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

How to Keep Kids Learning Over Summer Vacation

Just because it’s summer vacation and schools out of session doesn’t mean parents want all learning to come to a halt. However, without a routine schedule and structure of a school day, finding ways for kids to keep their learning can be a little tricky. But with some creativity and a lot of time outdoors, there are definitely opportunities for learning that parents can take full advantage of.

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

1. Make a trip to the zoo into a science field trip

Hands-on and visual learning are such fun ways to learn. Most families take at least one trip to the zoo during the summer anyway, so take this opportunity to turn it into a fun learning experience! Act like it is a science field trip and have the kids read all the descriptions of the animals and learn about them, like what type of animal they are and where they originate from. 

2. Try a new type of learning called “Genius Hour” 

There is a new idea experts have come up with called Genius Hour, where once a day for an hour kids are allowed to pursue whatever subject or knowledge they wish to, just for its own sake. It helps kids explore a subject they are passionate about and expand their learning and knowledge base all at once. 

3. Keep their problem-solving skills sharp

There are lots of video and computer games out there for kids that are fun but also provide cognitive nourishment and help build problem solving skills. So keep your kids problem solving skills sharp and use those rainy days to keep them occupied with some “learning-friendly” computer games. 

4. Start a vegetable garden in your backyard

Another fun way to teach your kids the basics of science is by having them help you plant a small garden or vegetable garden in your backyard. Talk with them about the science of plants and what it takes to keep them healthy and growing. In addition to the educational and learning aspect, having to tend to the plants and keep them alive is a good way for kids to learn some responsibility. 

5. Have kids keep a journal about your family vacations or adventures

Writing, even free writing, is very good for expanding kids’ reading skills and keeping their wheels turning during the long summer months. Having kids keep journals is a great way to keep them reading and writing, but also gives them something to look back on and read when they get older. 

6. Use a Museum Visit for a History Lesson

Another great way to spend a rainy or cloudy day is with a visit to a museum. Not only does it provide entertainment when the outdoors can’t, but it can also be a great excuse to teach the children some lessons about history in a way that is fun and interactive. 

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

21 Things Every Person With a New Baby Is Guilty Of According to Mike Spohr

   After having your first baby, there are certain behaviors that almost every new mom and dad catch themselves doing. Sometimes, new parents don’t even know that they are doing these things but Mike Spohr happily points them out with a humorous list of 21 things all parents with a new baby are guilty of doing. Scroll below to read the Buzzfeed staff writer’s list that almost every parent can relate to!

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

1. Trusting some family members more than others to hold your baby

2. Trying to channel your inner photographer and take “artsy” pictures of your baby’s toes and fingers

 3. Poking your baby to make sure they’re still breathing and then pretending it wasn’t you who woke the baby

 4. Taking a while to feel 100% confident when carrying the baby from place to place

 5. Breaking all your social media rules you promised yourself you wouldn’t do before giving birth. You want to post another picture of the baby so bad you can’t resist but you hate yourself for it.

 6. Thinking that your baby has an amazing personality and is smiling at you when they are actually just really gassy

 7. Having those “I can’t do this” meltdowns 

8. Using your baby as an excuse for everything, like not texting back when you really were just on candy crush or playing trivia crack

9. Taking very long baths or showers when you get the rare opportunities 

10. Secretly thinking your baby is the cutest one in the room

 11. Panicking when someone in public sneezes or coughs near your baby

 12. Fantasizing about all the things you are going to do with your baby way in the future

 13. Having to suppress the urge to freak out at people who ask you how much sleep you’ve been getting

 14. Already judging other parents and their kids

 15. Talking about who your baby looks like even though it’s way too early to tell

 16. Really wishing that umbilical stump would just fall off already

 17. Constantly being worried about your baby’s soft spot

18. Tuning out on the advice you’ve already been given 10 times before

 19. Being terrified to cut your baby’s nails

 20. Trying to act much more in control of the situation than you really feel at your baby’s first appointment with the pediatrician 

21. And of course, loving the heck out of your baby more than you knew was possible

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

3 Moms Make a Parody of Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' and the Results are Amazing

The women of What's Up Moms turned Taylor Swift's hit "Blank Space" into a hilarious parody just for moms. With their new lyrics they preach about lack of sleep, play dates, watching Frozen for the millionth time, chores, their Starbucks addictions and more but all with a humor that every mom can relate to. The women behind the video, Brooke, Meg, and Elle, are real-life moms who write, direct, and produce their own weekly web series celebrating and laughing through the daily struggles and triumphs of parenthood. Whether you are a stay at home or working mom, you'll be able to laugh at and relate to this Mom-ified take on T. Swift's hit.

Click below to watch What's Up Moms Parody of Blank Space:

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

12 Parents Who Make Parenting a Little Less Stressful with Humor

Parenting can be stressful but sometimes it’s just a little easier when you have a good sense of humor and don’t sweat the small stuff. These parents are awesome examples of people whose sense of humor through parenting is admirable.

1. These parents who wanted to keep their girls' imaginations strong so each night they did this:

2. The parents who put a light-hearted spin on "boredom"

3. How these parents deal with bickering siblings

4. At least these parents have each other

5. You think she's kidding...

6. Don't misbehave or you'll have to pick a chore from the "Uh Oh" Jar

7. This mom who is still working on her texting

8. These parents who know how to adapt to changing times

9. This dad

10. How these parents take care of missing curfew

11. Christmas is no exception for this funny dad

12. This dad shows how parents still like to jump on the bed too