Ultimate Kids’ Summer Bucket List: 10 Things To Do This Season

Summer is here! And, somehow, it always manages to fly by. So, we turned to the summer (camp) professionals to help you make the most of it. Here are 10 things that you can plan to do with your little campers to make summertime fun for the whole family!

1. Enjoy ice cream and cake

We’re referring to the song, because what better way to celebrate the start of summer than to dance it out?! We also love the food. Ben & Jerry’s Tonight Dough, we’re coming for you. 

2. Try one new thing

Whether it’s roller skating, painting, or going to camp for the first time, it will get your child out of their comfort zone and into their stretch zone. And that’s where all the magic happens. 

3. Write a kind note

Who doesn’t appreciate a few words of kindness? And why stop at only one note? Encourage the kids to exchange kindness notes with each other, drop homemade kindness cards into neighborhood mailboxes, or color the parking lot with kindness post-its on car windshields … this is an activity that is easy to repeat in a dozen different ways (a lemonade stand with words of kindness on the cups, anyone?) and is guaranteed to make you ALL feel good!

4. Spend time in nature

Earth isn’t a place to visit, she’s our home. Spend time outside, even if it’s for a few hours. You can find a list of some fun and accessible playgrounds here. Suggest activities to help the kids practice mindfulness: find animal shapes in the clouds, name all of the different sounds you hear, count the number of different colors you see around you. Whether you’re in the city or the country, use all of your available sense to really connect with the world around you. (And we wouldn’t be responsible counselors if we didn’t remind you to lather on the sunscreen and bug repellent!)

5. Make time for a Cabin Chat (No Cabin Required!)

Cabin chats are a fun bedtime ritual that can make summertime extra special and help you connect with your child. Set aside a few minutes to talk about the highs and lows of each others’ days —and what you’re looking forward to tomorrow. You can tailor the questions based on age: it’s a good rule of thumb that more guided questions work better for younger children, while open-ended discussions resonate well with older kids. Regardless of age, the goal is to create a safe space where all feelings are acknowledged or validated. 

6. Find a pen pal

It could be a cousin, neighbor, or camp friend. Whoever it is, help your little campers discover the thrill of sending and receiving “snail mail.” They can practice their penmanship; brush up on their storytelling skills; learn how to address an envelope and where to put the stamp. And the fun doesn’t end there: anticipating the response and checking the mailbox every day can become an exciting new part of your summer routine, and when that response finally arrives a week or so later, you can start the cycle all over again! It’s also a great reminder that sometimes the best things take time.

7. Recreate stage night at home

Go big and have a Stage Night at home! Encourage your kids to gather with friends and put together a show, creating costumes made from whatever is available and using their imagination to create an event that is as fun to plan as it is to perform. Will tickets be required for attendance? Will there be programs passed out to the audience? Creative inspiration can be messy, but we promise it’s worth it: the small confidence boost that results from stretching outside of our comfort zones can go a long way.

8. Host no-hands spaghetti dinner

Summer is for breaking the rules…sometimes. Rules go out the window when it comes to a “no-hands spaghetti” dinner! Such a fun and easy way to get silly and recreate a camp classic at home (but please, don’t wear white.)

9. Give back

Summertime means more time for kids to find ways to give back to their community, and this is a principle that our SeriousFun founder, Paul Newman, lived by. Whether through donations of money (by collecting loose change around the house, hosting a lemonade stand or bake sale or other fundraising activity, etc) or clothing (hooray, clean closets!) or time (volunteering at a local food pantry, soup kitchen, etc), no effort is too small and the lessons learned through the process will be priceless.

10. Practice gratitude

For one week, take five minutes at bedtime and have the kids jot down or share three things they’re grateful for. Practicing gratitude is linked to all sorts of health benefits and improved mood. Before you know it, summer will be over: you’ll be grateful to have these memories for years to come!

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