The Ultimate Summer Bucket List For Kids - 120 Awesome Ideas!

A summer bucket list is the perfect way to make sure that your child enjoys their summer break to the fullest- and that you keep your sanity. It can be hard to come up with ideas for summer activities, but I’ve got you covered. From swimming and playing in the park, to taste test challenges and dance parties, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of summer fun.

My kids are ages 5 and 7, so these ideas are geared towards them, but they can apply to kids older and younger for sure. You can try something new each day, or plan a few activities in advance, whatever works best for you. Get ready to have the best summer ever with the ultimate summer bucket list for kids!

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Table of Contents

What Is A Summer Bucket List?

A summer bucket list is a great way to plan out some of the fun activities that you and your kids want to do over the course of the summer. It’s also a great way to encourage your kids to be creative and come up with ideas themselves. Brainstorming together can be a really rewarding experience for both you and your kids.

Summer bucket lists don’t have to be big, elaborate plans, either. They can be as simple or as complex as you like, and it’s a great way to make sure that your kids get the most out of their summer break.

How To Create A Stress-Free Summer Bucket List For Kids

Creating a stress-free summer bucket list for kids is all about making sure that the activities on the list are fun and age appropriate. That means not trying to do too much too soon. Start with activities that your kids will enjoy and gradually add more complex items as they get older.

Another way to keep it stress free is by planning out achievable activities. Try to stick with simple activities or ones that are within reasonable distance from your home.

And, most importantly, make sure to take some days off and allow your kids to rest and recharge.

120 Awesome Summer Bucket List Ideas For Kids

Now for the best part: The ultimate summer bucket list for kids! Here are 120 great ideas that your kids will love:

THINGS TO DO TOGETHER

Read books – Check out this list of books for kids to read.
Bake cookies
Make homemade pizza
Blind taste test challenge
Dance party – These usb disco lights are so fun!
Grocery store
Hair salon
Family devotional – Lots of cool devotionals listed here.
Board games – Check out these board games for some family fun!
Puzzles
Play with the dog
Build a fort
Make snow cones – We have this snow cone machine and love it.
Photoshoot
Scavenger hunt
Glow stick bath
Movie day
Send cards to family
Stained glass artwork
Make tie-dye shirts – This a great tie-dye kit with everything you need.
Make s’mores
Random act of kindness
Lemonade stand
Nerf gun fight
Make a time capsule
Face paint – My kids love this face painting kit!
Talent show
Mad Libs – We have this super silly mad libs book.
Charades
Sand art – My kids got this kit for Christmas and it’s perfect!
Cleaning day – Check out these chore ideas for kids.

INDEPENDENT PLAY

Window crayons – Lots of fun playing with these window crayons.
Chalk wall
Cosmic yoga – You can find this fun activity on YouTube.
Facetime grandparents
Legos
Paint
Draw
Play Doh
Kinetic sand
Puppet show
Make your own jewelry
Learn origami – This is a great kit to get kids started.
Build a domino run
Start a journal – This is a simple gratitude journal with prompts for kids.
Mail a card to someone
Paper airplanes
Dry erase laminated printouts – Check out my post here on diy laminated activities.
Make a craft
Start a pen pal
Color on giant paper roll
Rice sensory bin
Gymnastics
Create a recipe
Play Osmo – My kids love playing Osmo on their iPads- lots of games!
Redecorate bedroom

OUTSIDE PLAY

Swim
Creative Cube – Use these cubes to create fun activities!
Picnic
Bubbles
Wash the car/bike/scooter
Plastic pool
Bounce house – We’ve had this bounce house for a few years.
Throw frisbee
Bikes/scooters/rollerblades – My kids got into rollerblading this year and it’s been so fun!
Water sprayers – Love these water spray backpacks.
Paint rocks
Stomp rocket – Who doesn’t love jumping on a stomp rocket!
Run through sprinklers
Water balloons
Fly a kite
Sidewalk chalk
Climb a tree
Plant something
Collect bugs – This has become a daily thing for us with our collection kits.
Make a bird feeder
Play in the rain
Find shapes in clouds
Obstacle course
Hula hoop
Start a rock collection – Or paint some glow in the dark rocks!
Feed the ducks
Flashlight tag – Check out even more Outdoor Night Games.
Hopscotch
Sail paper boats

LEARNING FUN

School workbooks – Just purchased this book for summer and it looks awesome!
Kids subscription boxes
Do a science experiment
Create your own book
Summer reading challenge – Create your own fun reading challenge this summer!

OUT & ABOUT OUTDOORS

Park
Greenway
Splash pad
Nature walk
Zoo
Bike trail
Mini golf
Have a picnic
Farmer’s market
Fishing
Watch the sunset
Amusement park
Water park
Camping
Sports game
Attend a concert
Hiking

OUT & ABOUT INDOORS

Trampoline park
Bowling
Arcade
Library
Aquarium
Museum
Science center
Movie theater
Ice cream shop
Tour the fire station
Visit nursing home
Volunteer somewhere
Visit the humane society

The Number One Summer Bucket List Hack

The number one summer bucket list hack is to make your ideas visible! Print it out or hang it up somewhere that your kids can easily see it. This will help them stay motivated and excited to try out new things throughout the summer. It will also keep them from forgetting about all the fun things they’ve done and all the activities they still have left to do.

I hope you’ve found this summer bucket list for kids helpful. With so many fun activities to choose from, your child is sure to have a great summer!

For even more inspiration, check out these 75 Dollar Tree Items Your Kids Need For Summer via Tiny Bit of Play.