I alluded to my Summer Bucket List in my last post. My Summer Bucket List is the list of things I hope to accomplish with the kids by the time school resumes in August. 99.9% of the time, I don’t accomplish most that’s on the list and then I feel really bad about it when they go back to school. (Well we do try to cram as much as possible into that week before school starts to ease a bit of my guilt :).)
This year, I decided to take things a bit more seriously and follow the lead of amazing blogger and mama, Amy Clark. Amy created a “100 Days of Summer” Pinterest board last year and I watched, enviously, as she checked the items off, one by one. She’s doing it again this year and I can’t wait to see all the fun she has with her kids.
I decided to make my own Summer of 2012 Pinterest board, thinking something more concrete might be exactly what we need to make the most of our time this year. My list is fairly large, and I can guarantee we won’t get everything done on the list, but I’m hoping we can cross a lot of the things off! So, without further ado, here is our Summer of Fun Bucket List for 2012.
- Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Go on a Family Moon Walk
- Make homemade Waffle Cones for Ice Cream
- Have a water balloon fight
- Watch the 4th of July Fireworks
- Make inexpensive chalkboard message boards for each kids room
- Have a neighborhood squirt bottle water fight
- Paint Rocks
- Teach the kids how to play tennis
- Go to a Kansas City T-Bones Game
- Make homemade pretzels
- Have a watermelon eating contest
- Have at least one date night with each kid individually
- Build an awesome indoor fort and live in it for the day
- Make artwork placemats
- Find a good book to read a chapter out loud of every day
- Make homemade Coke Icees
- Have an overnight staycation in our town
- Make homemade bagels using the bread machine
- Make funnel cakes
- Teach the kids to follow the FlyLady Daily Kids Challenges
- Decorate water bottles and drink lots of water all summer long
- Watch the sunset, preferably near the water
- Make and eat sno cones
- Make treats and take to the fire station
- Have an outdoor movie night
- Go to a production at Theater in the Park
- Make a PVC pipe sprinkler car wash
- Plan and do several Acts of Kindness for others
- Have a pajama day (at least one!)
- Take the kids to the Independence, KS park and zoo
- Make homemade musical instruments
- Play flashlight tag
- Go on a road trip / day trip with no destination in mind
- Go to a small town festival in Kansas
- Visit the Omaha Zoo
- Go to the Tonganoxie Rodeo
- Go on a picnic in the park
- Go fishing in Iowa with the cousins
- Have a Shrimp Boil
- Go to Happy Valley Farm to pick berries
- Take the kids on an ABC Photo Walk
- Make a Cookie Cutter Bird Feeder
- Participate in the Great American Backyard Campout
- Play miniature golf in Parkville
- Make Flubber
- Make Glow Stick Lanterns
- Make Old Fashioned Egg Cream Floats
- Go to the Missouri State Fair
- Send handwritten notes to friends and loved ones
- Have the kids write in journals each day
- Create a summer music playlist and listen to songs from it each day
- Go hiking at Shawnee Mission Park
- Fly a kite
- Sharpie Dye T-Shirts
- Make and eat homemade ice cream for breakfast
- Ride in a canoe or pedal boat
- Make a jar and catch lightening bugs (then release)
- Have a summer solstice party
- Take a family vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park / Estes Park
- Visit my niece and Aunt and Uncle in Branson, MO… go to Silver Dollar City
- Have an old fashioned, outdoor play party – play Red Rover, Red Light Green Light
- Go on a photo scavenger hunt
- Make homemade, glazed yeast doughnuts
- Jump in puddles
- Make regular trips to the library and load up on great books for summer reading
- Play back yard frisbee golf
- Make word cloud about me portraits
- Find pictures in the clouds
- Paint with water
- Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint
- Make homemade bubbles
- Make water bottle bubble blowers
- Make and play Balloon Ping Pong
- Do glow stick lawn bowling, at night
- Make an outdoor Twister game
- Make homemade root beer
- Go bowling
- Make homemade popsicles
- Make Summer Sponge Bombs & play splash tag
- Do giant canvas finger painting
- Play hide and seek with glow sticks outside at night
- Go swimming at the pool as much as possible
- Go see a double feature at the Drive-In movie theater
and one final thing…
- Make an Instagram Photo Album at the end of the summer that captures all the fun we had, no matter what we end up doing!
Alright – that’s about it! There are some fun new ideas I’m excited to try and some tried and true fun summer favorites that we do each year. I hope you’ll stop by Pinterest and create a summer fun board of your own! Let me know what your plans are for the summer. Whatever you do, I hope it is a safe, happy and fun one!
I love your list and the Pinterest board idea for summer! I definitely have plans in my head – about how to keep the kids busy during summer. guess I should write them down. I was thinking about painting a chalk board wall. they carry that paint at home depot. Love your ideas! And I am definitely making those pretzel bites.
Thanks so much! This is the first year I’ve ever actually written it out, so I hope it helps us to get some of this stuff planned into our summer! I have some kids who can read now too, so I’m sure once they read it they’ll certainly make sure things are on the calendar 🙂 Have a great summer!
Chalk board paint is big this year. Have you seen the colored chalkboard paint yet?
colored chalkboard paint? sweet. i might just paint some in my kitchen to write menus on. 😉 you have a great summer, too!
A colored menu board wall would be an awesome idea!
What a fantastic idea!! I’m loving your bucket list! Have fun w/ it 🙂
Thanks, Lori! I hope I can add see you in KC to the list 🙂
Wow that’s quite a list. How long is their summer vacation? 🙂
I live in Omaha (originally from KC) and our zoo rocks! You should catch a game at Werner Park (Omaha Royals, now the Storm Chasers). It’s a beautiful park and lots of fun!
I remember many a summer going to Theater in the Park, always hoping it wasn’t too hot!
Have a great summer and I look forward to following your adventures.
I know – the list is kind of massive, isn’t it? But there are some things we can cross off on one day – I’m thinking 🙂
Omaha zoo is fantastic and we haven’t been since my oldest was little! I know they’d love it!
I’ve lived here forever and every single year I want to go to Theater in the Park and have never gone. THIS will be the year! Our kids are finally old enough and I think it’d be fun. Hot, yes, but fun 🙂
You’ve never been to Theater in the Park?!? We must go together. This year, we are most excited about the Sleepin Beauty/ Jungle Book double feature and Legally Blonde! Just a warning, after seeing their first show, I can almost guarantee you at least one of your kids will want to audition. So fun!
What a great idea Kristen! I love your bucket list!
Now I’m think I should make one two! Enjoy you summer!
You totally should! Even just a few little things you know you’d love to do this summer. There are so many great ideas out there (especially on Pinterest).
I hope you have a great summer!
I’m exhausted just reading your summer bucket list! You have a lot of great ideas on there… I’m passing it onto my sister, who has three little ones. She might need some ideas to keep that crew occupied!
ROFL – I was exhausted writing it out 🙂 Some of the stuff is pretty simple though and there is nothing worse than kids hanging on your feet because they are “so bored”. Of course, I should add for me, play more Draw Something with you 🙂
I wouldn’t argue with that! I need to up my Draw Something game… There’s only so much detail I can do while drawing with my finger.
Um – girl… you do awesome! When I have to do it on my iPhone it is so pathetic. If it weren’t for the iPad, you would be thinking my 3 year old was doing all of my drawings!
Which app is it Kristen? I downloaded the free draw something app and it just doesn’t check and see which of my friends are on it. Do I need a paid app?
WHOA. That’s a huge list! Maybe if you crave an adult moment you could add, “have a glass of wine with bev” to the list. 😉
Well of course this list doesn’t include my adult aspirations. A glass of wine in your beautiful new kitchen sounds perfect 🙂
Ooh, what a fun list! I love so many of these ideas! I’m about to hit the hay now, so I’ll have to come back to this and click some of those links! (And Estes Park — there’s a conference there in August I’d like to go to [but can’t], cue that Twilight Zone music! I’d never heard of it before until I saw the conference info a few months ago and now seeing it on your blog … do do do do, do do do do [crap, how does one write out that TwiZone music anyway?]!) Ooh, and I want to do the outdoor movie thing, and man, I need to stop looking at this now or else I’ll never get to sleep. 🙂
Love this post!
xo
I wish you could go to it, Lisa! It’s a beautiful place.
I so wish I was a kid again. I miss summer vacation.
Kids have it so good 😉
I love this, Kristen! Making our list is on my to-do list for Saturday. I love all of the ideas that you have on your Pinterest board. While we have written and crossed off lists in the past, I like this so much better because it includes big and little things. I cannot wait to sit down and come up with ideas as a family together on Saturday. The littles will love looking at my Pinterest board because they are as visual as I am about things. 🙂 Have a super summer break!!
I know you love summer as much as I do! Excited to have the kids home with me. Enjoy yours, Natalie! Next year is a big year!
I love this list! I’m going to make one too. We had a friend who played for the TBones for a little while 🙂 So fun to go to summer baseball games!
Yay! Share it when you are done. I’d love to see it 🙂
I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but I think you meant to say “alluded”, not “eluded”.
Great post =)
Oh my… Totally not rude! Thanks for catching that 🙂
You have inspired me, friend. I don’t think we will get 100 things done…but if I can check off one or two a week. I think my kids will be over the moon.
Maybe we can even do some of the things together 🙂
And that would make my summer. 🙂
Awesome list, will you adopt me for the summer?
Do you do dishes?
Not if I can avoid it! I didn’t see anything on this list about CHORES. Forget it! 😉
LOL… well, okay then. “Teach the kids to follow the FlyLady Daily Kids Challenges” is actually all chores. No work, no play 😉
Great list! Sounds like a fun summer!
I hope enjoy a fun summer with your little guy. Looking forward to meeting him this summer!
Will you adopt me, please! That is one heck of a list – I’m particularly partial to the making and EATING chocolate ice cream for BREAKFAST! Hands down, you get Mom of the year for even thinking that one up 🙂
So fun to switch things up every once in awhile! My mom once told me about eating with no hands… so we had cake for lunch one day but they couldn’t use their hands. It was the most simple of things, but boy… they STILL talk about that and it was years ago!
May I suggest for your small town festival Neewollah in Independence..maybe kill two birds with one stone. If you go to the zoo, remind them that Grandma and Grandpa Sugar gave them the peacocks!
That would be fun but Neewollah is in October. I’m sure we’ll be able to find something in Kansas to go to!
And yes – I’ll be sure to show them the peacocks that haunted my childhood 😉
Wow, that is one heck of a list. I hope we get to participate in some of those activities with you!! This made me remember that party we had SEVERAL years ago where the kids played a game with a giant sponge, and you wrung it out over their heads….remember that? Yeah, add that game to your list too 🙂
Yes! Drip drip splash! We used to have that annual Sundae Spalsh party. I need to start doing that again. It’s a fun one!
And we’d love for you to join us with whatever is on our list! The more the merrier!
I love this! You are the coolest mom ever…so many awesome ideas for the summer. I can’t wait until my guy is old enough to try some of these fun activities 🙂
We are finally at a point (no diapers, no naps) where we are freer to be this summer. I’m really excited about it! Of course, like all things with kids, we’ll see if my fantasy summer and reality summer coincide at all 🙂
Wow. That is SOME list! I think ours has 4 things on it. 😉 I’m pretty sure I need to steal some of these ideas! 😉
PS…thanks for the linky love!
The boys and I are coming to play with y’all this summer!! Love the bucket list 😀
Let’s change that. I’ll come play with YOU… we can be beach bums all summer long!
Even better! Load up the family and come on love ;D
Man, I’m kinda wishing I was YOUR kid!! I will certainly be referring back to this post all summer.
I hope you will, Sommer! I’m sure you have some fun things up your sleeve as well!
I love this list. My kids are still young to do most of it but I’ll have fun watching along as you check things off 🙂
I feel like my kids were too young just yesterday. Hate how fast time flies!
It is a cool list. I like the staycation idea. My kids love just going out to eat and swimming in a hotel pool in our home town. I think they have almost as much fun as when we go out of town, and costs a lot less!
We did that at Easter a couple years ago and had such a blast. It was nice to have a “vacation” without the drive and stress of traveling with kids!
Love these ideas! I saved several of them, thanks!!!
Thanks so much, Debbi!
What an awesome summer! Can I come? If your kids haven’t read the Girl who circumnavigated fairyland, that might be a good one! I just started it and love it so far.
Thank you so much for the book recommendation! I was just looking at some today. That sounds like one my kids would love!
Randomly found your list on Pinterest and it’s making me miss KC. We just moved from there to TX in Jan. There was so much I hadn’t done yet. Oh well, just a reason to visit…and explore my new city more. Happy Summer fun!
Ahhhh 🙁 What part of TX are you in now? Seems like we’ve been losing a lot of friends and family to Texas lately! It’s a great state and I’m sure you’ll find lots of fun things to fill your summer with there too 🙂
In the Austin area. There is lots to do and it already feels like summer..since February, I think. 🙂
Austin is such a great city! My friend (and fellow blogger) Natalie lives in Austin. She just did a summer list too – make sure to check it out as she may have some things on it that would be fun for you to discover! http://cookingformykids.com/2012/05/19/summer-fun-list-2012/
Love love love the list! So much fun – and it doesn’t matter if one or all get done – everything on there is going to be great time spent with the kids! I think that half the effort is having the ideas so you aren’t just trying to come up with an idea like pulling a rabbit out of your hat! The nice thing is also that you have plenty of both home and out ideas so that you can do whatever works best for the day/week…I am feeling SO inspired! (And I am going right from your site to Fly Lady to check out the kid challenge!!) 🙂
That was my goal – to have a good mix of activities and to have some we can do on congruently. Look forward to sharing some of this fun with you this summer!
I love all these ideas Kristen! makes me wish my girls were still little!
Thanks, Cheryl and thanks for featuring this post on your roundup!
totally love this list, Kristen! So inspiring!!! x
Thanks, friend! I hope you have a wonderful summer.
thanks for linking up Kristen, I featured you post on my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2012/12-cool-ideas-for-summer/
Have a great weekend!
I love this list! Even though my kids are turning 12 and 10, they loved everything on this list and even added a couple of things. we have season passes to a water park in Gulfport, MS and they added some things for us to do there in case of rain! They named our list Camp Pierce. :). Thanks for the great ideas!
Oh that’s so fun! Keep me posted on what you all end up doing. Have a great summer, Kasey!
Siiiigh I always feel like the worst mom ever at the end of summer. It’s just so hard to get motivated some days. But this is my oldest’s last summer before school starts. I’m hoping we can make it super special.
I feel that way every single year. I’m hoping having a few ideas laid out will help alleviate that feeling!
Thank you so much for your time and creativity you have put in all these wonderful ideas! I was getting a little worried about our summer days..and you have made me excited..and my 3 girls!!!
Oh I am so glad to hear that this will help you and your girls have a great summer! Thanks for the comment 🙂
That is quiet a list! I may steal one or two of your ideas. Homemade pretzels have been on my list for a while now. We have never attended our state fair but I love our county fair. A Pinterest board is a great idea!
I love the visual of having my list on Pinterest. Nick actually printed it off too (the entire board) so I have a visual right in front of me as well 🙂 Have a great summer.
You really have an awesome summer of fan bucket list kids 2012. Your kids definitely enjoying all the fan bucket list you made. It is absolutely fit for summer fan for kids.
How did I miss this earlier? What a great list of ideas and thank you so much for the shout out on our 100 days of summer list. I am loving your ideas and adding a few of these to my own bucket list!! Love you, sweet friend! xo
Love this bucket list and am so inspired now. I also live in the Kansas City area and am so excited about your ideas. Have you been to Ernie Miller Nature Center? It is a fabulous place to go on a nature walk. Thank you!
Whoa, i thought our list was long! Love it! And I’m with you, we make a summer album to capture all the memories — it’s so easy these days with digital pictures to forget to actually print/scrapbook/album the fun.
cool ,cute,and great ideas!!!!!! THUMBS UP!!!!!!!!!
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Picnic in the park great idea 🙂