We used to be the family that made all kinds of plans to do awesome things every summer but was never able to follow through. Year after year, we continued to let our summers slip away. And then last year, we made a plan. Well, a bucket list to be more accurate.
We decided last summer that it was high time we took advantage of all the family time we get when the kids are out of school. So we made ourselves a summer bucket list. I wrote each activity out on colored index cards and we hung them on the wall in our kitchen.
As the summer went by, we checked off activities, until every last one was done! And I’ll tell you something, we had the BEST summer we’ve ever had! We did so many awesome things as a family. We had a picnic in the park, we had a water balloon fight, we went to a Royals game, we went to a carnival, and we splashed in the waves of the Pacific AND Atlantic Oceans—all in one summer—and all because we made a list and stuck to it. (See photos below)
Here are five tips for creating an awesome summer bucket list!
1. EMBRACE YOUR INNER CHILD
Yes, times have changed—but they haven’t changed that much. The fun stuff you loved to do as a kid? Like catching lightning bugs in a jar, going to the drive in movies, and going crazy on the slip-n-slide? Your kids are going to love those things, too!
2. MAKE SURE THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
We’re not saying the decision-making process has to be entirely democratic. If you put every activity up to a vote, you’ll never get your list built! But get some input from the whole family. Make sure everyone who is old enough to have an opinion gets to contribute at least a couple of activities to the bucket list.
3. REDUCE THE STRESS BY BUILDING IN SOME “GIMMES”
Don’t feel pressured into filling your bucket list with fantasy activities. This is about spending time together as a family, after all. Watching fireworks in the park? That’s pretty much a gimme if your town has Fourth of July fireworks like ours does.
4. MAKE SURE THERE ARE PLENTY OF FREE AND LOW-COST ACTIVITIES
If your bucket list costs a fortune, you’re not going to finish it. Fact. So build in plenty of activities that won’t break the bank. We’re going to watch a sunset. And picnic in the park. We’ve got an annual pass to the zoo so you can be sure we’ll be visiting the animals this summer.
5. JOIN OUR 2012 SUMMER BUCKET LIST CHALLENGE
Sign up for our free challenge and we’ll give you all the resources and inspiration you need to create your own summer bucket list! And we’ll help keep you motivated throughout the summer! Click here to join The Happy Family Movement’s Summer Bucket List Challenge!
Josh and Jenny Solar created The Happy Family Movement to encourage family togetherness and memorable family experiences through simple ideas for happy family living. To learn more about The Happy Family Movement, visit their WEBSITE or on FACEBOOK or TWITTER.
