Summer Bucket List Ideas for Busy Kids

Try these Summer Bucket List Ideas for your activities each week this summer break and stop the guess work. Summer can be a hectic time with lots of little people at home and a mom or dad that still need to get stuff done!

When the kids drop an “I'm bored!” – send them to the Summer Bucket List!

There are 100+ kid friendly activity ideas to keep them busy all summer long. Most they can do on their own and some you'll want to try together. But if you stock up on a few supplies early on and you'll be able to let the kids go wild with creativity while maintaining a little more of your sanity.

Working through the summer? No worries, this list is perfect for the nanny too! Have the kids go through and pick their favorite ideas and plan out your whole summer in a flash. But don't feel pressured to check everything off the list. 100+ ideas are great to have but can be a little overwhelming. 

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Outdoor Summer Activities – That Take ZERO Prep

Tap into the power of nature to entertain this summer! Spend the day outside, exploring, hiking, and cloud watching. These zero prep, no supply activities are ones that fill in the gaps. Activities that can be done almost anytime, anywhere.

• 1- Watch the Sunrise
• 2- Go on a hike
• 3- Collect rocks
• 4- Find butterflies
• 5- Pick wildflowers
• 6- Play in sprinklers
• 7- Go on a swing
• 8- Pick strawberries
• 9- Go swimming in a river, lake, or backyard pool
• 10- Stargaze
• 11- Watch the sunset
• 12- Dance in the rain
• 13- Find shapes in clouds
• 14- Attend a family reunion
• 15- Visit a farm
• 16- Play at a splash pad
• 17- Do a service project like pulling weeds, mowing lawns, or collecting items for donation – Like these Pantry Packs for local schools
• 18- Watch fireworks
• 19- Go to the library – find books, attend a story hour, or craft class
• 20- Attend a parade
• 21- Visit a farmer's market
• 22- Go camping

Outdoor Summer Bucket List Ideas – That Need Some Supplies/Equipment

Want to be outside in a more structured way? Pick up a few items like kites, bikes, and sand toys and you've got yourself a afternoon full of fun! None of these activities require too much prep and all are kid approved for a great time.

• 23- Fly kites
• 24- Ride bikes
• 25- Water balloon fight
• 26- Pack a picnic
• 27- Grow an herb garden
• 28- Make a slip-n-slide
• 29- Have a campfire
• 30- Plant some flowers
• 31- Make a sandcastle – build a sand pit or head to the beach
• 32- Blow giant bubbles
• 33- Nature scavenger hunt
• 34- Play frisbee
• 35- Go ice blocking
• 36- Have a BBQ
• 37- Take a boat ride
• 38- Feed the ducks: old bread, or bird food pellets
• 39- Outdoor movie in the park – some cities have free showings, or play your own in the backyard
• 40- Explode a watermelon: watermelon, large rubber bands
• 41- Make a fairy garden
• 42- Create sidewalk chalk art and leave encouraging notes in the neighborhood
• 43- Squirt gun watercolor painting: squirt guns, blank canvases, liquid watercolor paint
• 44- Water fight with sponge water bombs: sponges, rubber bands, water

Indoor Summer Activities You Can Do With Stuff at Home

If the weather is rainy, or too hot to be outside, try some of these creative activities while indoors. Movies are great but let's stretch the imagination and try to bring a story to life with a blanket fort, pillow fight, and puppet show in the living room.

• 45- Race paper airplanes
• 46- Play flashlight tag
• 47- Build a blanket fort
• 48- Make mud pies
• 49- Start a pillow fight
• 50- Crank up the tunes and have a dance party
• 51- Have a read-a-thon
• 52- Go to a builder workshop
• 53- Random acts of kindness
• 54- Start a blessings jar

Summer Bucket List Activities With Minimal Supplies

These craft ideas require some supplies and a little oversight but an older sibling could totally lead the charge. Click through the links to get the instructions and supply list for some of our favorite activities.

• 55- Make galaxy slime
• 56- Tie dye a t-shirt, socks, a dress, or blanket
• 57- Make origami
• 58- Do candy science – check out these edible science projects or try candy color art
• 59- Make friendship bracelets
• 60- Make bird feeders
• 61- Make sharpie “fireworks” t-shirts
• 62- Complete a puzzle – we just finished this 500 piece Old Fashioned Store puzzle, and I also LOVE this 500 piece Eco System puzzle – great for learning earth science!
• 63- Make bath bombs
• 64- Host a puppet show
• 65- Have a jump rope contest
• 66- Virtually visit a new country
• 67- Have a family game night
• 68- Create a time capsule
• 69- Dress up and have a photoshoot
• 70- Host a cupcake war

Summer Food Activity List Ideas

I think summer foods just might be my favorite thing! So here's a list of some of the foods most fun to make and eat.

• 71- Eat corn on the cob – try this Mexican Street Corn recipe
• 72- Brew your own root beer
• 73- Make ice cream in a can
• 74- Roast s'mores
• 75- Make snow cones
• 76- Create fruit sushi
• 77- Try making Boba smoothies at home
• 78- Freeze your own popsicles, try different flavors like pineapple, watermelon, coconut, and white grape with dinosaurs
• 79- Make dinner together – assign each family member {or teams} a recipe
• 80- Eat watermelon
• 81- Make bug snacks – or try this ladybug veggie tray, or explore a bunch of nature themed snacks
• 82- Roll some sushi at home
• 83- Have breakfast for dinner – like these:
  • Simple but delicious crepes, even crepes without eggs
  • Strawberry banana smoothie
• 84- Make homemade pizza
• 85- Bake cookies and gift a batch to an elderly neighbor
• 86- Try some ice cream spaghetti
• 87- Make a pie from scratch – or buy the crust and cheat a bit, you can make my Pumpkin pasties recipe to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday on July 31st.
• 88- Eat dessert first – our favorites include:
  • Oreo Truffle Pops
  • Peach Sugar Cookie Tarts
  • Chocolate avocado pudding
  • No-Fry Fried Ice Cream
  • Chocolate baked donuts
  • Healthy Snickers Bars
  • Apple Donuts
• 89- Try a new food – check out the ethnic restaurants in the area, pick up a new fruit or vegetable at the store, or make a new recipe
• 90- Roast hot dogs on a fire
• 91- Make fresh squeezed lemonade

Summer Bucket List Activities for Kids – With An Entrance Fee

While most of the activities on this list are low cost and highly entertaining, this next list comes with an admission fee. These are often best for weekend trips for the whole family. that'll last for a good chunk of the day

• 92- Go bowling
• 93- Ride a ferris wheel
• 94- See a National Park
• 95- Go to the Zoo, Aquarium, or Planetarium
• 96- Try an outdoor concert – there are free options too
• 97- Visit a trampoline park
• 98- Ride a roller coaster
• 99- See a pro baseball game
• 100- Go miniature golfing
• 101- Check out a local historical site – many are free, some have a fee
• 102- Swimming at a local pool

Print the Summer Bucket List

If you're ready, you can download the Summer Bucket List in our Printable Download Library and start planning an epic summer your family is sure to remember! Just fill out the quick form to get the link and super secret password to the library!

Then get your dates on a giant summer calendar like this one. Once it's scheduled it's much more likely to actually happen.

If you try any of these summer activities I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. And if you share photos, I want to see it too! Please tag us @partieswithacause on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. We love celebrating all your hard work! 

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