23 summer family bucket list ideas

Last Updated on November 8, 2024

Entertaining kids over summer can be challenging, but one thing that can make it easier is having a summer family bucket list.

A summer family bucket list is a list of activities, days out, or anything big or small, that will entertain your kids over summer, allow you to spend quality time with your kids, explore new places and activities together, as well as make it super easy to find something to do when you’ve run out of ideas.

If you’re interested in creating your own summer family bucket list, here are some ideas that you may like to add to it.

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Fruit picking

As well as being a fun day out, your kids can learn about where fruit comes from, and the types of meals fruit can make.

Zoo visits

Visiting the zoo is a perfect summer day out idea, as there are plenty of opportunities for breaks in the shade, and many animals are often out of their enclosures, making them easy to see.

Hang a bird feeder

Hanging a bird feeder in your garden is a great way to look out for birds you normally wouldn’t see.

You can make your own bird feeder, or you can buy a pre-made bird feeder that your kids can add bird feed to.

Scavenger hunt

An at home scavenger hunt is a great summer bucket list idea for families, as it gets your kids to use their problem solving skills.

You can do this by hiding items around your home, and giving your kids a list of clues leading them to the item’s locations.

If this sounds like fun, here are some scavenger hunt ideas for kids that your kids may love, or you may like to use this scavenger hunt game to make this summer family bucket list idea super easy.

Outdoor movie

Cooler summer nights are perfect for an outdoor movie, which you can do by using a projector on an outside wall.

Seashell collecting

Another summer family bucket list idea that’s perfect for beach loving kids is to go seashell collecting.

You could even turn this into a competition to see who can collect the most seashells, or who can collect the most unique seashells.

You can even extend this activity by taking the seashells home and making some summer crafts with them.

Road trips

A great way to escape the heat and sit in an air conditioned car for awhile is to take a family road trip, complete with road trip snacks, to a family favourite location, or somewhere you haven’t been before.

Ice cream sundae station

Nothing says summer like ice cream, and one way to make summer ice cream more enjoyable is to have a DIY ice cream sundae station.

You can do this by setting up small bowls with different ice cream toppings in them, like fruit, sprinkles, and marshmallows, and letting your kids put them onto an ice cream flavour of their choice.

Baking day

Baking is a great thing to do with kids over summer, it’s fun, and it teaches them to follow a recipe.

Cooking day

Similar to a baking day, you could have a day where you cook with your kids, it could be a recipe they love to eat, or something you all want to try.

Be a tourist

Another fun summer bucket list idea for families is to be a tourist in your hometown.

If there’s anywhere local you’ve been meaning to visit, summer is a great time to do so.

Backyard camping

Backyard camping is a lot of fun, and watching the stars before falling asleep is a great way to create family memories.

As well as stargazing, some other activities you can do during a backyard camping session include:

• Watching an outdoor movie
• Melting marshmallows
• Making food on a portable grill
• Telling scary stories

Home days

Home days are a great bucket list idea for families because they give everyone a chance to recharge and relax.

Sports day

One activity that you could do as part of a home day is a sports day, where you set up some different sporting activities that your kids can do at home.

Some ideas that suit younger children include:

• Egg and spoon races
• Three legged race
• Obstacle courses
• Bean bag throwing

Older kids may enjoy:

• Hula hooping
• Football competitions
• Challenging obstacle courses
• Water games

Morning walks

Sometimes kids can wake up early during summer due to it being so light outside.

One way to make the most of this extra light is to make a morning walk part of your summer morning routine.  

You may decide to take the same walk every morning, or to mix things up walk around a different part of your neighbourhood, or even drive to a walking trail you’ve been meaning to visit.

New parks

Visiting new parks is a great way to get your kids excited about playing outdoors, because often they can get bored visiting the same parks over and over.

If your kids don’t love playgrounds, you could take a football or a kite with you so they can do these at the park instead.

Summer scrapbooks

A summer scrapbook is a great way to record what you’ve done over the summer with your family.

Your kids can help make a scrapbook by putting photos of things they did over summer in it, gluing tickets to places they visited inside it, or including any other summer memorabilia that they’d like to look back on in the future.

Summer reading clubs

A free summer holiday idea is to visit your local library and join their summer reading club, which is also a great way to encourage your kids to read beyond the genre they normally choose.

Bike riding

Another great summer family bucket list idea is to go bike riding as a family, or to teach your kids to ride a bike if this is a skill they still need to learn, which is definitely something I need to teach my son this summer.

Picnics

As well as being a great way to enjoy summer, picnics are great at getting fussy eaters to try new foods.

You don’t have to venture out for a picnic if you don’t want to, you can also have a picnic at home.

Gardening

Starting a garden is another great idea to add to your summer family bucket list.

Some things that grow well over summer include:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Spring onions
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes

Summer family photo

Taking a summer family photo is a great way to see how everyone changes over time.

Outdoor messy play

Kids love messy play, and summer is a great time for outdoor messy play as you can easily hose the mess away once your kids are finished.

Some outdoor messy play ideas include:

• Hunting for bugs
• Building a bug hotel
• Drawing with chalk
• Playing in a mud kitchen
• Painting
• Playing with slime
• Running through sprinklers
• Having water fights

There are many fun things that you can add to your family’s summer bucket list, including zoo visits, having home days, collecting seashells, taking road trips, doing some food inspired activities, visiting local attractions, having a backyard camping session, going on morning walks, doing arts and crafts, and even participating in reading challenges.

I hope you have fun putting together your summer family bucket list, and that it gives you some ideas for things to do over summer for years to come.

What activities will you add to your summer family bucket list?