Summer Bucket List: 30 Fun Ideas To Do With Your Kids

Summer is here and there’s no reason to pull out your hair wondering what you’ll do with the kids. Think simple and creative ideas to keep boredom at bay and make this the best summer vacation ever! We’ve pulled together 30 ideas to get your summer bucket list started.

30 Summer Activities To Do With Your Kids

1. Lemonade stand: building a lemonade stand doesn’t have to be complicated! You can use a small table from home, or actually make one from scratch out of wood. Here is a simple guide to making your own. Along with a stand, you’ll need: lemonade, glasses, a box for money (with a bit of change), and a clear sign letting everyone know that you are open for business!
2. Watermelon pizza: kids ask for pizza all summer long, so why not switch it up with a homemade watermelon pizza! Not only is it super fun to create, your kids will also be benefitting from the wonderful vitamin C found in watermelon. There are so many toppings to choose from – let them pick their favourites and get creative.
3. Pack a picnic and find the perfect spot to eat lunch: packing a picnic is simple and exciting. Get your little ones involved with sandwich making and cutting up vegetables and fruit (they can use a butter knife for cucumbers and bananas). Include water bottles or juice boxes, tortilla chips, trail mix cookies, napkins, and a blanket (a FULL list here). Now you’re ready to find a special picnic spot! Whether you walk to your neighbourhood park or take a drive to the beach, your kids will be happy for the adventure.
4. Build a sand castle at the beach: sand, water, buckets, shovels, and imagination is all you need for this activity!
5. Chase an ice cream truck: safely, of course! But one day, when you hear the ice cream truck’s music and bells from the distance and your children ask you for a treat – surprise them with YES! Put on your shoes and run together to the ice cream truck. Live the little things with them!
6. Watch a movie at the drive-in: if you’re lucky to have a drive-in theatre in your city, make a point of taking the kids this summer. It’s an experience they won’t forget.
7. Make homemade sweet tea: my husband is from the south (Tennessee) and there’s no doubt about it, he knows how to make sweet tea! I wouldn’t be able to drink it regularly, because it’s not without a good amount of sugar, but once in a while a nice cup of cold sweet tea made to perfection is an enjoyable treat.
8. Watch a baseball game in a stadium: take your baseball fan to see a live game in a stadium. Seeing the action up close, the energy from the crowd, and all the fun that comes along with being at the game is  surefire summer fun!
9. Rock in a backyard hammock: after lots of time playing in the sun, climb into a hammock under a shady tree and drift away.
10. Go used book shopping: do you send your kids to read in their room and they come back five minutes later saying “I’m bored.” Maybe they need some new books to catch their attention. Go through their current library with them and ask them which books they would like to trade for new ones. Pack them up, bring them to the used book store, and let them choose some new books to read all summer long.
11. Rent a paddle boat or row boat: many paddle boats fit two adults and two children comfortably. You can take a scenic paddle along a river or lake and enjoy some quality family and nature time. Don’t forget the life jackets! 
12. Run in the summer rain: can you remember all the times that you’ve been caught in a summer storm? Some of those memories are burned in my mind forever! When it’s hot out and a summer rain begins to fall, grab your kid by the hand and run out into it – dance, laugh, splash around and make a memory together.
13. Make popsicles: there are thousands of homemade popsicle recipes floating around the internet (see: pinterest) – pick a couple of recipes and try them out. I bet your small taste-testers won’t mind one bit.
14. Create your own herb garden: with a clear plan, a trip to the garden centre, and your favourite herbs, you can plant a successful herb garden. This is a great activity to do with 5-10 year olds and it’s very rewarding for them (and you) and you get to use the herbs to cook.
15. Ride a roller coaster: be the one beside your kiddo with their hands up in the air, yelling at the top of your lungs with pure abandon! Riding a roller coaster with my son is definitely on my bucket list 🙂
16. Day trip(s) to the beach: whether your right next to the ocean, or a far drive from the lake – a beach should be on everyone’s summer bucket list. Pack your beach bag with all the necessities for an awesome day trip!
17. Eat frozen yogurt covered in fruit: FRO-YO! Who doesn’t love frozen yogurt? Now you can even find dairy-free frozen yogurt, which is great it you are skipping dairy but still want that tasty treat. I love to make “nice cream” out of frozen bananas and other fruit, with coconut milk or almond milk, then loading it with fresh fruit toppings! Try my vegan custard recipe for a similar fro-yo experience!
18. Build a backyard fort: gather wood, sticks, old tires, rope, blankets, and any other item that might just be the perfect thing for a fort! I don’t know about you, but the summers that I spent building a cool fort and playing in it were totally awesome!
19. Summer-long scavenger hunt: it just takes one google search to find lots of summer scavenger hunt printables that you and your kids can do together. We just went on a road trip and I printed out road signs, road vehicles, and car colours – my 4 year old loved looking for the items on the list and we helped him out during the trip. It was great for keeping him busy and also for having fun conversation.                                                                   
20. Backyard camping: the thought of going camping with kids under 5 doesn’t exactly thrill me, but backyard camping – where the campground is only a few feet away and everything else that I could need is waiting in the house – that I can do. Parenting.com shares some fantastic ideas to making your backyard camp out a success, such as recipes and games.
21. Fishing/Boating day-trip: older kids are often excited at new adventures. Going on a fishing day-trip together can teach them something new and be great bonding experience. Here are some tips for your fishing/boating adventure.
22. Make fruit kabobs: fruit kabobs (or skewers) are colourful, healthy, and delicious! They are an easy activity and a tasty snack! Here’s how to make them: colourful fruit kabobs recipe
23. Host a block party: do you have lots of kids in your neighbourhood? Why not throw a casual block party? BBQ, games, and friends getting together – sounds like a good time to me!
24. Go for a hike: this is on our summer bucket list! There are some great trails in our hometown to explore. Plan your hike, dress with proper gear, and have realistic goals according to your children’s age. More advice from MEC here. 
25. Create a rock collection: my son loves collecting rocks, so we’ve decided to let him have a designated area in the backyard (as oppose to under his bed), where he can put all the favourite rocks he finds.
26. Paint outside: pick up poster paper or affordable canvases at the dollar store and set up a paint studio outdoors! Put a drop cloth on the grass, and set up tables or easels and give each child a palette of paint to go crazy with. You might just discover your little one is a natural Picasso.
27. Watch old children’s movies: did you have a favourite movie when you were a child? Download and watch old movies online and share the classics with your children.
28. Roast marshmallows: if you city laws allow you, make a small fire in  your backyard to roast marshmallows! Not near a fire this summer? What about trying the urban s’more? No wilderness needed!
29. No-sew something: do you have a crafty kid? There are lots of no-sew ideas from tote-bags to t-shirts. Take a moment to search the net and find one (or a few) DIY sewing projects for your child’s level.
30. Go to a summer festival: check your city’s listings for kid-friendly summer festivals. They are usually a price-conscious activity that the whole family can enjoy!

Bonus: Ask your kids what special thing they want to do this summer and try to make that happen!

Have something to add to the list? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your ideas!

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Emily Smith

Emily Smith, Editor of The Best of This Life, has been crafting lifestyle content and delicious recipes for over a decade. Featured on platforms like BRIT + CO, Today's Parent, and Chatelaine, she writes about family, food, home, and wellness, inspiring readers to live well and savour life's beauty. Based in Ottawa, she shares her adventures with her husband, two beautiful kids, and their mischievous cat, Zoro.

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