140 Fun Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids
Discover 140 fun summer bucket list ideas for kids and cure summer boredom forever.
Remember summers as a kid? Roaming around the neighborhood, playing with the kids on your street. Finding treasure under bushes, going on a bicycle adventure. Running into the house to ask your parents for change as soon as you hear the melody of the ice cream truck.
Times have changed, and so did the opportunities. We may not be able to let our kiddos roam the neighborhood streets for hours on end, but we can make the summers fun in a hundred different ways. Experiences are important for our children. And summer always calls for fun activities!
But what if you feel like you’ve been there, done that, and need new ideas? I got you.
Our family sat around the dinner table one late spring evening. The school year was about to end, and the boys were looking forward to finally letting the numbers and letters spill right out of their ears. They were starting to act silly, and in hopes to get a conversation going, I asked them a question.
“What do you want to do this summer?”
This simple question opened up the flood gates of ideas. “Go fishing!” One of the kids said. “Swim in the pool!” Said another. “Go boating and tubing!” Said a third, to which everyone excitedly shouted, “Yes!”
The suggestions came pouring in as I wrote them down. I added a few ideas of my own, and together we compiled a very long list of things to do this summer. This list includes fun activities for the littles, for school-aged kids, and for the whole family.
140 fun summer bucket list ideas for kids
- Play tag
- Stargaze
- Fly a kite
- Make jam
- Go biking
- Go hiking
- Go tubing
- Go fishing
- Play bingo
- Skip rocks
- Play tennis
- Paint rocks
- Visit a farm
- Go bowling
- Make slime
- Play soccer
- Play Twister
- Play frisbee
- Finger paint
- Climb a tree
- Go to a lake
- Go camping
- Go zip lining
- Ride a horse
- Plant flowers
- Collect rocks
- Play laser tag
- Play mini golf
- Go to the zoo
- Have a picnic
- Catch fireflies
- Blow bubbles
- Make s’mores
- Drink a slushy
- Have a bonfire
- Swim in a pool
- Bake brownies
- Play dodgeball
- Read 10 books
- Play badminton
- Play hopscotch
- Feed the ducks
- Play in the mud
- Visit a new park
- Go to the beach
- Have a Nerf war
- Watch fireworks
- Go to the library
- Pick wildflowers
- Go roller skating
- Play horseshoes
- Play hide & seek
- Have a yard sale
- Go berry picking
- Dance in the rain
- Collect seashells
- Go on a road trip
- Go to a yard sale
- Go to the movies
- Watch the sunset
- Learn a new craft
- Go on a boat ride
- Visit a petting zoo
- Make a birdhouse
- Watch the sunrise
- Play board games
- Build a sandcastle
- Make a new friend
- Have a pillow fight
- Ride a Ferris wheel
- Go to an aquarium
- Go to a water park
- Make sun catchers
- Have a pajama day
- Make tie-dye shirts
- Make a blanket fort
- Make a gratitude jar
- Ride a roller coaster
- Go on a nature walk
- Visit a nursing home
- Go out for ice cream
- Play capture the flag
- Have a treasure hunt
- Explore a nearby city
- Make root beer floats
- Have a slumber party
- Make fresh lemonade
- Visit a farmers market
- Read a book together
- Jump on a trampoline
- Wash the car by hand
- Stay up past midnight
- Play with water beads
- Camp in the backyard
- Watch a thunderstorm
- Do a fun summer craft
- Have a water gun fight
- Have a role switch day
- Visit a friend or relative
- Run through sprinklers
- Look for cloud animals
- Watch a movie outside
- Invite friends for dinner
- Have a scavenger hunt
- Keep a summer journal
- Make homemade pizza
- Eat watermelon outside
- Donate toys to a shelter
- Have a potato sack race
- Build an obstacle course
- Do a science experiment
- Set up a lemonade stand
- Send a handwritten letter
- Visit a local festival or fair
- Color with sidewalk chalk
- Have a family movie night
- Visit a national monument
- Go to an amusement park
- Have a water balloon fight
- Make sidewalk chalk paint
- Cook dinner over campfire
- Make and sail paper boats
- Go to a children’s museum
- Attend a local VBS program
- Set up a slip & slide outside
- Do random acts of kindness
- Make and fly paper airplanes
- Make modeling clay figurines
- Make homemade play dough
- Have a jump rope competition
- Go on a date with mom or dad
- Volunteer at a local food pantry
- Make handprint and footprint art
- Bury a treasure and make a map
- Write a story about your summer
- Bake cookies and deliver to neighbors
- Get ice cream from an ice cream truck
- Play with shaving cream in the bathtub
- Learn to hula hoop and have a competition
- Go to a workshop at Lowes or Home Depot
The next time you find that your child is complaining of summer boredom, or better yet, even before they get bored, get the cure via these summer bucket list ideas for kids and create amazing memories with your children. Check each activity off your list and see how many you can do. Let this summer become a memorable one, full of fun, giggles, and laughter.
Enjoy your summer!
