Bucket list family
Are you searching for a way to add structure to your family’s summer? Why not create your own bucket list? You can decide to make one for your entire family, or have each family member create their own (obviously, there will be some crossover on all family member’s lists).
What are some things to include on your bucket list, and how do you go about creating one? The sky is the limit! Let creativity, adventure, and excitement be your guides!
Here are a few tips and ideas:
- Own it. Have your kids take ownership of the summer bucket list. Let them assist in the decision making and direction of the list. Obviously, this would exclude pre-planned trips and mandatory activities, such as specific summer reading selections and music/sports lessons.
- Read. Write out the books you plan to read. This might include some read-aloud family selections, and it might include the books your child has on his or her summer reading list. Regardless, take time to research some selections that you might not otherwise choose, or that have perhaps been recommended to you, and include them on your summer bucket list.
- Learn. Learn a new or unfamiliar skill, or prompt your children to research and learn a specific skill. This might include building, planting, and growing container gardens, or it may have to do with a specific cuisine (or any cuisine at all). Get into the research part of the equation by visiting the library, searching YouTube, and talking to experts around town. Have your children commit to the process, and set specific goals for each week of the summer.
- One-Day Adventures. Write down several day trips you’d like to take as a family. State parks are great options. They often feature several activities appropriate for an array of ages, including boat tours, trails, or historical sites. Try out some tourist activity you’ve always wondered about, such as an air boat ride, or visit a new town within a couple hours’ drive.
- Eat. As a family, brainstorm specific local restaurants you’d like to try. Maybe it’s a food truck that’s been recommended to you, or maybe it’s a type of cuisine that is out of the norm for your family. Whatever the case may be, target a handful of local establishments to try out over the course of summer break.
- Go. Write down any and all pre-planned trips and activities. Even though camps, vacations, and music lessons, etc. already have been planned out, it is important to chart the course and write them down. That way, as a family, you can recall what was significant about each experience.
- Make. Brainstorm a few crafts to do throughout the summer, or select a day of the week and designate it as craft day. Think about involving another family in your neighborhood. Your family might choose to get started on the process of making Christmas gifts for extended family members.
- Write (and Draw). Encourage your children to write each day, even if it’s a few sentences. Your child may want to create a play or theater production, which certainly would involve daily writing. If you have young children, consider purchasing a simple drawing course, such as ART START Animals. Have them tell stories through drawing by creating a picture first and then writing about it. As a family, write down memories and details about your summer adventures.
- Celebrate. Pick some wacky and fun holidays to celebrate over the summer. Research some of the National Days Of … and pick your favorites. Take photos, and write about your experiences on these holidays. For example, June 7 is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, and we will be taste testing and rating three different chocolate ice creams, and then publishing our results in our summer journal. June 24 is National Swim a Lap Day, June 29 is International Mud Day, July 1 is International Joke Day, and July 29 is National Lasagna Day – to name just a few of the many!
Anna Futrell has a bachelor’s in English and Secondary Education from Wheaton College. Anna and her husband, Jim have a daughter, Windley. Anna is passionate about writing, cooking, running, and playing the piano.