As summer nears and children excitedly anticipate summer break, you may be wondering what your family is going to do all summer long. Creating a family bucket list is a great way to plan activities and make memories. Whether you’re looking for things to do at home (inside or outside) or away from the home, we’ve put together a list of 75 family summer bucket list ideas to help you make your very own summer bucket list.

You’ll notice we separated these ideas into at home (indoor), at home (outdoor), and away from home, but you may be able to interchange ideas depending on your home and what is available to you!

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Family summer bucket list ideas at home (indoor):

1. Paint rocks and hide them in the park for others to find

2. Play with water beads (be careful with little ones)

3. Tie-dye t-shirts or other pieces of clothing

4. Raise a butterfly indoors and release it 

5. Make homemade ice cream

6. Make a homemade bird feeder

7. Play a family board game or card game together

8. Make homemade applesauce

9. Make fresh cookies and deliver them to a neighbor

10. Go on a scavenger hunt

11. Make root beer floats (perfect for movie night!)

12. Make an obstacle course and see which family member can complete it the fastest

13. Put a jigsaw puzzle together

14. Make a smoothie

15. Make homemade popsicles

16. Try a new international food

17. Paint a picture of something you see outside (e.g. flower)

18. Let the kids plan and help make dinner

19. Turn up the music and have a dance party

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Family summer bucket list ideas at home (outdoor):

20. Play flashlight tag when the sun goes down

21. Collect fireflies in a jar—don’t forget to poke holes in the lid!

22. Plant flowers, vegetables, or fruits together 

23. Go camping someplace or camp in your own backyard

24. Make homemade lemonade and set up a lemonade stand

25. Help a neighbor with their lawn, take the trash to the road, etc.

26. Rent an inflatable bounce house

27. Make s’mores over a campfire

28. Look for worms on a rainy day

29. Invite friends over for a backyard barbeque

30. Play in a sprinkler

31. Play outside in the rain

32. Have a neighborhood or community bake sale

33. Have a water gun battle

34. Have a water balloon battle (or play a water balloon toss game)

35. Look for four-leaf clovers

36. Gaze at the stars and look for constellations

37. Slip & slide in the backyard

38. Learn to jump rope alone and with others

39. Grab binoculars and go bird watching

40. Host a neighborhood block party

41. Play outdoor games (Frisbee, soccer, etc.)

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Related articles:

• 7 Tips for Summer Camp Planning
• Don’t Fret Yet! A Great Last-Minute Vacation: Summer Fairs
• Visit the Nation’s 8 Best Beach Towns for Families
• 7 Most Underrated Family Vacation Spots

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Family summer bucket list ideas away from home:

42. Have a picnic at the local park

43. Visit a nearby zoo or aquarium

44. Find trees to safely climb on

45. Fly a kite on a windy day

46. Visit a botanical garden (especially if they have a children’s garden)

47. Visit an ice cream stand

48. Go fishing (don’t forget a fishing license if necessary)

49. Watch fireworks

50. Enjoy local live music

51. Visit an amusement park 

52. Go swimming

53. Visit a museum or children’s museum

54. Eat from a food truck

55. Go to a baseball game

56. Go to a pond and feed bread to the ducks

57. Buy something at a farmer’s market

58. Visit your local splash pad

59. Go to the beach and build sandcastles

60. Follow a park trail/go hiking

61. Visit the library (check to see if they have a children’s summer reading program)

62. Play a game of mini-golf

63. Try a new pizza restaurant

64. Watch a parade

65. Watch a movie at a drive-in movie theater

66. Roller skate outdoors or at a skating rink

67. Go to an outdoor concert (look for free summer concerts nearby)

68. Visit a state fair or local festival

69. Collect seashells at the beach

70. Take a road trip to someplace you’ve never been

71. Spend the night in a treehouse 

72. Make homemade cards and deliver them to a nursing home

73. Sign up for a local class (cooking, painting, etc.)

74. Pick your own fruit at a “U-Pick” fruit farm

75. Take a boat ride

Hopefully, you’ve been given plenty of ideas for making your own family summer bucket list. Don’t feel the need to mark off every activity on this list—these are only ideas! These ideas may get your creative juices flowing so that you’ll think of even more great family summer bucket list items. When it comes down to it, it’s not how much you do, but about the time your family will enjoy spending together during the summer months. 

What are some of your favorite summer bucket list items for your family?