71 Summer Bucket List Ideas for 2025 (Add Yours!)

Is there a better way to cool off in the summer than a visit to a waterpark? Depending on your budget and what's in your area, you can go to a destination-worthy water park, a local pool with water slides, or stop by your neighborhood splash pad.

Whether you drive across the country or just have a quick weekend getaway this summer, plan to take a road trip together and chart out some unique pit stops along the way.

Pick a screen free day where everyone has to step away from the screens - even the parents! You might be surprised by all of the creative ways you come up with to have fun together, and it will be a great day to tackle a lot of items from your summer bucket list.

Whether your family prefers the classic graham/chocolate/marshmallow combo or likes to pick creative s'mores ingredients, making s'mores at least once is a must for the summer bucket list.

Branch out from your usual playgrounds by making a goal of visiting a variety of new ones this summer. It's a fun way to explore other neighborhoods near you!

A slumber party with friends is loads of fun, but it's also a blast with siblings or even parents! Set up in the family room with sleeping bags and pillows and enjoy favorite sleepover movies, eat too many treats, and stay up late!

If there's a team near you (or a place you'll visit on vacation), take in a baseball game with the family for an iconic summer experience. Many ballparks offer a fun gameday experience with activities for kids.

Pack your beach essentials, slather on the sunscreen and head out for a day in the sun on a family beach adventure. Don't live near the coast? No problem. There are plenty of lakeside beaches to explore as a family, too.

A drive-in theater is a fun summer bucket list idea that allows you to catch a new movie while enjoying your own space! Dress in PJs, bring plenty of fun movie snacks, and load up on pillows and blankets for a comfy experience.

Summer food just tastes better outside, so have a picnic in the park (or even the backyard) for a family bucket list idea! Planning what you'll eat and packing the basket is part of the fun. Try letting each kid choose a different component, from the drink to the main course to dessert.

Keep an eye out for the prefect breezy day and go fly a kite for your summer bucket list!

Nothing says summer quite like a family trip to the local berry farm for fruit picking! Put it on your summer bucket list and enjoy finding different ways to use your bounty.

Sarah Calamita said:  Strawberry, raspberry, peach, nectarine, blueberry....so many options! Kids involved in picking will be more apt to eat them and help you cook with them.

Encourage your kids to write letters over the summer. It'll keep their writing skills sharp while school is out, and who doesn't love getting something personal in the mail? Pick a penpal or cycle through grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles!

Kristy Pepping said:  Write a letter to family or a friend. Tell them what you have been up to during your summer and ask them to write back. Keep your pen pal letters going all summer long.

If your kids haven't mastered blowing a bubble with gum yet, this is perfect for the summer bucket list!

Head outside at night to catch fireflies in a jar or bug catcher, enjoy looking at them up close, and gently release them!