SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Family time is so important. We love to have fun staying in playing games, eating sweets, watching movies and being creative, but it is also fun to get out and do something different and unique. Getting out can help strengthen relationships and create some amazing memories. There are so many fun things to do. Sometimes it is hard to find something to do in your area, so I thought I would share our summer bucket list and maybe get the wheels turning for you...

Kid Stuff

SWIMMING: It's time to help my kids get a little more comfortable in the water. I've always had a fear of water and never really learned to swim. I definitely want my kids to have more confidence in the water, so we're going to work on that this summer.

SPLASH PAD: I love getting out to the Splash Pad with the kids once a week. And hopefully daddy will be able to join us once or twice this summer.

ZOO: In our area we have a couple little smaller attractions with animals where kids can enjoy looking at and interacting with animals... I'm hoping to get to at least one of them (Tiger World or Lazy 5 Ranch) this summer with the kids... 

MOVIE NIGHT AT THE THEATRE: At the GEM theatre here in our lovely city, they have one theatre and you can get tickets to new movies for $3. They also have $1 movies in the morning for kids. Even though I'm not normally a movie person, I feel like summer is the perfect time to escape the heat and enjoy sitting back and relaxing in a movie... with your kids. Yeah. That's pretty contradictory.

PARKS: Lots and lots of parks. We have so many parks in our area... Our goal is to try and visit as many as possible this summer. We already have crosse off 3 on our list and we still have 4 or 5 to go.

Outdoor

GEOCACHING: I've heard geocaching is a fun activity you can do anywhere. We've been wanting to do a little research and go geocaching, maybe this summer we can cross it off our bucket list!

PADDLEBOAT: There are several parks in our area where you can rent paddleboats and enjoy an evening on a lake. Fun fun!!!

HIKING: The summer after Lanae was born, Scott and I did a ton of hiking. We love hiking because it is perfect quality time out in nature. We have definitely been missing Utah's many hikes. Hopefully we'll find some good hikes here this summer.

MINI GOLFING: As our first date ever, mini-golfing definitely holds a special place in my heart. But it's been a while since we've gone... so now its on the bucket list.

FLY A KITE: Last summer we bought 2 kites. We are gonna put those kites to use sometime soon for a good time!

Downtown

ICE CREAM DATE: I love simple dates with a single purpose. We don't eat out much, so an Ice Cream date downtown is definitely special and exciting for us!

TOURISTS FOR A NIGHT: Since we're new to the area, I plan to take a night to just explore. Get in the car, drive around and see what we can find. It's not often that we are completely spontaneous, so this is gonna be a fun night!

SHOPPING AT THE BOUTIQUES: Window shopping of course. It's so fun to window shop with Scott. So hopefully we'll do this at least once this summer.

SHOPPING AT THE MALL: Again, probably just window shopping, but maybe we can spare a couple bucks for a new outfit??? Just kidding. But not. At the same time.

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: When you have something unique in your area, you should definitely take advantage of it. I'm hoping to snag some tickets and take a tour of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Maybe even attend a NASCAR event sometime.

Cultural Activities

CONCERT IN THE PARK: I had no idea that these even existed before. Maybe they don't everywhere. You should check out your area and see if they do because this is a fun and unique thing to do during the summer. 

FARMER'S MARKET: I love Farmer's Markets. I love FRESH produce and just the feel of it. I know there are some good Farmer's Markets in our area. I think it's good for kids to understand what a Farmer's Market is and be involved in choosing fruits and vegetables for dinner.

DISCOVERY PLACE: I love taking my kids to science and technology museums with interactive exhibits. They can be kind of pricey though, so I'll be watching for any good deals I can find.

MUSEUM OF ART: There are several art museums downtown. I don't have a great passion for art, but I do think its important to have an appreciation for it and enjoy the occasional trip to an art museum. Some art is really cool and inspiring.

BOTANICAL GARDENS: Ever since I married Scott I have been exposed to a lot of plants. And plant facts. More than I would really like... I do, however, enjoy looking at beautiful flowers. Many big cities have botanical gardens that you can visit for free.

Sport Activities

TENNIS: Become a pro! That's our goal this summer. Really though, my goal is just to make sure I don't get any worse. Even though I enjoy the technical side, I mostly play tennis just for the fun of it. And the exercise, of course!

BOCCE BALL: Who doesn't love Bocce? You may not have heard of it. So here you go... Check out these Bocce Balls here and read up on the game. It's fun!

DISC GOLF: We love Disc Golf and would highly recommend it to anyone who just loves to hang out with their spouse and have a good time. I also designed a really fun Disc Golf Treasure Hunt date that we will probably do again before summers through.

RUN A 5K: Yes!! I want to run a 5K and get back into shape. Summer is a great time to really buckle down and get serious about being healthy and fit! If you don't love running, find something else to do this summer to help you become even more fit than you already are!! 

WATCH A BASEBALL GAME: This is another event that is pretty unique to our area. There's a team called the Intimidators that everyone raves about. I don't like baseball very much, but I do love new experiences.

With Friends

LAWN GAMES DATE NIGHT: Think of all the lawn games you know and your favorite friends, then get together and play. Add some food. Sounds like a fun night to me!

FIREWORKS & PARADE ON THE 4th OF JULY: I bet this is on pretty much everyone's bucket list! Make it a good one!!! :)

ULTIMATE FRISBEE TOURNAMENT: Our good friends back in Raleigh were super amazing Ultimate Frisbee fans and we had a blast playing with them. It's another great way to get exercise and socialize at the same time.

MAFIA DATE NIGHT: This idea is taking me back to those college nights when we played mafia ALL. THE. TIME.

HAVE A BONFIRE: I love fire. Burning things is fun. A bonfire is usually controlled though, so its not scary, just fun!

DIY Projects 

DOLLHOUSE: I made some cute dolls and showed Lanae some cute dollhouses. Now she wants one. My goal is to figure out how to make a fun dollhouse for cheap!

CREATE AN ICE CREAM FLAVOR: MMmmm.... I love to create in the kitchen and have never made ice cream. Everyone needs a fun summer treat challenge to call their own.

COLOR BLOCK CANDLES: Find something unique and make it. That's where these color block candles come in. They are starting to become more popular in stores now, but I really want to make one.

BIG BUBBLES: Have you seen big bubbles floating around social media? I have. And I really want to try making me some giant bubbles. I bet kids love it. 

WHITEWASH WALL HANGING: I love creating artwork for our home. But it can be expensive, so I have to narrow my projects down to the ones that I really want to do and then space them out so that we can afford them. I've been designing this in my head for over two years now, so I'm ready to actually take my ideas and make something beautiful!

Travel

THE BEACH: We went to the beach as a family last summer during the off season... it was pretty chilly, but we had a blast. This year we would love to go again when its a tad bit warmer. Maybe we can even get in the water a bit!

THE TEMPLE: We love visiting the temple, but now that we love so far away, we have to plan a whole day around it! And figure out what to do with our kids... 

GO CAMPING: Scott loves camping. We love being outdoors, but haven't had the chance to go for a couple years now. Hopefully we can figure something out this summer. 

DAY TRIP to the MOUNTAINS: A day trip of hiking, fishing and driving in the beautiful mountains sounds like the perfect get-away!

VISIT FAMILY: I think everyone's bucket list probably has a trip to visit family planned. Even if it's not likely, its still fun to think about and hope that maybe something will work out so we can visit family!!!

Check out this FREE printable and you can help your family make a Summer Bucket List, too!

Summer Bucket List



I hope this list gives you some fun ideas. Have a fabulous summer!!!

The Dating Divas is one of my favorite sites to look for date night ideas. If you are looking for more date night ideas, check out their Ultimate Date Night Book and the A to Z Guide from The Dating Divas here!