Summer is my family’s most favorite season of the year. We love being outside in the sunshine and all of the fun activities that come along with that. The worst part about summer though? It’s here and gone in what feels like the blink of an eye. The time just seems to go twice as fast that time of year.
Because of this, we make a Buss Family Summer Bucket List each year. Finding fun things to do in the summertime is easy, but if we don’t prioritize what we really want to spend time on and be intentional about it, the summer is gone before we did all that we hoped to.
If you’re like us and have children under 5 years old, here are some suggestions (taken right from our own previous bucket lists) for creating your own family’s list – these are things that we find to be worthwhile for the whole family. Some items are simple and don’t require much planning or investment, while others require some preparation and special time set aside for. Make a list that is tailored to your family’s specific interests!
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Go swimming at a specific pool, lake, or park.
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Have a backyard campfire – invite the neighbors over and make smores together.
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Visit the library every other week.
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Read at least 20 new-to-us books.
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Go hiking (there are a few great options in Rochester and several more in the surrounding area).
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Make and enjoy homemade popsicles.
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Attend a baseball game (we aim for one Twins game and one Honkers game).
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Spend a morning at a new-to-us park.
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Play with and run through the water sprinkler (a pretty rare thing for us in the summer because after living in CA I can’t stand wasting water like this, but it’s a blast on a wildly hot summer day).
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Visit an outdoor zoo.
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Ice cream dinner night! Choose one night to skip a “real” dinner and instead eat ice cream with lots of fun toppings.
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Host a barbecue/grill-out with friends.
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On a rainy day (or two, or three…) do some donation shopping together. Print out a current wish list of needs from a Rochester nonprofit (such as the Ronald McDonald House, New Life Family Services, Women’s Shelter and Support Center, Dorothy Day Hospitality House, etc.), decide on how much you are able to spend, and head to a store with the kids – explain the mission to your children and work to bless others with a shopping trip filled only of gifts.
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Choose one (clear) night to stay up late and go out to gaze at the stars once it’s completely dark (because who doesn’t want their child to have this memory, right?).
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Fly a kite.
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Have a picnic-style breakfast either in the backyard or at a park.
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“Paint” the sidewalks – all you need is a big bucket of water and large paint brushes. Perfect for super hot and humid days. Kids love this.
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Arrange for a special date day/night where Grandma visits and cares for the kids so mom and dad can have time out together. This is truly a win-win for everyone. 🙂
This list could be endless, and we obviously only have a limited number of opportunities for special things in one season. But I hope this helps get the ball rolling for your family as you create your own unique list. Enjoy your summer!
