Every year as school gets out, you start seeing Summer Bucket Lists everywhere. Just like keeping up with all the things you see on social media, it can seem like adding a separate to-do list to the never ending to-do list. However, a summer bucket list can be a way to take stress out of your summer. Below are a few tips to help make your list more fun and less stressful.
- Ask everyone in the family, including yourself, the top three things they want to do for the summer that they can add to the list. The rules are that they have to be within reason, and one has to be a place to go, one has to be an activity at home, and one has to be something to make at home (can be a craft or food).
- Don’t make all of the items places to go or big ordeals. In order to fill out the list, add some places you would like to go. Check out St.Louis Mom Summer Bucket List for some excellent inspiration. But make sure to add in a good amount of simple things as well. Some examples are: fly a kite, get ice cream from the ice cream man, make sno cones or popsicles, try out a fun activity you saw on Instagram or a new recipe you’ve been wanting to try, have a family movie night or campout in the backyard, do a box challenge where kids have to use their creativity to make the coolest thing they can think of out of a shipping box, etc. Check out social media accounts from Busy Toddler, Days with Grey, Best Ideas For Kids, Recycle and Play, Hello Wonderful, Hello Yummy and our very own Inspire Labs for some great easy activities.
- Don’t make it all about the kids. Add some items for yourself and/or date nights, try out a new restaurant with your spouse, get family pedicures (even manly men need a little self-care), get a couples massage, take a nap outside on the back porch while your kids are out, or go to a movie that’s not rated G.
- The most important rule is the last one. Do not stress about filling it all in or accomplishing all of it. The list should be a place to go for ideas when you just don’t have the brain power to think, and the kids are driving you nuts with their boredom. If you get all of it done, great. If you only get three things done on it, also great. No stress! This is our list from last year. It is still on our fridge, and we’ll probably just add to it and keep working on it this summer.
To help take the stress out of making the list, Contributing Writer Marlena Renner helped me out and made a fun PDF that you can print out to make your own list.
This summer, have FUN with your bucket list, make it something for everyone, and DON’T STRESS! If you don’t get it done, there is always next year … or the year after that!
