70+ Summer Bucket List Ideas For Families In 2022
Looking for some fun adventures to take this summer with your kids? Then you definitely need to consider making a fun-filled summer bucket list!
What all could you add to it? I’m glad you asked!
From indoor activities, outdoor fun, crafts, and fun family trips to take, you’ll want to check out these 70+ summer bucket list ideas for your family this summer, plus grab your free printable summer bucket list. 🙂
70+ Summer Bucket List Ideas For Family In 2022
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Summer is here and that means… lots of extra time to go out and explore with your kids! It’s the perfect opportunity to get outside, explore, and maybe even learn something new.
Not going to lie, summer has always been somewhat of a stressor for me. My husband works later during the summer months and the days can be long.
But once my daughter and I started finding fun, unique things to do, we make a bucket list and enjoy these summer days out, and some in!!
It’s definitely okay to have some laid-back days, and there are tons of ideas for that as well as outside activities, fun trips, crafts, games, and so much more.
You don’t have to overfill your schedule this summer, and this list isn’t meant to overwhelm you.
But rather, I want these summer bucket list ideas to help inspire you to kick boredom to the curb and spend time together as a family before fall comes around and schedules get more full. 🙂
Check out this awesome summer bucket list and fill your summer with family fun PLUS a free printable bucket list!!
Summer Bucket List Ideas For Family:
Here is an awesome summer bucket list for you to grab ideas from and add to your summer schedules.
There are outside activities, indoor activities, and other great ideas such as family trips and getting out in your community.
Enjoy! 🙂
Outdoor Activities
- Plant a garden
- Nature scavenger hunt
- Eat popsicles or make them yourself
- Go to the park
- Build a swing set/playground
- Gather sticks
- Do an evening bonfire
- Cook dinner outside
- Eat dinner outside
- Camp out in the backyard
- Catch fireflies – love these jars here!
- Build a bird feeder
- Go fishing
- Go out on the lake
- Blow bubbles outside
- Make mud pies
- Start a rock collection with kids
- Make tie-dye t-shirts
- Finger paint outside
- Watch a movie with an outdoor projector – you can stream straight from your phone with this one!
- Watch the sunset
- Climb a tree
- Swim at your local community pool
- Get or jump on the trampoline
- Go putt putt or go karting
- Water balloon fights
- Magnetic tiles on the garage door – YES it works!!! See HERE.
- Make homemade ice cream
- Make fresh lemonade
- Go get a snowcone
- Sidewalk chalk – get a big pack, because they go quick haha!
- Teach your kids to ride a bike or scooter
- Learn how to fly kites
- Fill up a baby pool with water
- Water tables – great for toddlers!
- Run through the sprinkler in your yard
Inside Activities For Summer
Some days (depending on where you live) it can just be too hot out go outside, so it’s nice to have a good selection of INSIDE summer ideas to do.
Or if you have a very fair-skinned, red-headed gal like I do, sunscreen doesn’t always do its job the best – even when re-applied 48 times. 🙂
Here are some fun inside summer bucket list ideas to do when you don’t want to be outside…
- Bible crafts – check out over 50 easy Bible crafts for kids here!
- Begin a morning basket daily
- Start a new family devotional
- Make a fort in the living room – we love our fort builder here, and this one too!
- Do summer-themed crafts
- Magnetic tiles
- Order 3 month supply of kids’ subscription boxes
- Read books
- Make a DIY sensory bin
- Wipe clean activities – we love this wipe-clean book here, and are great for keeping up with learning during the summer
- Movie and popcorn
- Play with slime
- Playdough – Grab some from Amazon or make your own homemade playdough
- Kinetic sand – seriously LOVE this stuff and so easy to clean up after
- Watch a movie with the projector inside
- Create a time capsule for your kids
- Family board game night
- Screen-free activities
- Stay in your PJs all day long
- Nighttime bowling
- Read books about bugs
- Go see a movie during the day
- Complete a puzzle as a family – we love doing puzzles together!
- Read Bible verses about summer
Other Summer Bucket List Ideas
Here are a ton of other fun summer bucket list ideas to do as a family, including fun trips out, with some that cost money and others that do not.
Check them out here…
- Start a summer bible reading plan
- Take family photos
- Go to the zoo
- Go to the aquarium
- Take a family trip to the beach
- Do random acts of kindness
- Read through a family devotional
- Great Wolf Lodge or any waterpark
- Go to your closest science center
- Visit an amusement park
- Cabin weekend away
- Go to your local county or state fair
- Go on a road trip
- Visit national state parks – this book has all the major state parks and would be awesome to add to your LIFE bucket list, rather than just summer!
- Visit your local farmer’s market
- Go to the library – if you haven’t yet, get a library card!
- Make dinner or dessert for a neighbor/friend/family member
- Join a summer Bible study or mom’s group
Top 7 Summer Bucket List MUSTS
Here are our top 10 summer bucket list ideas that we usually partake in every summer. And a couple that we want to do in the future!
1. Local Farmer’s market
This is something we do every summer! It’s so close to our house, and even when we lived further we would drive most Saturdays and Wednesday nights.
They served fresh food for dinner/breakfast and we got a lot of our produce there that we couldn’t get from our own garden.
Definitely try and find a farmers market near you – it’s a fun experience for kids, and helps support your local farmers!
2. Exploring State Parks
This is something more recent to our summer bucket list, so the only one we have seen is the Great Smokies.
This book has been super inspiring though in not only learning about the different parks but planning to visit them!
This could make for a fun family trip every summer, and visit a different park each time.
What a great way to make memories and have something kids can look forward to every year!
3. Magnetic tiles anywhere!
We love love LOVE magnetic tiles! We found out about these 2 years ago, and I seriously don’t know how we went so long without them.
They really help your kids explore their imagination, develop fine motor skills, and help promote independent play.
Although, my husband and I love building with her because they are too fun!
And, side tip… they work on garage doors too!!
4. DIY Sensory bins or kinetic sand
We really enjoy sensory bins, and they are great for toddlers and preschoolers!!
They are so beneficial, and definitely help with independent play and exploring! The best part is, you can make your own at home for super cheap.
Here are some fun Bible-themed DIY sensory bins you can try yourself, and here’s a step-by-step tutorial for our fruit of the spirit sensory bin we made this spring!
There are also some pre-made ones at Michaels that we have used and really been pleased with.
Kinetic sand is also great, and not only can you use it on its own but fill sensory bins with it.
Just add some sand, small toys, little plastic scoopers or spoons, and ta-da! That’s all you need. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, your kids will love it!
5. Read devotionals together
Starting a family devotional book together can not only bring you closer together as a family but also encourage your kids to grow in love for the Lord.
Here are some of our favorite devotionals we have been enjoying lately:
- Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God
- Who Is Jesus? Forty Pictures to Share with Your Family – check out our review here!
- The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers – This is great for 3-6 year olds, and we have read it cover to cover. Love it!!
We also love reading through these different, beautiful Bible verses about summer!
6. Visit an Aquarium or Zoo
Going to the zoo or an aquarium in the summer is definitely a must!
If you live close to one, it may be worth checking about year-long passes. We still go even in December to the zoo, if the weather is nice one day.
This would even make a fun overnight trip if you don’t have an aquarium or zoo close to you!
7. Build a garden with your kids
Building a garden is definitely a must add to your bucket list!
It’s so much fun planting with your kids, watering it and taking care of it, and seeing the fruit of your labor.
It’s also a beautiful way to teach your kids about God and show them that when we take the time to invest in our relationship with Him, He grows us too! It ties into the fruit of the spirit really well. 🙂
Maybe you don’t have the yard space or are in an apartment, you can always try a small indoor garden!
8. Painting outside
Painting outside is great because you can be messy without worrying about too much cleaning up inside!
Grab some washable paint, a small easel, or a roll of paper, and let your kids go crazy. 🙂
9. Go to our state fair
Do you have a county or state fair you can attend? They are so much fun and something we look forward to every year!
We definitely have to save up a little in advance because fair food can be expensive, but it’s not really about the money or what we buy… it’s the experience and traditions we do that our daughter loves.
It’s always been a fun family thing we do! They usually have some sort of plant or animal exhibit, which kids love.
10. Scavenger hunts
We really like these scavenger hunts here! There are options for everything including the zoo, beach, nature, etc.
It’s a fun and simple way to get outside, and there’s even an indoor scavenger hunt for hot days or rainy days!
Free Printable Summer Bucket List
Make sure to download your free bucket list! No sign-up required.
Use this as a guide, or laminate it (we love this pink laminator here), hang it on the fridge and check them off as you complete them. 🙂
Download Your Free Printable Summer Bucket List HERE.
Do you want access to MORE awesome, biblical, FREE printables like this one? Get exclusive access to my free printables resource library here!!!
Summer Bucket List Ideas
I hope this fun list of summer ideas will inspire you to step out of the box and have some fun this summer with your kids!
Which will you be adding to your summer bucket list? Let me know below!
