Summer Bucket List (Survival Guide?)

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.

It's official! Summer is here. The kids are out of school and home all day. The weather is getting warmer. You have become the entertainer. Do you find yourself dreading the next few months because you have no idea how to keep the little ones busy? Do the words "I'm bored" or "there's nothing to do" sound like nails on a chalkboard? Let us help!

Make this the best Summer yet by finding a creative way to incorporate daily activities for the kids or big events for the whole family! You can use a large calendar, post it notes, jars, stickers, white board, poster board, colored markers, game spinners, and more to get the kids involved in planning their time off. Or use as reinforcement/rewards for completing less-preferred activities (chores, summer homework, reading, shopping, etc.). The possibilities are endless. Not only will it give the kids things to do but it will also keep your schedule organized and structured. Tip: Take photos of all the fun things you do and make a Summer scrapbook/memory book before school starts.

Need some help brainstorming? Be sure you ask your kids first, they probably have some ideas of their own! Then check out the list below if you are still stuck or need to add more to fun to your calendar. 

Tip: Pinterest also has some amazing ideas and links to step-by-step instructions for recipes, art projects, kid's activities, and more! You could even make a "Mom Bucket List" and try some new crafts, DIY projects, organizing, cooking, and baking ideas! 

Send us pictures of your Summer Bucket List/Survival Guide/Activity Chart and tell us what fun things you will be doing! 

*Have a picnic in the park
*Go on a hike
*Have a bike "car wash"
*Make a lemonade stand
*Run in the sprinklers
*Plant flowers or vegetables
*Bike ride at the beach
*Have a Skype call with a family member or friend that lives out of state
*Eat dinner in the backyard
*Go on a stay-cation. Find a hotel in the area (we suggest one that has a great pool) and book a night or two
*Play hide and seek outside during the full moon or with flashlights
*Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles
*Movie night with popcorn
*Make birthday cards and thank you cards
*Watch fireworks
*Volunteer to walk or play with the dogs and cats at a local animal rescue
*Pull out a map and let the kids pick somewhere to take a day trip. Tip: Help them google all the things to do in that city
*Make a sandcastle
*Go on a bug hunt
*Collect seashells and make home decor by putting them in a jar or basket
*Decorate the driveway with chalk
*Water balloons
*Play "high/low" at dinner every night. Take turns talking about the "high point" of your day and the "low point" of your day. Discuss as a family. 
*Visit an amusement park, water park, aquarium, local museum, zoo, or activity center. Take a family picture in front of each place you visit
*Invite the neighborhood kids over for an ice cream sundae party
*Go to a local senior living home and have the kids read stories to the residents
*Clean out the closets and donate old toys and clothes to Goodwill
*Set up relay races or obstacle courses in your yard or at a local park
*Make a bird feeder with household materials and hang it from a tree
*Send snail mail to someone (write a letter, put it in an envelope, stamp it, and send it through the USPS)
*Ride horses
*Look up local carnivals, fairs, and festivals to attend
*Exercise as a family (walking, biking, yoga, jump-rope)
*Write letters or send care packages to troops overseas
*Check out a local concert in the park
*Visit your local farmer's market and pick up local produce to make smoothies
*Add the hose to dirt or mud and throw in some rubber worms or plastic animals
*Make a playlist of the kid's favorite songs and have a dance party
*Paint with items other than paint brushes (think apples, hot wheels, potatoes, sponges, q-tips, cotton balls, string)
*Spend the day "screen free" (no tv, ipad, itouch, kindle, iphone, laptop, etc.) Tip: Mom & Dad, too!
*Check out library books
*Have a sensory day - fill tubs up with rice, beans, water, slime, sand, etc 
*Find kid-friendly recipes that they can help you make
*Head out to the local bowling alley and have a friendly competition
*Have a family board game night
*Go to baseball games or host your own
*Host a birthday party
*Make homemade popsicles
*Finger-paint with pudding
*Have breakfast for dinner
*Fly a kite
*Find art classes or kids workshops (check out Michaels, Lowe's, and Home Depot)
*Find some household items to use as instruments and make a band
*Make your own playdoh
*Use paper bags to make puppets and have a puppet show
*Build a fort with sheets and blankets in the living room
*Make candy jewelry
*Make homemade ice cream
*Go to all the parks within a few miles of your house. Make a list and check them off as you go.
*Grab a tent and go camping (even if it's only in your backyard)
*Have a campfire and make s'mores