28 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Your Family

Every summer at the beginning of June it feels like we have endless time ahead of us, but without fail, every year August rolls around and we hear ourselves saying, “where did the time go?”

One of the best ways to make sure you don’t let the summer fly by without doing any of the fun activities you wanted is to make a Summer Bucket List. At the very beginning of summer, sit down with the family and make a list of all the activities you want to accomplish and places you want to visit that summer. Then make sure to hang the list up in a place where you’ll see it everyday, like on the fridge. Not only writing it all out on a list but also hanging it up as a daily reminder will help you keep track of what you’re accomplishing and not let the days get away from you. It can also serve as a reference for those rainy days when the family is bored and looking for something to do. 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

Have the summer you always say you’re going to have when June rolls around, while you still have plenty of time left! To help you get started, we asked real moms for some ideas straight from their own summer bucket lists.

1. Go strawberry picking

2. Set up a lemonade stand with the kids 

3. Have a family water balloon fight

4. Explore a part of town your family has never been to

5. Have at least one family picnic (complete with straw baskets and everything!)

6. Go for a family bike ride

7. Have a family cook off or bake off on a rainy day 

Make two teams, one with mom as the coach and one with dad, and then compete against each other to see who can make the better meal or dessert.

8. Host a BBQ for your family and friends

9. Go on a family nature walk and learn about the plants and birds

10. Have a family game night complete with snacks and prizes

11. Catch fireflies

12. Visit your local farmer’s market

13. Run (or walk) a 5K race with your family

14. Take the kids to a drive-in theater

15. Go camping (even if its just in your backyard)

16. Make a slip-n-slide in your own backyard

17. Make a fire and roast marshmallows

18. Volunteer with your family for a local charity

19. Visit a park you’ve never been to

20. Go to the zoo and teach the kids all about the different animals 

21. Start a garden with your children as helpers

22. Make up your own holiday and celebrate it as a family

23. Do arts and crafts outside as a family 

24. Make homemade snow cones with the kids

25. Teach the kids how to fish

26. Play flashlight tag or ghost in the graveyard with all your neighbors (yes this includes the adults too!)

27. Go for a family bike ride

28. Go kayaking 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

7 Ways Moms Can Plan an Awesome Staycation This Spring Break

Kids count down the weeks till their end of February or spring break, but for moms it usually means a full week of keeping the kids occupied, and sometimes that can prove to be a challenge, especially if you are living in a cold climate. Some families take this week to plan a trip, but not all parents can get that time off. So if you are planning a Staycation for you and your kids, there are still some fun activities for the whole family to enjoy to make spring break a fun time for everyone (yes, even you!).  

1. Video Game Olympics 

If your family has a game console and your children like video games then you can turn this into a really fun activity for the whole family. Pick a game that everyone can easily learn (like Mario Kart or Wii Bowling) and host an olympics to get everyone involved. Pick teams or play individually- it’s up to you! To motivate all the players, give a little prize to the winner of each category. You can even set up snack stations with gatorade, protein bars and fruit to make it feel more real! 

2. A Themed Movie Marathon

Pick a theme for the day like animated movies, alien movies, or super hero movies and then have everyone vote on the ones they want to watch. Then, deck out the TV room to look like the best movie theater ever- blankets, pillows, dim lighting, popcorn, juice, and maybe even some candy. And of course, all the attendees can wear their comfiest pajama set.

3. Organize a Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? No matter how old your kids are, it is sure to bring out their competitive side! You and your spouse or your other mom friends can work together to make clues, maps, and put together some treats for them to find. Let your creative side come out when you’re writing the clues, they can be puzzles, riddles, or even poems. If you want to make a learning experience out of it, you could even make them simple math problems or history questions. 

4. Family Cook-Off

If your kids have shown an interest in cooking, or would like to learn, spring break is a great time to start. Have every member of the family choose a dinner or dessert item they would like to prepare. Then give each person a budget and go grocery shopping as a family to pick everything out. To make it even more fun, let the kids pick out a fun apron of chef hat to wear while they prepare their masterpieces. After all the cooking is done, sit down as a family to enjoy everyone’s creations.

5. Go Camping in Your Own Backyard

If the weather permits, pitch a tent in your backyard and have a camp night. To make it feel more real, roast marshmallows and sit in a circle telling ghost stories. If the weather is still too cold, just take the camping to your living room.

6. Turn Your Home into a Foreign Country or City

This requires some planning ahead of time, but if you can’t travel anywhere for spring break this year- bring the destination to your own home! Have the family vote on a city they would like to go to, like Paris or Tokyo, and then transform your home into that city for a day. Put up some fun decorations, read stories from or about that particular place, watch movies that take place there, and make your meals with traditional meals from that culture. Maybe even learn a few words in their language. This activity is not only a ton of fun, but it can also become a great way to teach your children more about other cultures. 

7. Play Tourist in Your Own Town

Take this week to visit all of the places in your town or city that you have been meaning to but have never had the time for, like that cute little museum, art gallery, or neighborhood park you have never gotten the chance to take the kids to. 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books