Create Your Own Summer Bucket List - Free Printables (2024)

Do you ever notice how easy it is to think of a list of things you want to do over the summer …….and then……. how quickly summer flies by before you’ve crossed everything off your summer bucket list?

I’m sharing tips for how to create your own Summer Bucket List with my free printables.

Don’t Take Time For Granted

It happens to us EVERY summer! We tend to think that we have more time to do the things we want to.

The reality is that we need to schedule plans around sports and work schedules, vacations, weather, and our budget.

We’ve found that we have to be proactive with summer plans.

We usually try to get to most of the items on our summer bucket list.. and then add some along the way.

If we have the opportunity to cross something off, we need to take it if we can.

I totally understand that summer is an opportunity to slow down a bit but I also don’t like to waste days when we could be making memories.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make memories. Sometimes it’s as simple as catching fireflies or telling stories around a campfire.

Make the Most of Your 18 Summers

We get 18 summers with our kids. The days are LONG when kids are little but the YEARS are short!

I have a totally different perspective now that my kids are closer to adulthood.

This makes me treasure every time I have an opportunity to make memories with my family even more.

The older they get, the more challenging it is to schedule plans around their extracurricular activities and the time that they want to spend with their friends.

Get Your Family Involved in the Process of Creating a Summer Bucket List

Let each family member share input on the types of things they would like to do this summer.

You can give them some guidance and ask them to come up with free ideas, adventures between $5-10 dollars, and a bigger splurge.

You might be surprised by how simple and low-cost some of their ideas are. On a rainy day, you could create the ultimate blanket fort, visit your local library or go to one of the free summer movie programs in your community.

Summer Bucket Lists are also a great time to think about the people you want to spend time with. You have an opportunity to be intentional and invite other family members or friends along to share an adventure.

We’ve found that going to the drive-in movie theater is always more fun with a group of friends.

Summer is also a great time to visit some of your favorite local ice cream shops.

Include Road Trips or Day Trips

Summer is a great time to explore a destination that you haven’t visited before. Road Trips are always filled with adventures both planned and unplanned that will become stories for years to come.

It’s great to have a list of places that you can visit within a short drive (1-3 hours) and a few longer drives for a weekend getaway.

Plan a Day on the Water

What’s summer without some time spent near or on the water?

A few adventure ideas to get on the water this summer include:

• Go kayaking or canoeing
• Rent a boat
• Plan a beach day
• Go on a scenic riverboat or sightseeing cruise
• Whitewater rafting
• Inflatable Obstacle Course
• Go Fishing
• Waterpark
• Go creeking

How to Make a DIY Summer Bucket List

I’ve got a few free printables to share that are simple visuals to help you set and cross off goals on your summer bucket list.

I purchased two sand buckets from The Dollar Tree along with a few packs of clothespins.

You can choose from colored ones or plain wooden ones for your summer activities.

If you choose the wooden clothespins, you will have more room to write on. You can either write or use a label maker on the colored clothespins.

You can print off this 3 x 5 Summer Bucket List Label

When you complete an activity on your summer bucket list, place the clothespin inside the bucket.

If you don’t want to use a sand bucket for your bucket list, you can print thisSummer Bucket List Checklist.

I placed mine in a picture frame so that I could write ideas on the glass as we think of them.

Need ideas for your summer bucket list?

Check out my 25 Summer Bucket List Ideas

I hope you get to cross everything off your summer bucket list.

Summer Destinations and Adventures

Here are just of few of MANY summer destinations to get you started:

• Muskegon Luge Summer Track
• Adventures on the Gorge
• White Rock Lake
• Kings Island
• Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort
• Silver Lake Sand Dunes
• Yosemite National Park
• 1000 Islands
• Jellystone Campground
• Hocking Hills
• Natural Waterslide in North Carolina

Have a great summer!