Your Family’s Summer Bucket List

Summer break brims with the promise of sunshine and relaxation. But how can you make the most of this time, ensuring it’s not only fun, but also a period of growth and connection for the whole family? The answer: a family summer bucket list.

A bucket list is your family’s wish list for the season – a collection of activities, experiences, and goals you aim to enjoy together. Involving the entire family in the planning process fuels everyone’s excitement, creativity, and desire to explore.

Here are some tips for creating and implementing a list that promotes family learning, strengthens bonds, and maximizes summer enjoyment.

Step 1: Make it a team effort

Hold a brainstorming session with the whole family. Start by listing some broad categories together. These can act as springboards for specific activities:

• Animal exploration 
• Creative pursuits
• DIY projects
• Foodie adventures
• Global culture
• Hands-on history 
• Outdoor adventures
• Water fun

Step 2: Get everyone’s input

To ensure a well-rounded bucket list that represents different family interests and keeps everyone engaged this summer, ask questions: 

• What’s something you’ve always been curious about?
• What’s something fun and memorable you’d like us to do together as a family?
• What’s a place, either near or far, that you’d like to explore?
• What’s a creative project we could work on together?
• What’s a skill you’d like to practice or get better at?

Offer younger kids paper and markers for illustrating their ideas. A drawing of a tent, a dolphin, or an ice cream cone immediately conveys their summer wishes. 

Encourage older children and teens to be as precise as possible. Ask probing follow-up questions if necessary. Perhaps they’d like to learn basic coding, spend more time at the lake, or learn more about their family history. Frame it as an opportunity for personal growth and shared experiences, with lots of fun mixed in.

Step 3: Make your list

Now, using the categories list from Step 1, start filling in specific activities. Include ideas from each family member and ensure that the activities work for various age groups. Here are some ideas:

• Animal exploration: Take a virtual reality wildlife adventure or visit a zoo, animal sanctuary, or aquarium. 
• Creative pursuits: Learn origami, make tie-dyed t-shirts, or explore coding. 
• DIY projects: Build a bird feeder or plant a terrarium. 
• Foodie adventures: Make homemade ice cream or shop a farmer’s market for dinner. 
• Global culture: Explore another country with food, music, movies, and arts and crafts. 
• Hands-on history: Trace your family tree or research an ancestor who’s connected to a historical event.  
• Outdoor adventures: Take a camping trip, learn rock climbing, or build a treehouse. 
• Water fun: Go snorkeling, kayaking, or whitewater rafting.

Step 4: Make it visual and accessible 

Once your list is complete, share it with the whole family. This creates excitement and serves as a constant reminder of your summer goals. Here are some different display options:

• letter-sized list on the refrigerator
• poster in your family command center
• chalkboard or whiteboard in your kitchen
• shared digital document

Ask your children to help personalize the list with drawings, stickers, or lettering. Or keep it simple with a pen-and-paper or typed list. The real magic lies not in how the list is designed but in how committed your family is to the adventures that await.  

Step 5: Plan and prioritize together 

Actively work towards completing your bucket list. Schedule regular family check-ins to discuss progress and decide which activities to tackle in the coming week.

Remember to be flexible. Life happens. Stay open to new ideas and unexpected adventures. The joy of summer comes from savoring each moment and the memories you make together.

Step 6: Reflect and celebrate

As you check off items on your bucket list, take time to reflect as a family. Encourage everyone to talk about each activity. Discuss what you learned, what you enjoyed, and what challenges you faced.

Consider creating a scrapbook or photo album to chronicle your adventures. This collaborative project can also be a fun activity in itself, allowing everyone to contribute their favorite photos, drawings, or mementos. Tucked away on a shelf among favorite books and family photos, this tangible keepsake will serve as a visual reminder of the fun you had together, long after the summer ends.