so that the whole family can have the best time together during summer break!
- Go on a bike ride
- Build a fort
- Do a cartwheel
- Roll down a hill. Even better if you do it with new friends!
- Bury your toes in the sand (preferably somewhere like Daytona Beach). If you can’t get to the actual sand, you could always make this beach cake too!
- Fly a kite
- Jump over the waves
- Build a sandcastle
- Go to a drive-in movie theater
- Eat a hot dogstraight from the grill
- Have a water fight
- Play one of theseoutdoor water games (best on a warm weather day) and all you need is water and water balloons!
- Have a watermelon seed spitting contest
- Have afamily board gametournament
- Go to a carnival
- Listen to an outdoor concert (there are normally tons of musical festivals during the summer)
- Go to a water park and try out a new water slide on a hot day
- Do a cannonball
- Play in the sprinklers
- Watch a fireworks show
- Sit in a hammock
- Buy something at a garage sale (aka a yard sale)
- Create your own lemonade stand (guests will love this strawberry lemonade).
- Eat a snow cone
- Go to some sort of festival
- Bake cookies and give them to someone else withthese treat tags
- Makeroot beer floats
- Watch amovie on the big screen or if your bank account allows, rent an inflatable movie screen!
- Go to a local farmer’s market (it’s a great time to try out some fresh fruit)
- Get a temporary tattoo
- Make homemade popsicles like theseocean blue oneswith gummy sharks inside
- Watch early morning cartoons
- Snuggle in bed during a summer thunderstorm
- Have anindoor campout or if the weather cooperates, go camping and play these camping games
- Get books to read at the local library. You could even do a book club!
- Play kickball
- Swim in a lake
- Makehomemade pizza
- Catch fireflies
- Watch a sunset
- Go on a picnic and apicnic scavenger hunt
- Go on a road trip (and take these roadtrip games with you!)
- Build a sand castle or an entire city of sand castles
- Learn something new
- Make something explode
- Go toan amusem*nt park
- Dance it out
- Eat a funnel cake
- Volunteer somewhere like a local charity or do random acts of kindness at home
- Paint something
- Make one of theseeasy summer crafts – there are tons of summer craft projects to choose from!
- Jump in puddles
- Make andplay a backyard game
- Eat breakfast for dinner. These egg muffins with a hash brown crust are a family favorite!
- Go on a staycation
- Collect seashells
- Go ice blocking
- Stay up past midnight
- Pick berries (then use them for this strawberry poke cake!)
- Eat ice cream before it melts
- Makes’mores or s’mores bars if you don’t have access to a fire. Don’t forget the graham crackers!
- Have awater balloon fight
- Play beach ball volleyball
- Plantflowers
- Get a mosquito bite
- Eat corn on the cob
- Travel somewhere you’ve never been
- Go to a local museum
- Find a dinosaur (maybe on this dinosaur hunt)
- Spend a day barefoot
- Lay on grass and look at the stars
- Drinkice cold lemonade
- Have a family slumber party (this is one of my favorite things)
- Swing on the swings
- Go to a baseball game
- Send a postcard
- Go to a fair
- Go to summer camp or go camping (and play these camping games)
- Hike a mountain, even better if it’s a new trail
- Run a race
- Take a picture by a colored wall
- Makehomemade ice cream
- Relax in a lazy river
- Ride a roller coaster
- Order pizza at the pool (or make a summer charcuterie board, still at the pool)
- Buy a new pair of sandals (these Sanuks are my favorite)
- Go fishing
- Play frisbee
- Drink atropical drink
- Go to a splash pad
- Sleep in
- Find a sunflower
- Float in a pool (then play one of these fun pool games)
- Wave a flag
- Try 12 flavors of ice cream (this sweet and salty ice cream is one of our favorites)
- Have a backyard BBQ
- Go see a show (any of these Disney movies coming out this summer would be perfect). Or you could even do a movie marathon at home or an outdoor movie night!
- Find a double rainbow
- Play until the daylight is gone
- Play hopscotch outside
- Celebrate Christmas in July (I recommend these Christmas games!)
- Make something tie-dye
- Eat fresh pineapple (or turn it into pineapple bread)
- Read a book by the pool, even if it’s just an inflatable pool in your backyard
- Do a service project or random acts of kindness
- Send letters to friends
- Go geocaching
- Blow bubbles
- Explore the great outdoors
- Make paper airplanes and have a flying competition
- Create a time capsule
- Create pictures out of sidewalk chalk
- Try new foods to see which one’s the best
- Paint a rock collection
- Go to a science center or just do a science experiment at home
- Eat something from a food truck (I love food trucks!)
- Go to a zoo or wildlife sanctuary to see animals you’ve never seen before
- Pick out new places to try each week (so skip the nearby park and try out a new one instead)
- Visit a National or State Park
- Stay up late playing night games like Ghosts in the Graveyard or Flashlight Tag
How to Make Your Own Summer Bucket List
The best part about a bucket list is that it should be all your own. I’ve given you 100+ ideas of things to do this summer. This is the perfect opportunity pick and choose fromthis list of summer bucket list ideasand create one that’s perfect for your own family!
And unlike my list, feel free to get specific. If there’s a place you want to eat, add that specific restaurant to your list. If there’s a mini golf course (or three) nearby you want to try, add it! Want to make paper airplanes and setup a paper airplane course in your backyard, add it!
There’s a blank printable included in the PDF below that you can use to create your own summer bucket list!
Summer Bucket List FAQs
What should I put on my summer bucket list?
Fill your summer bucket list with fun activities and ideas that you and your family personally want to do. Add things you can only do during the summer like going to a waterpark and things that are better in the summer because of the water like sleeping under the stars in a sleeping bag.
Or just add things to the list that you want to do while you have some free time like a treasure hunt, making an obstacle course, and going for a boat ride!
How many things should I put on my bucket list?
The number of items that goes on your bucket list is up to you, who is doing the bucket list with you, how long you have to do the things on your bucket list, and how long each of the items on your bucket list takes. Reading a new book or going on a day trip for instance take more time than riding a ferris wheel or visiting local parks.
For a summer bucket list where you only have a couple of months to complete it, I recommend a list of around 25 items. This is about two a week assuming you’re working on your bucket list for all of June, July, and August.
More Fun Summer Ideas
If you need some more fun things to do this summer, try out these fun activities!
- Summer bingo – free printable summer themed bingo game, great for any summer party!
- Outdoor games – the best collection of backyard games, yard games, and outdoor games!
- Summer party ideas – tons of great ideas to beat the heat while entertaining this summer!
- Summer chore chart – printable chore charts for the summer that includes chores and reward ideas!
- Games with balls – fun games to play with balls, perfect for outdoor fun this summer!
Get the Free Summer Bucket List Printable
Enter your first name and email address below to get the free printable.
You’ll receive a copy to your email shortly after that includes a 4-page PDF:
- The regular summer bucket list
- A summer bucket list of things to do at home
- Two blank summer bucket lists
If you can’t see the form below, click here to get to the form to enter your info.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a vast amount of information on various topics, including the concepts mentioned in this article. I can provide information and insights on bucket lists, summer activities, and creating your own summer bucket list. Let's dive into each concept:
Bucket Lists:
A bucket list is a list of activities, experiences, or goals that a person wants to accomplish within a specific timeframe, such as a lifetime or a shorter period like a season or summer. It is a way for individuals to set personal aspirations and make the most of their time by pursuing meaningful and enjoyable experiences. Bucket lists can include a wide range of activities, such as travel destinations, personal achievements, adventures, hobbies, or even simple pleasures.
Summer Activities:
Summer is a season that offers a variety of outdoor and indoor activities. It's a time when people often have more free time and can engage in different experiences. Some popular summer activities include:
-
Outdoor Activities:
- Going on bike rides.
- Building forts.
- Doing cartwheels.
- Rolling down hills.
- Burying toes in the sand.
- Flying kites.
- Jumping over waves.
- Building sandcastles.
- Going to drive-in movie theaters.
- Having water fights.
- Participating in outdoor water games.
- Having watermelon seed spitting contests.
- Playing family board games.
- Going to carnivals.
- Listening to outdoor concerts.
- Going to water parks and trying out water slides.
- Playing in sprinklers.
- Watching fireworks shows.
- Sitting in hammocks.
- Going to local farmer's markets.
- Making homemade popsicles.
- Swimming in lakes.
- Playing kickball.
- Going on picnics.
- Going on road trips.
- Hiking mountains.
- Running races.
- Going fishing.
- Playing frisbee.
- Going to splash pads.
- Trying new foods.
- Going to zoos or wildlife sanctuaries.
- Going to science centers.
- Going to amusem*nt parks.
- Riding roller coasters.
- Going to fairs.
- Going to summer camps.
-
Indoor Activities:
- Watching movies on the big screen or renting an inflatable movie screen.
- Having indoor campouts.
- Reading books.
- Playing indoor games.
- Making crafts.
- Doing science experiments.
- Having family slumber parties.
- Going to local museums.
- Going to libraries.
- Doing service projects or random acts of kindness.
- Painting or drawing.
- Making tie-dye creations.
- Playing board games.
- Making homemade ice cream.
- Relaxing in lazy rivers.
- Having backyard BBQs.
- Going to shows or movie marathons.
- Doing Christmas in July celebrations.
- Making and flying paper airplanes.
- Creating time capsules.
- Making rock collections.
- Trying new foods.
- Going to food trucks.
- Going to science centers.
- Sending letters to friends.
- Going geocaching.
- Blowing bubbles.
- Exploring the great outdoors.
- Making paper airplanes.
- Trying new foods.
- Going to food trucks.
- Going to science centers.
- Sending letters to friends.
- Going geocaching.
- Blowing bubbles.
- Exploring the great outdoors.
Creating Your Own Summer Bucket List:
Creating your own summer bucket list allows you to personalize the activities and experiences you want to have during the summer. Here are some tips for creating your own summer bucket list:
-
Reflect on your interests and goals: Consider the activities you enjoy, places you want to visit, skills you want to learn, or personal achievements you want to accomplish during the summer.
-
Be specific: Add specific activities, destinations, or experiences to your list. For example, if there's a particular restaurant you want to try or a mini-golf course you want to visit, include them on your list.
-
Consider time and resources: Take into account the time you have available and the resources needed for each activity. Ensure that your list is realistic and achievable within the summer timeframe.
-
Mix it up: Include a variety of activities to cater to different interests and preferences. Consider outdoor and indoor activities, physical and creative pursuits, and activities that can be done alone or with others.
-
Prioritize and organize: Arrange your list based on priority or categorize activities by theme or location. This can help you plan and track your progress throughout the summer.
Remember, the purpose of a summer bucket list is to have fun, create memorable experiences, and make the most of the summer season. Enjoy the process of creating your own list and have a fantastic summer!
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
