I don’t know if it’s coming out of the pandemic, or doing virtual school at my dining room table for half the year, or just wanting to commemorate the summer with my first kiddo finishing kindergarten, but I felt like we needed a reward for all our hard work and being cooped up at home for the last year. As a result, the kids and I made a “Summer Fun List”.
As we started our list we got to about 35 items and then had to get some additional inspiration. So, I scoured the internet for lists like this one to help with ideas and voila: Summer Fun List!
There is happiness psychology behind making a list like this one. The happiness research shows that there is joy from the anticipation of doing something or looking forward to it, as much as there is doing the activity itself. Then of course there is the satisfaction of crossing things off a list and having those memories to think about afterwards. All these things generate happiness.
I listen to a ton of podcasts and a major theme right now is scheduling your summer. Now I won’t be planning every moment with the kids, but this list provides a mission for the summer. Our goal will be to cross off as many things as possible this summer. I hope you’ll follow along on our many summer escapades!
SUMMER FUN LIST - 101 Things to Do This Summer (with Kids)
Go to the waterpark
Go to the beach
Play hide and go seek
Jump on the trampoline
Play tag
Read 75 books
Have a picnic
Go swimming
Bake a cake
Build a sand castle
Paint a picture
Run in the grass
Ride bikes
Fly a kit
Do a 1,000 piece puzzle
Have a water balloon fight
Blow bubbles
Run through a sprinkler
Make snow cones
Eat ice cream
Go down a slip ‘n’ slide
Play duck, duck, goose
Play red light, green light
Play Simon says
Go on a boat
Make tie-dye shirts
Watch TV
Go to the zoo
Go to the aquarium
Go to the farm
Go for a hike
Go rafting
Play mini-golf
Play video games
Ride a carousel
Ride a horse
Go on vacation
Play Magiquest
See family
Have a campfire
Make S’mores
Take pictures
Go fishing
Make a summer playlist
Go bowling
Play cornhole
Feed the ducks
Help a friend
Put on a puppet show
Plant some flowers
Visit Marbles Kids Museum
Play a board game
Go to the library
Have a pajama day
Play in the rain
Look at the starts
Paint a rock
Find a seashell
Do face paint
Draw with chalk
Go to the park
Have a dance party
Look for birds
Go to a museum
Do a science experiement
Call our family
Watch a movie
Cook something new
Build a fort
Watch the clouds
Make a summer mural
Play with play-doh
Have a water gun fight
Hula hoop
Jump rope
Play soccer
Make lemonade
Make paper airplanes
Make an obstacle course
Make a volcano
Play with magna tiles
Have a marble race
Ride a train
Go on a color hunt
Have a pillow fight
Play frisbee
Make a flag
Write a letter to God
Go to a baseball game
Watch fireworks
Pick flowers
Play with our dog (Tutu)
Do yoga
Swing together
Make a sand angel
Donate toys
Bake cookies
Bake muffins
Deliver summer cards
Pick fruit & vegetables
Ride a roller coaster