2027 Bucket List: 100 Ideas by Season and a 12-Month Calendar

What should be on a 2027 bucket list?

A good 2027 bucket list mixes a few big plans with many small ones, and gives each a month. Start with what the year itself offers, such as long weekends, the solstices and the total solar eclipse on August 2, then add seasonal ideas and one or two bigger dreams.

A list for one year is different from a lifetime list. Every idea has to fit into twelve months, so most should be things you can plan, afford and do by December 31, 2027. For a lifetime list with no dates, the guide to bucket list ideas has more than a hundred.

This page has the dates worth knowing in 2027, 100 ideas by season, short lists for families, couples, solo plans and the class of 2027, a 12-month calendar plan and a worked example.

What dates in 2027 are worth planning around?

These fixed dates make good anchors for a bucket list. Mother's Day and Father's Day follow federal law: the second Sunday in May (36 U.S.C. 117) and the third Sunday in June (36 U.S.C. 109). Federal holidays are from the US Office of Personnel Management, eclipses from NASA, seasons from the US Naval Observatory and clock changes from NIST.

Date	What happens
Fri, Jan 1	New Year's Day
Sat, Feb 6	Annular solar eclipse, seen from parts of South America and Africa
Sun, Feb 14	Valentine's Day
Sun, Mar 14	Clocks go forward an hour
Sat, Mar 20	Spring equinox
Sun, May 9	Mother's Day
Sun, Jun 20	Father's Day
Mon, Jun 21	Summer solstice, the longest day
Mon, Aug 2	Total solar eclipse: southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen
Mid-August	Perseid meteor shower peak
Thu, Sep 23	Fall equinox
Sun, Oct 31	Halloween
Sun, Nov 7	Clocks go back an hour
Thu, Nov 25	Thanksgiving
Tue, Dec 21	Winter solstice, the longest night

One more thing to know: 9 of the 11 federal holidays in 2027 fall on a Monday or a Friday, counting the observed dates.

If you get those days off, that is nine three-day weekends: January 1, January 18, February 15, May 31, June 18, July 5, September 6, October 11 and December 24. They are the easiest place to put a bigger idea.

What do you need to know about the August 2, 2027 eclipse?

NASA lists the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 as visible from southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. From the US, only a partial eclipse is visible, in northern Maine, and parts of eastern Canada also see a partial eclipse.

If it goes on your list, book early, because towns in the path of totality fill up. Follow NASA's eclipse safety guidance: wear eclipse glasses or a solar viewer that meets the ISO 12312-2 standard for every partial phase, and take them off only during totality, when the Sun's bright face is completely covered.

100 bucket list ideas for 2027, by season

Pick three to six from each season, then give each a month. Ideas with a date are marked with it.

Winter 2027: January, February and December (25 ideas)

1. Watch the first sunrise of the year on Friday, January 1.
2. Write a letter to yourself to open on December 31, 2027.
3. Take a three-day weekend trip over Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 18.
4. Go ice skating outdoors.
5. Try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
6. Visit a museum you have never been to.
7. Cook a dish from a country you want to visit.
8. Finish a 1,000-piece puzzle.
9. Take a winter hike to a frozen waterfall or lake.
10. Read a long book you have put off for years.
11. Host a board game night.
12. Plan a Valentine's Day dinner at home on Sunday, February 14.
13. Take a short trip over the Washington's Birthday weekend, February 13 to 15.
14. Learn to make bread from scratch.
15. Take a class: pottery, dance or a language.
16. Stargaze on a clear, cold night.
17. Try a no-spend week to fund a summer trip.
18. Visit a botanical garden greenhouse.
19. Go to a live sports game.
20. Make a photo book of 2026.
21. Try a new soup recipe every week for a month.
22. Spend Friday, December 24, the observed Christmas holiday in 2027, doing something new with family or friends.
23. Light candles for dinner on the longest night, December 21.
24. Write cards to ten people by hand.
25. Plan your 2028 list on December 31.

For more cold-weather ideas, see the winter bucket list for snow days and the holidays.

Spring 2027: March, April and May (25 ideas)

1. Take a walk after dinner on March 14, the first evening of daylight saving time.
2. Do a full spring clean on the equinox weekend, March 20 and 21.
3. See a cherry blossom or tulip festival.
4. Plant herbs on a windowsill or a small garden bed.
5. Ride a bike trail you have never tried.
6. Visit a farmers market on opening weekend.
7. Run or walk a spring 5K.
8. Go to a baseball game.
9. Try fishing or kayaking.
10. Go on a picnic in a new park.
11. Visit a state park you have never been to.
12. Hike to a waterfall at its spring peak.
13. Volunteer for a park or beach cleanup.
14. Learn to identify five birds by their song.
15. Take a photo walk at sunrise.
16. Plan a Mother's Day outing for Sunday, May 9.
17. Clear out a closet and sell or donate what you do not wear.
18. Try a new sport for four weeks.
19. Visit a zoo or aquarium.
20. Take a road trip over Memorial Day weekend, May 29 to 31.
21. Rent a bike for a day in a city.
22. Watch a sunrise from a hill.
23. Go to an outdoor concert.
24. Try a new restaurant every two weeks.
25. Plan your summer list before Memorial Day.

Summer 2027: June, July and August (25 ideas)

1. Watch the sunset on the longest day, Monday, June 21.
2. Plan a Father's Day activity for Sunday, June 20.
3. Take a long weekend trip over Juneteenth, observed on Friday, June 18.
4. Watch fireworks on the July 4th weekend, with the holiday observed on Monday, July 5.
5. Travel to southern Spain or Morocco for the total solar eclipse on August 2.
6. Watch the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks in mid-August, from a dark spot.
7. Swim in a lake, a river and the ocean in one summer.
8. Camp for a whole weekend.
9. Sleep under the stars at least once.
10. Visit a national park.
11. Learn to paddleboard or surf.
12. Go berry or peach picking.
13. Have an outdoor movie night.
14. Take a sunrise swim.
15. Ride a roller coaster you have avoided.
16. Do a summer reading challenge.
17. Go to a county or state fair.
18. Watch an outdoor play.
19. Try a food truck festival.
20. Host a backyard dinner.
21. Take a day trip by train.
22. Learn to make ice cream.
23. Have a phone-free beach day.
24. Go whale watching or on a boat tour.
25. Take one last summer road trip in late August.

The summer bucket list has more ideas for kids and teens.

Fall 2027: September, October and November (25 ideas)

1. Take a three-day trip over Labor Day weekend, September 4 to 6.
2. Go on a hike on the fall equinox, Thursday, September 23.
3. Pick apples and bake something with them.
4. Find your way through a corn maze.
5. Take a scenic drive at peak fall color.
6. Go to a harvest festival.
7. Sign up for a fall class.
8. Take a long weekend trip over Columbus Day, October 11.
9. Carve or paint pumpkins.
10. Make your own Halloween costume for Sunday, October 31.
11. Watch a horror movie marathon.
12. Go to a high school or college football game.
13. Drink cider by a fire pit.
14. Run a fall 10K or half marathon.
15. Volunteer at a food bank before Thanksgiving.
16. Host a Friendsgiving.
17. Cook a full Thanksgiving dinner for the first time on November 25.
18. Take a photo of the same tree every week.
19. Visit a pumpkin patch.
20. Write a letter of thanks to a teacher or mentor.
21. Plan holiday gifts with a budget by November 1.
22. Go on a ghost tour.
23. Learn to knit or crochet a scarf.
24. Take a sunrise walk the morning after clocks go back on November 7.
25. Run a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning.

The fall bucket list has more ideas for cozy weekends.

Cheap and free ideas for 2027

1. Watch the sunrise on January 1 and the sunset on June 21.
2. Visit every free museum day in your city.
3. Get a library card and use it every month.
4. Hike one new trail a month.
5. Have a picnic in each season.
6. Volunteer once a quarter.
7. Learn a skill from free videos.
8. Watch the Perseids from a dark park.

2027 bucket list for families

1. Plan one family outing on each three-day weekend.
2. Let each child pick one item on the list.
3. Camp in the backyard.
4. Visit a new state park.
5. Have a family movie marathon.
6. Grow one vegetable together.
7. Do a family volunteer day.
8. Make a time capsule to open in 2037.

2027 bucket list for couples

1. Plan one date a month, each of you choosing six.
2. Take a weekend trip without phones.
3. Cook a meal from the place you want to visit.
4. Take a dance class together.
5. Watch the sunrise together on the summer solstice.
6. Recreate your first date.
7. Learn a new sport together.
8. Write each other a letter on December 31.

2027 bucket list ideas to do solo

1. Take a trip on your own.
2. Eat at a restaurant alone with a good book.
3. Go to a movie by yourself.
4. Sign up for a class where you know no one.
5. Hike a trail alone, after telling someone your route.
6. Spend a full day without your phone.
7. Keep a journal for the whole year.
8. Do one thing a month that makes you a little nervous.

Class of 2027 bucket list: ideas for high school seniors

Senior year runs from fall 2026 to graduation in spring 2027, so a class of 2027 list spans two calendar years. Split it by semester.

Fall 2026

1. Go to every home football game with friends.
2. Take senior photos somewhere that matters to you.
3. Finish college, trade school or job applications before winter break.
4. Visit one campus or workplace you are curious about.
5. Write down one favorite memory from each month of senior year.

Spring 2027

6. Go to prom or plan your own night out with friends.
7. Thank a teacher who made a difference, in writing.
8. Take a senior road trip or a day trip with your closest friends.
9. Sign every yearbook you can.
10. Watch the sunrise with your class.
11. Try one club or sport you never joined.
12. Make a playlist of your four years.

Summer 2027, before what comes next

13. Get your first job or internship, or learn one money skill such as budgeting.
14. Learn to cook five meals on your own.
15. Take a trip with your family.
16. Write a letter to open on your first day of college or work.
17. Have a last bonfire with your friends.
18. Make a scrapbook or photo album.
19. Learn to do your own laundry and banking.
20. Say yes to one adventure before you leave home.

College seniors in the class of 2027 can use the same idea: one list for the last two semesters and one for the summer after.

How do you turn a 2027 bucket list into a calendar?

A bucket list moves when each idea has a month and a first step. Here is how to set it up in about 30 minutes.

1. Pick 12 to 24 ideas. One or two a month is enough; a list of 100 with no dates rarely moves.
2. Place the dated ones first. Eclipses, solstices, holidays and long weekends go into their months.
3. Fill each season with three to six more. Match outdoor ideas to good weather where you live.
4. Write one first step for each. "Eclipse trip" starts with "compare flights to southern Spain or Morocco by February 28".
5. Put the first steps on your calendar. Print the 2027 calendar and write each idea in its month.
6. Check the list once a month. On the last day of each month, tick what you did and move what did not happen.

The bucket list maker does steps 1 to 4 on one page: pick ideas or type your own, press Add dates to give each a month such as "Aug 2027", tick them off during the year and print the list. To see the year as pictures, make a board with the vision board maker or follow the 2027 vision board guide.

Month (dates to know)	Ideas to place here
January (Jan 1, Jan 18)	First sunrise, winter hike, a class
February (Feb 14, Feb 15)	Date night, museum, long weekend trip
March (Mar 14, Mar 20)	Evening walks, spring clean, bike trail
April (new quarter)	Herb garden, farmers market, a 5K
May (May 9, May 31)	Mother's Day outing, road trip, summer plan
June (Jun 18, 20, 21)	Solstice sunset, Father's Day, camping
July (Jul 5)	Fireworks, lake swim, national park
August (Aug 2, mid-August)	Eclipse trip, Perseids, last road trip
September (Sep 6, Sep 23)	Labor Day trip, equinox hike, a class
October (Oct 11, Oct 31)	Fall color drive, costume, corn maze
November (Nov 7, Nov 25)	Sunrise walk, Friendsgiving, turkey trot
December (Dec 21, Dec 24)	Solstice dinner, cards, your 2028 list

Worked example: one family's 2027 bucket list calendar

Sam and Priya have two kids, aged 7 and 11, and two weeks of vacation. On December 30, 2026, each person picks four ideas. They place them in months and write a first step for each.

Month	Idea	First step
January	Ice skating outdoors	Check the rink's opening hours on Jan 2
March	Equinox spring clean, with a pizza night after	Put Mar 20 on the calendar
May	Memorial Day camping trip	Book the campsite by February 15
June	Solstice sunset picnic	Pick the spot on a June weekend
July	Swim in a lake and the ocean	Choose the lake in May
August	Perseids from a dark park	Find a dark-sky spot nearby
October	Homemade costumes	Start on October 1
November	Run the turkey trot together	Sign up in September

They skip the eclipse trip this year and put it on their lifetime list instead. Each child keeps one wild card month to choose later. At the end of each month they tick what they did in the bucket list maker and look at the next month's first step.

What are common 2027 bucket list mistakes?

• No dates. "Sometime in 2027" usually means not in 2027. Give every idea a month.
• Only big trips. If every idea needs a flight and savings, nothing moves until summer. Add ideas you can do this month for little money.
• Too many ideas. One or two a month is plenty. Keep the rest for 2028.
• Booking too late for busy dates. Long weekends and the eclipse fill up. Put the booking step months ahead.
• Copying someone else's list. Keep the ideas that excite you, not the ones that look good online.
• Giving up after a missed month. Move the idea to a later month or swap it; the list is meant to change.

What does research say about bucket lists?

No study has tested bucket lists as such, but research on experiences fits the idea. In surveys and experiments by Van Boven and Gilovich (2003), people said money spent on experiences, such as trips and concerts, made them happier than money spent on things.

In studies by Kumar, Killingsworth and Gilovich (2014), waiting for an experience was more pleasant than waiting for a material purchase, one reason a date on the calendar can be part of the fun.

These are average results from surveys and experiments, not a promise for every idea on your list. A bucket list is a planning tool; how much you enjoy it depends on picking ideas that matter to you.

Where should you go from here?

Pick 12 ideas, put them in the bucket list maker with a month each and print the 2027 calendar.

If some ideas are really goals, like running a half marathon, write them into your goals for 2027 and give them a weekly habit. The 30-day habit building plan turns one of them into small daily steps, or you can build a plan for your own idea. More guides on habits and goals are in the habit building hub.