Ultimate Summer Bucket List For Kids – Over 30 Ideas Your Kids Will Love!

Do you have a bucket list? I did this for the first time a few years ago and found it quite helpful in helping me stay on track doing fun activities with the kids in the summer.

You only get them for about 18 summers (sometimes as they get older that time is even less though because of summer jobs) so make the most of them!

To be honest, we might not get to all of these items, but I’ll strive to do as many as we can! Some might be carried over for future summers, but by the end of their childhood, I’d really like to cross everything off of this list.

To me, summer and childhood are all about making meaningful memories. Those are the things that stick with you for years to come! Here’s our Ultimate Summer bucket list for kids, including details on some of the things we’ve managed to cross off of our list, and the things yet to come!

Water Balloon Fight

Many summers ago when we only had 2 children, one day as my husband was on his way home from work I had an idea. The kids and I filled tons of water balloons then waited.

As he walked up the driveway to the house we jumped out and started pelting him with the balloons. Of course, Maggie and Jacob were so young at the time they weren’t very good at actually hitting their dad and getting him very wet, but they had SO much fun. We all did!

Now it’s become an annual event to have at least 1 good water balloon fight every summer. We have such a blast with it too! It’s so refreshing on a hot day.

Go to the Beach

So this is something we plan to do at least once every summer! The kids had so much fun looking for shells and playing in the water. We’d be there all the time if it wasn’t such a long drive away!

Catch Fireflies

Again, this is something we do every summer. The kids love to catch them, put them in a jar, then release them before going to bed. We’ve done this a few times already.

Sleepover with Grandparents

My kids love to have sleepover with their grandparents. Summer is a great time for that.

Watch Fireworks

This will be an easy one to check off the list. We watch fireworks every July 4th.

Eat Ice Cream For Dinner

We did this once a few years ago and it was such a hit that I try to do it again once a summer. I know, I know, it’s not the healthiest dinner choice, but it’s fun!

Play with Bubbles

This one is especially fun for the youngest kids in our family. We buy a new big tub of bubbles every year.

Sidewalk Chalk

We’ve done this a few times already this year. It’s always a big hit! It’s another summer must-do every year.

Go to the County Fair

We have a lot of great county fairs by us and try to take the kids to at least one each year.

See the Circus

This was another activity the kids were lucky enough to do with their grandparents this year. They were thrilled to check it off their bucket list!

Go Screen-Free for a Week

This is something we do every week as a family and we love it! It’s a great time to connect, play board game together, read books, etc.

Full List of Summer Bucket List Ideas

• Have a Pool Party
• Visit the Zoo
• Go Geocaching
• Play at the Park
• Visit the Aquarium
• Build a Bird Feeder
• Camping
• Talk a Walk at Night with Flashlights
• Treasure Hunt with a Metal Detector
• Go Whale Watching
• Play Football in the Backyard
• Go Fishing
• Take a Long Bike Ride
• Swim with Dolphins
• Visit an Amusement Park
• Go on a Scavenger Hunt
• Have a Campfire/Roast Marshmallows and Make S’mores
• Make Tie-Dye Shirts
• Movie Night Outside with a Projector

Do you have any fun bucket list ideas we could add to our list?

Have you and your kids made a summer bucket list? It’s a great way to make a few fun goals during this time of the year. Make sure you document checking the items off of your list with photos whenever possible. You’ll enjoy looking back through them over the years!