Summer bucket list printable: pick, tick and print

The short answer

A summer bucket list is a short list of warm-weather things you want to do before fall, such as catching fireflies, a beach day, s'mores, fireworks or an outdoor movie. Choose 20 to 30 ideas that fit your people and budget, date the once-a-year events first, print the list and tick each idea as you go.

How to make a summer bucket list you actually finish

1. Pick 20 to 30 ideas. Summer break is about 10 to 12 weeks, so two or three a week is plenty. Start from a ready list above.
2. Date the once-a-year ones first. Fireworks, fairs, berry picking, free concert series and the August meteor shower happen on set dates. Check local calendars and write them in.
3. Mix big and small. One trip or water park day a month, and lots of 30-minute ideas like sprinklers, popsicles or a sunset walk for weeknights.
4. Keep a few for hot or rainy days. Movie nights, puzzles and baking save the afternoons when it is too hot to be outside.
5. Put the list where you see it and tick ideas the same day. Print it for the fridge or save the image as your phone wallpaper.

All 126 summer bucket list ideas

Every idea in the maker, grouped. For a sample summer week, ideas by age and tips to finish your list, read the summer bucket list ideas guide.

Outdoors and adventures

Long light evenings and warm days out.

• Watch the sunrise from a high spot
• Catch fireflies at dusk
• Go camping, even in the backyard
• Hike a trail you have never tried
• Watch fireworks on the Fourth of July
• Go berry or peach picking
• Fly a kite on a windy day
• Stargaze and find three constellations
• Ride a bike to get ice cream
• Visit a state or national park
• Go to a county fair
• Watch a meteor shower in August
• Pick wildflowers and press them
• Sleep in a hammock for an afternoon
• See an outdoor concert
• Try rock climbing or a ropes course
• Go to a baseball game
• Take a road trip to a town nearby
• Watch the sunset from a rooftop or hill
• Go on a walk after a summer storm

Water and beach

Lakes, pools, beaches and the hose in the yard.

• Swim in a lake, river or the ocean
• Build a sandcastle with a moat
• Go kayaking or paddleboarding
• Have a water balloon fight
• Spend a day at a water park
• Go tubing down a river
• Jump off a dock
• Hunt for shells or sea glass
• Run through the sprinklers
• Go fishing and let it go
• Learn to dive or do a cannonball
• Have a night swim
• Try snorkeling
• Rent a boat for an afternoon
• Visit a splash pad
• Have a beach picnic at sunset

Summer food

Things that taste like summer.

• Make s'mores over a fire
• Make homemade ice cream
• Freeze fruit popsicles
• Have a backyard barbecue
• Run a lemonade stand
• Eat watermelon outside and spit the seeds
• Try every flavor at the local ice cream shop
• Grill corn on the cob
• Bake a pie with summer berries
• Go to a food truck festival
• Pack a picnic for the park
• Make iced tea or agua fresca from scratch
• Grow herbs and cook with them
• Eat dinner outside every night for a week

At home

For hot afternoons, rainy days and staycations.

• Have a backyard movie night
• Read five books
• Plant a small garden or a few pots
• Make a summer playlist
• Do a 1,000-piece puzzle
• Have a game night on the porch
• Learn a new card game
• Make a time capsule to open next summer
• Keep a summer journal
• Have a no-screens Sunday
• Hang a hammock or string lights outside
• Learn to cook three new dishes
• Have a spa day at home
• Watch a movie series start to finish
• Sleep with the windows open
• Clear out a closet and donate

Kids and family

Hands-on ideas for children, most of them free.

• Make sidewalk chalk art
• Blow giant bubbles
• Build a fort and eat lunch in it
• Go on a nature scavenger hunt
• Join the library summer reading program
• Make a backyard obstacle course
• Paint rocks and hide them
• Catch and release a frog or a bug
• Have a backyard campout with flashlights
• Visit a zoo or an aquarium
• Make a homemade slip and slide
• Plant sunflowers and measure them
• Have a teddy bear picnic
• Learn to ride a bike or a scooter
• Make a bird feeder
• Have a family talent show
• Visit a farm and feed the animals
• Do a science experiment outside

Teens

More freedom, friends and first jobs.

• Get a summer job or start a small business
• Have a bonfire with friends
• Go to a music festival or a concert
• Take a day trip with friends
• Learn to drive or ride a new route alone
• Have a sleepover on the trampoline
• Volunteer for a cause you care about
• Shoot a short film with your phone
• Thrift a whole outfit
• Learn a dance or a skateboard trick
• Have a sunrise breakfast with friends
• Make a summer photo album
• Try a new sport or a class
• Plan and cook a dinner for your family

Couples and friends

Dates and nights out with your favorite people.

• Have a picnic dinner at sunset
• Go to a drive-in movie
• Take a weekend trip
• Go on a winery or brewery tour
• Dance at an outdoor concert
• Rent bikes and explore a new neighborhood
• Stargaze on a blanket
• Take a cooking class together
• Go to an outdoor theater show
• Watch the sunrise together
• Have a rooftop dinner
• Host a summer dinner party
• Try a sunset paddleboard
• Go mini golfing

Free or cheap

Summer fun that costs little or nothing.

• Go to a free outdoor movie in the park
• Find a free summer concert series
• Have a picnic at a new park
• Visit a free museum day
• Go to the farmers market with $10
• Watch the clouds and name the shapes
• Walk to a new spot in your town
• Play frisbee or catch in the park
• Have a neighborhood potluck
• Borrow a stack of books from the library
• Go swimming at a public pool
• Have a car wash day in the driveway
• Take a walk without your phone
• Watch the Perseids from a dark spot

Plan the days around the list

A list says what; a schedule says when. The kids summer schedule gives each day a morning, afternoon and evening with outside time, reading and a screen limit, plus a weekly theme with five ideas. Some summer ideas are worth keeping: a walk after dinner or a book a week can become a habit. Try the reading challenge or a 30-day walking habit plan. The fall bucket list and the winter bucket list use the same maker, and the bucket list maker is for a whole life.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a summer bucket list?

A mix of outdoor days (a hike, camping, fireworks), water fun (a lake, the pool, sprinklers), summer food (s'mores, popsicles, a barbecue), slow days at home and a few free ideas. Add one or two things that only happen near you, like a county fair or a free concert series.

How many ideas should a summer bucket list have?

Twenty to thirty. Summer break is about 10 to 12 weeks, so two or three ideas a week is realistic. Keep the rest of the 126 ideas for rainy days or next year.

What is on a summer bucket list for kids?

Sidewalk chalk, giant bubbles, a backyard campout, a nature scavenger hunt, the library reading program, painted rocks, a homemade slip and slide and a zoo trip. Choose Kids and family for 20 ready ideas.

What are cheap summer bucket list ideas?

Free outdoor movies and concerts, a picnic at a new park, free museum days, the public pool, stargazing, a neighborhood potluck and a stack of library books. The Cheap or free list has 20 of them.

Can I print the summer bucket list?

Yes. Pick a design (sunshine, minimal or beach) and press Print my list for one page with a box to tick next to each idea. Save as image makes a phone-sized picture for your lock screen.

Where is my list saved?

Only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to our server and there is no sign-up. Your list and ticks are still here when you come back.

Sources and evidence

1. Van Boven and Gilovich (2003): To do or to have? That is the question — Across surveys and experiments, people reported that experiential purchases made them happier than material purchases.
2. White et al. (2019): Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing — In 19,806 adults in England, reporting at least 120 minutes a week in nature was associated with better self-reported health and wellbeing.