Summer Bucket List

Last Updated on April 15, 2018

My girls and I have been having a blast this summer. I haven’t even given them a chance to utter the words “I’m bored” because I’ve been whisking them from playdates to swimming pools to Bible schools. And I’ve loved every second of it.

I know some argue that a little boredom is good for kids, that they need to use their imaginations and be innovative. And while I agree with that in theory, honestly it’s me who has wanted to live it up this summer. After a very long, cold winter, I was eager to enjoy all that warm weather and a relaxed schedule had to offer. Plus, this is really the first year in five I haven’t had a “baby.” This summer, I have two potty-using big girls, and we can pick up and go without it being a major production. So fun.

So without necessarily even meaning to, I created somewhat of a “Summer Bucket List” in my head.

Have you made one? If not, I recommend it. Summer is not only one of the busiest seasons of the year, but it’s gone faster than a popsicle in the sun. So if you’re not very intentional, it will slip away before you’ve made those cherished family memories. Don’t let it.

Make a summer bucket list with a few must-do activities for your family. Don’t make it too long, and don’t overwhelm yourself or make it unachievable.

Just a few simple, (free!) activities will do. I found it necessary to print off a summer calendar from my computer and physically pencil in everything we had going and wanted to do. I wrote in scheduled Bible schools, vacation, and work days. Then I could easily see what days we had available to fill in our other bucket list activities. While I usually just punch dates into my phone, I found that our summer was so full, having a printed calendar in front of me was easier to digest.

We’re halfway through the summer and about halfway through our bucket list. I’m trying to make sure we pace ourselves as to avoid a summer burnout, but it’s hard to slow down when you’re having so much fun!

I’m as bad as my girls about not wanting to stay home. Go ahead and do it. Pull out a calendar and pencil and write down those summer activities you’ll regret not doing. The laundry will always be there. This summer, when your kids are this age right here, won’t.

Kelcie Huffstickler

Kelcie Huffstickler has a B.S. in Journalism from Arkansas State University and has written for a number of family publications and websites. She and her high-school-sweetheart hubby have been married for seven years and parents for four. They have two daughters, Eden and Selah, and sometimes feel like they’re swimming upstream in the toddler years. Kelcie’s husband is a firefighter, and she works part-time as a high school abstinence education instructor. Despite feeling overwhelmed by this stage of life, Kelcie is committed to intentional parenting and passing a heritage of faith to her children. She enjoys living among family in the safety of a small town and writes about it on her blog This Beautiful Inheritance. @Kelciehuff