My Kids Summer Bucket List: 20 Fun and Easy Ideas
Happy first day of Summer! If you’re like me and have your kids home a portion or all of the Summer, then you’ll want to keep reading for a list of activities. When my kids got out of school a couple weeks ago, I asked them to come up with a list of realistic things they want to do during the Summer. I had to stress realistic to tailor expectations while I juggle working and being their camp counselor lol! My kids actually find so much enjoyment even in simple things, so our Summer has already gotten off to a really good start.
Whether you’re in the DMV area or not, check out these fun activities, which are within reach no matter your budget or schedule:
Short Term Camps
Since I work from home and have 1 weekday off, we decided not to do a full summer camp this year. However, the kids still want to occasionally go to camp, so my son will going to a sports themed camp in July and my daughter will do a couple 1 week camps that will include swimming and other fun activities. I highly recommend checking with your local community and recreation centers to see what options they offer from cooking to swim, sports, and more. These options are very affordable, too.
Fishing
The kids went fishing last summer with my husband and absolutely loved it. They have already requested to do this again. There are many fishing excursions in the DMV based out of the Annapolis and Stevensville, MD areas. I can’t recall the exact charter my family went with, but I will be sure to update this post with the exact location at a later date.
Great Wolf Lodge
Have you heard? There is a new Great Wolf Lodge and it’s in Maryland! Needless to say, this is high up on the kids wish list for this Summer.
Amusement Parks
We are a fun loving family and my kids love amusement parks, so the plan is to visit Six Flags, Kings Dominion and/or Busch Gardens this Summer since they are all in driving distance.
indoor skydiving
We recently drove past iFly on the way to a birthday party, and the kids were like what is that. So once I explained it was indoor sky diving, they immediately added it to their summer wishlist.
Swimming/Water Park
My kids recently did swimming classes and to further develop their skills, they are hoping to go swimming more often. From local community pools to water parks, I’m planning to take them swimming often. The Southern Area Aquatics and Recreation Center and the PG Sports and Learning Complex are 2 great, affordable options in the DMV. The Dreamworks WaterPark at American Dream is another great option if you’re visiting New Jersey.
Vacation
Travel was apart of my goals for the year, and it’s on the kids’ list, too. We’ve taken them to New York and New Jersey so far this year, and my son is going to Dominican Republic in just a few days. We will likely do 1 - 2 more trips with them this Summer. Strongly considering Rehoboth Beach, as I heard it’s a super family friendly beach that might be ideal for the twins, too. Not sure what else, in terms of domestic or international travel just yet, but we’re packing our bags at least once before they return to school.
Shopping
The kids are at the age where they are excited about their allowance, picking out their own shoes and clothes and more. So we plan to let them be in charge of their summer wardrobe, within reason and within budget. Cassidy has already sent me several links from Shein of items she wants lol! I’ll link their picks on my LTK page.
Cooking Classes
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for awhile, then you know my kids have loved cooking since a very young age. We’ve done several virtual cooking classes before, and they want to do some in-person classes this Summer. I’m looking into Sur la Table for them, but there are a few other options as well in our area. I’m also going to have them help me more in the kitchen this Summer, and we’ll be pulling out the cookbooks working on new recipes. I’ll share highlights here.
Top Golf
If it’s one place they love, it’s Top Golf! It’s not really my jam, so I just sit back and watch them have fun for an hour.
Pick a Card Game
During Spring Break, we played the pick a card game, where they choose 1 of 2 activities without knowing the options. They loved this, and want to run this back over the Summer. This will be a fun way for me to include items not on their bucket list, as well as some that are.
Ice Skating
I’m sure you’re thinking why is this on the list, but I stumbled upon an indoor ice skating rink in the area, and the kids love it! It’s affordable too, so this will be a great option for the kids to visit on days they want a cool, indoor activity.
Roller Skating
Now, you knew this was next on the list. We go roller skating at least a couple times a year and the kids always have fun. I’m a decent skater, but far from a pro, and always say I want to take lessons to learn how to do tricks. This may be a fun activity for all of us, in addition to free skate.
Bowling
This is another activity we always enjoy. Cam is actually a pretty good bowler, too! I need to see if the bowling alley offers lessons, so the kids can sharpen up their skills over the summer because Cassidy wants to use the bumpers and that’s a no go for Cam lol.
Imagination Stage
This amazing local, youth theater arts organization reached out to me in the Spring to share about all the great things they have going on this Summer from camps to plays, and more. Whether your child has an interest in acting or you simply want to enjoy a family day at the theater, I would definitely recommend checking them out. We’ll be seeing Nate the Great this Summer.
Horseback Riding
This was on Cassidy’s list last Summer, and we didn’t get to it as I was navigating returning to work with infant babies, while home with my big babies. Needless to say, mama is gonna make it happen for her this Summer. I’ll report back with the location details once I schedule her lesson(s).
Museums/Site seeing
The DMV has endless museum and site seeing options from strolling on the mall to visiting the African American History Museum and much more. We’ll be enjoying what’s in our backyard this Summer.
Movies
So far we’ve seen the Little Mermaid and the latest Spiderman movie, and look forward to more trips to the movies. We’ll plan to check out some of the theaters we haven’t been to like the Alamo in NE.
Sky Zone
I’m convinced this is their favorite place to go, which is why it was no surprise when I saw this on their lists. If they like it, I love it, and I can easily bring my laptop and work while they jump around - win, win!
Fun with Friends
Last but not least, we’ll make time for them to hang out with their friends — outside, at our house, on outings, etc. These Summer memories they’ll be creating will be even more memorable sharing them with their friends. I’m always the mom who doesn’t mind other kids hanging with us because when you have 4 kids, what’s a few more — especially when they don’t live with you lol.
Alright, that’s our summer round up! I’m sure there will be other things added to the list, but this is more than enough to keep them happy and busy this Summer. What ideas will you be using from this list? What others would you add to this? Let me know in the comments.
Have a glowing day!